FNH designed the Ballista to compete for a military sniper contract. Despite its military origins, the Ballista is slated for civilian release (“in the near future”). Chambered in .338 Magnum, it’s pretty damned close to my ideal firearm. Make the jump for some more details and a video a 1,000 yard target getting what for . . .
Like any good firearm, everything about the Ballistia is adjustable; from the cheek piece to the rails’ position on the forend. What really sets this gun apart: ALL of the tools required to change the configuration are stashed somewhere on the rifle.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been at the range and needed to change something on a gun only to remember that the requisite tools are back at home. If you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and need to adjust the Ballista’s height and angle cheek piece you’re good to go.
Changing calibers is a breeze. This Ballista transforms from .338 to .308 with the push of about six or ten pins and a swapped bolt head, taking ammo expenditures from $5/round to about $0.30/round. FNH solved the issue of moving from a “long action” .338 round to a “short action” .308 round by simply making a modified magazine.
The Ballista is as accurate as all hell. I was singing steel at 1,000 yards (well, as soon as I figured out the windage) without much of a problem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsqOx_x3RjU
MUCH of a problem. I did have an issue cycling the action, which seemed to be a mag-related issue. Rest assured we’ll be asking for a T&E version for further testing.
Looking forward to a review when you guys get a chance. Do you guys have a sense of price point? Maybe somewhere around the $5,000 mark?
.338 Magnum? You know better than that, Nick! Winchester or Lapua?
I’ve been eyeballing this piece of gun porn since it’s been on the FNH website. MUST HAVE!
Hell of a rifle, had a look at it in Afghanistan, German commando field tested it there.
Does not kick at all in .338 Lapua Mag. compared to my Sako TRG-43, big plus the really cool grip and the safety.
.338 Win or Lapua? And how does it switch calibers with only a mag and bolt head swap? AFAIK, 0.338 and 0.308 are not the same number. 😛
Seems the price is to high right now. You are paying a lot for R&D. Would like the price to come down to $4.000 to $4500. Gap and others are proven to do what they say, this one has not. Just my 2 cents. have a great week.
Comments are closed.