F-Class

[Buffalobob]

I went and shot in my first F-class match today at Quantico Marine Base. The match was just for fun and a warmup to see how much interest there was in such a competition. Being a little unhappy with my performance in Wyoming trying to shoot antelope in 30mph winds I thought F-Class would be a good way to get more experience shooting in the wind.
First of all, I was the only non-jarhead acting person there, except for the lady and she very well could have been a Marine although she seemed to be pretty intelligent. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I was the only person who didn't have either tactical clothes or camo on. I was also the only person who didn't have a tactical drag bag and my gun camo'ed up.

Well, I didn't have any kind of F-Class gun so I had brought my antelope gun which is a 240Wby. Being as they had not decided for sure if they were gong to have F-Class competitions, I had not bought a gun for it. So, I didn't want to ruin my antelope gun by running 17 rounds down the barrel in 15 minutes so I would only shoot 7 shots per target. Interestingly enough, I did not finish last even shooting less that half the bullets allowed for scoring. I was saved by a 50 cal that seemed to have a group size of about 10 feet at 1000 yards. It only scored with one bullet the whole day. No matter, we were just having fun.

The only thing I can say is that I learned a lot about shooting off of a bipod. It seems that everything is much more sensitive to how you make contact with the gun. Too much downward force by your head on the cheek piece is bad. Slack in the bipod seems to be bad. Shoulder pressure needs to be consistent and a death grip on the stock is not too good either. I am not sure I found out how to do it right but I sure found lot of new ways to do it wrong. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Well, I went to learn to shoot in the wind and at 800 yards I was doing pretty good but at 900 I ran up the white flag and surrendered. Bullets would go left and I would adjust and they would go right and then too far left and then too far right. At 1000 yards I just shot my dial and let the wind blow them where ever it wanted to. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif The wind finally died down for the last two shots and I was pleased to score some points. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I think a couple of the people who had never shot F-Class before burned their barrels up because they were just blazing hot at the end. The heavy barrel on the 240Wby was just barley warm on the outside because i didn't shoot many rounds, although I suspect the inside was hotter than I normally let it get.

Well, it is off to the gun shop to get a Savage 308 so I will have something that will not burn up the barrel the when we have a real match.

 

[James Jones]

What are the rules for F-class?

Its tricky to figure out how a gun wants to be set in a bibod , some like to be preloaded and some don't

 

[Buffalobob]

F-Class is prone centerfire rifle. There is no national sanctioning body for it like in benchrest. It seems to be a name you call something when a bunch of people want to get together and shoot a while. The NRA published some rules for about 5 or 6 different variations of F-class which include short range, medium and long range and then Palma style (what we did).

If you go to the NRA webste and then click on High Power you will find F-Class rules about halfway in.


F-class rules

The Palma style is exactly what I wanted because you shoot at 800, 900 and 1000 yards and there is unlimited sighters at 800 and then 15 rounds for score and 2 sighters and 15 rounds for score at 900 and 1000. This adds up to shooting about 50 rounds so you get a really good opportunity to try different techniques and reads on the wind.

You can use bipods or backpacks or full benchrests for your gun. There is a class for 308s and 223s that is kind of a factory class kind of thing.

Yesterday, every bullet would have been a good hit on an elk but only about 75% or less would have been good hits on an antelope. Which only proves the point that I need the practice.

 

[royinidaho]

bb,

Let me know which model of Savage that you get. I'm developing another 'gizmo' that will be of advantage and I guarantee it will be an improvement.

Competitions such as F Class never catch on around here as there are still too many wide open spaces and too much to shoot at. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif + we have to live with the wind. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[bailey1474]

[ QUOTE ]
Well, it is off to the gun shop to get a Savage 308 so I will have something that will not burn up the barrel the when we have a real match.

[/ QUOTE ]

Might want to check w/a couple of Okies you know before running off and buying something /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

 

[Buffalobob]

Bill

I am sure that you could give me a better price, but, there is only one gunshop that will deal with the DC MPD gun permitting section. I have dealt with this gunshop for 25 years and they know me and if they should go out of business there would just be no gunshop for me to go to that would fool with the paperwork that is required.
I appreciate the offer but it is just not in my best interest to save money on that kind of an FFL item.

 

[bailey1474]

Completly understand. Part of what's wrong w/the world today is that there is no consumer loyalty. People will just buy whatever where ever they can get the best price. It's always good to support local business, whereever you may be.

 

[abinok]

I guess im just lucky to have a good local shop!!!
Even better when they have the primers that nobody else seems to be able to find /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif !!!!

 

[BountyHunter]

Go to the Savage shooters forum and look at Savages new FTR rifle in 308 and open Fclass in 6.5-284 both are made for Fclass and under $1200 retail.

