I love me some Blaser straight pull goodness. So when I saw that they had their R8 Long Range .338 Lapua Magnum GRS on the firing line, I had to get some trigger time. After all, sending five dollar bills downrange is more fun when its done with OPM. The R8 long range retails for around $5,900, which is a surprisingly competitive price for a top shelf precision rifle. Make the jump for more info . . .
One interesting design feature of the R8 which I wasn’t aware of is the fact that the magazine and trigger are an integral unit. In the case of the .338 Lapua, it’s only a two-round magazine. I’m not thrilled about that, especially given that buying extra fire control units can be expensive. But it was hard not to love the ergonomics and extreme accuracy of this rifle.
Hitting steel at 970 yards was easy, even with a noticeable crosswind. The Blaser muzzle brake really tames the recoil. I have always been fond of the Blaser synthetic tactical stock on my LRS-2, but Blaser has moved away from scary black guns. Instead, the new “Long Range” models feature the GRS stock, which is truly a work of art. I really appreciated the unique grip angle and adjustability potential.
Caliber:.338 Lapua Magnum
- Action:R8 Bolt action
- Safety:R8 tang safety
- Rifle Barrel Length:27″
- Rifle Barrel Twist:1:10
- Rifle Stock:GRS
Blaser also was letting folks fire their new R8 Success model that features a unique and highly ergonomic thumbhole stock
I really dig that straight pull bolt. It’s super fast. Besides having shot yours, I’ve shot another friend’s .416 Remington.
Genuine question: what advantage does the blaser system have over, say, a side-charged AR with the gas system removed?
That sweet stock makes my Savage 110 BA look like a garbage truck. Unfortunately, the price is a little too dear for my honest (well, mostly honest) government salary.
I think many like myself stopped reading when we saw the price tag.
That’s what happened to me! I could buy a lot of ammo for that price – for my “regular” guns – you know – guns for the common man.
For $5,900, it had better be accurate and do my laundry too.
For that kind of scratch, there’s another service it should be capable of.
Daily…
Impressive! But since I don’t have a corporate sponsor, I’ll just stick to what I have.
Yeah I am good with a straight pull rifle by Blaser. Just start doing internet searches on pics from Blaser straight pull injuries. What happens is dirt gets in the lug and the bolt won’t lock up right and bam…..that bolt flys back into your eye. They said they fixed that issue but yeah I’ll still pass
What you’re describing was with the R93 rifle, not the R8. Blaser made everything beefier in the R8 and the locking lugs work very well.
There is debate as to whether the accidents you mention which I did read about and saw the scary photographs of the aftermath, were caused by poor reloading. I’ve owned an R8 for quite a few years and even very hot (unintentional) loads didn’t cause any problems and were incredibly easy to extract compared to good bolt actions. The R8 does not pause the problems you mention and I own several heavy caliber barrels for it. It has a very strong action.
Who cares about the magazine? It could be a single shot with the same effect, you’re hitting things 1000-1500 yards away, rake a smoke break and reload between shots, there’s no hurry, right?
I’ve handled a Blaser, and was amazed at how…perfect…it was. Then I saw the price tag and gingerly handled it back to the salesman quickly
I lusted after a Blaser after handling one at a dealer. Saved and waited a long time and found a very reasonable “new-old stock” one in 22.250 on Gunbroker. Bought it at a bargain and a .300 Weatherby Mag barrel from the same dealer. Now I have 2 PERFECT rifles. Good things come to those who are patient.
Are Blasers really that good to warrant that price tag?
If you only live once, why not save and spend on something you want. I want a Ferrari but can only afford a Corolla. Sure the Corolla does a fine job getting me from point A to B. Screw my Corolla, I’m going to stop eating out for a month and stop buying crab legs for dinner and stop the BBQs and this gun is mine.
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