F-class build

[Surfdude_007]

OK All, I have tried to search for a thread or an article that would give some insight into building an Open F-class rifle.
Background: I have been shooting since I was a small child. Recently, I got the chance to shoot at a local 1000 yard range. I have been bitten by the competition bug and I believe that F-class is the venue that would satiate this yen.
Now with that said I'm sure that you will be asking yourself, and ultimately me, about price, caliber, Barrel, stock, action and the like. Well, to tell you the truth I don't have the slightest. I have read all the article on this website and a few more elsewhere.
So, Let me elaborate. I have seen articles stating the Pro's and the Con's of a particular cartridge. So my first question is: 1. What is the best cartridge, in your opinion, for the 1000 yard range?
2. A gunsmith, in your opinion, that does quality work and has a good track record.
3. And, of course, all of this on a budget.
Actually, all of the rest of the choices(action,Barrel,stock) are, I guess, subjective as most of these choices are a personal choice. Or am I totally off here. (remember I'm a newbie).
So, in conclusion, at least for this post, fire away with your wealth of knowledge, opinion, or insightful inputs.
Please let them be tactful, and to the point.
Thank you in advance.

 

[42769vette]

in my opinion 6.5x284 is top of the heap as far as preformance. that said i shoot a 260 rem. the 260 shoots the same high bc bullets as the 6.5x284, but has alot better barrel life. i cant afford to change out barrels very often so i went with the 260. also i think its better to pratice more and have a gun your usto than have the best preformer. with the 6.5x284 i could not pratice much without wearing out my barrel.

as far as action id go with any custom action. by the time you blueprint a action its not much more to have a custom that doesn't require blueprinting

 

[fdiazverde]

alex@masterclassstocks.com
talk to this man .hi is the best.frank diaz

 

[Surfdude_007]

Wow, 2 replies and 125 hits. I guess we're a little closed mouth here. A lot of Lurkers. I give thanks to the two people who responded.

 

[Magnumwill]

It also depends on what class you want to shoot in. There is FTR for 308 Win and 223 Rem (off a bi-pod only), or F-Open for everyother caliber (and you can use a front rest). If your going the FTR route I would do the 308. As for an F-open rig I just had a 6xc built. I like it so far but at some point of time I would like to get a 308 setup for f-class. I think the FTR class is more challenging than the F-open because of the restrictions.

I had Nathan Dagley from Straight Shot Gunsmithing put my rifle togheter and am happy with the results. He does good work and is reasonably priced.

I didnt build mine just for F-class. I like to do some of the tactical type long range shooting also so I have a shorter (26") lighter contour (#4) brux barrel and a manners composite t-3 stock on mine. To make it a little lighter to carry. If I were going straight f-class I would get a 28" at the minimum and a heavier contour.

Dont forget to put a good piece of glass on it that will track well and is repeateable. I used what I had until I could afford somthing better but it does make a huge difference.

It is a lot of fun and building a rilfe is part of that fun.

 

[Surfdude_007]

Thanks Magnum, have a Mcmillan TAC-.338, and thought I might use that for any Tactical competitions, and I had a Marine buddy of mine build me a .223 Hart barrel 1:9 with a McMillan stock years ago, but I have just been doing some plinking to 100-200 with it. It's a really good shooter sub MOA. So I thought I might go with that one for the TR class. But I am going to build an Open class rifle in the near future. Hope to see you out there.
Thanks for the information.

 

[tazzman]

Hi Surfdude,

There are a lot of opinions concerning choices in going in F-class. The one opinion that is recurrent is:

• go to your local range where F-class competitions are being held;
  ask a lot of questions;
  look at what is being used and ask the owners why they chose this over that, etc...; and
  buy used if you are not sure.

Cheers,

tazzman

 

[Surfdude_007]

Thanks TAZZMAN, Yeah, been there done that. But looking for more input from others who are not from the local range. A non-biased opinion from, perhaps, others in the know. I will be attending the next competition to ask questions, to get their opinions, but thought I'd tap the knowledge from this forum.
Thanks again.

 

[Jim See]

Cartrige; the national team is requiring all cantidates to use a 7mm for the next world match. My guess is most will be straight 284 win. A 6.5x284 is still a very competitve cartrige.

