Sabatti Mini Rangers - It is undeniable how the current gunmaking sees some trends predominant over others, the logical consequence of hunting needs dictated by the presence of certain game, and at the same time by discovering new combinations between guns and wild game that give the art of the followers of S. Uberto a different flavor. The predominance of ungulates in many regions sees the rifled barrels excel in customer requests, with the smooth barrel in a static position as regards the classic 12 gauge: on the other hand, the phenomenon of 12/89 chosen by a part of hunters should be observed. with a single shotgun he will be able to cover the widest range of wild animals imaginable, from quail to wild turkey, or go directly to 28 or .410 Mag., gems of mechanics, aesthetics and ballistic performance. This last choice is intriguing because it requires the hunter to refine his shooting skills. We had the opportunity to use a captivating Sabatti side-by-side shotgun, called Mini Ranger, on partridges in the Bonicelli Estate in Ceresole d'Alba (CN), chambered precisely for the .410 Mag cartridge and, by presenting this rifle, we consider it appropriate to begin the discussion. from the essential elements of ballistics. The claim to achieve the same results with a small caliber that are obtained by using the classic 12 gauge is decidedly absurd: it is true, on the other hand, that the same wild ones can be stopped appropriately, but using some forethought not just.
To realize such an assertion, it is enough to have time and patience, placing yourself in front of an adequate target and comparing the shot patterns with the same weight of lead and in analogy of bottlenecks. We emphasize the term analogy because the bottlenecks are in percentage, not in absolute metric value, and therefore the more the caliber, and therefore the section of the barrel, is reduced, and the smaller the decrease to be made to reach the known values, today usually indicated with the stars. The shot charge is the primary decisive factor considering how the normal full charge of the 12/70 is 36 g and that of the .410 Mag. Is 19 g: the latter does not reach 53% of the other and it will mean something. We place ourselves in front of the target and it will be realistic to stay around eighteen meters away to verify something congruent and easily repeatable. Firstly, a fairly concentrated pattern will be observed with the first barrel and, subsequently, the tendency to further narrowing with the second. Manufacturers in fact appropriately tend to these results because otherwise the dispersion would nullify in a few meters the presence, in the sectors in which the target is divided, of those five pellets of the diameter suitable for the game, kept as a rule for killing. The useful grouping diameter will then be significantly lower than that of a 12 gauge: without going into the discussion, it is clear that to shoot down the game it is necessary to shoot quickly and accurately because each of these two factors will prove essential in achieving the result.
Sabatti Mini Ranger - The weapon technique
The Mini Ranger side-by-side is delivered with a practical green colored ABS case: reassembling the shotgun you feel a sensation of robustness and accurate workmanship with a technical setting where the price must be taken into account. The size of the integral receiver, rightly contained in relation to the caliber, allows the use of steel with a favorable sensation of completeness: the design highlights the smooth sides from which the pins of the improved Anson & Deeley-type mechanics protrude, the pronounced round breasts a surround the head in which the key seat is modeled with the extension of the upper tang. In the key you can appreciate the slight convexity that affects not only the body, but also the head of the integral pin while the button shows a pleasant elongated profile; the slide of the safety protrudes at the apex of the codetta, equipped with a relief for the thumb support. The lower cover is inserted into the flat back to which the short extension of the bridge is connected. This system makes the processing of the internal parts faster, complementary to those of the breech monobloc with which the barrels are paired, obtaining the half-tops with the insertion of the tenons: the seats of these, on the other hand, are milled into the body of the receiver.
Seals and locks are simple and effective: the pin inserted at the front is relieved from the forward thrust of the barrel group by the support of the first tenon, partially visible, which insists in the thickness of the receiver back, and of the second against the intermediate block; the closure is ensured by the sliding slide under the table with engagement in the rear mortises of the two tenons, therefore with a classic double Purdey. It should be noted that the adjustment between the parts is finished by the hands of a skilled gunsmith: it can be perceived by the light marks on the sides and on the internal points of the tenons in contrast with their seats in the receiver. On the flat face only the holes for the two strikers can be seen, as a third closure is pleonastic.
Sabatti Mini Ranger - Heats, shots, barrels and stock
The short batteries show the two cocking teeth protruding from the hinge circle, controlled, when the barrels are lowered, by the contrasts practiced in the crosshead. The eye passes over these elements noting, with pleasure, the friction streaks, a sign of a correct draft of the rifle, a harbinger of a long life. The shots are entrusted to two shaped triggers and enclosed in the guard with a well-designed oval. The release weights turn out to be quite high with an average of 3.225 and 2.762 g: without retouching, only with a certain use, optimal values will be reached. The barrels show drilling and straightening without any criticism: the length is equal to 66 cm with a chamber of 76 mm (3 ”) and bottlenecks of *** / *. The line of sight consists of the flat and shaded rib with the spherical brass front sight: here, just to find something we would say that the width accommodates the eye in aiming, gratifying it a little less from the aesthetic side if you compare it with the section of the reeds. The woods with a light background, treated to highlight dark shades of discreet effect, have classic lines albeit with some digression from the rules of the side-by-side such as the pistol grip and the half beaver tail forend. The first solution is increasingly required, even in the two barrels side by side, given its ease of grip; of the second, the correct proportions and functionality should be appreciated because even with hot rods you do not burn your hand. Finally, we would like to point out that our Standard version is also accompanied by a Lusso with a high grade walnut stock; in the options for both models you have the English or pistol grip, the single trigger instead of the double trigger, the 71 instead of 66 cm barrels, the tortoiseshell rather than glossy finish.
Sabatti Mini Ranger - Conclusions
On time, Sabatti offers what customers have in mind and the latest in the hierarchical scale of small sizes has become one of the most requested in the current market. The Mini Ranger has all the credentials to make a good impression: using a rifle of very low weight (2.300 g), with an undetectable recoil, with a request for greater commitment from the user is a sensible and fun answer to hunt with sobriety. savoring, as the never forgotten Lucio Battisti sang, “new sensations, young emotions…”.
Thanks to Lorenzo Verra of Tenuta Bonicelli for the friendly welcome and cordial availability during the field tests.
Tenuta Bonicelli agro-touristic hunting company - Vto Madonna dei Prati nr. 37. CHAP. 12040. Ceresole d'Alba (CN). Phone +39.3289623945. E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.riservadicacciapiemonte.it