I've started using walking poles when I walk in for a hunt, which means I strap my rifle to my pack. Being 6' 4" having the barrel sticking up above the pack and catching branches etc is a pain in the arse. Having a breakdown rifle that wouldn't stick up above the pack would be great. Most of the deer I have shot recently have only needed one shot, so a single shot is no disadvantage. But I need to shoot out to 400 ish yards as I mainly tops hunt. The Blaser K95 has a great reputation for 0.5MOA accuracy out of the box.
So 6ish months ago I bit the bullet and ordered a Blaser K95 standard model chambered in 7x65R. It turned up last Sunday. The standard model is the entry model, Grade 1 wood and plain sideplates. Cost at the time was an arm, a leg and two left testicles ($6300)
Weight of the bare rifle is 5lb 13oz, with a Leupold VX6 2-12x42 in blaser mounts it is 7lb 6oz. A bit heavier than I thought it would be, but a nice weight.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4626/...377c7ca4_b.jpgBlaser K95 by Stu Gerritsen, on Flickr
So far I have done minimal load development and only put 22 rounds through it, but I am bloody impressed with the accuracy!
A 7x65R is the rimmed version of the 7x64 and was developed back in 1916ish. I am using 162amax and ADI 2213sc powder. I've loaded the amax to 87mm total length. I shot a "ladder" of 6 rounds starting at 55gr and going up in 0.5gr to 57.5gr. 57.5gr gave 2743fps, which is about where I wanted to be, so I loaded up 30 more at 57.5gr.
Shooting at 100yds off a rolled up tent on a small table I was not perfectly steady but manged twice to get 2 within 0.5" of each other and pull the third to open it to just over 1". With a better rest and more practice I reckon I will get close to the 0.5MOA mark.
I then tried 250yds shooting prone off the rolled up tent. I learnt I need to get higher than I'm use to, and need a lot of shoulder on the but or else the rifle slips off the shoulder, shoots high and the scope whacks me in the head! The "pattern" at 250yds was shit.
I then had a go at shooting rocks at 330, 720 and 430 yds in that order.
330yds I was slightly high and left. 720 yds I was quite high, but put shots in the same hole. I think it was actually less than 720 yds. I couldn't get a reading off the target rock, but could range the bush to the left at 729yds. I estimated the roclk at 720 yds, probably was closer to 700 yds. The shot at 430 yds was pretty much spot on.
Heres a short vid of the shooting, you might need to click on the name to get it to work.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4764/...7479f2f3_z.jpgBlaser K95 practice by Stu Gerritsen, on Flickr
So all in all I'm very happy with the rifle. Is the cost worth it? For me it is. might not be for others when a Baikal or H&R is a grand or less, or you want to buy 5 Tikkas.
