Sauer has gone all out to create a 2.5kg lightweight rifle of pure class in the 101 Highland XTC. It is pared down to minimum weight to maximise handling and agility, and it looks like it means it.
Sauer has built this rifle for hunters who want the least they can get from the very best — a premium, fighting-fit firearm stripped of extraneous fat. It is 2.5kg of sheer European sexiness.
The 101 was already the lighter of Sauer’s top-spec models. The 404 and 505 models have a switch-barrel design and two-piece stocks, with more complexity and a greater number of parts. That might be fine if switch-barrel ability is important but it’s not a big deal to most Australians and that’s where the lighter, simpler 101 fits in.
By fitting a delightful carbon-fibre stock and a slim, fluted barrel to the 101, Sauer made the Highland XTC about 550 grams less than a typical 101 and about 1kg less than most 505 models.
It’s a worthwhile weight saving. Everyone who handled the Highland XTC during this test was impressed by the way it seemed to float in their hands.
None of this comes cheap. The 101 Classic starts the ball rolling at $5490, a price that confirms its place in the premium sector, and the Highland XTC lifts it to $6689. Perhaps it’s time to say that Sauer has built this rifle for hunters who can afford to savour the quality long after they’ve forgotten the price. (As I uploaded this test, though, most advertised prices were lower and some dealers had the XTC on sale at about $4500, a very tempting price.)
The German-made stock’s hand-laid carbon-fibre weave, set under deep and clear resin, stands out so that the Highland XTC’s identity is unmistakable. The surface is extremely smooth and looks a million dollars; it is susceptible to scratches and chips but can be touched up without too much effort. It is thin, hollow and very stiff, with a channel that fits close to the barrel but lets it free-float all the way.
Its profile is ambidextrous with generous scallops for your thumb’s pad, a nicely curved pistol grip with a 13cm diameter, and a generous 36cm length of pull. There’s no cheekpiece swell. The fore-end is slender and ends in a semi-schnabel tip containing a cup for a QD sling swivel stud; there’s a matching cup under the butt.
The light weight is of course no damper of recoil but the stock design minimises the effects you feel. There’s a marked 8mm fall from the heel of the straight comb to the toe, so it drops away from your cheek on firing. The rubber butt pad is on the firm side, though. Squeeze the trigger on the Highland XTC and the butt gives you a sharp jab in the shoulder but does not jump and give you a smack in the chops.
I’d say the recoil of the Highland XTC in .308 is enough to put off anyone who is sensitive to a rifle’s kick but most hunters in the field will not be bothered. I didn’t find it difficult to shoot — rather, it was much more pleasant than I expected, given its lack of mass, and I had no trouble shooting it accurately. The bigger calibres will kick more, naturally. On the other hand, if you were to buy a different Model 101 you’d gain at least 550g in weight to counter recoil.
That super-smooth finish of the stock has no grip-enhancing impressions like chequering and it will slip from your grasp if you’re not careful in wet or sweaty conditions. You might want to add grip tape in strategic spots if you’re concerned about it. I didn’t, relying instead on constant care fuelled by fear of consequences.
The 101 uses Sauer’s Ever Rest bedding setup: a bedding block is set into the stock under the action’s front receiver ring, which is bolted directly to it. That’s where the heavy lifting is done to ensure the rifle’s stability, and the receiver has two studs set into it that engage with holes in the bedding block and act as recoil lugs. A single hex-head bolt makes the union. The bottom metal is bolted on separately in a way that resembles the two action screws in typical bolt-action rifles, even though they’re not really doing the same job.
The barrel is an interference fit in the receiver, which is heated to expand before the barrel is inserted. There’s no danger of it blowing out when you let off a shot, though, because the bolt’s six lugs lock up in the rear of the barrel, isolating the receiver from the effects of chamber pressure.
At 51cm (20”) long, the cold hammer-forged barrel has a light profile, tapering very quickly to 19mm and finishing up at 17cm at the cap for the threaded muzzle, and the lightness is enhanced by eight straight flutes.
The bolt is also fluted. It’s a 20mm tube of steel with the head machined to create the two rows of three lugs. The extractor claw is set into one of the lugs on a stiff wire spring, and it operates in conjunction with two plunger-type ejectors that throw brass well clear. The bolt face has the typical 3mm countersink and surrounds the cartridge case except where the extractor claw sits.
