Shooters Poll -- Sling and F-Class

[brshtr]

I shoot sling in the spring and fall,and F open in the heat

Sounds like what I'm doing. I shot FTR a little a few years ago but then went back to sling. This summer I decided I didn't want to wear a coat in the heat, so I stuck a bipod on my 6BR prone gun (it still has a handstop on the rail) and started shooting F-Open. I'm having a ball with it. It may become my summer sport.

Dave Rabin

 

[Berger.Fan222]

My biggest take away from my attempts at sling shooting is to put bipods on all my rifles. I still practice more with a sling than most F-Class shooters, but I doubt I'll ever compete with it again. I appreciate the benefits of a sling much more in standing, kneeling, or sitting than I do in prone, but I tend to take an "Art of the Rifle" approach rather than NRA High Power. If the goal is to be stable and hit what you can see, a bipod makes more sense than a sling for prone.

 

[spclark]

Started with service rifle, soon realized an AR's short sight radius & my 53-year old eyes was a bad match.

Went to spacegun, worked for years to get scores back to what I'd shot (on a good day) except for slow prone at 600.

Discovered long range & Palma.

Haven't seen need to abandon sling & match sights just yet (be 68 next spring) & may even build a scoped upper this winter, try service rifle again now that the dust's settled over changes imposed in that game's rules.

F-Class isn't quite attractive enough yet for me to spend what $$$ I can afford for more stuff.

 

[1lnbrdg]

Discipline: the practice of training, rules, code or behavior

Started shooting XTC service rifle in discipline in 93. Legged out 2010 swapped to Space gun, Match Rifle. CMP was selling off the 40X .22's so I bought one, started shooting smallbore prone. Wanted to shoot long range, shot my .308 VS factory rifle as FTR for just 1 match. Loved shooting long range so turned my VS into a Palma rifle. Had another long range rifle built a couple of years ago, 6MM SLR.

I don't shoot that much XTC anymore but love the discipline of sling shooting overall. Thinking that next year, may try the flat-topped upper with a scope and give the Service Rifle another go.

 

[boltman13]

I began shooting sling NMC reduced with a bolt gun in 1997 and occasional XC. Switched to AR-15 SR in 2000 and AR-15 match rifle in 2002 alternating as my mood changed. Became Match Director and still am. I added sling long range with a bolt gun in 2011 but switched to F-TR 2014. Now I shoot F-TR and F-Open depending on how I feel. I started shooting sling HP with a scope this year, but mainly for S&G as I am still the Match Director. I am planning to try the new NRA mid range tactical with my scoped AR-15 but haven't gotten around to it yet. It looks like it might be fun.

 

[mliebetrau]

Started shooting sling in '74 have shot SB, NMC, Palma. Bolt gun, service rifle, space gun. Tried f class once at 1200 and it was enjoyable. Keep toying with the idea of building an f class gun just not quite ready yet. Call me weird but I like shooting offhand and not quite ready to give it up yet.

 

[Will Henry]

I started shooting "F" class in the late '90's but have recently started shooting more with the sling. I still shoot "F" but I actually enjoy shooting with a sling more and I enjoy shooting practical rifles. WH

 

[Delaware_Ken]

The sling shooters at our club have a saying "Death before F/Class". Don't know if they are kidding or not, but none of them have made the switch in the time I've been shooting there.

 

[spclark]

"Death before F/Class"

Oft heard being muttered in low tones anongst those I shoot with here in the Upper Midwest.

Our collective hope is that F-ers'll be as welcoming to us as (we ought to have been) when our numbers approach what theirs were when the rules first got stretched.

After all, the thinking was it'd help keep numbers up among older shooters... right?

 

[jkl]

There was a bunch of loud talk about the large sling target from the F Class guys a few years ago in Phoenix. German Salazar had shoulder surgery and returned to FTR and promptly shot a 600 with a big X count at 500 yards. Crowd got a little quieter. As a sling shooter I will tip my hat to the smaller target and you come to the sling side and see how the natural Neo elbow rest works with iron sights. A clean is a great score on either target. The sport needs every shooter we can put or keep on the line.
John

 

[Immike]

Oft heard being muttered in low tones anongst those I shoot with here in the Upper Midwest.

