Sauer 202 Outback Rifle Review

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Thursday, 09 May 2013

Sauer 202 Outback Rifle Review

Being the proud owner of a Sauer 202 Elegance I was delighted to get a chance to try out the Sauer 202 Outback.

(The Sauer 202 Outback, Many thanks to Ben Edwards for the trial of this excellent rifle). 

In many respects the Outback is a very different rifle. Whilst I love the high grade wood used by Sauer in its other models I am also a fan of synthetic stocks for when conditions are less than perfect. My own synthetic Sako 85 is testament to this and as a result gets considerably more use than the other wooden stock rifles in my cabinet.  

Despite the synthetic ‘soft touch’ stock of the Outback being evidently less beautiful than its wooden counter parts, the 202 Outback is none the less a very attractive rifle. In fact as far as synthetics go, for me this is about the pick of the bunch with a very traditionally attractive European style and feel.

The rifle we had on trial belonged to a regular Deer Stalking client of mine Ben Edwards. Ben had recently purchased his 202 Outback in .308 Calibre from Steve Beaty at ‘Ivythorn Sporting’. As well as stocking other well known rifle makes such as Blaser, Mauser and Howa, Ivythorn are in fact the largest supplier of Sauer Rifles in the UK and are responsible for selling in the region of 800- 1000 rifles every year.   

It is in fact not the first time that I have received some top recommendations for ‘Ivythorn’ and Ben was quick to sing their praises. With a huge range of rifles from a variety of manufacturers along with an onsite shooting range it seems this Mid Somerset based dealer is worth a trip.

So what of the rifle itself? Well the soft touch synthetic stock of the Sauer Outback appears extremely hard wearing, the ilaflon coated barrel and all alloy receiver are also pretty much impervious to weather.

Added to these qualities the rifle is easy to strip down and clean. The rifle we had on test was not the official ‘take down’ rifle however can still be easily disassembled and cleaned provided that is, that you have the correct Allen key to do the job. 

Another huge advantage of the outback over other Sauer rifles and indeed many other rifles in general is that it is very light weight. Weighing in at a meagre 2.9kg or 6.4lbs it will be this benefit along with its hard wearing qualities that will prove the deciding factor when choosing a rifle for tough climes.

The light weight nature of this rifle is helped in no small part by the all alloy receiver, light weight stock not to mention the fluted barrel which is also designed to reduce barrel temperature. 

Draw backs? Well few, however be selective in who you choose to mount your scope, steel fittings in alloy receivers can be problematic so be warned. 

So what of our day out with the 202 Outback? Well despite the Outback’s clear credentials for use in bad weather, we were not testing the Outback appropriately to its limits but instead christened Ben’s new rifle with a young Muntjac Doe in beautiful spring sunshine!

The Sauer 202 Outback is truly excellent rifle, with an RRP of £2550-00 it’s not the cheapest rifle out there and neither should it be. Quality and engineering of this standard demands a premium however rifles of this grade are well worth the extra investment. 

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