New Categories of F-Class Rifles - 2026

[DE-F-Open]

Attention F-Class Shooters - NRA Just Added Something New -

In response to requests and input from NRA members and other F-Class competitors, the NRA Board of Directors has expanded opportunties to compete in American F-Class competition at its meeting on January 10, 2026.

While F-Open and F-T/R will remain the primary F-Class rifles, there are now three new categories of F-Class rifles and opportunities for F-Class competition in America.

In very general terms those new additions are:

1. F-Production (F-P) - As the name implies this is a "factory production single shot or magazine-fed bolt action centerfire rifle", max bore of .308 cal/7.62 mm, the manufacturer's suggested retail price for which may not exceed $3,000, to be fired from a Harris-style bipod and standard rear bag. No custom rifles. Suppressors are permited.

2. F-Class Precision - Any Rifle -(F-Any) "Any single-shot or magazine-fed rifle (Bolt or gas - includes semi-auto) of any caliber not exceeding .308/7.62. Custom rifles are permited. Suppressors are permited. Fired from a Harris-style bipod and standard rear bag.

3. F-Class Limited Rifle (F-Limited). In this category the rifles are the standard F-Open or F-T/R rifles. The "limited" comes from the ammunition being limited to either .223 Remington/5.56x45 NATO with a bullet weight of no more than 92 grains; or, .308Win./7.62 NATO with a bullet weight of no more than 156 grains.

The F-Limited category is "Provisonal", the other two are not. Look to the new Rules for details on each new category.

An UNOFFICAL copy of these new rules are attached as a pdf file. Look for the actual rules to be posted by NRA on the Competitions Division website sometime in the near future.

 

[Alexander-M]

I wonder how many NRA Board of Directors are match directors or in any way are associated with running the matches.
Alex

 

[Va Jim]

Hmmm F-limited for me possible

 

[Ahhnother8]

F-Limited is what F-TR should have been in the first place. Would have saved PILES of money and time for the competitors. With the addition of a scope and bipod, true "Palma" rifles and shooters are once again competitive.

Lane

 

[Mark Walker in TX]

Hmmm F-limited for me possible

 

[Steve Janus]

Attention F-Class Shooters - NRA Just Added Something New -

In response to requests and input from NRA members and other F-Class competitors, the NRA Board of Directors has expanded opportunties to compete in American F-Class competition at its meeting on January 10, 2026.

While F-Open and F-T/R will remain the primary F-Class rifles, there are now three new categories of F-Class rifles and opportunities for F-Class competition in America.

In very general terms those new additions are:

1. F-Production (F-P) - As the name implies this is a "factory production single shot or magazine-fed bolt action centerfire rifle", max bore of .308 cal/7.62 mm, the manufacturer's suggested retail price for which may not exceed $3,000, to be fired from a Harris-style bipod and standard rear bag. No custom rifles. Suppressors are permited.

2. F-Class Precision - Any Rifle -(F-Any) "Any single-shot or magazine-fed rifle (Bolt or gas - includes semi-auto) of any caliber not exceeding .308/7.62. Custom rifles are permited. Suppressors are permited. Fired from a Harris-style bipod and standard rear bag.

3. F-Class Limited Rifle (F-Limited). In this category the rifles are the standard F-Open or F-T/R rifles. The "limited" comes from the ammunition being limited to either .223 Remington/5.56x45 NATO with a bullet weight of no more than 92 grains; or, .308Win./7.62 NATO with a bullet weight of no more than 156 grains.

The F-Limited category is "Provisonal", the other two are not. Look to the new Rules for details on each new category.

An UNOFFICAL copy of these new rules are attached as a pdf file. Look for the actual rules to be posted by NRA on the Competitions Division website sometime in the near future.

Whoever came up with the production class, definitely didn’t do justice by keeping it that way. They should also included factory box Ammo to keep within the spirit of.”production”. Do we know what target is gonna be used?

 

[Mark Walker in TX]

Whoever came up with the production class, definitely didn’t do justice by keeping it that way. They should also included factory box Ammo to keep within the spirit of.”production”. Do we know what target is gonna be used?

These are F-Class categories and will be shot on F-Class targets.

 

[ELR LVR]

I like the F-Class Precision (Any) and the fact it includes Semi
and a "HARRIS" style bipod being required --- muahahaha, no 3 foot wide bipods
I like to shoot off a bipod to test real world shooting skills

 

[Fast14riot]

I like the F-Class Precision (Any) and the fact it includes Semi
and a "HARRIS" style bipod being required --- muahahaha, no 3 foot wide bipods
I like to shoot off a bipod to test real world shooting skills

It reads like a plea from PRS shooters to compete against their own kind.

I see class rules like this as a way to provide guidelines for clubs that already allow such rifles for non-registered club matches.

 

[ELR LVR]

It reads like a plea from PRS shooters to compete against their own kind.

I see class rules like this as a way to provide guidelines for clubs that already allow such rifles for non-registered club matches.

