I had always wanted a really light but accurate stalking rifle. After reading an article by Clint Smith awhile back I had to have a Merkel. I bought a Merkel K3 in 30-06 and have really fallen in love with it. It is light as a feather but handles great and has the perfect balance. My wife kept looking at mine so I called Merkel USA and bought her a K1 in 7x57R last Christmas. I have taken 3 animals with mine at ranges out to 212M and my wife recently got her first Red Stag with her K1. I have fired 5 shot, 100m, MOA groups with both rifles and I broke them down and repeated it.

I have had the opportunity to shoot them but they are currently a bit out of my price point. i.e if I bought one my wife would use it on ME! They are amazing, I am a fan.

The Merkel, K3 Jagd Stutzen is #1 on my lust-o-meter. Preferably in 7 x 57, but 7-08 would do.
Hard to find used at a cheap price though.
GWB

I bought one in 7mm Rem. about a year ago. I wanted a 7x65R, but it was to good a deal to pass on. It is a great rifle and I hardly notice it over my shoulder while I am huntnig. I hunt elk in a roadless area here in Utah, where I park at about 8500 ft. and walk up, so I appreciate the light weight. It will consistently keep three 175 gr. Nosler partitions under an inch at 100 yards. The rifle came with a 2.5-10X, 30 mm tube, Nikon scope. I kept getting 1-2 fliers from a 5 shot group, and noticed the rifle was not recoiling the same. I think that heavy scope on the 5.5 pound rifle was affecting the way it recoiled. I replaced the scope with a Leupold 2-7X European series scope (a little under 12 oz.) and the fliers went away. The K1 is becoming one of my favorite rifles.

I have Swarovski 3x10x42 scopes on my K3 and the wife's K1. I haven't had that problem with the flyers thankfully. You are right, Dale, it is a pleasure to carry and has the accuracy of the heavier rifles.

Has anyone who shoots a Merkel compared it to a Blaser K-95?

I looked at both the Merkel and the Blaser several times and asked a lot of questions. Nothing against the Blaser, it is a fine rifle. The Merkel just gave me that feeling you get when you are trying on new boots. You know which one is for you.

I would like to shoot a Merkel. I own a K-95 but have never handled the Merkel. I'm sure it's quite nice.

Someday I'll have a K1 or K95, I have looked real hard at both the Blaser and the Merkel and I can't say one is any better than the other.
I do like the shape of the forend on the k95 stutzen much better than the Merkel stutzen but I'm not sure I want a stutzen anyway.
The only other consideration is the package deal Merkel has offered with the scope and q/d mounts. The prices on those are real hard to beat. The package deal might be the deal maker for me.

Don't forget the Krieghoff Hubertus

http://www.krieghoff.de/index.php?id=5&L=1

I want the Merkel K1 Stutzen really bad in 7x57R. Have a couple of Double Rifles in line first, then the K1!

This thread was started in April. I posted then about the K3 Jagd Stutzen being #1 on my lust-0-meter. Remains so. I'm getting closer. It took me 10 years to get a particular Cooper in 20 vartarg. I think I've found the Merkel I want. Now just have to see if I can snag it. Oh well, as hard as it is, I've learned to be patient.

GWB