Budget; I have built state level winning f-class rifles. Some use more expensive components than others. If your looking for a entry level price firearm that can be very competitve, I would sugest the following;

Savage target action, Brux barrel, The Center Shot Rifles f-class stock, w adj cheek cut to your LOP.
Action truing, match chamber, with no nut barrel fitting, pillar bedding, your choice of over 100 flashy BR patterns on the stock.

Finished price would fall around $1825

 

[Surfdude_007]

Jim, Thanks for the advice. I will check them out.

 

[Jim See]

http://www.centershotrifles.com/gallery/img_rifle/65x284_F_Borden_Brux_Jewell_CSR.jpg

Pic of the stock in the fixed version. will be available with adjustments.

 

[CABallard]

Check out Precision Rifle & Tool. @ www.precisionriflesales.com

They build one of the finest f-class rifle anywhere. They also are the leading builder of f-class stocks. As they say; the proof is in the pudding.

If you need some help call 336-516-5132

Charles Ballard

 

[Surfdude_007]

Charles, Thanks for the information. I will check them out.

 

[RJinTexas]

My first choice in a gunsmith would be Mark Pharr of Tumbleweeds Custom Rifles check out the Daily Bulletin for April 18th, 2010. The article shows Erik Cortina's rifle and the target. There are many quality stock builders to choose from and that almost becomes a matter of one's personal preference. I own a McMillan F Class, a Richard Franklin MBR and a outstanding Carl Bernosky, all are great stocks.


April 18th, 2010

Cortina Breaks 300-yard Club Record with 6.5×47 Lapua (RL17)
Texan Erik Cortina (aka X3MHunter in our Forum) showcased some great marksmanship recently. Competing at Houston’s Bayou Rifle Club, Erik shot a spectacular 600-49X to break the Rifle Club’s 300-yard F-Class Open division record of 599-32X. Erik smashed the Bayou record, raising the point count to a perfect 600 with 17 more Xs than before. Erik reports: “Conditions were calm, about 65 degrees with about a 1-3 mile wind from right to left. I would say they were almost perfect conditions. I was there at the right place at the right time!” Eric’s three strings, in order, were: 200-17X, 200-16X, and 200-16X. That’s consistency! In setting the new record, Erik demonstrated how accurate the 6.5 x 47 Lapua cartridge can be. (Note: There is no official NRA 3×20x300-yard F-Open Record at this time. The NRA currently logs only an individual 20-shot 300-yard F-Open record, which was set by Shiriz Balolia, with a perfect 200-20X).
We know many of our readers have built, or plan to build, a 6.5×47 Lapua match rifle. The question often arises: “What powder should I shoot and what weight bullet?” We normally advise people to start with bullets in the 120-130 grain-range with a powder such as Varget or Reloder 15. However, the unique properties of Reloder 17 offers a “heavy bullet solution.” In the hands of Asst. Editor Jason Baney, our AccurateShooter.com 6.5×47 Lapua test rifle shot the 140gr Bergers very accurately using Reloder 17. In fact, Jason’s most accurate 200-yard load was with the 140s and RL17.

Erik Cortina also found that the 6.5×47 cartridge can work superbly with 140 grain-class bullets. Erik shot the 139gr Lapua Scenar bullets (jammed .020″ in the lands) with a stout load of Reloder 17 (more than 40 grains). Erik was able to drive the 139gr Scenars well over 2900 fps with the small 6.5×47 case. Erik tells us: “I developed this load doing a ladder test at 500 yards. This might be a very hot load in most rifles but mine is throated specifically for the 139 Scenars since I didn’t plan on shooting anything else. This load does not show pressure signs on my rifle.” Erik got great accuracy with minimal brass prep: “The Lapua 6.5×47 brass is great. After uniforming the primer pockets, I tried to weight sort but only found .3 grains variance on 300 pieces of brass, so I just loaded the brass and went shooting.”
Rifle Components and Smithing
Erik’s rifle features a Lawton 7500 RBRP left-eject action, mated to a 1:8″-twist, 28″ Krieger barrel. The barrel was chambered for a no-turn 6.5×47. The stock is a Richard Franklin Low Rider made by West Custom Rifles. The rifle was smithed by Mark Pharr of Tumbleweeds Custom Rifles.

