
Come on, hit and lead ... as the Tuscan friends say, meaning ruthlessness in something that must materialize, and here is the day of hunting materialize where the kipplauf SKL 20 Sabatti and Sight Mark optics will be put to the test. The equipment has already given excellent results in the various shooting ranges we attended by probing the capabilities of the weapon and optics binomial with two original cartridges, the RWS with 8,2 g (127 gr) KS bullet and with 9,1 g DK bullet. (140 gr) plus a certain number of refills specially set up by my friend Carlo. The fixed day is Thursday 14 October so, taking a cue from an invitation to the Moiola polygon (CN) for Tuesday 12 with a completely different purpose, we decide to bring with us once again the Sabatti: the last shots were the three of the excellent group shot created by Carlo (55 mm to 300) in Pian Neirèt (TO) obtained with the adjustment of the graduated turret of the Sight Mark proved, once again, to be totally reliable.
We remembered how Carlo had returned the clicks by returning the optics to the starting calibration, but in the meantime three months had passed and the worm of uncertainty would not have left us calm. Finding the right cartridges today is not always so easy and in the RWS box with the 9,1 g Doppel Kerns there are twelve pieces left: we hope that everything is still in place so as not to waste what we have left while maintaining the right equipment for hunting. . It is true that only one shot should be enough, maybe a couple, but the conditional is a must.




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Let's put the shotgun Sabatti SKL-20 on the supports, the parallax corrector is about 100 m, the magnifications at 18x which, together with the very fine reticle, provide a nice help to adjust the tappet. Cross in the center, breathing, mental recheck and sprint (how much you like this perfectly calibrated direct release): hole perfectly aligned with +5 cm, the one that was left before the holidays. Looking at the table on the cartridge packaging, Carlo reports on the fall for a possible shot at 200 m, very unlikely on the hunting ground that we will have available, but it is good to be prepared.
The hunt from the roof terrace

Given the abundance of these trees in the plain, the roof terrace called the oaks welcomes us: with the rangefinder we recheck the distances, both the greater and the smaller ones, in the escarpment next to the location as usual. Roby takes care of the images and, through the lens, there are no limitations: an interesting novelty has recently appeared in the management of the company with the introduction of excellent trophies for mouflon, fallow deer and red deer. We will talk about it shortly, assuming that for us, obviously, these garments are to be admired ... Even so it is always a fantastic show: in particular a group of mouflons with different males, females, kid and thin ones stop for several minutes a few tens of meters, to clean, filling the lenses of the binoculars and those of the camera. Two fallow deer that can be taken pass at a trot and always out of sight with the vegetation: the bushes with branches of a certain consistency advise against any shot as a risk. About an hour and a half goes by when a branch of wild boar cleanly cuts the esplanade coming towards us to gain the gorge well garnished with brambles. We risk a shot at the race that ends, as expected, on the side of the wild: wrong, but at least no injury.

The movements continue and a shot not far away gives Dr. Filippo the satisfaction of a beautiful boar, as we will verify at the end of the morning. In the meantime, a second group of wild boars crosses the slope halfway up, taking advantage of a trot in the brambles that must be usual in order to better escape. The sow with young no longer streaked and some red ones pass, then a specimen already of medium consistency closes the row at a slow pace, as if to keep the situation under control: the distance is about forty meters or a little more and we follow it in the optics previously adjusted to just 3,5x in order to take advantage of a wide field of view and consequent rapid aiming.

The posture of the game is almost aligned with our aiming line and the animal probably smells our presence because it stops by raising its muzzle to one side: those three seconds sufficient to shoot aiming a little back in the back, on the left side . A sudden astonishment takes us when we see the prey that does not fall instantly, but instead of climbing forward, as the other specimens had done, it slowly deviates to the right taking a few steps before finally collapsing.

Thanks to Piero, companion and then operator on the floor, we will observe how the heavy DK ball of 9,1 g (140 g) entered longitudinally in the left side affecting the kidneys, intestines, stomach, liver and lungs. Neither the exit hole nor the hard core of the bullet was found and, given the trajectory, it almost certainly stopped in the head. From an approximate calculation we consider how the energy discharged was around 220 kgm. The weight of the whole game was 58,6 kg. Meanwhile, the excellent service of meat treatment with maturation in the large refrigerated room is highlighted, followed by the drawing to reach the product ready for the kitchen, wrapped and, on request, vacuum-packed. Really an advantage that every hunter knows how much it is worth.


The Bonicelli Estate

Located near Ceresole d'Alba (CN) at the first foothills of the Langhe, easily reachable from the main centers of Piedmont, Lombardy and Liguria, the Bonicelli estate it is masterfully managed by Lorenzo Verra supported by a very valid and competent team of characters who love hunting. In addition to the possibility of hunting with feathers with pheasants, partridges, redheads, chuckars and sometimes mallards, the backbone of the reserve is represented by ball hunting: the recent availability of trophy specimens among the aforementioned species of ungulates attracts industry enthusiasts. In this case, during our expulsion, an acquaintance managed to secure a gold medal of a mouflon with a truly impressive trophy.
As all the psalms end in glory, so a beautiful morning of hunting ends at the table: and here Bonicelli still satisfies the most demanding palates with a valuable cook that we do not call chef, a denomination that seems to us cunning and unsuitable for the character of high art. culinary, all substance and no frills. In the wines, a wide choice of classic labels highlights the presence of noble reds such as Barolo and Barbaresco or the Veneto bubbles that are so popular today.
It is therefore possible to stop for lunch or dinner by making an appointment by telephone (Mr. Lorenzo Verra 328 962 3945) and those who do not hunt, but appreciate a cuisine of this stature, are naturally welcome: the meat is supplied by the animals hunted in the company. , therefore as they say at zero km, used both in seasoned form (cured meats, hams etc) and fresh, cooked in many succulent ways. An opportunity to be considered by placing on the scales the convenience in reaching the site, the professionalism, the kindness and the friendly friendliness of all the characters of Bonicelli.