Travelling With Blaser R8 Through NSW

Questions about New South Wales gun and ammunition laws. NSW Firearms Act 1996.

Travelling With Blaser R8 Through NSW

Post by 9.3x64 » 30 Jul 2026, 6:04 am

With the recent knee jerk firearms laws in NSW.
Does anyone know if I can legally transport my Blaser R8 from Queensland to Victoria, driving through NSW . I am not useing the rifle in NSW, and it will not be unpacked until I get to Victoria for a Sambar hunt. I will be travelling directly , but stopping for a motel and fuel of course.
The R8 stock and barrel is stored in a locked container, the bolt in a second locked container, the fire control unit (trigger and magazine assembly) will be stored in a third locked container. All three locked containers will be locked in a steel toolbox bolted to the tray of my Ute.
I am licensed for the R8 in QLD under my cat B liscence, but of course this is/will be cat C in NSW.
Does anyone know if this is possible or legal?
Cheers

This is all on the hope that Victoria does not re-categorise straight pull rifles in the future.
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Re: Travelling With Blaser R8 Through NSW

Post by Wapiti » 30 Jul 2026, 6:33 am

If I was doing what you are 9.3, I would ask for the right advice from NSW firearms licensing, because that's what the cops who pull you up and search your ute will be going with. If possible, I'd ask for it in writing and print it out and carry it to show any over-zealous police who let the courts sort out their incorrect assumptions.
And in doing so, turn your life upside down and empty your wallet.
Even seen this in our own country Qld towns. Police make it up as they go along and you have to spend 10-20K in court to sort it out whilst they drive off laughing to Maccas to chat up some counter chick.
This is actually really pathetic, that a decent Australian citizen has to try and clarify ridiculous laws all different in other jurisdictions, all to satisfy some political failures whilst in their own states, imported terrorists shoot and lock up whole suburbs from safe passage for the people paying the taxes that pay these pointless political oxygen thieves. So to cover for their failures in existence, they come up with this BS for the decent folk and feel big.
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Re: Travelling With Blaser R8 Through NSW

Post by 9.3x64 » 30 Jul 2026, 6:52 am

Thankyou Wapiti,
Yes it is bulls**t that I even have to ask this question on a forum.
I think your advice regarding an email to NSW police, and printing the response is very good advice.
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Re: Travelling With Blaser R8 Through NSW

Post by straightshooter » 30 Jul 2026, 8:56 am

Yes that is one option but you might have to hold your breath for a long time.
By the way have you checked what impediments there may be to you possessing that style of firearm in Victoria on your QLD licence.
The obvious temptation is to just quietly drive through NSW however an overt hunting vehicle with QLD plates might attract the wrong sort of attention somewhere along the way.
Yet another possibility is to drive to Victoria via SA.
Every option sux in one way or another and facilitate endless ranting opportunities but as the Latin dictum states 'dura lex, sed lex'.
In the end you have to decide what is more important, the hunting trip or using your Blaser.
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Re: Travelling With Blaser R8 Through NSW

Post by 9.3x64 » 30 Jul 2026, 10:09 am

straightshooter wrote:Yes that is one option but you might have to hold your breath for a long time.
By the way have you checked what impediments there may be to you possessing that style of firearm in Victoria on your QLD licence.
The obvious temptation is to just quietly drive through NSW however an overt hunting vehicle with QLD plates might attract the wrong sort of attention somewhere along the way.
Yet another possibility is to drive to Victoria via SA.
Every option sux in one way or another and facilitate endless ranting opportunities but as the Latin dictum states 'dura lex, sed lex'.
In the end you have to decide what is more important, the hunting trip or using your Blaser.

I have not checked Vic laws yet, but will do .
I won’t be tempted to drive through and hide the firearm. Mainly because I will not deliberately break any law. The only bolt rifle I have is my R8 and numerous barrels. I will never sell it. If I can’t travel through NSW and hunt with it in Vic, then I won’t bother with the hunt.
I do hunt NSW with a bock drilling in 7x65R, so I am fine to hunt NSW. And of course I can still hunt QLD, and NT with my R8.
Maybe Victoria will be an option as well.

Can any of you Victorian hunters confirm whether you can hunt Sambar in Victoria with a drilling, or is that still illegal as well?
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Re: Travelling With Blaser R8 Through NSW

Post by bladeracer » 30 Jul 2026, 12:18 pm

9.3x64 wrote:I have not checked Vic laws yet, but will do .
I won’t be tempted to drive through and hide the firearm. Mainly because I will not deliberately break any law. The only bolt rifle I have is my R8 and numerous barrels. I will never sell it. If I can’t travel through NSW and hunt with it in Vic, then I won’t bother with the hunt.
I do hunt NSW with a bock drilling in 7x65R, so I am fine to hunt NSW. And of course I can still hunt QLD, and NT with my R8.
Maybe Victoria will be an option as well.

