Blaser

[Southern Lights]

I want one, but have had a hard time getting past what seems like a very thin and cheap buttpad. Does that bother anyone and has anyone replaced it with something better?


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I don't find the buttpad to be bad at all and I have used the Blaser with everything from .223 up to 300WM. I mostly stick to 270/223 now and can shoot all day without any muzzle brake or suppressor just fine. I think part of it too is the recoil impulse is kept very inline with the shooter and with the thumbhole stock it's easy to maintain good control of the rear for a solid position.

 

[Southern Lights]

Using a Blaser shows people how ludicrous $4,000 Remington clone “customs” are. All things considered, probably the best general hunting rifle on the market.

The Blaser by far gets the most field use for me vs. any other rifle I own or have owned. It does exactly what they say it does, which is:

- Modular and holds zero between caliber changes.
- Fast bolt throw with straight pull.
- Safety is actually safe as it is decocked and is fast/quiet to put into action in one movement.
- Barrels are all excellent from the factory. I have never used a caliber that wasn't able to do below MOA accuracy and with factory ammo.
- Shorter by about 4" than standard rifles making carry with a full length barrel easy. With 16-18" cut barrel they are nimble and fast pointing
- We have used them for thousands and thousands of rounds without any trouble.
- Scope mounts always return to zero.
- Comfortable to shoot in any field position.

The biggest negative is bare rifle is about 7.5lbs so it's not a lightweight, but still within reason for what it is as a compact, durable, fast and safe rifle that is accurate and reliable.

It's also an excellent rifle even if you only use it with one calibre and never switch barrels at all. The Blaser does just what they say it does and I think it's worth every penny.

 

[Mojave]

Pete must have sent a bunch out this week. I got mine as well.

 

[BjornF16]

Looks like the KRG adjustable buttpad will fit Pete’s cf buttstock…think I’ll give it a try

 

[Mojave]

I don't think I am going to keep it.

Got a GRS Warg last week, and I like it a lot better. I put both of them together last night and, while I like Pete's stock a lot and the design is super. I have moved beyond this idea of classical type rifles without adjustability.

GRS stocks have issues, but they are adjustable. I prefer that.

 

[Helislacker]

Using a Blaser shows people how ludicrous $4,000 Remington clone “customs” are. All things considered, probably the best general hunting rifle on the market.

What do you think of the new Sako 100’s as far as stock design and potential advantages over the current S20’s/Tikka? Not sure where they sit price wise, but they’re also multi cal like the Blaser and seem to be targeting the same premium market as the Blaser.

 

[Southern Lights]

Interesting on the Sako 100. They basically made a Sako Blaser. I'm a huge Sako fan so this is interesting. I see they have moved to use a true de-cocking safety like Blaser which is a big upgrade over traditional safeties. I hope they offer a caliber like .223 along with the standard calibres. The scope mounting system is also like the Blaser that by keeping the scope on the barrel you don't lose your zero when swapping calibres or breaking down the rifle to carry in a small case. Maybe the mount retains zero also when you take the scope off the barrel like the Blaser as well?

No weight is listed yet so it would be interesting to see if they get it down to match or be lower than the Blaser. The Blaser will still have it beat in terms of overall length most likely with the trigger/magazine system they use. Blasers are also expensive and I suspect Sako will be in the ballpark there as these modular designs are probably more money to produce.

But if you want a traditional turnbolt rifle with a de-cocking safety and ability to swap calibres/break down the rifle for easier transport, the Sako 100 looks very promising.

 

[Formidilosus]

What do you think of the new Sako 100’s as far as stock design and potential advantages over the current S20’s/Tikka? Not sure where they sit price wise, but they’re also multi cal like the Blaser and seem to be targeting the same premium market as the Blaser.

I haven’t used it, however my presumption is that it will be a very solid rifle. Stock design is better than most Sako’s, and adjustable.

 

[Mojave]

I also think it will be a great option.

Sako is a very revolutionary company.

American's are strange that way, we have the ability to come up with incredible solutions, but most of our rifle actions are the same for the past 50-100 years. M70, M700, Mark V, M77, A-Bolt.

Boutique American rifle companies are doing different things.

 

[Formidilosus]

I also think it will be a great option.

Sako is a very revolutionary company.

American's are strange that way, we have the ability to come up with incredible solutions, but most of our rifle actions are the same for the past 50-100 years. M70, M700, Mark V, M77, A-Bolt.

The M70 is a solid design, the rest not so much.

Boutique American rifle companies are doing different things.

Other than Remington clones, which ones?

 

[Mojave]

There are a lot of 3 lug bolt and 4 lug bolt custom actions built in America, and quite a few in the UK, Europe and NZ.

The only really land mark design upgrade is the American Rifle Company actions. I wish they would incorporate a de-cocker.

 

[DJL2]

The M70 is a solid design, the rest not so much.

Other than Remington clones, which ones?

What’s interesting from my perspective is watching folks go “back to the future” with what amounts to, essentially, making the 700 pattern custom as much like the M70 as possible. Depending on the mark, the only thing you’re missing is a flat bottom, 3-pos safety, non-rotating claw extractor. The original reason for the R700 was cost saving/cheaper manufacturing…

The customs are fine actions in that sense, I suppose. They aren‘t a bad option considering I can buy a Seekins PH2, spare mags, scope rings, and a sling for less than a Blaser spare barrel and have money left over. Likewise a PRS production gun, or a DIY parts build. How much is modularity worth?

