Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Considering swapping my Blaser R8 for Blaser K95.... Your thoughts?

I handled a Blaser K95 2 weeks back, & I must say, that is one of the most outstandingly balanced rifles I have ever had the pleasure to shoulder(every bit a sweet as my NULA). And at about 6.6Lbs scoped it's a mountain rifle that would certainly complement my NULA.

The Blaser R8 is a fine rifle, as is the R93, but Blaser dropped the ball IMO when designing the R8 due to the extra heft..... And know matter which way you slice it you will never get it to NULA weight with a tube scope fitted.......And since I have been spoilt carrying a 6.4Lb rifle around of late.........

The K95 looks extremely well built & has a KEEP IT SIMPLE principle I used to adhere too, once. Hmmmmm

The R8 is a significantly bigger rifle than the R93, but it isn't exactly porky - only 7.5lb with a magnum 26" barrel. It is about average for a modern rifle, and about right for me for an all around rifle. And IMHO, the extra weight is worth it - i think the design is fundamentally superior.

But i can see a place for a lightweight mountain rifle to go with the R8. To my mind, a K95 would be about the perfect accompaniment. One in 6.5x65R RWS would be about my dream mountain rifle. I think it is shame there isn't a K95 "professional" - as i can do without beating up a really nice piece of wood like on the K95, and it could shave a few more ounces off.

Just the other day I thought the same thing. K95 Pro would be something!

I lightest combo I can get in an R8 with a tube scope is a Professional 52cm fluted 9.3 barrel, Swaro AV with SR rail, which is 7.7Lbs ready.

My 300 & 7mm's, which had standard barrel configurations were 8.8Lbs. 7.5Lbs would be a 375H&H barrel with no scope, mounts or rounds.....

One thing that occurs to me with the R8, is that it is very oriented towards magnum cartridges - which is understandable when you look at the most commonly ordered barrels, most are magnums. But you could build a lightweight version for non-magnum cartridges - an R8 light.

What do you recommend?

Everything about the R8 is very heavily built - it is some what over engineered for standard cartridges. Personally, i suspect Blaser has been some what anxious there was an inherent flaw in the R93 - in line with what Lutz Moller is well know to have spoken about. All of the events that are talked about with the action involved magnum cartridges at very high pressures - high enough that they would have blown up any rifle. But it obviously unnerved Blaser. Hence, an over-built new rilfe (tested to more than 200 000PSI), and the new Blaser magnums, which run at slightly lower pressures. It think they were also particularly worried about the WSM cartridges because of their very high pressures - hence, Blaser now has their own line of WSM ammunition.

The R8 is heavier because they have over-engineered it, because most people buy magnums. And Blaser was worried aboiut the increased bolt thrust in magnum cases at high pressure. For those out there like myself, that ain't that into magnums and running at very high pressures, the rifle is unnecessarily over-built. Ultimately, i think the fundamental design is simply the best on the market, but is could be built into a lighter mountain rifle. Non-interchangable, standard 30-06 bolt head, and maximum 30-06 length could significantly reduce the dimensions of the bolt - which is bloody enormous. Maybe even do away with the detachable trigger group/magazine. Trim down the stock a little. Essentially, a more svelte and sophistocated version of the R93.

I agree. The R8 is overbuilt!

Not for big magnum cases, it isn't. It is just i am not into magnums. But the vast majority of Blaser owners shoot magnums, and the rifle has been built for them. It isn't that big and heavy - just bigger than the R93.

Personally, i am contemplating getting a 338 mag just to justify the size of the rifle!

The only people who complain about the size and weight of the R8 are R93 owners. And the R8 action is still a few inches shorter in comparison to any turnbolt, and i really, really like that - it is the best feature of the rifle.

340,

I dont have an R-8, but do have 2 complete R-93's and a K-95 and 2 NULA's. If I only had to have 1 it would definitly be the K-95 (mines in a 308).

I have handled the R8 and like the feel of the R93 better (not as blocky). I don't think I will ever buy an R-8 for that reason.

To me your choice is an easy one. Good Luck

My thoughts exactly. I have an 8mm mauser with a 20 inch barrel and a shortened stock and my R8 with the full LOP stock and a 23 inch barrel is the same leingth. Once I have the stock shortened, it will be one short son of a gun.

As far as the weight is concerned. This could definately save you a pound. R8 Carbon stock set.

I am however all for you buying the k95. the more the merrier.

I currently have two R93's and two K95's, and since buying my first K95 a few months ago, I haven't taken a R93 out of my safe. As a matter of fact, I just put my newest K95 back in the safe after a little hog scouting this evening.

In K95's, I have a Euro stocked Prestige in 30-06 and an American stocked Luxus in 243, and I have a 52 cm 9.3x74r barrel on order to round out my caliber selection.

I don't think you will ever regret buying a K95.

340,
The K95 is, by far, my favourite gun. It is light and handy, even with a full length 24" barrel, trigger is excellent and their mounting system is simple and efficient, and provides with an almost perfect return to cero.
Another feature I like very much is the possibility to break it down. I travel hunting quite a bit, and I found it to be much more convenient to travel with a smaller gun case. While high-mountain hunting I usually break it down in two and put it in my rucksack, which leaves my hands free.
I owned my first Blaser kipplauf (K77) in the 80s, and currently own three of them using them almost exclusively in all my hunting.
BBerg

PS: and you thought I was an anti-Blaser guy...!

That's cool, I didn't know you got a second one already Please show pics of the luxus

I agree the R8 is a tad beefy in the medium calibers, and smaller. Getting a K95 is a viable solution. It depends on your style of hunting if having a single shot might be an occasional issue, say if you get in a target rich situation.

Hi 340Wby,

I never had a K95 but i use to shoot some (zeroing) and hunt with it's almost twin: the Merel K1 and K3.

Same system of tilting block (Jager 1905 brevet). I never felt under gunned with that single shot, be it stalk, still or driven hunt.
With my K1 7x65R (sort of rimmed 280) in one season of hunting (a bit more in fact but not too much) i shot and killed 23 heads of game with 25 rounds from 10 to 340m using a S&B 4x32 fixed power scope or fixed sights.

22 heads of game were one shot kill, a swedish moose weighing 900lbs was shot twice, only because it was big and, as often with moose, did'nt understand it was dead on the first shot...

The 25th was a wild boar, shot in upper spine extension, that fall immediatly to rise again when i was looking other way and flee. Was killed a week after, wound has healed.

Then there were more heads with my K3 6,5x57R and the 30R Blaser and 7Rem Mag barrels. Most of them at around 250 to 300 meters in mountains includind roes which are small sized big game.

So i don't think you will be under gunned with your 95. If you don't heat the barrel too much it will shoot 3 shots group as good as lot of "special custom made long range rig"
And it will be lighter to carry. It's the rifle i bring when travelling Europe on my own hunt (no business)easy to transport through airport, very discret when broken in two pieces.

Enjoy it, good luck, good hunt. Sorry for long thread.


Dom

The only pictures I have of the Luxus are on my phone from my last range visit, and I can text them but don't know how to get them to my computer. My Motorola Tundra isn't as "smart" as my wife's Iphone.