I received my J. Sips & Sons R8 .458 Lott barrel about 2 weeks ago. $1400 delivered. It was cut to match the profile of the Blaser Selous Safari barrel and fits my Blaser Professional stock perfectly. The front sight is a hooded orange fiber optic rod and the rear site is screw adjustable for elevation and windage and locks with separate screws. No windage adjustment was necessary but the sight had to be extended upwards to its limit for a 50yd zero. This is OK as it improved the cheek-weld when sighting. The hood is open at the top to allow illumination of the fiber optic rod and is removable by pressing a small spring loaded button on the side. My only issue is that the rear sight does not have a vertical white center-line as does my Krieghoff's sight, which line helps center the front bead. I mounted a Leupold VX 5HD 1-5x24 Fire Dot scope with a CDS dial on a Blaser mount and sighted it in at 50 yds as the CDS was ordered with ballistics of a 500gr Barnes TSX bullet and a 50 yd zero, though the dial compensates for drop out to 100s of yards further than I will shoot at any DG. An exceptional PG specimen which presents itself at a distance may be a different issue and my experience with a CDS dial on a Leupold VX 5HD 2-10X42 on my .375 H&H Blaser barrel gives me confidence that a clean shot at distance is not only possible but assured. The cuts for the Blaser mount are a few hundredths wider than my stock Blaser barrels, however, this is not an issue for me as the mount fits well and the scope is dedicated to this barrel. I shot a number of rounds off the bench to sight it in and get comfortable with this barrel and it is a shooter, with the holes touching and clover leafing at 50 yds. The "run and gun" exercise I do with my Krieghoff was also done on this day with this barrel and there is no better way to get comfortable with a firearm that shooting at a target, moving to the right 5 fast steps while reloading, shooting at a different target, quickly shooting at the first target again and then reversing direction 5 fast steps shoot at the second target. The moving and reloading keeps your mind busy and reduces your awareness of the recoil, which is a good thing. Any way, I am very happy with the barrel, the fit and finish and the accuracy. My only complaint with Justin is that he would rather spend time making barrels and exceptionally beautiful firearms than answering emails, however, after receiving my barrel relatively quickly, I will not register this as a serious complaint. I can unequivocally state that if you order a barrel from J Sims & Sons, you will be pleased on all accounts.
