Blaser R8 Field Evaluation

[omicron1792]

J sip has a 1-7” 223 17.5” barrel in stock for 1100. Someone go get it.

 

[chamois]

@Formidilosus you know how much of a fan of Blaser`s K95 I am ... I'd love you to make a field evaluation of one, and if you could use rail mounts instead thet would be even greater ;-)

 

[ozyclint]

@Formidilosus you know how much of a fan of Blaser`s K95 I am ... I'd love you to make a field evaluation of one, and if you could use rail mounts instead thet would be even greater ;-)

Please do.
I so want a K95 but it's a literal $hit ton of money. 7x65R would be my pick

 

[chamois]

This one is a 7x65R

 

[Southern Lights]

When I get to the range I'm going to mount identical SHV scopes in a Blaser mount and another on pic rail with stout rings and see if I can replicate this. I'll need a bit of time to get this done.

Ok I got the range and tested my rifle. I had two setups barrels with me:

6.5CM with NXS 2.5-10
270 with NXS 2.5-10

I wanted to test with the 6.5CM so I shot the zero and found it was about 0.75 mil low. This was really irritating to me as I just used this rifle in an NRL match and didn't check zero before the shoot so it was either off before the match, happened during the match, or during transport after. I don't know. But now I'm suspicious before the test even began that something is wrong.

The 6.5CM barrel and this NXS scope are new to me as I just got this setup. The NXS is an old scope with mil-dot reticle and was purchased used so I don't know the history. However it was in good clean condition and I didn't see any signs of abuse.

Regardless, I re-zeroed the rifle an then dropped it from 18" on the left side (parrallax knob) on a ridgerest camping mat on grass. This is a very easy drop equivalent to a rifle tipping over or maybe your pack falling backwards with the rifle strapped to it. There is no reason why any scope should shift with this kind of drop.

The result of this is the impact shifted to the right about 1".

I zeroed again and then did 3X 36" drops on left side. Shifted about 2 mils right.

So now I'm confused because I don't know if it's the rifle, the mount, or the scope. I pull the scope and put it in NF rings on a Gunstar Picrail. Zero and shoot. Then drop. Shifted right again with this new mount.

So I can now say perhaps the mount itself is probably not involved. But it could be the rifle or the scope. In hindsight I should have zeroed the scope, pulled it from the rifle, and then just hit it on the side without it mounted, then put it back on and shot. This would have told me if it was the scope itself. Sadly I didn't think of doing this. However I had something almost as good...

I pulled the 6.5 barrel and put on my trusty 270 barrel into the same stock. This 270 also has an identical mildot 2.5-10 NXS scope. I have never had this rifle shift zero. I have literally had it zeroed for years with the same ammo at times and it never ever moves.

I shoot and check zero. I then go right to 3X 36" left side drops. No shift with the 270.

I also took the rifle out this weekend and shot a fallow at 374m (409y) with a double lung hit with the 270. Elevation and zero have not moved even since this drop and driving a few hundred kilometers with the rifle bouncing around the back of my truck.

So my conclusion is I have no conclusion. I need to check the NXS scope on the 6.5CM setup further to make sure it's not at fault. The impact moving to the right based on left side scope drop is interesting. If I'm thinking this correctly, the mount from left side impact would have moved right (if it moved) which would cause the bullet impact to move left which is not what is happening here. Moving right based on left side impact almost seems like the internals maybe shifted and not the mount.

I leave this to the wisdom of the group to provide input. @Formidilosus

 

[Stocky]

Ok I got the range and tested my rifle. I had two setups barrels with me:

6.5CM with NXS 2.5-10
270 with NXS 2.5-10

I wanted to test with the 6.5CM so I shot the zero and found it was about 0.75 mil low. This was really irritating to me as I just used this rifle in an NRL match and didn't check zero before the shoot so it was either off before the match, happened during the match, or during transport after. I don't know. But now I'm suspicious before the test even began that something is wrong.

The 6.5CM barrel and this NXS scope are new to me as I just got this setup. The NXS is an old scope with mil-dot reticle and was purchased used so I don't know the history. However it was in good clean condition and I didn't see any signs of abuse.

Regardless, I re-zeroed the rifle an then dropped it from 18" on the left side (parrallax knob) on a ridgerest camping mat on grass. This is a very easy drop equivalent to a rifle tipping over or maybe your pack falling backwards with the rifle strapped to it. There is no reason why any scope should shift with this kind of drop.

The result of this is the impact shifted to the right about 1".

I zeroed again and then did 3X 36" drops on left side. Shifted about 2 mils right.

So now I'm confused because I don't know if it's the rifle, the mount, or the scope. I pull the scope and put it in NF rings on a Gunstar Picrail. Zero and shoot. Then drop. Shifted right again with this new mount.

So I can now say perhaps the mount itself is probably not involved. But it could be the rifle or the scope. In hindsight I should have zeroed the scope, pulled it from the rifle, and then just hit it on the side without it mounted, then put it back on and shot. This would have told me if it was the scope itself. Sadly I didn't think of doing this. However I had something almost as good...

I pulled the 6.5 barrel and put on my trusty 270 barrel into the same stock. This 270 also has an identical mildot 2.5-10 NXS scope. I have never had this rifle shift zero. I have literally had it zeroed for years with the same ammo at times and it never ever moves.

I shoot and check zero. I then go right to 3X 36" left side drops. No shift with the 270.

