8.5x55

8.5x55 Blaser cartridges suit hunters who want near-magnum power without punishing recoil. Blaser designed the round for short barrels and suppressor use, so it reaches full velocity from a compact rifle and stays quiet on the high seat. This category runs from the light 9.0 g lead-free Sax KJG to the heavy 14.7 g Norma Oryx, so you can match a bullet to anything from roe deer to moose.

What the 8.5x55 Blaser is for

The 8.5x55 Blaser is an 8.5 mm rifle cartridge for European big game: wild boar, red deer, fallow deer and moose. Its ballistics sit close to magnum rounds, yet recoil stays manageable and full performance arrives from a short, suppressed barrel. That makes it a strong single-rifle caliber for mixed hunting.

Bullets in this caliber weigh from 9 to almost 15 grams. A heavy 8.5 mm bullet carries energy well and works predictably in dense forest, where a boar crosses the line at 30 or 60 metres on a driven hunt. At the same time, Accubond and Barnes TTSX loads fly flat enough for field shots out to a couple of hundred metres. If you drive boar in autumn and sit over crops in summer, one rifle in this caliber handles both jobs.

Bullet types in this category

The loads here follow several ideas: bonded lead-core bullets for deep penetration, a classic Norma soft point, and lead-free monolithic bullets from Barnes, Blaser and Sax. You see the difference in the game: some dump energy wide, some drive deep through bone, and the lead-free designs keep nearly all their weight and leave clean meat.

Bonded lead-core: Norma Oryx and Accubond

Norma Oryx at 14.7 g is the heaviest bullet in the category. Its lead core is bonded to the jacket, so the bullet keeps most of its weight and penetrates deep even through the shoulder. That makes it the first pick for driven hunts and boar ambushes with awkward shot angles. Norma Accubond at 11.7 g (180 gr) has a polymer tip and a flatter arc, so it fits open fields and longer shots better.

Classic soft point: Norma SP

The Blaser load with a 13.6 g (210 gr) Norma SP bullet is the traditional choice: the exposed lead tip expands fast and transfers energy in the first centimetres. Heavy and moderate in speed, it behaves predictably at forest distances, and game drops on the spot more often. A sound pick for red deer and boar inside a hundred metres.

Lead-free monolithics: Barnes TTSX and Blaser CDX

The Blaser load with a Barnes TTSX 10.4 g (160 gr) bullet is solid copper: it opens into petals, retains almost all of its weight and leaves no lead in the meat. Blaser CDX at 11.7 g (180 gr) is also lead-free and a touch heavier, so it stays calm on larger game. Both fit areas where lead ammunition is restricted and hunts where the venison goes on your own table.

Sax lead-free: KJG and KDG-S

German maker Sax builds lead-free bullets only. The KJG at 9.0 g (139 gr) is light and fast: a flat arc, sudden effect, and less ruined meat on roe deer and young boar. The KDG-S at 11.2 g (174 gr) is more universal, with enough weight for red deer. Both run steadily through a suppressor.

How to choose an 8.5x55 load

Choose by the game you hunt, your usual shot distance and the lead rules in your grounds. Heavy bonded bullets belong on big animals and driven hunts, while lighter lead-free loads cover all-round hunting and clean venison. In the end your barrel decides, because each load groups differently in each rifle.

1. Match the game: 9.0 g KJG is enough for roe deer, take 11.2 to 13.6 g for boar and red deer, and 14.7 g Oryx for moose.
2. Measure your distances: SP and Oryx work in forest inside 100 metres, Accubond or TTSX do better across fields.
3. Check lead rules in your hunting grounds: where lead is restricted, pick TTSX, CDX, KJG or KDG-S.
4. Zero properly: shoot groups at 100 metres and keep the load that groups tightest in your barrel.
5. If you shoot suppressed, check the point-of-impact shift with and without the suppressor.

Practical advice in the field

The main rule: after changing bullet type or weight, zero the rifle again, because a 9 g and a 14.7 g bullet drop differently already at a hundred metres. Store cartridges dry at a stable temperature, and carry one load on a hunt, not a mix of several types.

Cartridges left in a cold car shoot slightly slower, so in hard frost keep them in a pocket close to your body. On the high seat, place spare rounds where you can reach them without fumbling in the dark. After a drive, check the bore for snow or dirt before chambering. And always know what stands behind the animal, because an 8.5 mm bullet keeps plenty of energy after a pass-through.

Norma, Sax and Blaser

Three makers stand behind the ammunition here. Norma is a Swedish factory that has loaded hunting cartridges since 1902 and is known for the quality of its Oryx and Accubond loads. Blaser loads its own-brand cartridges with proven Norma and Barnes bullets, so they pair naturally with Blaser rifles yet shoot well from any 8.5x55 barrel. Sax is a German lead-free specialist whose bullets are picked wherever lead is unwanted.

If this caliber is more than your hunting needs, look at 6.5x55 cartridges or .243 Win. cartridges, fans of the classics will find 7x57 cartridges, and for small game and range work there are .223 Rem. cartridges. If you are unsure which bullet fits your rifle and your game, write to us and we will advise.