Sabatti SKL 20 | When a rifle shoots well and the scope that has been mounted on it works more than adequately, one feels encouraged to continue the various tests already put in place, ending the pleasant experimentation with a survey of some reloads. On a beautiful day in November, leaving the dark sky with fog that does not prevent us from traveling without too many problems, we arrive with the sun at the Moiola (CN) shooting range where our friend Carlo sets up the equipment to check the outcome of seven refills for the 6,5x57R cartridge. This hunting veteran has formed the backbone of the rifled rifles of the average European hunter for decades, in particular the R collar version has remained one of the primary choices for swing-action shotguns such as kipplaufs and mixed, especially for billing or drilling of lesser mass. , often tied to smooth barrels in 20/70 gauge.
Today, unfortunately, we verify that only the original RWS charges deservedly set up with different types of bullets are easily available: we used the 8,2 g (127 g) KS and the 9,1 g (140 g) DK as shown. in our previous tests. To establish the compliance of the rifle there is no other way than that of reloading and, as can be seen from the targets, the MRR rifling of SKL 20 he masters the various solutions set up by Carlo with great continuity.
Seven interesting proposals
Once the chronograph has been placed at a suitable distance, that couple of meters a bit abundant to avoid the mouth blowing, a cartridge is taken from the first series prepared very carefully: inserted in the chamber ... the rifle does not close. Others are tried with the same result. The extremely precise bore is fine, but that just didn't take it. We get understandable discomfort then Carlo's obstinate care in cleaning the shells thoroughly, especially in the shoulder and collar area, makes the magic happen: the Jäger system revised and corrected by Sabbath with a loud clack he reassures us and, from there on, all the cartridges, properly arranged, will not show the slightest problem.
Carlo starts shooting on the basis of 100 meters:
1 - Sierra ball Match King HPBT 120 gr with powder N / 160 x 48,5 gr, OAL 75 mm - almost embarrassing to read the speeds that appear on the instrument with magnificent repetitiveness: 832 - 832 - 831 m / sec. Three shots in 13 × 10 mm - E / 2 275 kgm
2 - 130 gr Barnes TSX Flat Base Ball - powder N / 160 x 46,5 gr, - OAL 77,3 mm - only the first shot marks 769 m / sec while the following two give 793 and 789. The shot pattern is equal to 13 × 8 mm - E / 2 235 kgm
3 - 123 gr MRR Hunting ball - powder N / 150 x 43,0 gr - speed equal to 750 - 733 - 747 m / sec. The three shots stand in 16 × 3 mm - E / 2 228 kgm
4 - KS Ball (Kegel Spitze) of 127 gr (8,2 g) - powder SR / 70 x 48,0 gr - speed of 785 - 794 - 793 m / sec. Three shots in 22 × 27 mm - E / 2 262 kgm (smoked case: you need more pressure)
5 - Barnes TSX Flat Base ball of 130 gr - powder SR / 70 x 47,5 gr - speed of 793 - 790 - 788 m / sec. Three shots in 14 × 5 mm - E / 2 267 kgm
6 - KS Ball (Kegel Spitze) of 108 gr (7,0 g) - powder N / 140 x 43,0 gr - average speed 851 m / sec - First shot pattern in 10,3 mm and second (hottest barrel) in 19,05 or 12 × 20 mm - E / 2 258 kgm
7 - Nosler Partition ball of 100 gr - powder N / 140 x 41,8 gr - OAL 72,4 mm - average speed 840 m / sec - Three shots in 8,9 mm - E / 2 233 kgm
Comment on the data
Some consideration on the above is a must. First of all we selected the bullets keeping in mind several factors: the hunting function, the availability, and then the two currents of thought (before the single thought imposes itself here too) with traditional products containing lead and others in which it is not present. To complete the discussion, traditional powders such as N / 160, N / 150, N / 140 were successfully used, alongside the recent SR / 70; the shells are RWS and CCI LR primers.
Let's start with the Sierra: the Match King is a shooting ball, but chosen by many hunters considering that it combines excellent accuracy and reliable lethality with a still affordable price. Maybe some people are bothered by the effect on the remains, but according to Carlo (and to us his disciples) it is always preferable to have a few hectograms of meat less in order to stop the game immediately. The three hits on the target certify excellent accuracy.
