I would like to take up F Class shooting. Issues over access to my range on a regular basis aside there is one burning question. TR or F?
The increase of those shooting 308 is very popular due to lower costs and the vast amount of data available but this means that there are more competitors which is a good thing but it means that the F Class is diminishing.
Could someone (Vince? ) explain the difference in cost between the two and what is the optimum calibre? I'm thinking 6.5x47 (barrel life is a real consideration)
It's not the pace of life that concerns me, it's the sudden stop at the end!
Mike, you mean the difference between F/TR and TR or F/TR and F Open?
In simple terms:
F/TR is shot off a bipod with a rear bag, with a weight restriction of 8.5kgs all up in either .308 or .223 with standard chamberings
F Open is usually shot off a front rest and rear bag however you can shoot off a front bipod if you wish, with a weight restriction of 10kgs for the rifle and anything attached to it. You can shoot any calibre/cartridge up to 8mm as long as it is range legal. An F Open system will invariably cost more to build and run. Favourite seem to be 7mm at present due to the high BC's of the heavier 7mm bullets and ability to deal with the wind however the 6.5mm and even the 6mm will work.
TR is Target Rifle, usually shot in .308 the rifle has open sights and is unsupported other than the shooter.
There is also MR Match Rifle
That is it in a nutshell.
/d
Du lytter aldrig til de ord jeg siger. Du ser mig kun for det tøj jeg har paa ...
Cost wise a top end F/TR rifle should not differ much from an F Open rifle, the difference is ancillaries and consumables. An F Open front rest can run to GBP500 or more, cases depending on size are invariably more than .308 and bullets can be 50% more than .308's. Allow for new dies and possibly additional tooling if you are neck turning and measuring run out. Finally a hot cartridge will get through barrels quite quickly, often in under 750 shots.
But....... a lot of these obstacles can be overcome with some imagination
/d
Du lytter aldrig til de ord jeg siger. Du ser mig kun for det tøj jeg har paa ...
If you are contemplating shooting in the GBFCA League, then the competitors are split about 50-50. Initially most shot Open but now it's evened up and eventually, F/TR may become the most popular discipline.
As Ovenpaa (what does that mean in Danish?) states, the cost of building a top class rig for either class will be similar. The big difference is the running costs.
A 7mmWSM for example will burn out its barrel in about 700 rounds - or less. So that's a pound a bang right off. The brass will cost you another pound per case (five loadings max) and the 180gn Berger maybe 50p. £2 every time you pull the trigger (but who cares if it goes in the V bull!).
By contrast, your 308 will do 3000 to 4000 rounds on one barrel. Brass is about 50p a case and bullets 25p. And don't forget Laurie Holland, who's proved that a 223 will keep up with a 308 for even less cost! Cost - less than £1 per bang.
With Open class, you will also need a good joystick front rest - Another £500 - £700.
If you were to compete in the GBFCA League with a 6.5x47, I think you would feel outgunned - particularly at 800 - 1000 yards. OK, I'm not saying a 6.5x47 can't deliver accuracy at 1000 yards (Richard Wild just set a new Aussie 1000 yard BR record with his) but run the ballistics with a 7mmWSM in te wind and you'll see what I mean. The same wind will blow you out another three rings on the target - the 7mmWSM shooter's 5 will be a 2 for you with a 6.5x47!
Open Class will always be a bit of an 'arms race' and this is great - pushing the boundaries of long-range rifle shooting - if you do your own gunsmithing or have the money to pay someone. I've shot F/TR for a couple of years but I'm getting tempted by Open again and I'm currently playing with something different - but it will be a barrel-burner!
Having said all that - if you just want to shoot at your local range, the 6.5x47 will probably serve you well. My own club (Diggle) has a very active F class section with shoots every fortnight from 300 to 1000 yards with up to thirty shooters - and no one shoots a 7mmWSM. A 284 is as hot as it gets. Two thirds of us shoot F/TR and the competition is much fiercer than in Open, with six or seven League regulars competing.
So Mike - take the plunge - build a 7mmWSM and become a 'shooting god' on your local range for a year or go F/TR and enjoy the fun of a (more) level playing field!
If you can Mike, I would sign up for the Bisley Training Weekend in February - it will answer all your questions, help you make the right choice and save you money in the long run.
The Gun Pimp wrote: As Ovenpaa (what does that mean in Danish?)......
Ovenpaa means upstairs and is pronounced 'Owenpo' and stems back to when I was learning Danish. Ah, I feel obliged to explain it was the name of a computer that was upstairs and the one next to it was called 'Venstre' which means left in Danish
These days the phrase I use most often is 'Jeg snakker ikke Dansk' which means 'I do not speak Danish' which is not a lot of help as half the Danes I say that think I am taking the mick and reply in Danish despite speaking perfect English.
I was hoping you would come along and explain F Class more eloquently than I had, thank you
/d
Du lytter aldrig til de ord jeg siger. Du ser mig kun for det tøj jeg har paa ...
) explain the difference in cost between the two and what is the optimum calibre? I'm thinking 6.5x47 (barrel life is a real consideration)
