Details on AR Tactical in NRA High Power (Midrange)

[Berger.Fan222]

I'm not an AR guy, but I've got some buddies with ARs convinced to come to a high power match with me later this year and give the AR Tactical division a try. They don't have tricked out ARs tuned for this event, just run of the mill sporters with scopes. Other than advising them on the ammo prep process (high BC for the twist, accurate), I'm trying to help them prep and visualize all the mechanics.

A couple things I'm not clear on, mostly because I focus on F-Class and have not really been paying attention to the AR Tactical guys:

1. Does this division single load or load multiple rounds from a magazine?
2. Are shooters who let their ejected brass fly unpopular on the line? (Should I advise my friends to get some sort of brass catcher even if they don't plan on saving the brass?)
3. Will guys who use a backpack for the front rest and an improvised rear bag be frowned upon?

These guys are pretty good shooters, and I'll be surprised if they don't score at least in the mid 500s for a 60 shot day. I'm just trying to help make sure they understand all the rules and (unwritten) expectations.

 

[JCUtah]

1. Single. Good question since the nra makes a statement about a functional mag. I feel the safety/comfort of one load shot is what all the shooters on the line are comfortable with.

2. Yep. But I have only seen one shooter catch brass since I have directed the matches this year. Some get annoyed and comment about it. Wish I could fix that without the club buying and doing the work. But I'll have to make a net barrier and "offer" there use. A catch would be very neighborly

3. Not that I have seen. It's been a mix of whatever the shooter’s have laying around. I commonly see a simple Harris pod with no rear rest. It's not like a backpack takes up more room than my joy pod.

The scores I see are high to very high 500's from experienced shooters looking for a break from the f class game. So mid 500 from the start sounds very resonable.

The only issue I have experienced is we have had a strong showing of new shooters that have a great time, but don't come back. I guess they didn't get bit by the bug enough. Just wanted to try it and say been there done that.

Have fun with your buddies and prepare for big smiles.

 

[Monte F]

On point 2, I leave my rifle case next to me with it opened up 90 degrees to catch the brass. This may not work if there is not enough space next to you. My .243 brass will burn bad (blister, 2nd degree) on your arm as I found out last month when one bounced back on me. I have heard of the mesh catchers melting a hole in them, a cotton one would be better.

 

[Rsadams]

Don't forget a brass catcher can be made simple out of a few pieces of pvc pipe and a few fittings and some cloth to catch or deflect flying brass.. We had a thread on homemade catchers the other day here...

The main thing is to have a day of shooting fun. I think we all forget this sometimes.. Really sad to hear people don't come back I think they also may underestimate the level of compition and are scared of embarrassing themselves... Very few people win any sport the first time they play the trick is to have fun and learn for the next time..

One other thing I have learned over many years and many sports is it only helps to have the best of everything but its still the person that wins it.. As we used to say you can put a good driver in a bad race car and he can win but you can put a bad driver in a good race car and he probably won't..

 

[Dgd6mm]

How's the popularity of this class going?

 

[DR_2297]

Read the rules to ensure rifles are compliant. Trigger and overall rifle weights are in force as is a 15X magnification limit. A2 flash hider is the only legal muzzle device. STD magazine (No SLED) and you may single load.

Brass is a part of life. Try to block it or put a deflector on the rifle to knock it down next to the shooter but sometimes they get away. That is why you don’t wear shorts when there may be service rifles on the line.

It is a big 10 ring for a supported / semi-supported platform. Go have fun.

 

[r bose]

Convinced a friend of mine to come out and try 600 yds wit his 16" AR. Had a 7 TW so the 80g Sierra's I had for my XTC service rifle worked fine in his gun. He used a Harris type bipod and a rear bag with a 4-12 scope. Had it not been for a couple wind changes his score would have been very high in the 590's. Think he wound up around a 585. And he was thinking he'd be happy just to hit the target 600 yds way. He had only shot 100 yds at a local range prior to this. In my opinion, this is how we attract new shooters to our game.

 

[Drolds72]

does this mean you can hand feed, or do you have to use the magazine? Or hand feed with a follower and the mag in place?

Any semi-automatic rifle constructed on an “AR-Style Platform” chambered in any caliber from .233/5.56mm caliber up to and including .308 caliber/7.62mm similar in outward appearance to the “Service Rifle” described in 3.1(c), above, equipped with the standard 10-, 20-, or 30-round box magazine, having not less than 4 ½ pound trigger pull, with standard type “tactical” stock (Military or Police); barrel length not to exceed 20 inches; total weight of the rifle including one empty magazine, bipod and/or sling, if any, and sighting system (scope) may not exceed 14 pounds.

