Nerf N-Strike Elite Rhino-Fire Blaster Review

By: Jeremy Alden

When you take a look at many of the blaster options that Nerf offers, many of them are rather tame weapons to bring into battle. Whether it is a handgun or a semi-automatic blaster with a large ammo capacity, we would not say that any of these popular weapons are “overkill”.

That said, Nerf has outdone itself a number of times and these weapons, while they are not the most popular among users, are definitely deserving of the spotlight.

One such weapon that doesn’t receive enough coverage is the Nerf N-Strike Elite Rhino-Fire blaster. Put simply, the Nerf N-Strike Elite Rhino-Fire is one of the largest and fierce weapons you will encounter in the N-Strike Elite series.

As many Nerf users know, however, bigger isn’t always better. Are you interested in the Nerf N-Strike Elite Rhino-Fire?

Nerf N-Strike Elite Rhino-Fire Blaster Review

Are you curious as to whether or not this beast can live up to its reputation?

To give you a better overview of what the Rhino-Fire blaster can accomplish, let us walk you through the different aspects of the weapon and whether or not it all comes together to give you the right experience.

Style and Design

If you think that other Nerf guns are striking when they make their appearance on the battlefield, you are going to be more than impressed with the Nerf N-Strike Elite Rhino-Fire blaster.

Taking up as much space as possible, the Rhino-Fire wastes no time puffing itself out to look more daunting to oncoming enemies. What we like about the style is that it sticks to the N-Strike Elite series while still managing to make a name for itself.

Using the traditional grey, orange, and blue, the Rhino-Fire has a more mechanical design than the average product, which truly shows in its barrels, its ammo drums, and its firing mechanism.

There are products that show function well and there are those that clearly demonstrate they are going to cause damage when they start firing. If you are looking for the latter, look no further than the Nerf N-Strike Elite Rhino-Fire blaster.

Ammo Capacity

The issue with a lot of semi-automatic weapons is that you blow through the ammo you have relatively quickly, which is great for those who are aiming to attack multiple enemies at once but not so great for those who are trying to conserve their ammo and make their way through the battlefield.

Luckily, the Nerf N-Strike Elite Rhino-Fire blaster is a product that can accomplish both. Featuring two 25-dart drum clips, you are going to definitely going to have enough ammo to either mow down your enemies at once or slowly pick them off from a safe distance.

Whatever you want to accomplish during your Nerf war, you are going to do well with the Rhino-Fire’s extensive ammo capacity.

Firing Style and Range

The Nerf N-Strike Elite Rhino-Fire operates a little differently from some motorized blasters so it is important to understand how it functions prior to bringing it on the battlefield.

Unlike many other Nerf weapons, the Rhino-Fire uses a button on the front of the gun to launch darts instead of a trigger. When you press down on this button, the gun will begin alternating between the two drums and barrels as it spits out your darts.

This makes it easier to carry around and use without having to worry about holding down an acceleration trigger and a normal trigger at the same time. Regarding range, this blaster belongs to the N-Strike Elite series, which means that you should expect your dart to reach distances of around 90 feet.

Considering its simplified firing process and far range, this is a great blaster to choose if you want these two qualities.

You may also like: Nerf N-Strike Elite CrossBolt Blaster Review

Extra Features

The massive size of this product makes it hard to carry around, despite the fact that there are several handles to hold onto during use.

The solution? Nerf made the Rhino-Fire with a detachable tripod so that you can easily set your weapon in one spot and wait for your enemies to arrive.

While this is not always something that you can achieve during a Nerf battle, having the tripod helps you steady your shots and take away some of the difficulty that comes with traveling with the weapon.

If you are big on holding a position or having a backup weapon that can take out the competition as they come towards you, this extra feature is a major benefit for you.

What We Like

1.    The Large Ammo Capacity - In a Nerf war, having more darts gives you an advantage over your enemies. Firstly, it makes it so that you can continue shooting long after they have run out of darts in their weapons.

Second, it makes it so that you don’t have to reload as quickly, which can be time-consuming and leave you vulnerable to oncoming attacks. If there’s anything this gun does right, it is equipping you with more than enough ammo to take down your enemies.

2.    The Several Handles and Detachable Tripod - There are several guns in the Nerf universe that come with handles, straps, and other attachments so that they are easier to carry if you decide to take them with you as you navigate your environment.

Fortunately enough, Nerf considered this when they were making the Rhino-Fire and made it easy to grip both the front and the back at the same time. What we really like about this blaster is that you get a tripod system as well.

While you can’t always expect to have a safe space on the battlefield, the Rhino-Fire gives you the right tools to set your gun down and camp out if you do have the opportunity. 

3.    The Separate Drum Clip Systems - There are some Nerf products that give you massively large clip systems in an effort to reduce the number of parts on the product. While having one drum would, in theory, be simpler, we like the fact that this blaster comes with two drums.

Why? Loading several 25-dart drums prior to going to battle and loading them into your blaster is much easier than having to load several 50-dart drums into your blaster when you run out of ammo.

- You may like: The Different Types of Nerf Ammo & Which is the Best to Buy

If you run out of drums, there is also the fact that trying to shove 50 darts into one drum would be difficult and more time-consuming as well. The use of several drums rather than one single, oversized drum into this blaster makes it a gem in our eyes.

 4.    Easy-to-Use Trigger - Trying to use this gun with a trigger would be an impossible feat. The trigger and the acceleration trigger would be far lower than the body of the blaster, and the blaster would have to be held high in order for you to comfortably hold the trigger.

There is simply too much weight and too much body in this gun for it to work like a traditional blaster. Fortunately, the change in the firing system accounts for these design changes so that you only have to hold down one button in order to fire off your darts.

We give Nerf a major round of applause for this one simple change that makes using the Nerf N-Strike Elite Rhino-Fire blaster that much easier

What We Don’t Like

1.    Difficult to Operate - Despite all of the extra features listed above, which make it easy to handle this weapon, the sheer size of this blaster makes it much harder to operate when you are moving around your war zone.

Although older children may be able to comfortably use it, younger audiences may find it hard to support the weight of the weapon with one arm while using their other arm to both steady and fire the Rhino-Fire.

This doesn’t make it a bad gun, but it is something that you should take into consideration if you are buying the blaster as a piece that you are going to use frequently throughout Nerf sessions with your friends. 

2.    Needs Several Drum Systems to Act As a Primary Weapon - 50 darts may sound like a lot, but if you are someone who is trigger happy, you can easily run out of 50 darts in less than a minute.

Once you have run out of darts in your blaster, you are going to need to have several other drum systems ready nearby so that you can easily pop new drums into the blaster in a matter of seconds.

Otherwise, you are going to need to manually reload both of your two drums in order to get back to the action. If you’re willing to spend the money on multiple drum kits, this may not be too much of an issue.

If you are not, however, you may not want to purchase the Rhino-Fire. Having to reload all of your darts each time is most likely going to suck the fun out of your Nerf battles.

Nerf N-Strike Elite Rhino-Fire Blaster Review: Our Verdict

While we wouldn’t recommend this weapon as a primary weapon, we do think that the Nerf N-Strike Elite Rhino-Fire blaster has its uses and is an excellent weapon in regards to its size and performance.

With its simple firing system, 50 dart ammo capacity, and tripod system as well as handles, you can easily make a lasting impression on your enemies with the Rhino-Fire blaster.