We enter the field of copper monolithics with the Barnes, among the first to appear on our market distributed by Paganini of Turin: the TSX with flat base offer a longer surface to the action of the rifling and here the 130 grs have been chosen. On lethality we still hear some conflicting opinions, but they seem to us to be sporadic cases. We believe that to maximize the effect it is necessary to study well the speed of the projectile necessary to make it throttle by releasing its energy, and then to appropriately consider its weight in relation to the mass of the game. Barnes have always enjoyed an excellent reputation for accuracy and we have it back here.
The novelty in the field of copper monolithics is represented by MRR balls, the acronym that also qualifies a particular line patented by Sabatti and present right on the kipplauf SKL 20 used for testing. The news of the start-up of a company is very recent, one startups according to today's phrase, where Sabatti and another partner started the production of similar bullets declined in some specific types for hunting and shooting. Those used in the refill are the 123 gr Hunting with a small apical tip in synthetic. The adoption of pure copper bars and the processing of each single piece on the lathe with electronic programming guarantees maximum uniformity: at first glance we can say that the precision is excellent.
Let's move on to a historic RWS bullet, the Kegel Spitze, fielded here in one of the traditional weights for the 6,5 mm or .264 "caliber, the 8,2 g or 127 gr. The charge must not have been perfectly adequate, perhaps a little low in the dose of the recent SR / 70 powder, so much so that a precision not suited to this projectile, famous for concentrating the shots wonderfully, was noted: the so-called clovers are at the agenda.
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Continuing we observe a second refill with the 130 gr Barnes TSX Flat Base: instead of the N / 160 x 46,5 gr powder we tried the SR / 70 x 47,5: similar to the V / 2, slightly better in this' last case, just enough to form a really satisfying grouping.
For organizational reasons, the last two tests were conducted at a later time, but the findings are identical: here is another weight of the KS bullet with the 7,0 g (108 gr) which achieves what is appropriate for it. the first three shots in 10,3 mm. We wanted to continue with three successive ones: the slightly hot barrel still kept the three shots in 19,05 mm (12 × 20). A choice between the two ball weights that we leave to the shooter according to the garment to be captured and the engagement distance.
Lastly, a historic US bullet, the 100 g Nosler Partition to which the N / 140 gives an average speed of 840 m / sec: it is almost useless to measure the group of three shots enclosed in just 8,9 mm.
The refills, as you will have already noticed, are rather quiet compared to what the cartridge could develop: it seemed good to keep them at these levels considering two factors. The first concerns the probable destination for overhead doors of age and, almost certainly, of noble Central European origins which it is not appropriate to inflict pressure tensions beyond what is necessary. The second factor is precisely in what appears to be necessary: hunting with a kipplauf like the ones mentioned above should underlie a certain hunting style with approach to the wild and not very long shots. A similar style would be elegant to reserve even for a modern specimen, even if all the tests carried out affirm that with the Sabatti SKL 20 there are no problems over long distances: the truly excellent precision has been a constant throughout the tests we have carried out and the E / 2 developed by the reloads is positioned between 275 and 228 kgm, amply sufficient for size ungulates average between roe deer and mouflon. Today's optoelectronic means then allow pointing corrections based on the calculation of the trajectory.
Conclusions
With this fourth episode we think we have finished the test course with the brand new one SKL 20 kipplauf from Sabatti: the shooting results were accurately described both with the two original RWS cartridges and with the reloads. Let's look again for a moment at the variations made to the original Jäger mechanics by Sabatti, highlighting the replaceable steel baseboards placed in the thickness of the Ergal frame sides, the two halves of the table, on which the steel of the half-tops expressed by the breech monobloc contrasts; the closure is no longer a plug with a tooth on the rear tenon, but a much more effective double conical pin coplanar with the cartridge chamber and therefore with the point of insistence of the force. We do not dwell on other subtleties, but the attachment of the shaft to the barrel is designed to leave the latter completely floating, the MRR rifling masters many types of bullets wonderfully, the battery cocking slide benefits from a favorable lever ratio which minimizes the effort of the finger.
The optics Sight Mark Citadel firmly positioned on the excellent attachment of the Contessa brothers, allowed us to squeeze the ballistic virtues of the shotgun both in the shooting range and on the hunt where a prompt variation at the minimum of the magnifications and the consequent widening of the visual field allowed us to engage a passing wild boar just under fifty meters from the mail. Returning these elements thanking Sabatti is a must, but to be honest it causes us a bit of sadness. We are now fond of and we want to enclose their characteristics in one term: reliability.