 

[Albany Mountain]

Slow fire rules in HP specify single loading, not specific on how you do it.

 

[Drolds72]

Slow fire rules in HP specify single loading, not specific on how you do it.

Pretty specific that they want the mag attached and counted for weight. Guess I gotta get a follower....

 

[Cochran]

What exactly does ‘similar in outward appearance’ mean ? I think a side charger is still pretty similar to a rear charger.

 

[kzin]

What exactly does ‘similar in outward appearance’ mean ? I think a side charger is still pretty similar to a rear charger.

Nobody can ever know. Personally I'm convinced that kind of phrase has no place in a serious sport's rulebook.

Practically, I think a side charger would be fine. Officials are going to worry about compliance with the specific requirements given in the rules(if anything).

Unless the side charger is very obviously a 'match type' mod.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

It's essentially Service Rifle on a bipod with a more powerful scope (15X.) The rules are still in flux, and I think the restriction on using a Sled instead of a mag is stupid.

I've set up an AR-10 to try this out, but work gets in the way. I have a few more things to check before it's completely legit but for test purposes it will do.

It's an ArmaLite AR-10B with a 20 inch barrel in .308 with a PRS stock and a 2.5-10X44 old Nikon Tactical.

I tame the recoil and brass ejection using a heavy insert for the BCG and a Chrome-Silicon action spring, both from Tubb. If I open my case along side my position, the brass accumulates in there.

 

[kzin]

30 inch barrel .

20" ?

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

20" ?

Thanks. Fixed. I write too fast.

 

[Ned Ludd]

I've thought for some time about trying this just for fun. As yet, no one at our monthly F-Class matches has attempted it. Obviously, it is critical to have the correct target centers; not all F-Class match directors will have those just laying around. As long as the rifle makes weight, has the proper scope and magazine setup, I doubt it matters where the charging handle is located. My intention was to use a Sig 556 DMR I have, which is a side-charger, piston gun. I can't imagine it would not be legal.

 

[Drolds72]

I've thought for some time about trying this just for fun. As yet, no one at our monthly F-Class matches has attempted it. Obviously, it is critical to have the correct target centers; not all F-Class match directors will have those just laying around. As long as the rifle makes weight, has the proper scope and magazine setup, I doubt it matters where the charging handle is located. My intention was to use a Sig 556 DMR I have, which is a side-charger, piston gun. I can't imagine it would not be legal.

I believe its the same targets that the sling guys use. If not, an F-class 9 equals a tactical 10 if you just want to try it. I shot a couple rounds on a friends shot marker, and just changed the template on the ipad. 15 power scope isnt much compared to my golden eagle!!!

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

I've thought for some time about trying this just for fun. As yet, no one at our monthly F-Class matches has attempted it. Obviously, it is critical to have the correct target centers; not all F-Class match directors will have those just laying around. As long as the rifle makes weight, has the proper scope and magazine setup, I doubt it matters where the charging handle is located. My intention was to use a Sig 556 DMR I have, which is a side-charger, piston gun. I can't imagine it would not be legal.

I can think of two reasons why it would not be legal; A-piston and B-side charger. But it's probably alright to use.

I believe the feeding from a magazine thing is more to do with forcing people to use mag-length ammo, not the fancy Super Hyperdyne Hybridized Long Boat Nose bullets. I have lots of mag-length .308 ammo loaded with 175GR SMK-type bullets to use.

For the .223/5.56, the highest BC bullet would be the 77gr SMK or equivalent as the 80grainers will not fit in a standard magazine.

I also have an issue with allowing 6.5 Crudmoor to compete alongside 5.56 and .308 rifles. But this is for fun.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

I believe its the same targets that the sling guys use. If not, an F-class 9 equals a tactical 10 if you just want to try it. I shot a couple rounds on a friends shot marker, and just changed the template on the ipad. 15 power scope isnt much compared to my golden eagle!!!

It's exactly the same High Power targets. If the range doesn't have any of those, use the standard F-Class target, add 1 point to all rings and ignore the existing X-ring.

 

[Ned Ludd]

You may be right about not having a gas operating system being illegal. It probably doesn't matter, I don't really want to be the only one shooting in a particular classification. But it seems like it would be a fun thing to try. Most ranges should have the targets, but whether they are available to the different match directors is another story. At my home range, the equipment/accessories for the Highpower shooters and F-Class shooters are locked up in separate Conex boxes and my understanding is that the Match Directors don't have keys to both. It's just something people should be aware of before heading out to a match. Or they can simply use the F-Class target center and score it appropriately as you mentioned.