I also took the rifle out this weekend and shot a fallow at 374m (409y) with a double lung hit with the 270. Elevation and zero have not moved even since this drop and driving a few hundred kilometers with the rifle bouncing around the back of my truck.

So my conclusion is I have no conclusion. I need to check the NXS scope on the 6.5CM setup further to make sure it's not at fault. The impact moving to the right based on left side scope drop is interesting. If I'm thinking this correctly, the mount from left side impact would have moved right (if it moved) which would cause the bullet impact to move left which is not what is happening here. Moving right based on left side impact almost seems like the internals maybe shifted and not the mount.

I leave this to the wisdom of the group to provide input. @Formidilosus View attachment 996436

Could still be the scope mount moving. Id shoot it drop it then unmount and remount.

 

[Formidilosus]

Ok I got the range and tested my rifle. I had two setups barrels with me:

6.5CM with NXS 2.5-10
270 with NXS 2.5-10

I wanted to test with the 6.5CM so I shot the zero and found it was about 0.75 mil low. This was really irritating to me as I just used this rifle in an NRL match and didn't check zero before the shoot so it was either off before the match, happened during the match, or during transport after. I don't know. But now I'm suspicious before the test even began that something is wrong.

The 6.5CM barrel and this NXS scope are new to me as I just got this setup. The NXS is an old scope with mil-dot reticle and was purchased used so I don't know the history. However it was in good clean condition and I didn't see any signs of abuse.

Regardless, I re-zeroed the rifle an then dropped it from 18" on the left side (parrallax knob) on a ridgerest camping mat on grass. This is a very easy drop equivalent to a rifle tipping over or maybe your pack falling backwards with the rifle strapped to it. There is no reason why any scope should shift with this kind of drop.

The result of this is the impact shifted to the right about 1".

I zeroed again and then did 3X 36" drops on left side. Shifted about 2 mils right.

So now I'm confused because I don't know if it's the rifle, the mount, or the scope. I pull the scope and put it in NF rings on a Gunstar Picrail. Zero and shoot. Then drop. Shifted right again with this new mount.

So I can now say perhaps the mount itself is probably not involved. But it could be the rifle or the scope. In hindsight I should have zeroed the scope, pulled it from the rifle, and then just hit it on the side without it mounted, then put it back on and shot. This would have told me if it was the scope itself. Sadly I didn't think of doing this. However I had something almost as good...

I pulled the 6.5 barrel and put on my trusty 270 barrel into the same stock. This 270 also has an identical mildot 2.5-10 NXS scope. I have never had this rifle shift zero. I have literally had it zeroed for years with the same ammo at times and it never ever moves.

I shoot and check zero. I then go right to 3X 36" left side drops. No shift with the 270.

I also took the rifle out this weekend and shot a fallow at 374m (409y) with a double lung hit with the 270. Elevation and zero have not moved even since this drop and driving a few hundred kilometers with the rifle bouncing around the back of my truck.

So my conclusion is I have no conclusion. I need to check the NXS scope on the 6.5CM setup further to make sure it's not at fault. The impact moving to the right based on left side scope drop is interesting. If I'm thinking this correctly, the mount from left side impact would have moved right (if it moved) which would cause the bullet impact to move left which is not what is happening here. Moving right based on left side impact almost seems like the internals maybe shifted and not the mount.

I leave this to the wisdom of the group to provide input. @Formidilosus View attachment 996436

Yes generally the POI moves in the direction of the drop. If you are having an NXS shift 2 mils from 36” drop- it will be rattling.

 

[Southern Lights]

Could still be the scope mount moving. Id shoot it drop it then unmount and remount.

My concern is I used the Blaser mount, then a pic rail w/NF rings and it still moved. I'm going to pull the scope and wind the knobs fully each way to see if I can reset things. Again I don't know the history of this particular scope and the fact it uses the NF mildot tells me it will be old. I'll test again and if it shifts I'll dismount the scope and bang it then put it back on and see if it still shifts.

So again I don't want to take anything from this test, except that the known good 270 scope/barrel combo did not move.

 

[Southern Lights]

Yes generally the POI moves in the direction of the drop. If you are having an NXS shift 2 mils from 36” drop- it will be rattling.

I did give it a good shake thinking the same thing. When I got the scope I don't recall if I really ran the knobs each way so I'll do that and test again just in case something was sticking due to age, etc.

 

[Formidilosus]

I did give it a good shake thinking the same thing. When I got the scope I don't recall if I really ran the knobs each way so I'll do that and test again just in case something was sticking due to age, etc.

That should not be a thing. NXS’s are not Leupold’s- they’re erectors don’t get stuck.

The most likely reason is that you have a mount/rifle issue.

 

[Stocky]

My concern is I used the Blaser mount, then a pic rail w/NF rings and it still moved. I'm going to pull the scope and wind the knobs fully each way to see if I can reset things. Again I don't know the history of this particular scope and the fact it uses the NF mildot tells me it will be old. I'll test again and if it shifts I'll dismount the scope and bang it then put it back on and see if it still shifts.

So again I don't want to take anything from this test, except that the known good 270 scope/barrel combo did not move.

Why would your pic rail not move? It mounts to the barrel the same way. Thats very possibly the weak point.

 

[Stocky]

Why would your pic rail not move? It mounts to the barrel the same way. Thats very possibly the weak point.

Likely failure points being
-Scope in rings
-Rings to base
-Base to Barrel
-Scope
-Barrel in Receiver/stock (I'd say unlikely responsible for 2 mil shift being scopes mounted to the barrel. Maybe if the barrel was seriously touching the stock.)