Blaser R8 Field Evaluation

[Snowwolfe]

Added to my arsenal today. Europtics is still having a sale on most Blaser stuff so back ordered a 300 Weatherby barrel with sights. Combined with the other barrel in 375 H&H and I'm set!
Weird, some barrels with iron sights cost less than barrels without sights. Go figure.

 

[nm.otter]

Weird, some barrels with iron sights cost less than barrels without sights. Go figure.

Perhaps stock items purchased (or produced) some time ago?

 

[Snowwolfe]

Perhaps stock items purchased (or produced) some time ago?

Not sure. The barrel was not in stock and I had to back order it.

 

[Stinky Coyote]

K95 really slows you down on follow up shots, sold mine so I could shoot things more than once or shoot more things at once lol. Loved my k95 and was brilliant kananaskis mountain hunting rifle where there is endless ‘encased and unloaded’ corridors, zones etc. Just leave it in pack and keep bear spray handy, and nice on packout holding a perfectly balanced 5.5 lb iron sight in one hand while scope in pack. Also wished for stainless. Never lost zero, shot moa groups at 350 taking scope on and off between shots, incredible trigger and safety system. In hindsight wish I jumped on a r93 in green stock as might still have that. R8 got too fat and heavy but looks like guys finding ways to get weight down on them with new options now.

I know they have good coatings and steel but better than stainless good?

 

[BjornF16]

Recently received a new Blaser R8 barrel in .308 Win from EuroOptic. I pulled a scope that was zero'd with another R8 barrel (6XC) and mounted to the new .308 barrel and went to the range with a box of Federal GMM 168 SMK.

First shot (#1) was a result of not establishing a good shooting foundation (IOW...I suck).

 

[Steve O]

These fast twist 6XC barrels available for the R8 and K95 that have only opened my eyes from this thread are super intriguing. Looking at the case design it looks like it could be very easily rechambered into a .243 for either and a 6UM on the R8. Oh my.

 

[Southern Lights]

I know they have good coatings and steel but better than stainless good?

I find the barrel will get very tiny dots of rust if it gets wet and I don't have it oiled. The dots will not spread, but they are present. I keep it lightly oiled with CLP or such and it is fine after that.

One of my hunting partners Krylons his barrel which works fine and his is a hard working rifle. In theory it could be ceracoated but would require bead blasting off the nitride coating which I suspect would be a real pain.

I don't know if they coat the inside of the barrel. I have heard different stories and can't confirm anything. The barrels though wear very well.

I like Phil Shoemaker's approach to corrosion resistance where he says:

"The one problem I have with making the outside of a rifle too weather proof is that you then don't always recognize what is happening inside the bore.

A rusty outside acts like an idiot light and tells you that something that counts inside is likely to need your attention."

I have had stainless rifles develop rust in very wet rainforest conditions (Fiordland, NZ - Winchester M70 Extreme SS). I just treat all rifles as if they will rust and maintain accordingly.

 

[RockAndSage]

I find the barrel will get very tiny dots of rust if it gets wet and I don't have it oiled. The dots will not spread, but they are present. I keep it lightly oiled with CLP or such and it is fine after that.

One of my hunting partners Krylons his barrel which works fine and his is a hard working rifle. In theory it could be ceracoated but would require bead blasting off the nitride coating which I suspect would be a real pain.

I don't know if they coat the inside of the barrel. I have heard different stories and can't confirm anything. The barrels though wear very well.

I like Phil Shoemaker's approach to corrosion resistance where he says:

"The one problem I have with making the outside of a rifle too weather proof is that you then don't always recognize what is happening inside the bore.

A rusty outside acts like an idiot light and tells you that something that counts inside is likely to need your attention."

I have had stainless rifles develop rust in very wet rainforest conditions (Fiordland, NZ - Winchester M70 Extreme SS). I just treat all rifles as if they will rust and maintain accordingly.

That's a great point of Shoemaker's you shared. If you ever do want to do a rust-preventative that isn't oil, spray-on furniture wax can give a nice protective layer for awhile.

 

[Southern Lights]

That's a great point of Shoemaker's you shared. If you ever do want to do a rust-preventative that isn't oil, spray-on furniture wax can give a nice protective layer for awhile.

I didn't think of that, but I have Renaissance wax I bet would work well. I'll give that a try.

FWIW, I collected bits of wisdom from Phil Shoemaker's postings and he said this about corrosion treatments:

"My son ran a test a couple years ago and rather than razor blades he used steel wool pads and soaked each in a different gun oil or rust preventative and then left them outside on a rusty metal screen for a year. He used Breakfree, motor oil, WD-40, Rem oil. LPS 2 & 3, Marvel Mystery oil and Corrosion-X. At the end of the year most pads were rust powder, a few held together but were coated with rust. Only one, the one that was sprayed with Corrosion -X, still looked new."

 

[nm.otter]

These fast twist 6XC barrels available for the R8 and K95 that have only opened my eyes from this thread are super intriguing. Looking at the case design it looks like it could be very easily rechambered into a .243 for either and a 6UM on the R8. Oh my.

...or perhaps a 6mm GT...

 

[nm.otter]

If you ever do want to do a rust-preventative that isn't oil, spray-on furniture wax can give a nice protective layer for awhile.

FluidFilm does not seem to be common in the firearms industry, but may be worth consideration.

 

[khuber84]

...or perhaps a 6mm GT...

6gt won't clean up an 6xc unless you set it back. 6xc is a great case design, prob 1 grain less than a creed, but longer neck. If lapua or alpha brass was available it'd be great. The peterson brass ain't bad at all tho.

 

[nm.otter]

6gt won't clean up an 6xc unless you set it back.

Yeah, math doesn't quite work for that. Same thing with a .243 Win barrel.

I think it's a darn good design with SAAMI approval and a potential future.

 

[Stocky]

I find the barrel will get very tiny dots of rust if it gets wet and I don't have it oiled. The dots will not spread, but they are present. I keep it lightly oiled with CLP or such and it is fine after that.

One of my hunting partners Krylons his barrel which works fine and his is a hard working rifle. In theory it could be ceracoated but would require bead blasting off the nitride coating which I suspect would be a real pain.

I don't know if they coat the inside of the barrel. I have heard different stories and can't confirm anything. The barrels though wear very well.

I like Phil Shoemaker's approach to corrosion resistance where he says:

"The one problem I have with making the outside of a rifle too weather proof is that you then don't always recognize what is happening inside the bore.

A rusty outside acts like an idiot light and tells you that something that counts inside is likely to need your attention."

I have had stainless rifles develop rust in very wet rainforest conditions (Fiordland, NZ - Winchester M70 Extreme SS). I just treat all rifles as if they will rust and maintain accordingly.

Be interesting if the new coating they just changed to will be better.