A universal combo, right on trend: the Mauser 18 Waldjagd in 8.5x55 Blaser. With this modern caliber, the vision for Blaser was to close the "gaping hole" in the caliber range between .30 (7.62 mm) and 9.3 mm. We have already reported on the cartridge in detail here at all4hunters.com. For the development of the 8.5x55, Blaser decided to co-operate with the Swedish ammunition manufacturer Norma. The joint objective for the new cartridge was as follows: caliber 8.5 mm, high performance thanks to bullet weights of 9 to 14.9 g (139 to 230 grs), which are very light for the caliber, as well as suitability for compact hunting bolt-action rifles with barrel lengths of only 47 to 51 centimetres, for use with silencers. The Mauser 18 Waldjagd, which we extensively tested for you here, is a rifle that perfectly matches these cartridge characteristics.
About the test rifle: Mauser 18 Waldjagd rifle in detail
Mauser uses a cold-hammer forged "solid barrel" with a diameter of 19 mm at the muzzle and an M17x1 muzzle thread to accept accessories such as silencers or muzzle brakes. With a gun weight of just three kilos despite a steel receiver (without the 700 grams of the compact Minox optic and silencer), the setup is on the light side of the weight scale. This low weight is achieved by a very light but stiff synthetic stock, which resulted in a certain front-heaviness overall.
The impression of the Mauser 18 Waldjagd is that it is consistently robust and functional, paired with a neat finish of the action and a good grippy stock with soft grip inlays on the fore-end and pistol grip. The removable recoil pad conceals a storage compartment in the butt, in which the hunter can store a barrel cleaning rope or other cleaning equipment. The bolt runs quite smoothly and is well guided to lock securely with a three-lug bolt head at a throw angle of only 60 degrees. Of course, the travel when opening the bolt is just as short and convenient. Twist rate is 1:12" (305 mm), which initially seems long for the .338. However, in view of the use of predominantly light bullet weights as described above, the twist length of 12" is again appropriate. The factory-fitted direct trigger breaks crisply at 1,000 to 1,500 grams (adjustable from the outside).
The Mauser 18 model series uses a three-position safety, which is quite difficult awkward to operate, especially from the rear position (safety and bolt handle locked). By careful pinching it with their thumb and index finger, the testers managed to operate the safety silently. The magazine, which holds four cartridges in 8.5x55 Blaser, was the only component of this rifle that made a less high-quality and less rugged impression. Quite thin-walled and double-stack in design, it closes flush with the rifle stock. According to the testers, the box magazine was a bit too awkward to insert – but that was the only shortcoming of the M18 tested.
What other options do you have apart from the present Waldjagd hunting version if you basically like the Mauser 18 and 8.5x55 Blaser combo? Mauser also offers battue sights as an option for the Waldjagd version. And then there is the somewhat cheaper M18 Standard model in 8.5x55 Blaser, with a slightly thinner barrel and a black polymer stock. Not interested in plastic? Then the "Pure" and "Pure Max" variants come into play, both with a laminated wood stock, the Pure with a classic "sporter" line and the Pure Max with a thumbhole stock including a (double-sided) cheek piece.
The optics: Minox RS-4 2.5-10x50 riflescope
The Minox RS-4 riflescope in the 2.5-10x50 version with Mauser's Hexalock ring mounts was part of the test set and proved to be a solid price/performance solution. For 850 euros you get a decent scope with 4x zoom (2.5x to 10x magnification), 50-mm objective lens, 30-mm main tube, an illuminated 4 reticle and parallax compensation with a sharp target display from as little as 10 metres. Useful features are finally establishing themselves in the mid-price segment of the riflescope market. The lowest magnification is well suited for use with clip-ons or on driven hunts, but the maximum magnification is too low for the average shooter for really long distances beyond the 150 metre mark.
On the shooting range with the M18 in 8.5x55 Blaser
Shooting with the Mauser 18 in 8.5x55 Blaser without silencer or muzzle brake was, as expected, a tough experience. The inertia of the bullets weighing around 13 grams pushed quite well into the shoulder. A total of four cartridge types were shot from the test gun for the accuracy check. At 29 millimetres, the comparatively inexpensive Norma Softpoint produced the best grouping and remained minimally below the 1 MOA mark. No malfunctions were expected and none occurred; regardless of the bullet shape and overall cartridge length, all four types of ammunition found their way smoothly from the magazine into the chamber and the ejection of the spent cases also caused no problems.
With the Mauser 18 Waldjagd hunt in the hunting ground
In the hunting ground, the slim Mauser 18 was easy to swing and safe to handle. Its colour and material design is perfect for hunting in the forest. Only an adjustable comb like on its Mauser 18 sister model "Feldjagd" would suit it just as well, so that the optimum position on the optical axis can be quickly adjusted for every shooting situation. Our test gun came without a silencer, but with a M17x1 muzzle thread and thread protector. A silencer would certainly be the most recommendable addition. Without any loss of performance, it would significantly reduce the harsh recoil of the 8.5x55 Blaser and probably also allow the hearing protection to be dispensed with in favour of gaining spatial hearing on the hunting ground. Of course, this comes at the expense of a more front-heavy balance and an increase in overall length. The wound-ballistic effect on wild boar, especially with the lead-free KJG-SR and KDG from Sax Munitions GmbH, would also have been interesting for wild boar – but unfortunately no pig on the hunting ground wanted to sacrifice itself to the Sax hunting bullets.
Mauser 18 Waldjagd technical specifications and price
Model: | Mauser 18 Forest hunting |
Caliber: | 8.5x55 Blaser |
Capacity: | 4+1 rounds |
Overall Length: | 1,010 mm |
Barrel length: | 510 mm |
Twist Rate: | 1:12" |
Trigger Pull Weight: | Adjustable, 1,000 to 1,500 g |
Weight: | 3,050 g |
| Price: | From 1,619 euro |
Equipment: | Three-lug bolt, polymer stock, flush magazine, muzzle thread, stock compartment, adjustable direct trigger, three-position safety. |
Conclusion: what the Mauser 18 Waldjagd can offer
Anyone looking for a rugged and high-quality bolt-action rifle with a budget starting at 1,200 euros will certainly be well served with the Mauser 18. There is a choice of seven configuration variants for hunting and sport, four of which are also available in 8.5x55 Blaser. The variety of chamberings includes many common calibers from .223 Remington to 9.3x62 mm.
Further information on the Mauser 18 Waldjagd and all other models from the manufacturer can be found on the Mauser website.
