Blaser LRS 2 vs. TRG 42 in .338 Lapua

bbartsch

bbartsch

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Hi there, I got a Christmas bonus, and I'm trying to figure out where to spend it. I've decided on one of the rifles above, but have never had a chance to lay my hands on one, or the other. I'm strictly going on magazine articles, so i was hoping I could get some feedback from those in the know. I have been warned that the Blaser is an accurate enough gun, but the ergonomics are poor. I have caught a little info off of the forums here on the TRG 42, and it all seems positive. Any light someone could shed on my predicament would be very welcome. Thanks in advance people.
 
Of the two you list the Sako is by far the better rifle but there are other chioces you should consider. Try to get some time behind the trigger before you drop this kind of coin. I am sure there are more than a couple of .338 Laupua shooters in your area who would let you handle their rifle and let you try it out on the range. Ask around and try before you buy. If you buy based solely on magazine articles you are not doing yourself any favours. You might just end up with buyer's remorse and if you try to sell you are going to take a significant hit in the pocketbook.
 
Prairieguy, it's unfortunate, but there isn't anybody close by, that I know of, that has any of these .338 Lapua rifles. Our gun club is light on Precision Rifle shooters. The problem is our range is limited to 300 metres right now, thanks to the latest gun laws apparently, so we are hardly geared for it here. I will be shooting mainly on a relatives farm. I seriously considered just sticking with a .308, but I figured I might as well just buy what I want and be done with it. Is there anybody in the Grande Prairie area with a .338 Lapua that I could look at?
 
bbartsch,

If this came up in the fall, the second week of November I was in Grande Prairie during a moose hunt and I could have let you take my TRG 42 for a spin.

This is a totally biased opinion but none the less an informed one. About 2 years ago I was in your situation and if not for shear luck I would have ended up with an HS Precision HTR 2000. Fortunately and after a whole lot of research things didn't go as planned and I bought a TRG 42.

With the fully adjustable stock and Near muzzle brake this gun is very comfortable to shoot both in terms of ergonomics and felt recoil. Accuracy is amazing, far better than I can shoot, thats for sure and this is complemented by the trigger. A two stage trigger that after take up breaks crisply without any creep makes this a dream to shoot. The action cycles as smooth as can be and my cousin, a machinist, had nothing but good things to say after seeing my rifle.

I would recommend this rifle whole heartedly to anyone interested in this calibre.

If you have any specific questions PM me and I'll be happy to help you out with anything I can offer. I also have a few good magazine articles on the TRG 42 and one that compares the TRG 42 and the Blaser LRS 2 head to head. I can fax or scan and email (if I can figure out how to use my scanner).

Good luck,

Ivo
 
There are many factors to considder in purchasing a .338 lap. one...cost of the rifle, (can i get a fully loaded custom for the same price) cost of the optics to fully utilize the rifle( your not going to put a bushnell sportview on this rife, your looking Leupold Mark4, Night force, IOR or other upper end optics bases and rings figure $2500), cost of the ammo at 120$ a box a bit cheaper if you reload. What do you want to do with it( if you are not going to go beyond 1000 its kind of a waste to justify the expence of the .338) is there a caliber that can do it better cheaper. (.300 win mag or others). Until you figure out what you want to do with it, it is hard to give good advice but these are some things to considder before purchase. If you are set on the Sako TRG-42 then give her, it is a great rifle. I personaly think you can have a custom built rifle built to fit you done for the same money and even cheaper depending on the options you want.

The best advice I can give is do your homework well, it is going to be a substantial investment. And would hate to see a new long range shooter disapointed and disheartend.
 
Thanks for the replies people. ivo, I would really like to see that article, I sent you a PM. Long Range Canuck, you make some great points, I live pretty close to Corlanes in Dawson Creek, and I know that they make some pretty damn fine rifles. Anyone have any experience with their rifles? It makes sense to have one custom fit to yourself instead of off the shelf for the same cash. If getting custom made, what action and barrel do you recommend? I suppose the stock is personal preference, and is part of the fitting process, but is there certain stocks you recommend over others? Thanks again guys.
 
