1/2MOA out of Savage F-class

[Laurie]

Correct me if I am wrong but the "47" was designed by the Europeans as a better 300 metre ISU iron sight cartridge than the 6BR. With the population restrictions in Europe some of their 300 metre ranges are virtually indoor what with all the safety baffles required.

Bill,

dead on there! Another driver was to give a longer barrel life than 6BR given the large round count these guys and girls have with all the practice needed. (Think US High-Power Service Rifle, another 3P discipline!) It, the 47L also seems to be very popular 'down under' in F even for long-range use, maybe driven by economics?

(Incidentally, do you 'Canucks' also shoot US style Service Rifle, or is that confined to the regions south of the 49th Parallel?)

My use will be in club comps. Ironically, my primary club which is one of the main UK centres for F Class now sees far more F/TR shooters turn out than 'Open' contenders these days. The serious F Class shooters only use their rifles in major competitions such is the cost and the wear and tear factor. Not just that of course, but if you've got your 'seven' shooting nicely, the last thing you want is to start again with a new barrel, especially mid season, running it in, fine-tuning the load again. So .... I'm using the .308 Win Barnard / Eliseo tubegun in F Class for club matches and the .223 Rem for national league comps - the opposite of what most people would do, but it suits me. It works too, or at least up to 600yd, maybe even 800yd, but I have the Savage 12 F Class in 6.5X55mm for 800-1,000yd matches, assuming I don't take the .223 anyway to keep my eye in with it before the next long-range league round. The 308 is shot off a front-rest in this form and is overweight too since I was able to put a Nightforce BR on replacing a Weaver T36 that the 8.25kg all-up weight limit had previously dictated.

Even in my club which contributes a fair chunk of the national league Open shooters, 6.5X47L will be competitive for these reasons. Many of those entering as 'Open' shooters are using sixes or the smaller 6.5s. We do have a small contingent shooting .284 Win rifles though .... so, I just (!!?) have to outshoot them, read the wind better, or as a last resort pray I get an 'easier' detail!

Laurie

PS I don't fancy this 100 degrees temperature thingie and sweat running into the eyes lark. Staying nice and cool, not to say chilly and watching the wind with little no mirage getting in the way is more up my street. As my good friend Vince Bottomley says about Diggle Ranges in the north of England up in the Saddleworth Moors:

"For seven months of the year it is cold, wet, windy and miserable at Diggle. Then ..... winter arrives!"

 

[1000yardstare]

Laurie..........F(Open) is where all the sparkle and glory (read money) is in Canada. The .308 F(TR) shooters give them a run for their money (but only win in their class).

It is common at local F Class practises for the F(Open) shooters to shoot half a relay or sit out a relay, saving their barrels. A chap who has won the Ontario Championship a few times has a new 6.5 Gibbs (6.5-06 blown out, 30 degree shoulder). At the last practise I thought I would have to give the chap CPR because he actually fired a whole relay. He came off the line with a look of terror on his face wondering if that was the relay that would make his barrel die in the middle of the 2011 Ontario Championship. We made a valiant attempt to calm his fears. Oft times more drama happens behind the line than in the actual shooting.

With a barrel costing C$400 and a gunsmith charging C$65 an hour, guys are trying to stretch shot-out barrels one more year. Two years ago shot a relay with a chap in the Ontario Champs who had 3 complete misses at 300 yds. He has since had the rifle rebarreled.

The 6.5AI is my long range rifle now but will try my new 6SLR at the next 1000 yd practise to get the comeups in case I have to use it as a backup.

Laurie.......good luck in your shooting this season.

Bill

 

[LR_Shooter]

Lucky you 1/2 MOA, I just got my Savage "target" its a minute plus with handloads...