Looking at getting a 375, but not sure which is the better option?? safari is a bit more expensive in SA but has the kickstop fitted and added weight advantage. However have heard that the standard barrel (e.g.diff callibre) in the safari forearm is not the best looking when you switch barrels.. opinions??

If you are asking about R93, the kick from my standard contour (no sights, no kick stop) barrel is not oppressive with 300gr H&H loads. Even from a benchrest. Although I do cheat a little by having a Browning Reactor pad in my shirt. I suppose to some folks the magnum length (25.6") barrel is a burden. Not to me.

The Safari is a good option if you might consider a 416 in the future.

Deon, Many of us "Blaser Nuts" use the Safari stocks, and utilize standard (non-Safari) width barrels when needed. The gap in the forend isn't much more than many rifles with free-floated barrels. The wider Safari and Match barrels are almost twice the price as the regular contour ones, and are not available in all calibers.

Don't think i'd ever go bigger than 375, cause if the chance for hunting buff etc does arise, a PH with something suitably larger would normally be there for back-up, but then again never say never..at the moment i've got a 270 in standard configuration, so my thinking for future options would be a 300 win mag in semi-weight contour to go with the 375 and then a 223 or 243 in standard contour to complement the 270. Biggest ad of the safari is the lower recoil on the standard contour 375 due to lighter weight and no kickstop.If recoil is manageable I could jus get diff barrels and save on cost of safari..guess Best bet would be to fire both.

The Safari barrel with its greater weight [and the kick stop needed to balance the rifle out] will have a little less recoil.

However I think its main advantage in that it holds steadier in off hand shooting, and other less secure positions, such as shooting off sticks.

If I was going to use the 375 H&H barrel mostly in the USA and only a time odf two in Africa i would get the standard barrel.
If I thought I would mostly use it on Safari in Africa and only a time or two in the USA then I would get the Safari bbl.

I try to cut down on the different calibres I use, so in the R 93 I go from the 300 Win Mag straight to the 375 H&H.

I have H&H barrels in Tracker [19 3/4"], standard, and Safari.

That is the beauty of the Blaser R 93.

You can go from short, standard, to Safari, from Plastic stock to wood stock.

My R93 barrel in .375 is the standard contour, and I find it shoots very comfortably, with no kickstop and the straight-comb "American" stock. I have handled an R93 with the safari-weight barrel and found that it balanced very poorly compared to the standard weight model. I have also had a chance to shoot the same gun with the European-style humpback stock, and I was surprised at how much more recoil was felt with that configuration.

I didn't realize until reading this thread that the .416 Rem barrel, if you decide to someday go that direction, would require the wider safari barrel channel. It should be easy to open up your own barrel channel, rather than buying a new fore-end. The difference is so slight that regular barrels still look quite acceptable when used in the wider channel.

John

I agree with jwm. My R93 with the standard 375H&H barrel is quite comfortable to shoot off the bench. Not sure I would go much higher though. My 416 Rigby is in a CZ 550 configuration and is very comfortable to shoot as well.
Peter.

Old thread but license finally approved and picked up my barrel yesterday for the Safari