 

[Sray53TXTN]

Or can can purchased a used one - like:
http://www.accurateshooter.com/forum/index.php/topic,3749409.msg35871001.html#msg35871001

If it fit your budget and needs.

I shoot a 6.5x284 Warner-Tool Rifle and a 6BR Savage in F-Open and a Savage 308 in FTR - My Savage Dual port is a switch barrel.

Warner-Tool & MT Guns are also well known for high quality competition equipment.
http://www.mtguns.com/
http://www.warner-tool.com/sights.htm

Have fun with whatever F-Class route you travel!

 

[Kenny474]

I am going to go a bit of a different direction from everyone else and recommend that you go have a look at a Savage F-Class to get started in F-Class, or even a Savage F/TR and start out in the F/TR class and move to F Open after you build your skill set.

The Savage rifles can be competitive right out of the box, and can easily be improved with simple upgrades like bedding or even a new barrel, though the barrel won't really be necessary but would be an easy upgrade later on. They probably won't be setting new world records like Charles Ballard's rifle, but they are definitely a solid rifle that can post good scores with a skilled driver.

You also won't be waiting for months for the smith to build your rifle either. Most times you can find them online or locally, as my local shop has 3 F-Class models, an F/TR, and a Palma as well. That means your at the range almost immediately and for a LOT less money than a full custom open class rifle. And just because they are a factory rifle doesn't mean they can't compete. Team Savage cleaned house at the world championship in Bisley, England in 2009, winning 14 medals in the process.

Full story on the wins at Bisley here:http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/savage-f-tr-team-world-beaters-on-a-budget/

The Savage F-Class in 6.5-284 can be bought for around $1200 at most any Savage dealer. You will pay that just for a custom action. Add a 12-42X56mm NightForce Benchrest scope for about $1300 and you will have a very solid package for not a whole lot of money compared to some other options.

I have been told they are a little muzzle heavy, but that is easily fixed by drilling a couple 3/4" holes behind the butt plate and adding some lead shot. It's pretty common to add weight to balance even full custom rifles, so it's not that big a deal.

Link to Savage, click centerfire, target rifle series:http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/
NightForce 12-42x56mm Precision BR scope: http://www.opticsplanet.net/nightforce-12-42x56-benchrest-riflescopes.html

It's just a thought, and will get you in the game quickly for a reasonable investment.

 

[Surfdude_007]

Kenny,
Thanks for the suggestion. Do you have a comment on Jim See's post on the 7mm statement that the Team USA is requiring all to switch? Also, to All, what is the average cost of a Custom rifle? Nothing specific mind you. Just a middle of the road price? The reason I ask is; I don't know the resale value and if I want to sell at a later time then I will be buying two rifles instead of feeling the pain early and getting a custom. JMHO. Any opinions are valued.

 

[Kenny474]

I had no prior knowledge of their intent to switch. It doesn't seem to be a bad idea, as those 7mm VLD's have an impressive BC. Charles Ballard set the record with a .284, so it's definitely a very capable round.

 

[Travelor]

The best thing for a new shooter to do is shoot, shott, and then shoot some more - depending on how deep (or shallow) his pockets are dictates what gun, ammo, and equipment he/she will use.

I usually recommend a Savage target gun in 308 caliber ( http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/12%20BENCH%20REST ) to new shooters as they are relatively inexpensive, there is a ton of reloading and ballistic information on them, and ammo is plentiful if they do not reload yet. Also, barrel life is great and F-TR is a good class to start in.

Tell us a bit about how bad the bug has bitten and how deep your pockets are for a better answer. If you would be comfortable building a gun then there are other routes to look at.

George
F-Class High Master

 

[Surfdude_007]

Hi George,
I'm actually not looking to build an F-T/R. I'm looking to build an Open Class rifle. I currently have a .223 rifle that I will campaign for F-T/R.
As far as how deep my pockets are I would like to keep the cost between 2 to 3 thousand including the optics. But if to be competitive it takes more then I will find a way to fund it. I believe that incurring the pain early and buying quality equipment so there is no excuse except for the nut behind the trigger.
Also, as far as caliber considerations, I am leaning toward a round that will not burn out the barrel in a thousand rounds.
I currently reload for my pistol, .338 and .224. but, not to the extent that I have researched and found that F-classers re-load. It is at a level above my current skills.
Again, I will consider all constructive suggestions.