A friend of mine plans to buy a Blaser K95 for mountain hunting (chamois and roedeer) and his caliber choice could be the 6.5X65R; what are your opinions? Thanks - Lorenzo

Why not go for the classier 6.5x57R? For the game you mention, it is quite sufficient.

Ammo and components (brass) are quite limited for the 6.5x65R, and consequently expensive. Quite a few of our members here have had great luck with K95s in 6.5x57R. Personally, I'd probably get a .270 Win (and rimmed cartridges be darned), but that is a different matter.
- mike

In the K95 my .270 is very accurate, so is my 30 06, and .308. Given the avalibilty of components too, the .270 is hard to beat

Aleko

,

wildboar,

K-95? Do I have an opinion? The best mountain gun made, light, handy, accurate, great choice! Marry it with a nice compact scope and it'll be just what your friend wants.

I'm a sorta traditional (some call me old-fashioned too.....mho?) kinda guy and agree with mho (just this one time and then partially!) The 6.5x65R is a good whiz-bang if you're sitting on all the components and have no qualms about arriving someplace where ammo may be scarce or out of stock (if they ever had it!). Therefore, it is one number too unique for me, like DUK, I'd go with the 6.5x57R which is a great, flat shooting cartridge for Roe & Chamois in the mountains.

Unlike mho & HA I'm a traditionalist and single shots get rimmed cartridges, yeah, I know we live in a modern world but I'm always the stuckee, if it can go wrong it'll break on my shift, so I try to plan accordingly.

@wildboar,

I own a K71 and my prefered caliber for mountain hunting would also be the 6.5x57R. You can also shoot on distances that are a little bit more far away. So think about it!

Cheers

Manuel

I bought my father an American stocked Prestige K95 with a wood upgrade and two barrels one in 30-06 and one in 243.

The 30-06 isn't all that pleasant to shoot, but man are they both accurate. Nothing pleasant about a 2.1 kg rife in 30-06.

I would lean toward a 6.5x65R myself but the 6.5x57R has a little bit more class.

The 6.5x65R is full of whollop!

Of the 2, I'd opt for the 6,5x57R too. My personal favourite is the 7x65R though. Some extra power in store comes in handy, should you want to take on heavier game.

D99 is totally right about the weight, the more oomph your caliber has, the more the gun will jump on you. They are pretty light.
- mike

I have shot the K95 in 9,3x74R with a good recoil pad it is not uncontrollable. I agree with the rimmed cartridge statement, but it is a tough call all the 6,5's are wonderful rounds with the 6,5x65R being the one I would use

Aleko

As a complete beginner to mountain hunting my K95 6.5x57R helped me obtain 2 one shot kills on a 250m chamois and a 200m mouflon. It was a joy to carry.

Whilst I find it a joy to shoot at home on roe etc I did find the light weight a little troublesome in the aim on these animals - the audience and the trophy fee didn't help matters!

If I can return in 2 years time I would rather take my 9lb bolt action. Heavier but easier to shoot under stress.

As a calibre 6.5x57R in the K95 is capable of scorching performance - 3,300fps with a 100gr and 3,000fps with a 120gr. Mine has a slightly longer barrel but you can bet on 3,250 and 2950 respectively from the standard 24" tube.

Do they still make it in 6.5x68R? I just like to burn powder I think.

The 6.5x68R is not listed on the Blaser website any more. But they chamber quite a few guns in unlisted calibers. Worth asking.
- mike

My 308 Stutzen is very accurate. I have had no problems with the rimless case. If I lived in Europe I would get a 7x65. That way my rifle would be powerful enough for any game I would use a single shot for.
You can always taylor loads for the smaller game you hunt.

For me the 308 was the best choice.

Wildboar,
last week I picked up a new K95 in .30r blaser.

Until now I only shot with factory RWS DK 165gr but I was surprised by the "accetable" recoil: this 3,2 kg beautiful (with scope) seems to kick less than my 4,6 kg 270 win Sako .

I choosed the .30r because a kipplauf IMHO MUST chamber a rimmed cartrige and because the wide bullet choice.

For roedeer, chamois and red calves I'll probably use Barnes TSX 150 gr. For roaring red stag the TXS 165 or 180.

Next week I hope to try it on roebuck near you, but in the Slovenian side of the border

ciao

gj

Let's see if they will make a 9.3x64R with a octagonal barrel, while we are asking about un-cataloged calibers.

