04.12.2024 • In the Field

BLASER R8 small calibre set

Hunting is as diverse as nature itself. Even though these days it mainly applies to roe deer or wild boar, it is often the “little” joys of hunting that bring exciting variety to your days out on the hunting grounds. And all the better when you can use your usual rifle here.

Text and photos: Gunther Stoschek

It’s the little things

A fox, carrion crow or maybe even a goose out in the field: A small, high-precision rifle calibre with an imperceptible recoil will be in its element here. After all, after a day on the hunting grounds, an evening in the raised hide hunting for hoofed game is usually next on the agenda. And it is not always easy or safe to take a second gun with you, so that extra rifle usually stays at home.
Owners of a Blaser R8 bolt action rifle now have the perfect solution: the R8 small calibre set. It features an exchangeable barrel, a specialised locking chamber and the matching magazine insert. So the R8 can be loaded with a smaller calibre projectile in no time at all, even when out hunting. The range spans from the .22 lfB right through to the .22 Hornet, with the new .17 HMR and .17 Hornet calibre deserving very special mentions. Especially in our densely populated regions, which are often under high pressure from the leisure industry, these calibres alone offer an advantage because their shots are extremely lightweight and highly degradable compared to other heaver and more robust projectiles, so they pose a significantly lower threat to the countryside.

Calibers available for the Blaser R8 small caliber set: .22 lfB, .17 Hornet, .17 HMR, .22 Win.Mag., .22 Hornet

When shooting from the ground, the risk of ricochets is particularly high, even if the terrain behind is sloping. The extremely light, soft bullets in .17 caliber reduce the risk.

The special magazine insert ensures reliable cartridge feed and lightning-fast repeating.

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Of course, the benefit of these calibres and shots should never mislead hunters into thinking it is acceptable to fire towards houses, streets or in directions where they cannot see what is in the distance. These days, it is common knowledge that for every shot fired when hunting where there is not a really steep hill to catch the bullet, there is a risk it may ricochet. Even if this risk is extremely low because you are responsible about how you shoot, it still feels good to know that the soft, 1.1- to 1.3-gram lightweight shots decompose much more quickly and completely than heavier shots do.

There is another invaluable benefit to the Blaser R8 small calibre set: You always hunt with your usual rifle, with your trusted trigger and with familiarity. The shooting routine you develop through this helps you to take accurate shots in any hunting situation.