The Blaser R8

The R8 Theory

That funky looking and expensive straight pull rifle. This is usually the first thought that comes to mind when the average American consumer encounters one of these rifles for the first time. Today, we are going to break down the R8 system, as it is so much more than meets the eye.

The Blaser R8 is not just a rifle, but a family of parts that make up a working system. It is this system and the versatility it offers that all but invalidates the need for multiple rifles. With one Blaser R8 system and a few barrels, you can quickly change from a rimfire rifle to a true Safari ready magnum in minutes. This family is made up of the following: stock receiver, barrel, bolt face, bolt assembly, and trigger group. We are going to discuss each of these and the relevance they carry.

Stock Receiver

This is the heart and soul of your rifle system. Do you want something modern, lightweight and quick handling? Look into the Blaser R8 Professional 2.0 Brown Stock Receiver 80120599. Maybe you are looking for a bespoke aesthetic to be handed down from generation to generation? Look into the R8 Stock/Receiver Luxus RH NS Wapiti/Whitetail A0820413. My point here is you can really create anything you want with a Blaser. The multitude of offerings in this system are truly the hunter’s “Legos”.

When selecting a stock receiver, the most important thing to consider is the barrel channel of each model. Most are going to ship with a “standard channel” which is suitable for most common rifle cartridges. The standard barrel channel can be opened to a “Semi-Weight” or “Safari/Match” to accommodate thicker contoured barrels. These options can be done at the behest of Blaser USA in San Antonio, or custom ordered through a EuroOptic salesman. (like me, Jake!) With all this being said, let’s jump into the discussion of barrels.

Barrels

Barrels are fairly self-explanatory, but I still get a lot of questions as there are many options available. So, we are going to break this down quick and easy.



There are 36 factory cartridge choices in the R8 family - everything from .22 LR to .500 Jeffery. There are also three contours (thicknesses) to choose from: 17mm (Standard), 19mm (Semi-Weight), and 22mm (Match/Safari).

Barrels can be cut shorter, threaded, fluted, or have sights added at request of the customer. For anything custom, you will need to contact our sales staff to order a barrel.



Safari barrels are limited to a few select chamberings, with all Safari options featuring a barrel band sling swivel and express style sights.

Generally speaking, each barrel will come with its accompanying magazine.

As I mentioned, the R8 series creates a system that allows you to interchange barrels and other key components to create a multi-cartridge rifle platform.



One of the most common questions I receive is will I need to re-zero my rifle after changing barrels. The short answer is no! Barrel mounted optics will maintain their zero regardless of how many times the barrel is taken off or put onto the stock receiver. You zero the optic one time, and if you do not mess with the rings, you are good to go.



To swap from one caliber to another, it is extremely simple. Two bolts are located under the forearm of the stock receiver - With bolt assembly open, loosen them until the barrel is free and remove the barrel. Align the new barrels studs with those bolts in the stock receiver and hand tighten the bolts. If you are swapping from one bolt face family to another, you will need to replace the bolt face as well.

Bolt faces

This is an extremely simple, yet confusing part of the system. There are 9 bolt face groups. Each of these have Right Hand (RH) and Left Hand (LH) options. The RH or LH designates which direction the casing ejects when the action is worked.



• KK (Rimfire: 22 LR, .17HMR, .22 Mag)

• HO (Hornet: .17 Hornet and .22 Hornet)

• MI (Mini: .204 Ruger, .223 Rem, .222 rem, .300 Blackout, etc.)

• ST (Standard: .308 win, 6.5 Creedmoor, 30-06, 9.3x62, etc.)

• ME (Medium: 8x68mm S, 6.5x68mm)

• MA (Magnum: .300 Win Mag, 7mm Rem Mag, .338 Win Mag, .375 H&H, .458 Lott, etc.)

• JE (Jeffery, only used for .500 Jeffery)

• CH (Schweizer Kaliber: 10.3x60R)

• LA (Lapua: .300 Norma Mag and .338 Lapua)



All of these are available in three colors – regular, gold or DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon).



