Rethinking Everything

[AlanF]

MM - Merkel is now offering a $150 rebate on all K3s purchased between 1Oct and 31Dec. Just enough to pay for a barrel fitting. Info on the Merkel home page. If I could get a 22 Hornet or a 222 in a Merkel barrel I would grab a K3 in a heartbeat.

[mchughcb]

but...I know by the end of the day if I bought the Merkel I would still want the Blaser. It just kills me to spend that much money. I

Yes, that niggling thing has never been an issue with me. I only handled the K95 before I bought it. Then one day a blaserbud associate came to the camp with a Merkel, I handled it, and then gave it back with a smile, secure in the fact that I'd made the right choice in my mind - K95 Stutzen. I don't think about how much it cost me anymore. The day I took the K95 home was the day the cobwebs started to appear on the R93

[Dinger]

I don't think about how much it cost me anymore.

Couldn't agree more....even my wife agrees it was a smart move as I am no longer yearning to buy or modify another hunting rifle.

[stokesrj]

Thinking about this further. I'm pretty well convinced that K95 is the most satisfying and joyful gun out there to own. I love the idea of a single shot rifle and have for many years. In fact I bought 4 consecutive serial numbered Ruger No. 1 actions in 1977, 40 years ago. I had them built into a set of rifles identically stocked and barreled with Shillen barrels chambered in .22LR, 22 Hornet, 270 Win and 375 H&H Mag. The thought being a minimum set of rifles to hunt the rest of my life with.
Unfortunately they weren't all that accurate or stable and I was never comfortable carrying a cocked rifle with a loaded round in the chamber. So when a fellow came along that saw them and wanted them I sold him the whole set.

If that had been a set of K 95s I would still own them today. I've found my K95 that satisfying to own, carry, admire, and shoot.

I've handled the Merkle, side by side. with the K95 and I find it less satisfying and I see absolutely no need for the trigger switch, in fact I find it counter productive to optimum accuracy. Thoroughly learning one trigger pull of 1.5 pounds is superior in my estimation. I don't even want a Bix and Andy on my R8s.
The workmanship on the Merkel is not at the same level as the K95 but I'm pretty sure the shooting performance is the same so the Merkel fills the functional role for me but so does many other rifles I already own. However none of them make me as happy as my K95 except my R8 9,3x62 on a driven hunt.
Only you can answer the question, is the K85 worth the extra expense to me?

[SPEEDY]

Actually, I've had a hankering for a Ruger #1 in 303brit.
Not the best but kind of nostalgic, but for a single shot they are on the heavy side and can't be broken down.

[MM]

I know about the rebate and that makes the Merkel more affordable. There are many helpful comments and I appreciate them very much. One reoccurring theme is that the Blaser has a better action,or the Blaser is better. I agree The Blaser has the better scope mount system, but when it comes to the action all the comments are very general. What makes the Blaser action better ? I am not trying to start an argument, but I am trying to really drill down on what the differences are and evaluate the value received for the increased cost. I do not mind paying more if the value is there to be received, but I do not see it, but I feel it must be there because a lot of smart people are paying for it.

[ebrownw2]

K95>K1

[ebrownw2]

The scope mount system is the obvious big plus. I believe the comments on the action may be related to the cocking mechanism's ease of cocking and de-cocking as demonstrated in video #1 in the kipplauf playlist put together by fellow member blasernovice in another thread. You might check that out.

I've never handled a Merkel K1 or K3 though so I can't say for certain.

I can say for certain though that today I bought another K95, a stutzen this time, and it won't be my last I still need a black edition in a 243 or 6.5x55....

[SPEEDY]

I can say for certain though that today I bought another K95, a stutzen this time, and it won't be my last I still need a black edition in a 243 or 6.5x55....

Common you know you want both.

[dchamp]

I still need a black edition in a 243 or 6.5x55....

Dude get the 6XC instead of the .243, it is really a good and easy to load for cartridge. Good Luck on your hunt.

[9.3x64]

I still need a black edition in a 243 or 6.5x55....

Dude get the 6XC instead of the .243, it is really a good and easy to load for cartridge. Good Luck on your hunt.

Yep, spot on.

[SPEEDY]

I still need a black edition in a 243 or 6.5x55....

Dude get the 6XC instead of the .243, it is really a good and easy to load for cartridge. Good Luck on your hunt.

Yep, spot on.

Or just buy the 6.5x55 and get better performance on the same game.

[mchughcb]

I know about the rebate and that makes the Merkel more affordable. There are many helpful comments and I appreciate them very much. One reoccurring theme is that the Blaser has a better action,or the Blaser is better. I agree The Blaser has the better scope mount system, but when it comes to the action all the comments are very general. What makes the Blaser action better ? I am not trying to start an argument, but I am trying to really drill down on what the differences are and evaluate the value received for the increased cost. I do not mind paying more if the value is there to be received, but I do not see it, but I feel it must be there because a lot of smart people are paying for it.

I can't remember what it was about the action and that was me pre-filming-everything-share-on-youtube I didn't film or articulate what it was about the action. I can also tell you taking another guys pride and joy and talking it down isn't going to go down well

I do remember a blaserbud that bought a Merkel combo and we struggled for ages to get that back together. A combination of extremely tight action and not knowing what we are doing. I almost gave up in exasperation. It was nothing like the BBF97 either.

[stokesrj]

The Merkel K1/K3 is a very good gun, so don't take my comments as criticisms of it. As I've already said the functional differences are minute, it is mostly cosmetics that I point to when I say that the Blaser K95 is nicer. The fit and finish is better, the Merkel although very good is not as nice. There is also the cocking mechanism, the Blaser is both smoother and easier to cock but both are easy. Then there is the scope mounting that I think everyone gets that the Blaser is a better system. In fact I really enjoy that I can easily move scopes from one of my R8's to one of my K95s to my BD14 with minimal fuss. The scope mounting system is an elegant and well thought out design that works better than I would ever have believed possible. The odd thing is the star screw head design, I think they must have just legalized medical marijuana and prescribed an overdose to the designer of that screw

[mchughcb]

Having a none standard head is always a funny one. Lucky I invested my life savings ordering 3 from Pigeon, just incase I need to bug out with my Blaserbuds in the zombie sambar apocalypse . I can use it for trading for things like food, ammunition and supplies.