Steel action rifles

Having used a Steel Action .308 on deer and boar back in January, I can confidently say they’re excellent rifles. The action is sublime—verging on addictive—and the weight, feel, and aesthetics are all spot on, at least for me. I was so impressed that I’ve gone ahead and ordered one in walnut with a fluted barrel, which is currently in production.
I made the trip up to Edinburgh to meet with Alistair, who couldn’t have been more accommodating. He went to great lengths to ensure I took my time getting the spec just right. With so many tempting options, it took a while—but we got there in the end.
After 25 years of stalking, I’ve often thought about getting my own rifle, and I’m thrilled to finally be off the mark. Now I just need to decide on a premium scope and moderator to pair it with—for Highland stags. Any recommendations would be most welcome.
 
I had a really good at these rifles at the Stalking show today. They really are beautifully made. The action feels like a really good manual sports car gear box with lever directly engaging the gears, when everythIng is fully warm. Even just pushing forward the cocking safety is just a beautiful tactile thing.

The nearest in a rifle would a properly timed and fitted Mauser action as used in a best London made magazine rifle.

I then went a play the Blaser R8 - feels like a modern box thats just connected with lots of plastic bushes.

Whilst I was looking at the Steel Rifles at least two people muttered a few expletives - they recently bought Blaser R8s and in their few had spent a lot money on a much lesser rifle.
 
I had a really good at these rifles at the Stalking show today. They really are beautifully made. The action feels like a really good manual sports car gear box with lever directly engaging the gears, when everythIng is fully warm. Even just pushing forward the cocking safety is just a beautiful tactile thing.

The nearest in a rifle would a properly timed and fitted Mauser action as used in a best London made magazine rifle.

I then went a play the Blaser R8 - feels like a modern box thats just connected with lots of plastic bushes.

Whilst I was looking at the Steel Rifles at least two people muttered a few expletives - they recently bought Blaser R8s and in their few had spent a lot money on a much lesser rifle.

Very positive review. Your last sentence made me chuckle
 
I had the pleasure of meeting Alistair and handling the selection of Steel Action rifles on the stand. They are beautifully made and sweet cycling. Also available in L/H, which is nice. Also, distinctly niche, which always appeals to me.
 
Lovely. Are they £500 or £5000? I’d like to know if I need to look at them more.
Base price is £2749, a bit more for nice wood and a bit more if you want nickel plated metal work, but a good synthetic nitride coated version comes in sub £3k, and IMHO, is way above what you get with a Blaser R8.

They also have three locking lug bolt heads that are rotating, ie, they engage with the locking lug recesses in the front receiver like a turn bolt, so you get a turn bolt integrity and strength in a straight pull 👌
 
Base price is £2749, a bit more for nice wood and a bit more if you want nickel plated metal work, but a good synthetic nitride coated version comes in sub £3k, and IMHO, is way above what you get with a Blaser R8.

They also have three locking lug bolt heads that are rotating, ie, they engage with the locking lug recesses in the front receiver like a turn bolt, so you get a turn bolt integrity and strength in a straight pull 👌

That’s not bad at all. I can never understand why people would buy a blaser. Thousands of pounds for melted plastic bags is crazy.
 
When I re-started shooting 18 or so years ago, I bought a Blaser 308 LRS :
This was just after the LRS2 had come out, so I got it for a very good price.
However, I very quickly got "tacticool" rifles out of my system and moved it on a few months later...
As stated, poorly made plastic, self tapping screws, and in 308, shoulder busting recoil.

D.
 
I don't hate Blasers, indeed, I came very close to buying an R93 when they first launched, but ended up getting a Heym SR30 instead. The SR30 was heavier, slower and less versatile, but in my eyes it looked and felt like a "proper" bit of gun making, whereas the Blaser was just a clever bit of machining.
For ergonomics and efficiency, the Blaser would have been the better choice, but some connection was missing that was there with the Heym.
I feel the same way about the SA, except Blaser's prices are above the norm in a way they weren't back in the '90s.
 
I had the pleasure of meeting Alistair and handling the selection of Steel Action rifles on the stand. They are beautifully made and sweet cycling. Also available in L/H, which is nice. Also, distinctly niche, which always appeals to me.
Thank you for coming to the stand! I am going to import a left handed version into the UK in the next batch so that left handers can also have a proper feel of the rifle.
 
More generally though I want to thank everyone who is contributing on this thread and/visited me at my Stalking Show stand. It was particularly warming to see people I had already met at the BSS and those who have already ordered a rifle! I am hoping to get out and about over the summer and organise some opportunities for people to have a go with my Steel Action - Schmidt u. Bender combo.
 
Lovely. Are they £500 or £5000? I’d like to know if I need to look at them more.
Base price is £2750 including VAT. If you want all the extras (walnut thumbhole stock, nickel plated fluted barrel and action) then you arrive at around £4280. The pricing system is fairly simple and hopefully allows for people to customise and get the rifle they want.
 
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