Sabatti report

[35bore]

I have fitted an RMR (RM08A - amber triangle reticule) to my Sabatti .450NE. Initially, I used a RM33 mount on the scope mount that comes with the Sabatti (I had to alter the Sabatti rail with a file as the RM33 is designed for Picatinny rails - yes, a little primitive but the Sabatti rail is damn ugly anyway!!!) and it shot very well. However, I felt that with the Sabatti base on top of the rib and the RM33 on top of that, it was a little too high for my liking. So we made a simple base that is only 3mm high and screwed it straight onto the rib and secured it with two of the existing mount screw holes. The result is a much lower position for the RMR and, as with before, it shoots exceptionally well.

With factory Hornady ammo, this gun will print both barrels into about 1.5" @ 50 yards. Two weeks ago I shot a charging animal match with this setup. Charging animal is 2 shots on a 50metre slow fire pistol target at 75yds, 2 shots at 50yds and 2 shots at 25yds with a time limit of 35 seconds, from the standing position. The 75yd target had right and left impacts 2" apart and just above the centre of the target. At 50yrds the impacts were about 5" apart, straddling the centre of the target (and this was my poor shooting and not the rifle's fault) and at 25yds both right and left printed so close together that the two holes were really just one elongated hole and just marginally below the centre.

So, who says Sabatti doubles don't shoot?! I have owned a number of doubles, over the years, and the only double I have owned that shot that well was a Chapuis .470 which cost me about three times the price of the Sabatti. I would still like to buy a high-grade double but, for the time being, the Sabatti will be in my gunsafe for a long time to come and the money that I would have spent on a high grade gun will pay for more hunting.

I am now in the market for a 9.3x74R as a companion for this gun.

Sounds like a keeper for sure...

 

[AZDAVE]

My 450 is also a great shooter. Just took a nice zebra at 92 meters and a monster warthog 5 meters, with the iron sights.

 

[miroflex]

My 450 is also a great shooter. Just took a nice zebra at 92 meters and a monster warthog 5 meters, with the iron sights.

Hi Dave,

Nice shooting! Is yours a .450 3 1/4" nitro express?

Regards.

 

[AZDAVE]

Yes it is a 450NE 3 1/4. i really like this round. It shoot the hornaday factory rounds very well, two right and lefts into 3 1/2 in at a 100. Have been playing with my quickload program and have been considering working on a 500 gr load and see if I can get regulated. Have a great day.

 

[AZDAVE]

I am still trying to figure out how to post pics on this fourm but here is my Zebra and Warthog.

 

[miroflex]

Excellent shooting, Dave. Which are the rifles in the pictures?

Regards.

 

[AZDAVE]

The warthog and Zebra were taken with my Sabatti 450NE 3 1/4, hornaday factory loads. The Kudu, Blue Wildebeest, and Impala were taken with a TC Encore in 9.3x74R with Nosler 250gr accubon's hand loads. have a great evening.

 

[Bobpuckett]

The warthog and Zebra were taken with my Sabatti 450NE 3 1/4, hornaday factory loads. The Kudu, Blue Wildebeest, and Impala were taken with a TC Encore in 9.3x74R with Nosler 250gr accubon's hand loads. have a great evening.

Good shooting and nice animals. Congrats

 

[Delta5Cav]

Nice animals. What was the lenght of the kudu's horns as I am going neext year for kudu andtrying to get a handle on how big they are. Thanks.

 

[enysse]

Nice animals. What was the lenght of the kudu's horns as I am going neext year for kudu andtrying to get a handle on how big they are. Thanks.

It's a big one, guessing around 57 inches give or take.

 

[Buff-Buster]

Congrat's Dave. That had to have been a blast taking the Zebra and Warthog with your double! Well done!

 

[AZDAVE]

Taking the zebra and warthog with my double was a absolute blast. looking to take it back for Buff when the safari fund has enough dollars for a return trip. Wish I could say waht the exact measurment mu kudu is, but I was just so happy with the 310 yard shot and it fulfilling a dream I have had since I was 9. That I didn't measure it. But my PH said it will be one of the 3 largest taken in the last couple years. Will ask the taxadermist to check for me and get back to you. Have a great hunt and my your Kudu be bigger thasn mine!

 

[drew416]

My Sabatti double in 500NE will shoot nothing like the factory supplied target "after adjustment" no matter what I feed it or whatever position I shoot from. In Australia it is very hard to obtain( well for me at least) Hornady factory 570DGX ammo of which the rifle was supposed to have been regulated with.

It is easy to get quality Woodleigh bullets and ADI powder to drive them towards the magic 2150fps regulating velocity, and still they land 6-8" apart at 50yds. The target that came with the rifle has two shots nearly touching at 50m after tuning!