Our collective hope is that F-ers'll be as welcoming to us as (we ought to have been) when our numbers approach what theirs were when the rules first got stretched.

After all, the thinking was it'd help keep numbers up among older shooters... right?

It was not by design gentlemen, it just happened that way. We wanted to be like you but didn't take the same road there. I don't think there is any doubt about the sincerity and passion of Fclass. If you think about it then it's a good thing, the sport is strong and the young and old both are involved.

 

[spclark]

It was not by design gentlemen, it just happened that way.

Yep, I know. No animosity from my end intended or otherwise.

Point of fact being I expect to be helping out at WGC in a few days the better to ensure things go smoothly for you folks. Bigger crowd expected for this event there than ever before.

We wanted to be like you but didn't take the same road there. I don't think there is any doubt about the sincerity and passion of Fclass

Oh my yes, agreed on that part! Their passion is quite evident at every event.

 

[gibrass]

The sling shooters at our club have a saying "Death before F/Class". Don't know if they are kidding or not, but none of them have made the switch in the time I've been shooting there.

Have shot sling in High Power (and smallbore prone) for about 45 years. When F-Class first started around 2005, I went to one, and shot my sling rifle in F-O, using a borrowed front and rear rest. At that time, we shot the standard NRA LR target. I thought this would be a piece of cake. Didn't shoot much better than if had shot sling. Granted, I didn't have the right rifle and stock needed for F-Class, but it sure gave me a lot of respect for F shooters. I occasionally hear sling shooters comment about how easy F Class should be, after all, shooting off "sandbags" with 40 power scopes and all. Having shot F Class myself, I just want to tell these guys, "If you think it's so easy, go give it a try". Shooting off "sandbags" is definitely a skill, not everyone can just automatically do. Now that the F targets are smaller, I feel F Class shooting is much more difficult than sling. A top notch F shooter is one to admire.

 

[Immike]

Yep, I know. No animosity from my end intended or otherwise.

Point of fact being I expect to be helping out at WGC in a few days the better to ensure things go smoothly for you folks. Bigger crowd expected for this event there than ever before.



Oh my yes, agreed on that part! Their passion is quite evident at every event.

Without a doubt things are better because sling shooters paved our way there. Hopefully the younger crowd doesn't forget this and you always have a place to roll out your mat.

 

[Stumpy1]

The sling shooters at our club have a saying "Death before F/Class". Don't know if they are kidding or not, but none of them have made the switch in the time I've been shooting there.

Ken, we are most definitely kidding .

While I can I will shoot slung up, but when the body tells me I'm getting to old for that stuff, I will have no problem mounting a scope and a bipod and continuing on.

The way I figure it, the more shooters we have on the line, the better!

Frank

 

[Trebor Snave]

Shot sling for quite a while, tried F-TR but couldn't quite get the hang of it for some reason so went back to sling. Thinking about putting a scope on and trying F-open, or building an F-TR, but haven't committed yet.

 

[243Mendoza]

I've shot with a sling for some years but recently started shooting F-Class as well, so I'm curious about the journey others have had. If you shoot or have shot both with sling and F-Class, please tell me:

1. Did you start with one of them and then move permanently to the other?

2. Did you start with one and now shoot both?

3. Have you gone back and forth?

Thank you.

Dave Rabin

I have started with sling and have now gone back and forth: main determining factor is heat; if the temps are in the 90s I will shoot FClass.

 

[Longtrain]

Started out XTC with a Service Rifle, then to a Match Rifle XTC, then to F-T/R, then to Match Rifle Prone, which I mainly do with a bit of F-Class thrown in...just to mix it up a bit.

 

[ngb1787]

Went to f class never looked back, now i shoot in shorts, tshirt and flip flops.

 

[FatBoy]

The whole "death before F Class" thing is just a good natured rivalry as far as I've seen. We have an "outspoken" match director that likes to dig the fork into the F Classers, but he's also the first one to ensure they get the exact same awards as prone shooters and helps or runs a long range F Class state championship every year. I have actually SEEN him shoot F Class, but since I can't find any pics he swears it never happened...

For many of us, the S-talkin' is half the fun of the match