I have a Mcmillan A-5 on my rifle, and will be putting a Ian Robertson composite on my wifes this spring. Ian makes a wonderfull stock and he is canadian. There are many ways of going about a custom rifle and all comes down to taste and budget. Your best bet is to talk about it with the gunsmith you choose to build you rifle, My favorite is Alberta Tactical Rifle Supply in Calgary, Rick Timmons (Excellent guy excellent craftmanship). I have seen and shot a .300 win mag from Corlanes and it is a very nice rifle. I used a Ron Smith Stainless custom barrel on mine (Canadian to). You options are endless and you will not be disapointed going custom when you find a builder you click with. I will PM you with some pics.
 
If you want my advice, nerver ever buy a Blaser LRS2!!!!
its the worst peace of crap I have ever shot!!!:rolleyes:

reason not to buy a Blaser:
1- Blaser quality standard is very low, if not the worse
2- Bad warranty
3- Poor ergonomics (pistol grip, adjustable cheeck peace, butt plate and trigger)
4- Poor accuracy (1/4 MOA out of the box with factory ammo)
5- Barrel change in less then 30 sec. (hey who would want that)
6- Bolt is very hard to operate, almost as fast as a semi to shoot...
7- Not much equipement available (integrated rear monopod, muzzle break, mirage band, quick detacheble mount, biathlon style sling)

And my favourite reason for you not buy an LRS2, the less people I see with them, the better I look at the range when i'm shooting with mine!:p
 
I've got a .308, like you I was thinking of a .338 but ammo cost made me change my mind:(

If a .308 would interest you let me know I have a friend who is selling is for a ridiculous price...:eek:
 
Hii bbartsch

I'm headed down the same road as you but a little further along I guess, since my $$ has been spent and I'm now waiting for the toys to arrive.

One of the things that have become apparent to me is that reloading is an integral part of this kind of shooting. Its an accuracy issue and not just a matter of being cheap. This being the case makes shooting the .338 LM decidedly less expensive than it may at first appear. Based upon the price of 1 x fired .338 LM brass and its purported 10 X reload life, I figure it'll cost me roughly $1.25 to pull the trigger on my TRG-42. Still not cheap but a darn site better than 6 bucks!

Anyhow, I'm sure you'll get better advice from experienced CGN members but I thought I'd throw my $0.02 in on this particular aspect.

Good luck and have fun!
 
I came to the same conclusion HKMark23, after everything is said and done, the cost difference isn't really that big of a spread. Especially considering the quality of the brass that you get. How did you come to the decision to purchase the TRG 42? Did you compare to other rifles? If you have any other info that I could use, i would appreciate a PM. Thanks.
 
4- Poor accuracy (1/4 MOA out of the box with factory ammo)
Click to expand...

If this is bad accuracy you must be a BR guy shooting a 6PPC or a 6.5-284.

The TRG stock is better Quality than any other stock on the market. It is fully adjustable to customize to any shooter, has a full lenght aluminum frame like the AICS and would cost you at least $1500 if a company like McMillan or Robertson were to make one comparable to it. And no an A-5 doesn't compare to this stock, I have both.

Yes you can build a "custom" for cheaper but if you put together the same quality components you will be in the same price range or more.

If you do go with a custom, Corlanes would be a great place to start very nice fellas up there and I hear they do great work.

Once again, spend plenty of time doing your homework. You may want to check out snipershide.com and do a search, there is a wealth of experience and info there that will help.

bbartsch, I will get you that info you asked for.

Ivo
 
Quote:
4- Poor accuracy (1/4 MOA out of the box with factory ammo)

If this is bad accuracy you must be a BR guy shooting a 6PPC or a 6.5-284

ivo this is called being sarcastic!;)
 
Here are some pics of the TRG stock and one next to the McMillan A-5.

TRG_stock3.jpg


TRG_stock.jpg


TRG_stock_2.jpg


stocks.jpg
 
I have a TRG in 300 win mag. All I can say is I have shot both the Blaser and the TRG. For me the TRG was a better fit. I really didn't like the bolt operation on the Blaser. I have had the TRG now for over a year, and trust me it will out shoot me for many more to come.
 
Timberwolf

I sent them an e-mail, and they said it should shoot .5 moa with premium factory rounds. With handloads, who knows. Does anyone else here have any experience with these rifles? I definatly like the idea of buying Canadian.
 
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