Thinking about a Blaser K95 in 30R Blaser,
I saw that Blaser starts with new Blaser calibers.

http://www.blaser.de/index.php?id=1294&L=1

What do you think - the Blaser 30R or the new
Blaser 300 (which is not rimmed).

Where do you see the differenz?

(To see the ballistics, go to th german page and downlosd the info, the ammo is not available in the US).

Burkhard

The opinion I will post here is just that: a personal opinion. So take it for what you paid for it... Other shooters will have different opinions, power to them, we all have our reasons...

I personally dislike few things more than exotic calibers where supply of ammo and/or components, and/or tools (e.g. dies) is not secure. You can kill critters with almost any caliber, so why bother with some whizz-bang new caliber which supposedly is a lot better than existing offerings. In reality, many of the new calibers are primarily intended to make $$$ for the manufacturers.

For that reason, I would not choose one of the new Blaser calibers. For that matter, neither would I choose a .30R Blaser - although it has been on the market slightly longer than the new Blaser/Norma magnums.

The K95 is a pretty light rifle, and I would PERSONALLY not choose a caliber (like the .30R Blaser) that approaches the .300 Win Mag in recoil. If that is not an issue to you, I would rather choose the .300 Win Mag or the .300 WSM due to their general availability. (The WSM managed to establish itself on the market in remarkably short time, not many new calibers make this leap).

Although some people swear by rimmed cartridges in break-top guns, there are a ton of these chambered for rimless rounds - working day in, day-out with no trouble whatsoever. Given that, for a .308 caliber, I'd personally pick the good ole .30-06. I would be able to get ammo, components and dies anywhere. It would be all the recoil I would enjoy shooting in a rifle as light as the K95, and if I needed long range ballistics, I'd load a 168 grs (T)TSX to 2900 fps and be done with it. Besides, in particular in Continental Europe, resale value of guns in exotic calibers is miserable - and I can understand why, given that only a minority of shooters reload.

If one absolutely had to have a rimmed cartridge, I'd choose a 7x65R or an 8x57RS.

FWIW - mike

Better to get a T3 and be happy.

I'll second Mike 100%, who needs another new caliber What is there to do that can't be done with the numerous existing calibers

Mike, Andre

I think you are right. And as Mike mentioned, the K95 is a very light rifle (one of my dreams I just start realizing) so the 30 R Blase might be to hard.
I think I will go with the 7x57R or 6,5x65 R RWS.
The ammo should be rimmed.

Thanks


Burkhard

Burkhard, one of our esteemed members here - "Gerry" - shoots a K95 in 7x57R with great success. IMHO, the round is just about perfect for a light rifle like the K95...

If you proceed down the road of the 6.5x65R, make sure you investigate any issues with "donut" formation in this particular caliber. It seems this caliber is very prone to material build-up inside the case at the junction shoulder/neck (a.k.a. "donuts"). If this happens, you may be forced to ream the necks inside - assuming you reload... I don't know why this seems to occur in this caliber in particular, but I have come across several references to this in the past. Search here and on the Wild & Hund forums, perhaps?

- mike

I will just mention that LondonHunter of this forum has a K95 in 6.5x55 as his primary stalking rifle for this season.

I have put a few rounds through it and it handles like a fly rod. I have never noticed any extraction problems with the non-rimmed case.

Finally the round is more than enough for deer upto fallow sized at least, the extent of my first-hand experience with the calibre.

I'm sure LH will be along soon to give you the details.

Regards,

Amir

If I had to choose, I'd go with the K95 in 7x65R, to come close to the mythical universal caliber. I tested and wrote up the 1st K95 imported in Belgium and was enthused. At 100 m, it dropped the RWS KS in one single hole. The only drawback was that the rifle came with a hard buttplate and, being so light, I was really surprised by the amount of recoil it dished out. Later, I shot one with a ventilated recoil pad and it was a pussy.

It's a pity some of the old calibres don't get brought back! But maybe there might be some use for these new cartridge cases to be re-worked into long obsolete items?

[QUOTE] "Gerry" - shoots a K95 in 7x57R with great success. IMHO, the round is just about perfect for a light rifle like the K95...(QUOTE]
The K95 and the 7x57R cartridge are a balanced pairing, I have one and would not have bought one in any other calibre.

Back On-Line after a lightning storm that fried the computer's Mother-Board.