I like the idea of a single shot for hunting in places where there is not much chance of seeing game. That way I don't have to waste time handling a lot of cartridges for loading and unloading.

quote:

Originally posted by D99:
Let's see if they will make a 9.3x64R with a octagonal barrel, while we are asking about un-cataloged calibers.

D99,
You mean 9,3X65R Brenneke?

Cheers
/ JOHAN

quote:

Originally posted by JOHAN:
You mean 9,3X65R Brenneke?

You are one snob ... but a lovable one.
:-) :-D
:-{}
Carcano

Yes 9.3x65R Brenneke!!!!!!

Thanks for putting me in my place

My friend, finally has decided to buy the K95 in 7x65R cal. a much more "usual" cartridge. We asked for the price of RCBS dies & Shell holder for the 6.5x65R...140 Euro!!! We "forgot" to ask for the price of the cases.... Thanks everybody - Lorenzo

Wildboar, very sesnsible choice. Just goes to prove that the "boring" standard cartridges have a lot going for them. The animals won't know the difference anyway.

RE: to you guys, who knowingly speak of the "9.3x65R", I know husky published a picture of a case, otherwise I would have had a hard time believing in this story. Who invented this cartridge (allegedly a rimmed 9.3x64), and who is manufacturing brass?? My problem: it sounds like the nomenclature has been taken over from the 7x64 - 7x65R cartridge family. But that is a totally different case to the 9.3x64. Somehow it would be both surprising and confusing if the nomenclature would be adapted to a whole new case family??? Mind you, the supposedly "systematic" Central European cartridge nomenclature is full of little "surprises", so who is to say?? In any event, I have not run across any commercial offerings in the "9.3x65R", so it remains a bit of an enigma to me.

- mike

There are also rimmed 8x68R and 6.5x68R cartridges on the same case. Never see one but I know they exhist.

Agreed a very sensible choice. The cost of 7x65R RWS brass will be the same near enough as 6.5x65R RWS brass. There is an ebay source for factory once fired brass that is much cheaper and very good.

A 139gr Hornady Interbond (BC 0.5) at 3,000fps (safe jaeger action) will be impressive in the mountains!

quote:

Originally posted by D99:
There are also rimmed 8x68R and 6.5x68R cartridges on the same case. Never see one but I know they exhist.

The 6.5x68R exists, the 8x68RS to my knowledge doesn't - for whatever reason?? Maybe it was felt the area was covered by offerings such as the 8x75RS??

What the World really needs is commercially viable (cheaper and more readily available) 8x65RS and 8x64S ammo, components and dies. The 8x64S is currently sold commercially, but the prices... I have never run into the 8x65RS, other than in manuals.
- mike

P.S. Here is a text about the 8x64S lifted off the Brenneke.de website (sadly only available in German?): 8x64S Introduction. The main reason I'd have to go the 8x64S route would be to overcome the issue with military calibers in France and related countries, otherwise a .30-06 or an 8x57S would probably work as well. The 9.3s are the first choice for driven game, but are not quite as versatile as .308 or .323 caliber offerings.

Mike,

Stop it!

I'm currently fighting a transient urge to aquire a non military/non magnum 8mm and am really rather keen on the 8x60S. Even rarer? Just the ticket for those military mauser magazine boxes!

quote:

Originally posted by mho:
In any event, I have not run across any commercial offerings in the "9.3x65R", so it remains a bit of an enigma to me.

Harald Wolf ?

C.

quote:

Originally posted by mho:
What the World really needs is commercially viable (cheaper and more readily available) 8x65RS and 8x64S ammo, components and dies. The 8x64S is currently sold commercially, but the prices...

True for the 8x65 RS, untrue for the 8x64 S, which latter is *very* affordable.

Carcano

quote:

Originally posted by carcano91:
True for the 8x65 RS, untrue for the 8x64 S, which latter is *very* affordable.

Carcano

You mean the S&B offering (the Brenneke loaded ammo is expensive as anything)?? What is the S&B 8x64S like, quality wise?? What about cases, available, quality, and at what prices??

- mike

I use the S&B ammo in my 8x64s and find it super accurate and affordable too.

tasso

A very sad blast from the past!

MHO is now hunting beyond the pearly gates......what a tremendously knowledgeable and great guy we've lost

FWIW I did get a non military 8mm and Mike sourced the brass for me.

Brings a tear to my eye.

Good to see you still around mate , I thought the same when the thread emerged.

K