What it means is:
lets put a Harris on your gun, then we'll play for real
---
I like F-Open, I'll still compete with you guys with your fancy Joystick rests and stuff
But after a certain point it just becmes more of a "Good Load" competition
maybe one day I'll get the hair to build a Comp Specific rifle and test loads against others to see who has the best tune that day.
BUT
I doubt we could take one of the Comp rifles out in the field
The rest not being practical to carry around in a backpack and deploy within 10 seconds
and hit anything from 100 - 1000 yds first shot
That's my discipline
---
be nice to compete with similar so the playing field is more equalized
I like the fact of the rule stating using a Harris, which that alone really evens things up
Shouldering the rifle, actually using hold discipline, steering and driving it as you would
when trying to kill somethin
---
Heck the last string I shot with you guys
I threw my rear bag to the side and used technique alone and was still in the 10 ring 50% of the time.
I kinda like that, what I would do and use out in the field in a real world situation
---
Now I know that's my choice, and is not very competetive, UNLESS, the playing field was more equal
Ideally, what I would like to do, is compete with who is the most Skilled Marksman
Not - who is the best at load development

 

[corning]

F-Limited is what F-TR should have been in the first place. Would have saved PILES of money and time for the competitors. With the addition of a scope and bipod, true "Palma" rifles and shooters are once again competitive.

Lane

Unless I've missed rule changes...

US Palma rules have no bullet weight requirements/restrictions, although the international rules do.

Last I knew, International F-TR had no bullet weight requirements/restrictions.

F-limited sounds somewhat like an ugly stepchild... It may allow a Palma rifle, but it will be limited, because there aren't a whole lot of people in the US that shoot the bullet limits (.223 Remington/5.56x45 NATO with a bullet weight of no more than 92 grains; or, .308Win./7.62 NATO with a bullet weight of no more than 156 grains) that are used internationally, outside of the US National Rifle Team.

 

[anon]

I knew if I waited long enough my 1990's AR10-T would eventually fit into a class, somewhere.

 

[anon]

F-P, and F-Any allow me to shoot everything that has lived in the back of the safe for so long. Except for the 300 Win Mag, not that one. Hmm, maybe with a reduced load, ...

 

[davidjoe]

The legitimization of suppressor use is the monumental change and by me, hugely appreciated. I’m curious if the section on national records has been modified to recognize records set in these new classes, and when the categories and record submissions will become effective.

We do realize of course that these variations are subcategories of Open and TR, but if there are to be freestanding records, as a match director some questions come to my mind:

1) does every high score at early matches held everywhere get submitted as a potential record;

2) I could see bullet weight actually being used on the line, as being very difficult to ascertain, and while 92 grains only eliminates one Sierra bullet; the .308 weight limit eliminates tens of potentially superior BC bullets;

3) I could see replacement barrels duplicating factory “specifications” as impossible to ascertain (because we didn’t see the new gun), and how far do you take it, for example no one else “hammer forges” 5R’s in chromemoly steel like Remington did in the early 2000’s M-24-like “tactical” rifle, so are single point cut, stainless, hand lapped 5R’s, that approximate the original contour legal on any 700 action, even an SPS action we know was put in an H&R stock.

National NRA records are big deal to shooters. (It’s a big deal to us in Texas right now waiting on news regarding the State Championship LR Pair Fire course of fire, that is popular enough to fill the match in 3 minutes).

Of course, if the answer is that no new records are to be recognized, that takes some pressure off how consistently the rules are applied match to match.

I like the Harris style bipod reference by name, that I only stubbornly relinquished use of in 2015 in Open, and I love the legitimate entry of suppressors.

 

[gmr4]

I like the F-Class Precision (Any) and the fact it includes Semi
and a "HARRIS" style bipod being required --- muahahaha, no 3 foot wide bipods
I like to shoot off a bipod to test real world shooting skills

Semis are cool until a neighbor gets a hot one down the back…

 

[anon]

NRA did better here than CMP.

 

[Will Henry]

F-class has changed a lot from the "any rifle, any sight, from any rest except a machine rest; including a sack of horse feathers" class it started out as. WH

 

[anon]

Semis are cool until a neighbor gets a hot one down the back…

We still have Service Rifles on the Mid-Range Prone line here.

edit to add: On a serious note, the F-Tactical missed the point with the weight restriction, I don't shoot a Service Rifle that light. F-Any will allow me to put a bi-pod on my Service Rifle and shoot it in a sanctioned match when it gets over 90f, and I no longer care to put on the coat.

 

[ELR LVR]

Semis are cool until a neighbor gets a hot one down the back…

Yeah haha good point, maybe a deflector would be a good idea,
At the last match, I set my rifle case between me and the other competitor to reduce concussion affects
That could work too

 

[David Mayfield]

All of this new nonsense puts way more work on those doing the stats and NRA paperwork, both on getting the matches approved and getting shooter scores and information remitted.
Sounds like a really good reason to never schedule another high-power match.

David Mayfield