I agree wholeheartetly with Mike, André & Burkhard regarding Proprietary Cartridges; their Logistical Tails are long, cumbersome and considerably more expensive than Vanilla-Flavored fare. Yeah, they occaisionally add a benefit to a cartridge but mostly it's a Trade-Off with recoil, barrel life, bullet performance, component availabilty - WTF-Over, Dead is Dead.

I was recently abroad and considered taking a .257 Weatherby but decided on a .243 Winchester. Ran out of ammo in the back of beyond and Guess What? The Outfitter quickly ginned-up three boxes of .243 Winchester cartridges; 'Nuf said......? I doubt similar would have occured with a Weatherby cartridge although they, even today are not quite as exotic as they once were.

As for the K95; I'm pleased with my 7x57R choice and it's no secret that a siginificant percentage K95's are produced in .308 Winchester; for the balanced approach, not doubt IMO mid-level, well-behaved & classic cartridges in 6.5, 7mm & 308 bore are just about perfect for the K95; especialy in the Stubby-tubed versions. With a standard K-95 short forearm longer tubed rifle the 7x65R & .30/06 Sprg.'s would be excellent choices also.

The only 2 used K-95's I've ever seen For Sale were in 9.3x74R.....wonder Why?

Isn't it true that some countries in Europe ban military or even ex-military calibers? Perhaps Blaser is marketing these new designer calibers for no other reason than to get around that ban.

It is true that certain mainland European countries have a nominal ban on military calibres, imagine the chagrin of explaining to a French or German customs official that the 45/70 hasn't been used in combat for over a hundred years, but in practice the situation is more relaxed than the statue books imply.

I for example have something called an "European firearms pass", a sort of passport for my rifle, that lists my 30.06 as cleared for transport and use around Europe.

The funny thing is that whilst there is a facility for geographical exemption, ie a continental shooter would not be able to bring a fullbore semi-auto to the UK even though he is licensed for it in his country of origin and his EPP would be marked accordingly, mine does not forbid me from taking my notionally military calibre to France or Germany.

In fact on the boar trip I was earlier this year to Germany, quite a few shooters were using a 308.

This is the position as I understand it from my licensing officer in any event.

Regards,

Amir

Amir,

You may well be allowed to take it from the UK to France but you are not allowed to bring it to France from the UK....


The customs conversation may go a bit like this in a heavy Allo Allo type accent:


FR:Msr, ziz iz not aloud!!!
Fuzzy: Why iz zis?
Fr: It is Pro ibbitid!!
Fuzzy: But I want it!!
Fr: You cannot 'ave it!!

(Foot Stamping and gesticulating)

Fr: Givit to moi!!
Fuzzy: You cannot tudggeid!!

We can continue this demain.

Anyway, it probably sounds better in the theatre in my head

FB

Not much of a door policy at that particular theatre then?



ATB,

GH


PS.

"Ah want it!"

"you cannt 'ave it!"

"But ah want it, give it to moi, it ees maine!"

"You cannot 'ave it!"

"Ah want it!"

"foutre le camp British pig"

(Dropping any attempt at schoolboy french)

"Pardon?"

"who are you and vy are you 'ere"

"Sorry, no sex please please i'm British"

"vat are you on about?!!"

"Calm down Fritz"

"oo is Fritz? ah am French, not churman!"

"Aren't you lucky then, eh Pierre?"

"Are you calling me 'lucky Pierre' Inglish?"

"no sex please, I'm British"

And so on until he deports you and gun to where they belong

So what is the reason for these new calibers?

Because 'new' always sells? Maybe there is no logical reason, but a marketing ploy.

Because a plethora of barrels were buggered up in a CNC procedure and this is a way to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse?

quote:

Originally posted by onefunzr2:
So what is the reason for these new calibers?

Because 'new' always sells? Maybe there is no logical reason, but a marketing ploy.

What else ?

normally I like classic calibers and consider these goofy new mangle-ums as re-inventing the wheel or solving a non-existant problem...

but I pulled this text off the very bottom of the Blaser webpage....

"Note

Blaser ammunition is not offered for sale, sold, or distributed in North America."

what's up with that?!??!!!??

that insulting little disclaimer alone makes me want one!

My K 95 is a Stutzen in 308, which I find perfect for what I want a short light single shot for.

If I was worried about traveling in Europe where there were calibre restrictions I would go with a 7x65R.