Thread: Does a Blaser really make much sense in New Zealand?

Originally Posted by Shamus_

That stock is made here in NZ by Laurie Bradley

Ok that’s new to me. Blaser did a similar stock as a factory offering for a short while. Called it a classic style.


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Does a Blaser make sense? If thats what you want and can afford it,then thats all the sense it has to make.

Blasers are popular here in Norway,so are Sporterised Mauser k98s. Both do the same job but appeal to two different ends of the market.Go buy what you want while you still can.

Originally Posted by MB

Buy what you want, no other justification needed, but I've always thought flash, expensive rifles are wasted in NZ, at least if hunting on public land. They're going to get bashed up and look like crap in no time.

The thing is a walnut and blued rifle will take a hell of a beating and still come up looking better for it after a bit of knowledgeable maintenance. A few years ago I took my 1921 Mauser Oberndorf sporter on a trip up the Douglas, we didn't have any typical "week of solid rain" West Coast weather, but it did rain, we camped in rock bivis, it got sodden in the bottom of a pack raft, it got used as a prop on the astoundingly steep moraine wall, it fell over, I fell over on it.

And it still looks "newer" than the Tikka that's hardly been used in the rack beside it. I think I spent about 5-10 minutes on it after the trip with an oily rag.

Spend anymore than Tikka money is completely unnecessary for the vast majority of people.
A Tikka with a VX5hd is leaving very very little on the table.

But people like nice things, and there are much much nicer rifles than Tikkas.

which made me wonder if this rifle really makes any sense in New Zealand.

You have answered your own question - Euro expensive rifles are often bundled up with the pose and ostentatious display of wealth question whereas in NZ it is more about useability and fitness for the task

By all means, if you want to blow 10k on a rifle get into it, but in this country guys are buying Howa light rifles, kimbers, tikkas and sakos and trying to get their rifles light enough to carry whilst reaching out for performance

As @whanahuia@ said upthread, you'd be better off spending more of that budget on flying in to some cool experiences that would make you enjoy the country that you have chosen to come to

Also, if you try a few secondhand rifles or have a go on friends' rigs you can get a feel for what suits your style - NZ is less about the "retire to the study for port and a discussion of the driven boar game this afternoon" than it is a smorgasboard of "chase that trophy stag in the high country" right through to "go bush for the arvo and come back with 25kg of meat" and the other thing is that NZ guys do it every week so if something isn't right this week you get another go around - hunting here is much more prosaic/practical/accessible so if you want to shoot 30 deer here you could reasonably expect to hit that figure in 6 months going out most weekends

You can pick up a capable deer rifle in this country 2nd hand for less than 1500 and just hit the hills if you want, if you don't like it you could sell it for a 2-300 loss and try something else

Also another vote to say that the Humping and Fisting staff are good at selling clothing to campers and fuck all else - weekend warrior territory

Best of luck and keep us up with ya progress

Originally Posted by Tentman

The thing is a walnut and blued rifle will take a hell of a beating and still come up looking better for it after a bit of knowledgeable maintenance. A few years ago I took my 1921 Mauser Oberndorf sporter on a trip up the Douglas, we didn't have any typical "week of solid rain" West Coast weather, but it did rain, we camped in rock bivis, it got sodden in the bottom of a pack raft, it got used as a prop on the astoundingly steep moraine wall, it fell over, I fell over on it.

And it still looks "newer" than the Tikka that's hardly been used in the rack beside it. I think I spent about 5-10 minutes on it after the trip with an oily rag.

That's great. I just know that I'd be gutted if I put a dent in a $7.5K rifle which would likely happen on the first couple of trips.

Everyone is quoting the cost of Blaser as its only feature.
So does a Sako make sense in NZ?
Blaser is more versatile than Sako.
There are plenty of Blaser available for less than the price of a Sako.
Even Gun city, the supposed bottom feeders (not what I think) of the firearm industry have a number of Blaser listed at quite reasonable prices.

This one does (considerably more beaten up now)

A R93 in 30.06 is one of my regular use rifles. The biggest, and maybe only, advantage over regular bolt actions is the safety / cocking / decocking mechanism. It allows me to hunt with a chambered round and closed bolt in total safety. I do the same if hunting with a partner too as long as they are comfortable with that and I'm leading. If they're uncomfortable and / or leading the chamber is emptied.
It's one of my heavier rifles but after a days hunting I'm sorta adjusted to that. I do enjoy using it.
IMO the main disadvantage is a too lightly set and non adjustable trigger. Always have to remember to squeeze the trigger ever so lightly to prevent an unexpected shot. I've had the shit scared out of me twice by laying the rifle sideways on a daybag before decocking the bolt. Both times buckles self inserted into the trigger guard, pressed the light trigger and fired the rifle. I'll never allow that to happen again.
I think the Blaser system is pretty sound and useful enough for Kiwis hunting style. I agree it's spendy but no harm in having at least one sorta slightly upmarket rifle. The cost of newer Sako models is not too far behind now. I've had a wooden Blaser stock that cracked at the pistol grip and the foreend warped from wet. Ditched that and went synthetic which is stable although the stock design could be much better.
But the Blaser won't kill game any deader than a cheaper and accurate rifle in suitable calibre. If you hunt with guys who idolise people who hunt with Blasers then that might be your ticket. Otherwise currently for less dollars you'll easily find a perfectly suitable rifle that won't be any embarrassment to use. So, please yourself and take your pick in the current buyers market.

Originally Posted by PerazziSC3

This one does (considerably more beaten up now)

Attachment 290460

What's the barrel?
I've got one very similar looking to pick up this week.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

What's the barrel?
I've got one very similar looking to pick up this week.

From memory that was 6.5prc, my main is 7prc now…. Had to many to remember, very bad habit I have

Buy the gun that you want to buy, for every make, calibre, style of gun you will get a thousand righteous opinionated answers, as you've already seen. Some people have a real issue with anyone who spends $xxxxx on a rifle, that says far more about them and not in a good way neither. All guns will deteriorate if not maintained, even "stainless" ones, just ask any gunsmith to share some of the horror stories about guns they've had to resurrect due to neglect by owners because "it's stainless that means I never need to clean or oil it". You just do you mate, everyone else is taken

Oh yeah and your "take" on European hunters is just that, your experience. Every single one of my mates that resides and lives in Europe/UK are blue collar AF and couldn't give a rats arse about status, like most of us they spend their "budget" on what pleases them

Originally Posted by MB

That's great. I just know that I'd be gutted if I put a dent in a $7.5K rifle which would likely happen on the first couple of trips.

But then you would have a rifle with dents that actually had a story too tell

Buy what you like,enjoy while you can.

Originally Posted by Trout

Buy what you like,enjoy while you can.

This.........if it floats your boat and in your "budget" that really all that matters in the scheme of things.

These are the good old days so best to buy what you like/want now!