The Sauer 101 Classic XT: Built for stalking

It began as a campfire conversation while on a deer hunt. After a successful day stalking chital in north Queensland, my hunting buddy, Jan, and I found ourselves theorising about the specifics of an ideal light stalking rifle for Australian conditions. In Europe, he had for many years used a Sauer S200 in 7×64 for boars and deer and was completely happy with both the rifle and the cartridge in that application.

Now that he had had the opportunity to hunt in Australia, he appreciated some of the differences between here and Europe. He was keen to set up his own light stalking rifle and hunt widely in this country. Like me, Jan is not a trophy hunter. That meant we did not need to consider the popular more powerful cartridges commonly used by trophy hunters. Also, he would be relying on factory ammunition rather than handloads, initially at least. The choice of calibre needed to be such that it was more than adequate for the quarry being hunted and could be readily purchased from gunshops everywhere.

Jan would be hunting deer and goats for meat and would be culling feral pigs, wild dogs and foxes as pests. After a lot of discussion on the various merits of different calibres, we pinned the decision down to the .243 Winchester. In the end, it seemed to be an obvious choice. With premium, expanding projectiles this calibre is more than adequate for typical Australian game. The .243 Win is a high-velocity, flat-shooting calibre with a reputation for good hunting accuracy.

Having already experienced the harsh conditions of hunting in Australia, from dusty outback to sodden jungle and bush-bashing through thick scrub, Jan appreciated the need for a durable stock. As much as he and I both prefer nice timber and blued steel, a synthetic stock was by far the more practical choice.

Style-wise though, he was determined to stay with the European look that he was used to and liked. That is the German leichtes Jagdgewehr (lightweight hunting) style of rifle. He had a pre-existing disposition towards Sauer rifles too, having owned and used a few of these in Europe over the years. His preference in optics was for the Austrian kind as well. The challenge was to achieve that within a reasonable budget for a rifle that was going see a lot of hunting and wear and tear.

Luckily for Jan, the light stalking rifle project was conceived at a time when a few reputable upper-echelon companies were announcing models aimed at competing with the established budget-priced market. The project came together rapidly from there. He decided on a Sauer 101 Classic XT in .243 Win and topped that off with a 3-9×40 Zeiss scope. After some shopping around, he was able to acquire both for a very good price. In retrospect, the rig pretty much ticked all the boxes on our wish list.

The bare rifle is 1095mm in total length. Unscoped and bare, the rifle weighed a smidge over 3kg. It felt most comfortable to handle and was well-balanced and pointy.

The synthetic black polymer stock has a Soft Touch surface that makes for particularly good grip and comfortable handling. A further benefit of the Soft Touch surface that we discovered is that it’s silent to the scratching of twigs across it – a useful attribute in a stalking rifle. The styling was comfortable too, right down to the Schnabel fore-end. The length of pull was a dependable 14.4″ to suit larger-framed individuals. The stock is ambidextrous with symmetrical palmswell on both sides.

The much-used ‘silky smooth’ really does apply to this action. The bolt lift is 60 degrees and requires minimal effort. The large diameter, six-lug bolt glides silently in and out; another ideal feature in a stalking rifle. The six lugs engage directly into the end of the barrel. The Durasafe safety is located on the rear of the bolt and acts directly on the safety pin. It has a positive action and is well indicated, as is the cocking indicator. The receiver is of machined steel with a matte black finish to match the rest of the metalwork. The receiver is designed to accept Remington 700 scope bases. That is most convenient. Some German rifles only have proprietary mounts that can cost a small fortune.

The magazine is double-stack and removable. Even stoked up with five rounds of .243 Win, the magazine sits flush with the stock. Although it is a rare day when you need more than five rounds in a hurry, a spare magazine is a major advantage when that does happen. I also like the safety aspect of being able to quickly unload the rifle. Unlike quite a few other factory rifles, there was plenty of length in the magazine too – enough to handload projectiles out to touch the rifling. The action is mounted into the stock with what Sauer calls its ‘Ever Rest’ system. It seems well-designed and most secure, giving no problems during testing and field use. The slim, sporter barrel has precise rifling. It is 560mm (22″) in length. The trigger was crisp and set for 950 grams (2lb near enough) and ideal for a stalking rifle.

At the range we shot the barrel in, cleaning repetitively. Factory ammo went well in this rifle, being consistently in the 0.8 to 1.5 MOA. I kept track of a couple of hundred rounds of both factory and handloaded ammo fired at the range. The best group was 0.5 and the worst 2.0 MOA, with an overall average of 1.2 MOA, which says it all. This is excellent hunting accuracy and all you need to hunt with confidence. The weight and balance of the Sauer 101 Classic XT make it a joy to carry and use.