The also are bringing the LR Precision varminter (1" bull barrel) out in a 223 with 1-7 twist at retail of $950. I am ordering one of these for under $546 as a Hunter Ed instructor directly from Savage. I get to buy one rifle a year at a great price.

BR central and long range target shooting have great forums for fclass with the LR tgt forum being the top guys hang out.

BH

 

[Buffalobob]

Sunday was the first real F-Class shoot at Quantico and my son had gotten home Saturday night for Spring Break.

Not being able to find a Savage F-class gun, Dave King had been willing to sell me one of his. It is a 40X single shot with a Spencer barrel with a "special match" 308 chamber. There are a couple of extra barrels in 6BR. After trying an old scope which didn't have enough elevation for the 308 even with the 20 MOA rail, I finally gave up and mounted the NF 6.5 -22 X56 on it with some high rings. This causes a problem with not being able to get a decent cheek weld with the original 40X stock. I took the load data Dave had used and loaded up a couple of truck loads of bullets.

On Saturday, I took the gun to Quantico and got it dialed in at 800 yards, 900 yards and 1000 yards as best I could with the switching wind. When I got home I cleaned it and swabbed it out with alcohol.

Sunday, we got up early and drove down to Quantico and my son was on the first relay. This was the first time he had laid eyes on the gun and the first time in his life he would shoot at something further than 200 yards with a centerfire rifle. I dialed the scope up to the correct drop and measured the wind and it was the same as on Saturday so I left the windage as it was. I explained to him as best I could, how to get the bipod under tension and how to adjust the rear rabbit ear bag to get the crosshairs on target. With a little fiddling with the focus he settled in on something he liked. I told him that he should fire his first two sighters just to foul the barrel and then began to determine if the drop data was set correctly.

At 800 yards he had unlimited sighters and 15 rounds for score. When the time began his first two shots were 10's. Two really good shots wasted as sighters. The third sighter was also good so he began to shoot for score and only one shot was out of the black. He could hardly believe his own shooting. 900 yards was two sighters and 15 rounds and was much the same except Daddy had to open his mouth and give him bad advice which resulted in a 6. He went back to doing what he was doing and did it very well and didn't drop many more points. At 900 he made 5 Xs of which one was a sighter. He had lucked into a steady wind condition and the bullets just seemed to be drawn to the X. What I told him when he was through was that every shot he had fired at 800 yards and 900 yards would have killed an antelope.

After 900 yards was through, I warned him that 1000 yards would not be the same as the 308 bullet was really going slow and the wind would get it when it got close to the targets. I told him that it would be the same for everyone and to just grit his teeth and shoot and not to get discouraged from his bullets landing in funny spots that it would be the same for everyone. And that is pretty much what happened. The wind just ate up the slow moving bullets. I felt bad that I had not put on a cheekpiece on the gun because it was clear from watching him shoot at 1000 yards that he was never found a comfortable position for his head and the 20 shoots for score was really bothering him. I had a DE cheek piece sitting around waiting to go on a different gun that I should have put on it.

When the day was over he had ranked 13 out of 25 shooters.

He is really looking forward to going on the Chris Matthew's LSR sponsored pig hunt.

Here are a couple of pictures of him shooting and scoring.

The scores are listed over on Snipers Hide. I didn't shoot being as I was more concerned about making sure he had what he needed (unwanted worthless advice mostly) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[royinidaho]

Very good in deed!!

Thanks for the pics. I see that I'm on the right track w/the mat and bipod.

F-class seems to be a powder and boolet using contest. One is bound to be pooped out when its finished. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Triggernosis]

[ QUOTE ]
I was the only non-jarhead acting person there...

[/ QUOTE ]
Bob, just curious, how were those jarhead guys acting?
If I'm reading your implication correctly, I picture an overload of testosterone and ego. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

FWIW, I was an Army guy in a communications slot, so I missed out on most of the testosterone jousting.

Great report, BTW. I've been wanting to try F-class myself and found your report interesting.
Outstanding performance by your son! Congrats.

 

[Dave King]

BB

Congrats to you and your son, I'm pleased to hear it went well for you two.

BTW.. I have another 40X (repeater), NXS 5.5 x 22 x 56 (NPR2), Clay Spencer barrel with a "special match" chamber!!!! (I lost one of my better rifles to my son after he bagged his first deer with it (he adopted it)... he still won't even let me touch it... I sure did like that old rifle.)

 

[Buffalobob]

Triggernosis

You are right. Marines are a peculiar brand of people. Two of them in the picture are ex snipers. They shoot against each other regularly and they get so happy to be out and shooting that they act like teenagers. Underneath all of the horse play and jokes they are exactly what one would expect.