Sabatti: Saba side-by-side shotgun, for hunting in the woods

A simple side-by-side shotgun, good value for money. A gem for the hunter who wants to live his passion for hunting woodcock in the woods with his dog by his side

Saba side-by-side shotgun for hunting in the woods

Hunters have always asked themselves what are the pros, and especially the cons, of the guns they’re shooting or would like to be shooting.

These opinions have given us something to talk about during many fine evenings down at the inn, filled who knows how many pages of old magazines and today, account for an infinite number of digital characters. But there’s still a great deal of confusion on the subject, and there always will be, because finding a faultless gun that adapts to various hunting disciplines, environmental situations and types of game is difficult to say the least.

Available as a 12, 20 and 28-gauge with barrel lengths of 62, 66 to 71 cm, the Saba side-by-side is a versatile gun able to meet a wide range of hunters’ requirements.

A side-by-side is almost perfect.

The only con you’ll find when buying one is the price, which is often prohibitive for many hunters who want to start out in this noble art in the right way.

So Sabatti, a family that’s been making guns for over 400 years, has produced the SABA: a fine shotgun that sells for around €1,600.

A detailed look at the Sabatti Saba side-by-side hunting shotgun

Simple but pleasing to the eye, the Saba side-by-side is designed for hunters who want a classic gun that’s easy to use with pointers. The mechanism is an Anson and Deeley-type, and you can choose either a single or double trigger system.

Taking a closer look at it, the barrels of the Sabatti SABA side-by-side hunting shotgun are forged, bored and ground out of Chromium-Molybdenum solid steel bar; the insides of the barrels are then lapped and chromed.

This type of mechanism was patented by Anson & Deeley over a century ago and represents a milestone in the history of double-barrelled hammerless shotguns.

The action is machined by machine tools from a solid block of forged high-resistance steel, case hardening and tempered after being engraved. The stock is made of select walnut with a pistol or English grip available on request.

The user can also choose the type of ejector to use, manual or automatic, and a single or double trigger system.

The gun is available in 12, 20 or 28-gauge with a wide range of barrel lengths and chokes. The 12-gauge weighs 3 kg, and the smaller bores 2.6 kg.

Hunting with the Saba side-by-side

The Sabatti Saba side-by-side is best put to use for point shooting, and its performance was more than satisfactory when hunting woodcock.

We tested the gun hunting woodcock at the foot of the Dolomite mountains from the middle to the end of October, and we were pleasantly surprised by the side-by-side with its balanced, well-built design. Above all it proved to be both reliable and effective.

The length and the drop of the stock, in particular, are perfect for a fluid, fast swing even in the most difficult situations, quickly putting the game in your sights.

The trigger and safety systems are strong and flawless, while the shot patterns were homogeneous with a well-distributed spread from every shot.

The tests with paper targets were done using No. 12, 32 gram lead cartridges and Rottweil No. 7, 36 gram cartridges, while some specific spreader cartridges like the B&P Mygra were used when hunting woodcock. The recoil gives you a sharp kick, typical of short, lightweight guns, and does require a little practice to keep the gun on target for a second shot, if necessary. By way of compensation, fast point shooting is when this gun really comes into its own.

We tested: SABATTI side-by-side, mod. SABA

For more information on the Saba side-by-side, visit Sabatti website.