SABATTI ROVER HUNTER CLASSIC PRO

Sabatti’s Rover Hunter Classic Pro makes an immediate impression with its striking appearance, featuring a walnut stock that has been synthetically finished to bring out the detail vividly. The rifle action is offered with a range of stock, chassis and calibre options, but it’s clear the Hunter Classic is designed to blend modern mechanics with traditionally shaped, form-fitting furniture.

Mechanics
This rifle utilises a cold hammer-forged barrel with the usual land and groove rifling style, rather than the multi-radial type used in their larger bore sizes. A pepperpot muzzle brake is added to the neatly crowned, 14x1 screwcut muzzle. The barrel diameter starts at 15.9mm and tapers gradually along its 560mm (22”) length to 32mm at the reinforce, where it meets the aluminium action, which is hard-anodised black to match the barrel. Picatinny bases are machined into the upper surface, but there is a small secret below the stock line. The bolt is bright stainless steel and has three lugs for a 60-degree lift to open and cock the action. The lugs lock directly into abutments within the barrel, as this is itself clamped into the action, so it is technically interchangeable.

Feeding frenzy
Sabatti uses a push-feed bolt face with a claw extractor and a sprung plunger ejector. The bolt has a diameter of 22.1mm and a 90mm stroke, which suits the .223 chambering shown here without introducing unnecessary overtravel. The bolt handle is 55mm long and tipped with a conical aluminium knob. The rear shroud is a faceted, conical shape and shows a cocked action indicator at the rear, which is essentially the striker extending proud when the gun is cocked ready to fire. The bolt removal catch is on the left of the rear action bridge, with the two-position safety catch opposite on the right. Move the safety forward for fire and rear for safe. It’s quiet in operation, but the bolt handle doesn’t lock in place.

Detachable magazine
The magazine capacity is four, and you can fit an additional round in the chamber if needed. It’s a single-column polymer unit that loads with rounds slid in from the front when it’s out of the rifle. The release catch is within the front of the trigger guard, and the magazine stands about 12mm proud of the stock’s underside to allow easy manual removal, even though it will drop free under its own weight. There’s a steel spring inside to lift the follower, which is made of polymer, as are the magazine body and the trigger guard/bottom ‘metal’.

Disassembly
Twin T25 Torx screws pass through the trigger guard/magazine well assembly to secure the barrelled action in place. Once removed, the components can be separated, and they fit together neatly with minimal free play. The hidden secret of the Sabatti is that twin M5 Allen screws clamp the barrel in place, with just a 6mm Allen key needed to release them. There is a brightly machined extension that interacts with the clamp, and the square shoulder and rotation rebate mean it rotates smoothly back into position and clicks in place before you re-tighten the action’s Allen screws. This shoulder ensures correct headspace, and I found it to be a simple and reliable mechanism. The bolt itself locks into the barrel anyway, so the receiver is merely a foundation and not a pressure-bearing component. This is a similar system to that used by Sauer and CZ, which I find more than acceptable. The action shows a flat bottom that appears to mate well with the stock inlet, where the traditional wood grain from the walnut is evident.
The single-stage trigger is adjustable with tools and shows a pull weight of 2322g (82oz). This can be reduced, but the break was exceptionally crisp, with 4mm of clean overtravel. Although initially heavier than some, it proved predictable in use and, on a cold day with gloves, was much appreciated within the spacious trigger guard expected of a true hunting rifle.

Enhanced
The walnut stock is finished with what Sabatti calls an “enhanced” wood-graining coating, but I wonder how durable it will be. The barrel channel is internally coated, like the rest of the inlet, so it should remain reasonably water-resistant. The fore-end is stiff, so it maintains the free float. When shot from a tripod/clamp head, the point of impact remained constant, so there was no pressure-induced zero shift. Similarly, it was stable from a bipod, and there is a secure stud fitted, as well as a short section of M-LOK rail, which gives an additional modern nod to the now commonly found mechanical fixing format.

Ergonomics
The stock’s ergonomics make it very comfortable, while the black polymer cheekpiece contrasts with the finished walnut. Additional units are also available to adjust the height to suit your preference. It fastens securely in place with one screw on the right side, and there is also the ability to use spacers to increase the length of pull (LOP), which measured 349mm/13.6” as supplied, including the 10mm medium-firm recoil pad.

My thoughts
Sabatti says there is a Picatinny rail integral to the receiver, although, if I were being pedantic, I would call them separate bases, as they don’t run the full length of the action. Generally, this isn’t a problem now, as both day scopes and night vision/thermal optics are all settling on the conventional tube format, so it’s easy to mount scopes with correct eye relief.
I fitted a bipod and left the rifle as it was, with the brake on, as it had been ages since I last shot a braked .223, and I felt it would make a change from the norm.

Handling dynamics
Removing the bolt provided easy access to bore-sight the rifle, and zeroing was straightforward. I used my two regular Hornady loadings: the ultra-popular 55gr V-Max and the 50gr CX copper bullets, both of which I have found to be highly effective, offering consistent performance when needed. Loading the magazine was simple, and the ballistic-tipped V-Max rounds fed into the chamber without issue. However, the open hollow-point meplat of the CX rounds caused them to snag on the feed ramp, so they were set aside as unsuitable.
The trigger is consistent in use, and the bolt handle is ideally positioned for fast access, with smooth lift translating to plenty of primary extraction force. The automated ejection flung the brass free of the rifle without any hitches, and the magazine was fast to remove, dropping free from the gun without additional help. The release lever requires deliberate thought to access it, but its low profile makes it better suited to a hunting rifle, as it is less likely to be caught on clothing or foliage.
Recoil is, of course, minimal with a .223, so I was able to spot my own bullet impacts with the brake fitted, which reduced what little movement there was. Straight-grained walnut, whether coated or not, does an excellent job of dampening recoil and resonance, resulting in an active yet delicate impulse through the rifle.

There can be only one
The 55gr V-Max is always a reliable performer, and that proved true once again. At 100m, it produced a 16.5mm average four-shot group. I placed the groups just to the side of the aim point to avoid interfering with my point of aim, and was pleased to see that the point of impact remained consistent as the barrel heated up. The average velocity was 3,058fps, with an extreme spread of 56fps. The resulting muzzle energy was 1,367ft/lbs, which all appeared to be in good order relative to the barrel length.

Modesty
Even with a brake fitted, the Sabatti was relatively modest in terms of sound levels, and I found it very easy to get along with. The looks are superb, although their longevity is a question I can’t comment on, as I imagine marks will show. The fit and finish of all the components was good, with clean and smooth machining standards shown above and below the timber line.
I found barrel changes were straightforward, with repeatability back to zero within 3cm at 100m, but I do wonder if this will ever be an appreciable benefit for the UK market. It was slightly disappointing to encounter feed issues with the CX ammunition, but to be fair, the ballistic tip is common across most rounds, and feeding was otherwise smooth, with no meplat or case neck damage.
Cleaning was straightforward, with no slivers of brass or copper visible, and the barrel patches revealed a clean ammunition burn and carbon residue that was easily removed.

Conclusion
The Rover Hunter Classic Pro is the best Sabatti rifle I have tested to date and is perfectly suited to its intended hunting role, offering commendable performance, attractive styling, and excellent handling at a modest price.