For example - To swap your rifle system from .308 Winchester to 6.5 Creedmoor, you do not need to swap bolt faces as both .308 and 6.5 utilize the same case rim diameter. But swapping from .308 Winchester to .375 H&H, you will need to swap the ST bolt face to a MA. Make sense? Let’s move on.

Bolt Assembly

This one is cut and dry, do you want the bolt on the right or left side? There is an option for both.



An interesting point of discussion for the R8 is its safety/cocking system. By pushing the safety forward, we cock the rifle - it is ready to shoot. By depressing the safety and allowing the tension to ease off, we have an uncocked and totally safe rifle. It is physically impossible for the rifle to go off while it is uncocked.

Trigger Group

Trigger groups are generally included with the stock receiver. Several other options are available should you want to upgrade or change your trigger group.



Want a light, crisp trigger pull? Look into the “ATZL Match - Hunt trigger”.



Triggers are available in three colors – regular, gold or DLC. The same options are offered for the bolt face. (Matchy Matchy!)



Your magazine is contained inside of the trigger group and can be removed from the stock receiver to reload the magazine or service the rifle.



The most common complaint about the R8 system is the lack of a traditional detachable magazine. Some hunters will carry a secondary trigger housing with a magazine installed as a spare. While it’s atypical, this is an effective solution.

Why the R8 makes sense

Let’s lay this out. We have a dozen different bolt guns, each one different from the last in some minute detail – one is a Savage, one is a Seekins, one is a Bergara, and so on. One is for tree stand hunting whitetail, one is for coyotes, and one is for plains game. You get the idea - we have a rifle for every hunting scenario. With each rifle being marginally different we are inadvertently giving ourselves training scars. That Savage feels a whole lot different from that Seekins.



You are probably catching on by now, aren’t you?



I can choose my stock receiver, a 3–4-barrel set, the corresponding bolt faces, and be set up to hunt anything in the world. (If it bleeds, we can kill it!) The entire package will fit in one carrying case, have the ability to “hot swap” optics without the need to rezero, be the one “firearm” on an import/export permit, and alleviate the need to learn the manual of arms of multiple rifle systems. This is an invaluable advantage for serious hunters in the field. Remember the line made famous by Marine Corps Lt. Colonel Jeff Cooper, “Beware the man with one gun. He can probably use it.”

Jake’s “Dream” R8 build

My optimal R8 package would consist of the following:



- “Luxus” stock receiver, This one with the Whitetail & Elk side plates specifically R8 Stock/Receiver Luxus RH NS Wapiti/Whitetail A0820413 For Sale | SHIPS FREE - EuroOptic. This is the perfect “bespoke” stock receiver that will fit the role of this rifle perfectly for my use.



- 18.5” .308 threaded standard contour barrel with HIVIZ sights. This would be my primary barrel paired with a Swarovski Z8i II 2-16x50mm 4A-I Riflescope 68721 For Sale - EuroOptic. I can hunt everything in the continental US and most plains game within 500 yards with this barrel setup, I would also attach a suppressor for 99% of my hunting.



- Gold colored bolt face, ATZL trigger and a bolt knob to add a little tinge of classiness for an heirloom grade rifle. It never hurts!



- I would also add a .22 LR, .223 Rem, and .375 H&H barrel. With the 4 barrels I’ve chosen I can plink at steel, hunt small game, furbearers, deer, elk, moose, and even up to the African Big 5 – all with one rifle, one system, and one manual of arms.

Closing thoughts

The R8 is an heirloom quality rifle that is built to work. It is not a safe queen; it begs to be taken afield in search of adventure and decorative skulls and hides for your study.



Is it expensive? Yes.



Is life short? Extremely.



Should you spend your time on this planet with an average, boring rifle? Absolutely not.



So, if you would like to discuss the Blaser R8 rifle system and its place in your future, get ahold of me. I would love to help you out!



-Jake Tumolo