Can any of you Victorian hunters confirm whether you can hunt Sambar in Victoria with a drilling, or is that still illegal as well?


You could also have your dealer post it down to a dealer here and avoid bringing it through NSW entirely. Probably be about $60 each way at a guess, but ask your dealer.

I'm not aware of any issue with hunting deer here in Vic with a drilling. If it has a shotgun barrel we can only use slugs for deer here. You could legally still carry birdshot or buck for taking other pests though. You can't use a shotgun smaller than 20-gauge for deer.
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Re: Travelling With Blaser R8 Through NSW

Post by 9.3x64 » 30 Jul 2026, 12:35 pm

bladeracer wrote:
9.3x64 wrote:I have not checked Vic laws yet, but will do .
I won’t be tempted to drive through and hide the firearm. Mainly because I will not deliberately break any law. The only bolt rifle I have is my R8 and numerous barrels. I will never sell it. If I can’t travel through NSW and hunt with it in Vic, then I won’t bother with the hunt.
I do hunt NSW with a bock drilling in 7x65R, so I am fine to hunt NSW. And of course I can still hunt QLD, and NT with my R8.
Maybe Victoria will be an option as well.

Can any of you Victorian hunters confirm whether you can hunt Sambar in Victoria with a drilling, or is that still illegal as well?


You could also have your dealer post it down to a dealer here and avoid bringing it through NSW entirely. Probably be about $60 each way at a guess, but ask your dealer.

I'm not aware of any issue with hunting deer here in Vic with a drilling. If it has a shotgun barrel we can only use slugs for deer here. You could legally still carry birdshot or buck for taking other pests though. You can't use a shotgun smaller than 20-gauge for deer.

I never thought of posting dealer to dealer.
That is certainly a good back up plan.
Thanks mate.
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Re: Travelling With Blaser R8 Through NSW

Post by bladeracer » 30 Jul 2026, 1:00 pm

9.3x64 wrote:I never thought of posting dealer to dealer.
That is certainly a good back up plan.
Thanks mate.


I actually rang my dealer out of curiosity and she can't see any issues with doing it that way.
Which part of Vic are you planning on coming down to?
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Re: Travelling With Blaser R8 Through NSW

Post by 9.3x64 » 30 Jul 2026, 1:10 pm

bladeracer wrote:
9.3x64 wrote:I never thought of posting dealer to dealer.
That is certainly a good back up plan.
Thanks mate.


I actually rang my dealer out of curiosity and she can't see any issues with doing it that way.
Which part of Vic are you planning on coming down to?

I have an old mate that I worked with for years in QLD. He has been offering for years for me to come down for a Sambar hunt with him and his son. I don’t know Vic to well, but I know he is in the far eastern part of Vic. Not to far from the NSW border.
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Re: Travelling With Blaser R8 Through NSW

Post by 9.3x64 » 30 Jul 2026, 1:11 pm

bladeracer wrote:
9.3x64 wrote:I never thought of posting dealer to dealer.
That is certainly a good back up plan.
Thanks mate.


I actually rang my dealer out of curiosity and she can't see any issues with doing it that way.
Which part of Vic are you planning on coming down to?

I have an old mate that I worked with for years in QLD. He has been offering for years for me to come down for a Sambar hunt with him and his son. I don’t know Vic to well, but I know he is in the far eastern part of Vic. Not to far from the NSW border.
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Re: Travelling With Blaser R8 Through NSW

Post by Fester » 30 Jul 2026, 5:28 pm

Nothing has changed in NSW this month, no new regulations have been put out. Next month, or year, who knows, you may be arrested for bringing a straight pull into the state.

I intend to hunt with my straight pull shotty, and lever release rifle until they become banned.

When it happens, we will all know about it, and you won't be able to enter the state with it unless you have a cat C license and comply with all NSW Cat C regulations.

Mince has changed the East Coast of mainland Australia forever.
Back a few years ago, people used to say if you travel to WA, don't bother taking guns, just not worth the risks.
Papalia started it over there, or the latest round, and is now gone.
Mince will likely be the same, not that anyone from the uniparty will ever repeal any of the ridiculous new toughest gun laws.
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Re: Travelling With Blaser R8 Through NSW

Post by bladeracer » 30 Jul 2026, 6:03 pm

9.3x64 wrote:I have an old mate that I worked with for years in QLD. He has been offering for years for me to come down for a Sambar hunt with him and his son. I don’t know Vic to well, but I know he is in the far eastern part of Vic. Not to far from the NSW border.


That's the right place for deer alright :-)
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