 

[Formidilosus]

What’s interesting from my perspective is watching folks go “back to the future” with what amounts to, essentially, making the 700 pattern custom as much like the M70 as possible. Depending on the mark, the only thing you’re missing is a flat bottom, 3-pos safety, non-rotating claw extractor. The original reason for the R700 was cost saving/cheaper manufacturing…

The customs are fine actions in that sense, I suppose. They aren‘t a bad option considering I can buy a Seekins PH2, spare mags, scope rings, and a sling for less than a Blaser spare barrel and have money left over. Likewise a PRS production gun, or a DIY parts build. How much is modularity worth?

You are correct about actions starting to resemble the ‘70. However, all of the custom actions have serious flaws- they all use R700 triggers (the least reliable on the market in adverse conditions), almost all bind up when racking/chambering, most are weak on extraction and or ejection, etc. The ARC actions are solid except for the trigger.

These companies need to get away from R700 compatible triggers and start actually testing in ice/snow/sand.

 

[DJL2]

I don’t know what it would take to move people from so ubiquitous a platform. Makers like Impact specialize in variants (they claim) are optimized for reliability. That probably dulls the urgency that might otherwise exist.

I do like Ted and ARC - he does a solid job of explaining the “why” behind what he does.

 

[Southern Lights]

I was at a shoot once hit by a freak snow storm. Two of the four R700 actions had to be thawed in front of a portable heater to continue working. My Sako ran without incident. The R700 lugs collected a lot of ice and seemed to pack it into the locking area. The triggers also had ice issues. The Sako's angled lugs and covered action kept out a lot of bad weather so problems couldn't start.

On the Blaser the only concern I've had is the lip that allows the splined bolt to lock-up could collect debris and potentially not go into battery. You could put your finger around in it and clean it out in that case. But since the normal carry of the Blaser is bolt closed and de-cocked (locks the bolt shut), there is almost no way for debris or snow to enter the action.

The triggers on Blaser are desmodronic which means no springs are used anywhere. This eliminates another failure prone part that can bind up with ice or break:

Desmodromic trigger mechanism
Maximum reliability – even when iced or heavily soiled. The trigger system of the R8 is force-controlled. Cycling the receiver automatically resets the trigger.

 

[Southern Lights]

The customs are fine actions in that sense, I suppose. They aren‘t a bad option considering I can buy a Seekins PH2, spare mags, scope rings, and a sling for less than a Blaser spare barrel and have money left over. Likewise a PRS production gun, or a DIY parts build. How much is modularity worth?

I bought the Blaser at first not because of the modularity at all, but these features:

- 4" shorter than conventional rifle due to trigger/magazine design.
- Can run full length barrel but still be shorter than many short-barrel options. In shortened versions, the Blaser is lightning fast handling.
- Can run a suppressor on it and be the length of a conventional rifle without a suppressor.
- Decocker safety is perfectly safe to carry in hand with a round in the chamber and ready for quick action.
- You can take the entire thing apart and put it into a much smaller case that doesn't look like a rifle when you are traveling or just going to your vehicle.
- You can remove the scope and carry inside your pack when in rough country so if you take a fall you don't need to worry about it taking an impact with the rifle on the outside of your pack. Scope attaches back with absolute zero when you are ready.
- The trigger is world-class.
- The straight pull is as fast as a semi-auto in most cases where you are doing deliberate aimed fire and not just rattling off rounds.
- The bolt encloses the entire action and locks shut so debris can't enter the rifle when walking with it or carrying on a pack.
- When you remove the trigger/magazine the rifle is rendered completely and totally inoperable for car travel and storage.

After I bought it though I did get some more barrels. You can put on a .223 and do cheap practice on the same stock/trigger as your full power hunting calibres.

The Blaser is a great system well beyond the modularity.

 

[BjornF16]

Jaeger receiver arrived today…installed everything but buttstock (waiting on missing compression nut).

Hopefully will have some range time on Sunday.

 

[DJL2]

@Southern Lights - while I appreciate the various bits of technology that Blaser weaves together into a cohesive whole, I think the point stands: the price is many times beyond even a high end hunting rifle of more conventional format. It’s up to the shooter to decide if the features you list merit that price.

For my part, if Blaser offered a detachable magazine which let me keep the trigger on the gun, and had stock options I actually liked, I’d already own one. The R8 is just too niche for me - I don’t own any rifle that’s just a hunting gun.

 

[BjornF16]

For my part, if Blaser offered a detachable magazine which let me keep the trigger on the gun, and had stock options I actually liked, I’d already own one. The R8 is just too niche for me - I don’t own any rifle that’s just a hunting gun.

Uh-oh...looks like you'll be owning a Blaser soon...lol

R8 Ultimate X (10 round detachable magazine)

R8 ULTIMATE X

Blaser bolt action rifle Blaser R8 Ultimate X – for hardest use. With special recoil pad and elastomer grip inlays for safe shooting even in wet conditions.

www.blaser.de

 

[DJL2]

Most excellent… once I/they get the matter of a stock sorted, my Delta-51 can enjoy the company.