Hunting has changed a lot in the last few decades and, with it, the demands on hunting guns and ammunition. First, an explosion of the wild boar population led driven game hunts to play an increasingly important role in game management. Once the most widely used rifle caliber, the 7 mm was often seen as no longer being sufficiently effective. When stand hunting at night, it was a priority for the stricken boar to fall as close as possible to where it was shot, which meant that larger calibers became more and more commonly used. But not every hunter could increase his success with more powerful calibers such as the 9.3×62. Heavy recoil is not everyone’s cup of tea – not to mention it is the usual reason for the dreaded ‘flinch’. Chamberings such as .308 Win. and .30-06 increased in popularity. With a somewhat larger bullet diameter than the 7 mm but noticeably less recoil than a 9.3, it seemed at first that .30 would be the most practical universal caliber.
8,5×55 Blaser –
The New Dimension
“High performance from short barrels –
that is the reason the 8.5×55 Blaser was developed.”
8.5×55 BLASER [BARNES .338” TTSX 12 G / 185 GR (BC = 0.432) – lead-free]
| Barrel length in mm |
V0 in m/s |
Energy (Joules) |
RZR* in m |
| 600 | 900 | 4,855 | 181 |
| 580 | 894 | 4,791 | 180 |
| 520 | 873 | 4,569 | 177 |
| 470 | 852 | 4,351 | 174 |
* Recommended Zero Range
Even out of very short barrels, the 8.5×55 is remarkably fast and powerful.
The ‘caliber gap’
However, a considerable gap remained between the .30 and the 9.3 when it came to bullet diameter. Even though the .338 Win. Mag. had been on the market for many years, it was never known for its inherent accuracy. The German gun writer Werner Reb had recognized the dilemma of the ‘caliber gap’ early on. He designed the 8.5×63 (R), a cartridge that was universally useful as well as being suitable for shorter barrels. What is that old saying amongst barrel makers? For best accuracy, the barrel should be as short as possible and as long as necessary. Unfortunately, the 8.5×63 never managed to become a mass-produced factory round. Perhaps the ideas that it embodied were too far ahead of their time.
Silencers have changed everything
Meanwhile, the use of a piece of hunting equipment that we hunters considered suspect at first has quickly gained in popularity: The silencer, a device which many hunters can no longer imagine having to do without. But since silencers significantly increase the overall length of the rifle, ever shorter barrels came into use to keep rifles as compact as possible. Ironically, it was this compromise that detracted from the desired higher velocity.
Ammunition makers reacted by offering special loadings for popular standard calibers. These loads performed respectably out of short barrels. What the hunter did not get was a larger bullet diameter, which not only would have offered the best possible killing power but also would have provided a wider range of bullet types and weights.
Lead-free bullets
With the increasing – although sometimes forced – adoption of so-called ‘lead-free’ bullets, the .30 caliber fell prey to mounting criticism, especially when it came to the taking of wild boar and red deer. One thing was certain: discussions on insufficient killing power were often very subjective. Nonetheless, a trend soon developed whereby lead-free bullets of a higher velocity and with greater cross-sections showed a marked improvement in effectiveness under various hunting conditions.
R8 Ultimate Silence Kal. 8,5x55 Blaser mit integriertem Schalldämpfer, Rückstoßdämpfungssystem und Blaser Zielfernrohr 2,8-20 x 50.
Finally: The perfect solution
Now the time has come for the new 8.5×55 Blaser, developed in cooperation with RUAG subsidiary Norma. It takes the most current technology of a renowned ammunition maker and unites it with the practical hunting wisdom of Blaser. The currently available loadings, which feature bullet weights ranging from 9 g to 14 g, cover an almost unparalleled spectrum of hunting uses and achieve – even with very short barrels – astoundingly high muzzle velocities. We have never liked to use the term ‘universal caliber’, but now, with the new 8.5×55 Blaser, we can do this with a clear conscience and without reservation!
A blazingly good idea
As the editors of PASSION proved to themselves here, the empty cartridge pack of the 8.5×55 Blaser is an excellent fire starter. It will quickly produce a warm fire even with very damp wood. This could be a lifesaver on a wilderness hunt.
