The Lobaev Arms SVLK-14S “Twilight” is the newest sniper rifle from the Russian weapons company Lobaev Arms. According to Vladislav Lobaev, the founder and chief designer of the company, it is designated to be the most accurate sniper rifle globally. He added that no other manufacturer in the world could match the SVLK-14S for accuracy at long range.
Design
Their latest long-range sniper rifle is the Lobaev Arms SVLK-14S “Twilight.” Its unique sniper rifle with outstanding performance at ranges well exceeding 2000 meters. The Lobaev Arms SVLK-14S is power, accuracy, and extreme range in your hands. It is a bolt-action single-shot rifle designed for maximum accuracy using .408 Cheyenne Tactical rounds.
The Lobaev Arms state-of-art rifle can consistently hit the target at ranges of 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) and 2,300 meters (7,545 feet). No other manufacturer in the world can match the SVLK-14S for accuracy at long range, Chief Designer Vladislav Lobaev said.
In military history, there were numerous snipers, including famous ones. They entered the hall of fame as the best, but they couldn’t achieve that without great rifles. Some of the best sniper rifles still in service are M24, M21, and SR25, manufactured in the United States; L42A1 Enfield and AS50 manufactured in the UK; and German PSG1.
This purpose-built sniper rifle is not made for wide military use. It is relatively expensive, with tens of thousands of dollars; its size is relatively hard to conceal; sacrificing barrel length for concealability will reduce the rifle’s performance—the Lobaev Arms SLVK-14S sniper rifle price ranges from $25,000 to $30,000.
Accuracy
The accuracy claims for the Twilight rifle are very high for a sniper rifle ( .2 MOA, 100 yds, five-shot group ), but very “meh “by most extreme standards, where the world record stands at .0077 MOA, 100 yds, five-shot group (Krieger Barrels). Think of 5 bullets, same hole.
The issue with the Twilight rifle 4-kilometer target claim is that the cartridge used (US .408 Chey Tac ) falls to subsonic speed levels beyond 2300 yards. This means that as the bullet slows, it begins to lose stability. And bullets with high ballistic coefficients tend to belong, with high sectional density.
They are designed to function at high speeds, not subsonic speeds. Hitting a target at 4-kilometers using any rifle using that .408 cartridge with a lathe-turned monolithic solid bullet (very high BC ) is a crapshoot at best, as the bullet’s transition to subsonic speeds can cause the bullet to yaw or tumble.
Variants
The company produces Lobaev Lobaev rifles in two main variants. The first variant is the SVL (СВЛ – Снайперская винтовка Лобаева (Lobaev sniper rifle)). The SVL variant has a field quick barrel change feature for better performance. On the top of the receiver, there is a Picatinny rail to mount aiming optics. With a typical accuracy potential of sub-0.2 MOA at ranges exceeding 2,000 meters, the Lobaev company claims it builds the most accurate long-range sniper rifle in the world.
The second variant is the OVL (ОВЛ – Охотничья винтовка Лобаева (Lobaev hunting rifle)). The OVL variant is used among hunters and athletes like bench rest shooters, etc.
Other models
There are also other variants of Lobaev Arms sniper rifle, including:
- SVLK-14S, SVLK-14M
- DXL
- TSVL
- DVL
Users
Currently, Russia’s Federal Protective Service uses the Lobaev Arms SVL variant chambered for .408 Chey Tac. The SLVK-14S sniper rifle could take the title of the best sniper rifle ever made. With an accuracy of 0.3-0.2 MOA, the Lobaev SVL is claimed as the most accurate sniper rifle in the world. Here is the video of the Lobaev Arms SVLK-14S showcase. The presentation was held in Russia’s Kaluga region.
Technical specifications
| Manufacturer: | Lobaev Arms, Russia | |
| Caliber: | .408 Cheytac\.338LM\.300WM | |
| Operation: | bolt-action, single-shot | |
| Overall Length: | 1430 mm | |
| Barrel Length: | 900 mm | |
| Feed: | single shot | |
| Weight: | 10 kg | |
| Expected accuracy: | accuracy of 0.3-0.2 MOA with match grade ammunition | |