The Dura Safe safety is in the back of the bolt and is like the decocking system on the 404 and 505 in that it is operated by sliding a button up and down with your thumb. However, this setup blocks the firing pin’s movement, rather than decocking the rifle. It also locks the bolt closed but a separate release button behind the bolt handle can be pressed to allow you to unload.
It’s a good system, even if it’s not very different in use from a tang-mounted safety on other rifles. A red mark is uncovered to indicate the safety is not engaged. When the Sauer is cocked, the back of the firing pin protrudes under the safety to indicate what state it is in.
Sauer makes a big deal of how smoothly its new 505’s bolt cycles but there’s nothing wrong with how slickly the 101’s action feels. There’s very little difference, which is no surprise given the family resemblance.
Sauer also boasts — rightfully — about how good the Quattro trigger is in the 404 and 505. Yet the 101’s non-adjustable trigger is superb. The test rifle’s trigger released with absolutely perfect crispness at an average 964g, so close to the factory’s stated 950g that it’s not worth arguing. I’d have this trigger in any hunting rifle.
Another thing that stands in the 101’s favour is the magazine, a flush-fitting double-stacking unit that holds five rounds in standard calibres, or four magnums. A very light yet strong polymer box, it drops out into your hand when you press a knurled button set into the front of the bottom metal. You can top-feed through the Sauer’s narrow ejection port, although it is a bit fiddly because of the tight space.
The small port means there’s a lot of metal ensuring the receiver’s stiffness, which can only add to accuracy even if the bolt locks directly into the barrel. On top, the action is drilled and tapped to accept Remington 700-profile scope mounts.
When the rifle arrived for testing it was already scoped and zeroed for Hornady Precision Hunter 178gn factory ammo, which it apparently shot very well. Unfortunately, none was available when I needed it but I had a range of other .308 factory loads that proved the Sauer is capable of excellent accuracy. One 150gn hunting load was hopeless in the test rifle so I didn’t persist, but four others averaged 0.9 to 1.3 MOA for three-shot groups, as you can see in the table, so you can be sure the Highland XTC can perform superbly if you feed it what it likes.
Two particular shots in the field indicated how well the Highland works. In the first, I had plenty of time and a good log to rest on as I aimed at a fallow yearling 180m away. The straight-back recoil allowed me to watch the impact of the shot and see the deer fall on the spot, hit exactly where I was aiming. All too easy.
The second was quite different, a rushed shot after a short jog, taken at a small sow just over 100m away. I shot from a kneeling position, under pressure because she was just about to vanish into the bushes. The Sauer’s good fit and superb trigger led to a steady hold and uncorrupted shot release for another spot-on hit and one-shot kill.
At other times I carried the Sauer up the big hills at home, revelling in its lack of heft and confident I could use it well after the hard yakka of the climbs. Ultralight rifles are easy to shoot badly so need to give you every bit of help they can to bring out your potential, and the Highland XTC does it with pure class.
I can think of plenty of reasons to opt for another model in the 101 range: the XT if you want the 101 action without the flash accoutrements, XTA for the adjustment and extra mass, the GTI for its ergonomics, the walnut one for its tradition or the Select if you’d rather spend your money on top-shelf walnut than carbon-fibre. All come with the fast, smooth 101 action and other features, not to mention the quality.
But if you’re a lover of light weight, you can’t go past this one. It looks very smart in its carbon-fibre stock and with its petite, fluted barrel. The 101 Highland XTC is sheer joy to carry and shoot.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Manufacturer: Sauer & Sohn, Germany
- Type: Turn-bolt action
- Trigger: Single stage, non-adjustable, 964g release
- Safety: Firing-pin block
- Barrel: Cold hammer-forged steel, 51cm (20”), threaded muzzle (magnum length, 56cm)
- Twist rate: 1:11” (.308)
- Calibres: Currently listed are .308 (tested), .30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag
- Magazine: 5 rounds, polymer, double stack (magnums, 4 rounds)
- Sights: None; receiver drilled and tapped for Rem 700 bases
- Stock: Carbon-fibre with Ever Rest bedding
- Length of pull: 360mm
- Overall length: 102cm (magnums, 106cm)
- Weight: 2.5kg bare (magnums, 2.6kg)
- RRP: $6689 (but shop around)
- Distributor: OSA Australia
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