But you get what you pay for. My 500 is sporting a new fluro front post sight, a mercury recoil reducer fitted to the butt stock. In fact I had to change the entire angle of camber/ offset my stock was set at from factory as it just belted me in the jaw every time I shot it. A proper Pachmayer pad was also fitted to tame the thump. Now after firing several hundred rounds, testing loads to regulate, the detent in the safety catch is worn out and the safety comes on with the recoil of firing the fist barrel.

I thought that this was my fault with the way I was holding the rifle as I had to shave a fair bit off the side of the front trigger as it was like a knife every time I fired the second barrel and would cut m trigger finger. But stripping the gun down revealed the worn out detent!

But you get what you pay for! I wish I could afford the H&H Royal. These would be perfect from factory and last for many generations of shooters and Safari trips.

 

[Bwanabob]

I had a Merkel 140A in .500NE and I had much the same problems with it, including the front trigger tearing a hole in my trigger finger everytime I fired the second barrel. My gunsmith tried all sorts of tricks to try and stop this problem - altering the rear profile of the front trigger and adjusting the stock dimensions, too but it was just a pain to shoot - literally. I never got this gun to shoot well and I am sure that, in my case, it was because I was always worried about getting my trigger finger torn open, again. In the end, I had to admit defeat before it completely ruined my shooting and my confidence with big guns and I sold it.

The Sabatti .450NE that I have previously reported on, and which shoots fantastically, is the gun that I bought to replace the Merkel .500NE - and I have not looked back since the purchase. Of course, I would one day like to buy a better quality double (a Heym would do the trick) but until I can afford that, the Sabatti is staying.

I hate to admit it but perhaps the .500NE was just too much gun for me? I am presently building up a bolt action .500 Jeffrey, and I will give the .500s one more go, but in the back of my mind is that question of whether I am up to shooting a .500 on a regular basis. I sure hope so because I just love big guns!

 

[Red Leg]

One other possibility for those looking for a DR in the lower affordability range is the Blaser S2. I am a huge fan of this gun. It has gotten a lot of criticism from shooting scribes because of its decocking mechanism and non-ejectors, and because it looks "different". Blaser has always designed around functionality. I have fine shotguns with stocks designed for me which don't come up any more naturally than this rifle. It also uses the Blaser mounting system which is stout enough to hold up on an anti-tank gun and is still instantly dismountable - no screws / just levers. Most importantly the thing shoots. I have three sets of barrels - 500/416, 375 H&H, and 30-06. I use the little aim point with the organic Blaser base with the 416 and all rounds overlap at 50 meters. The .375 is scoped with a Zeiss Victory and puts four rounds into a 2.5-inch group at 100 yards (300 gr TSX). The right barrel will cloverleaf three at that distance and I wouldn't hesitate to take a shot out to 250 yards with it. The 30-06 is amazing. It shoots RWS 193's into an inch and a half at 100 yards. And as for the cocker and decocking feature, like the K-Gun, it just takes practice.

 

[Heym 88]

A Heym is much cheaper than a H&H and I bet you wouldnt have any issues with it. Just my 2 cents.

 

[A.Sharpe]

I got 4 weeks to go on my Heym 450/400. I am already working on buying a Searcy 470 NE. Guys....is there any cure for this??:headscratch:

NO!! It's more addictive than crack cocaine.

 

[edward]

IVE POSTED THESE PICS BEFORE BUT PROBABLY IN THE WRONG PLACE.AT 75 I JUST LIKE TO HUNT.ACTUALLY IM A HANDGUN HUNTER.SOME TIME AGO I BOUGHT MY ONLY RIFLE.A SABATTI DOUBLE IN 9.3X74R.AM GOING HIPPO HUNTING IN JUNE AND FOUND OUT THE AIRLINES I HAVE TO FLY FROM JOBERG TO HOEDSPUIT WONT TRANSPORT HANDGUNS ANYMORE SO AM GOING TO HAVT TO USE MY DOUBLE.BEEN DOING A LOT OF PRACTICING AND HERES THE RESULTS.IN FIELD POSITIONS.EYES ARENT AS GOOD AS THEY USED TO BE SO ADDED A TRIJICON SRS1 SIGHT ON IT.TOP TWO SHOTS ARE RIGHT BARREL,BOTTOM TWO SHOTS ARE LEFT BARREL.50 YARDS.SHOTS CLOSEST TO BULL ARE AMMO THAT GUN WAS REGULATED WITH,HORNADY D.G.S.SHOTS FARTHEST AWAY ARE HANDLOADED 286 GR WOODLEIGH SOLIDS.ALL SHOTS ARE IN THE KILL ZONE OF DANGEROUS GAME AT 50 YARDS IN MY EXPERENCE.GUESS WHAT IM TRYING TO SAY IS IM HAPPY WITH MY SABATTI.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Looks good to me.

Have fun Hippo hunting.