An afternoon spent aiming and having fun on targets, an evening on the high seat waiting fruitlessly for the wild boar... a post-hunting dinner. A wonderful hunting experience in the company of Franchi and his Horizon Colored.
In the context of Franchi Experience, a container halfway between the playful and the specialized technical, we had the opportunity to become familiar with the hunting vision of Franchi and for the rifled barrel sector with its Horizon, a bolt-action rifle, created two years ago with the sole purpose of hunting ungulates. Two years of success with which Franchi, which had never produced a bolt action, began to penetrate the market for this type of weapon, gaining due appreciation for its advantageous quality/price ratio.
For the first time in the hands of CacciainFiera the Horizon of Franchi In its Colored version, it was highly appreciated by our staff for the quality of the materials and the quality of their assembly, the fluidity of the action and the firmness of the grip together with the notable stability when supported, unlike many other competitors that are lacking in this direction, with relative limits of stability both on the shooting range and on makeshift natural supports in the countryside.
As soon as you pick it up, the rifle immediately feels like it's perfectly gripped (the Colored version has a polymer receiver), and the threaded barrel end is immediately noticeable. This makes it useful for those who want a recoil reduction device, which is recommended for smaller shooters or those who have chosen one of the "heavy" calibers the Horizon can be chambered in. The rifle feels very well-balanced and stable in handling, making it a pleasure to use even without recoil reduction devices.
The customary calibration test, also part of the day's hunting experience, took us outdoors to one of the magnificent areas of the Fiordimonte Valley, chosen for its lack of wind. There, on a very hot day, we were able to begin to appreciate all those aspects you never notice until you're on the hunting ground. The heat made our hands sweaty, allowing us to appreciate how effective the polymer material and its workmanship were in ensuring a firm grip on the rifle.
Franchi has worked to propose a shooting test very similar to a hunting seat, creating a surface on which to rest the weapons, tested in 308 W and 30.06 Spring calibers, the calibers certainly most appreciated by hunters in the Apennines who alternate their passion between wild boar, roe deer, deer and fallow deer.
Both guns we used were practically new, with only a few rounds fired, and therefore the firing and bolt mechanisms were barely broken in. Yet, in this context, everything felt extremely fluid in its movements, and we quickly became accustomed to the action length, which is slightly longer than other bolt actions. The bolt has a decidedly crisp, clean release, and despite being a gun without a setbolt, the trigger pull is remarkably smooth, smooth, and easy to use.
We tried our hand at these two versions of the Horizon Colored on a calibration at a distance of 130 meters, chosen to replicate the spacing of the area where we would later be hunting. For the .308W version, 150-grain ammunition was used, while the Horizon chambered in .30.06 was equipped with 180-grain ammunition. From the first shots fired with both calibers, the almost complete absence of recoil was noticeable, the low perceived recoil of which, even with the aforementioned ammunition, was to be expected given the Horizon's light weight. Evidently, the excellent design work achieved an excellent weight balance that effectively counteracts recoil, combined with the notable efficiency of the buttstock.
Security is one of the aspects that Franchi He took particular care in designing his Horizon, and it's evident the first time he handles it. The safety is on the right end of the action and is easily activated thanks to a knurled knob, easy to operate even in winter and with thick gloves. The safety allows you to open the loaded gun for safe unloading, and the bolt extraction is very easy, thanks to the small release button.
The Horizon doesn't have a removable magazine, but loading is fairly easy, done through the ejection port. It's a bit of a hassle for those accustomed to removable magazines, but it becomes second nature after a few tries.
The high seat test was definitely the "real" hunting trip, because a hunting day can be fruitless if the prey doesn't arrive, which is what happened this time. Obviously, this didn't limit my ability to evaluate the Horizon Colored; on the contrary, the fruitless hours of waiting allowed me to further cement in my memory all the positive feelings I'd experienced previously. And my mind also began to prepare for the next hunting experience: enjoying dinner with friends who had participated in the hunt at other high seats.
More or less lucky hunters met at 10pm at the hunting lodge, and while the stories of the day took shape, intense as hunting can give, the dinner prepared by Iris who Franchi Food Academy It is the great soul, it began with a series of courses aimed at celebrating game meats and the many ways in which this rich fruit of nature can enliven the table. Accompanied by a Rosso Piceno worthy of connoisseurs, Iris presented roe deer tartare with redcurrants, Greek yogurt, passion fruit, and toasted hazelnut crumble, flaky crescia with wild boar mince and rosemary, lamb's lettuce, and stracchino cheese, focaccia with wild boar mortadella... And with these, we were only at the appetizers. The abundant and tasty first course consisted of an excellent tagliatelle with white ragù, followed by a second course of seared venison loin, which accompanied the friends after dinner, where, as during the lavish meal, the hunting experience and use of the Horizon and the related impressions were the heart of the conversations.
Listening to the many rumours and discussions about the rifle, it is clear how much Franchi has definitely done a good job, both in considering the hunter's needs and in translating them into the gun that so many enthusiasts now have in their racks. The Horizon is certainly a highly appreciated creation also for the attention to so many details: from the stock, which increases shoulder stability, to the details designed to accommodate the sling for those who use it for hunting.
And personally I'm making an insistent thought to ensure that a Horizon, perhaps in a version, will soon be available. White 300 WM, may it become part of my collection.
Luca Naticchi
Cacciainfiera Staff
