NSI Desert Rat 12 Gauge 28gr 1250fps 7.5 - Slab Price $145.00

The Desert Rat is a corroboration between Bronzewing and NSI to create a high quality entry level cartridge.

It’s loaded in a T1 (8mm) nickel plated steel head case in semi transparent orange case, now doubt it’s a budget case but that’s about where ‘budget’ ends! It then utilises the Martignoni 688 primer (Nobelsport Italia group), perhaps one of the lesser known Vectan powders; 206 (or as some older shooters might recall was once also known as D20), NSI GT24 wad (24 being the wad height designation), and Team Italia lead shot (NSI group) graded and selected hard shot, in this case beautifully polished. It is manufactured with 100% in house components. It has a V1 at 2.5M of 1250fps which is designed for comfort and allows the shooter to shoot high volumes of cartridges primarily in the DTL discipline. The 206 gives a long even pressure curve though, longer than AS so it’s smoothed out. This cartridge should produce pressures in the initial pressure of around 420bars and even pressure curve to its peak pressure of low 500 bars or perhaps just under 500.

The sample packet I used and checked was 2.3mm #8, the pellets were true to size and counted out at an average of 375 pellets. The shot as you can see from the photos is really nice, graded and polished, more what you expect in a much higher end product.

This cartridge is very similar to the NSI Target 12ga 28gm which is specced at 1200fps, identical components, but more of that 206 to get to 1250fps.

Our short testing session was restricted to a crossing 90degree target showing half belly, typical to any sporting or 5stand layout and a 1/4ing 30degree off centre DTL type target, the crosser was around 35M and the DTL type bird was shot at 30M. The gun used was a Renato Gamba running Rhino chokes in ¾ and full, maybe a bit tight for usual sporting but normal for DTL. Target breaks indicated very nice pattern density with very impressive breaks. The cartridge was super comfy to shoot and we used them back to back with BW Super Stealth and NSI Due Europe and the Desert Rats were noticeably softer to use.

So in closing the Desert Rat is a standard type competition cartridge best suited to DTL, Handicap, 5stand Sporting, Sporting. Patterning wise this cartridge should tend to give dimensional choke patterns; by that I mean it’ll shoot the choke, maybe a touch better as is the norm with better cartridges. For DTL handicap it is perhaps better suited as a first barrel option up to 20, further back look to the other cartridges in the range perhaps. Being a solid 1250fps at 2.5M cartridge it’s going to be a pretty good all rounder at the projected price point.

Available in 2.4mm #7.5, 2.3mm #8, 2.0mm #9.5, RRP around the $90 a slab against rising prices from it’s stablemates and competitors, the Desert Rat is well worth the time and $ to have a nibble at.