F-Class Rifle Classes

[Turbulent Turtle]

Interested in the origins of F-Class, an internet search lead me to this Ontario Rifle Association website.

(snip)

There is going to be a natural progression of technology development in any evolving competitive sport, from its’ inception to maturity. That’s just the nature of competitive human beings. On the fringe there will always be a group of people who are more casual and just enjoy the experience of competition. Eventually their shooting techniques and wind reading skills will progress to a point where they are shooting to the potential of their equipment. At that point they will have to decide what they want out of the sport. By shooting against other competitors on a more level playing field, they will have a better measure of their skill set and less frustration about their standings in the ranks.

There was a similar progression in the Silhouette Shooting sports. This was a sport with humble beginnings where factory rifles were quickly replaced with offhand specific stocks and the cartridge refinement race was on. One quick glance at the NRA Rifle Silhouette Rulebook quickly illustrates the expansion of the rules to accommodate the broad spectrum of disciplines applicable to the sport.

It was said to me by a fellow shooter that F-Class is “the red-headed stepchild” of the NRA High-Power Rifle division. So, the rules are kind of an addendum to the Hi-Power rules. With the aging shooter population, older shooters are able to take their match rifles to the F-Class firing line and still remain active. I also see F-Class as being a sport that has the potential for drawing in more fringe shooters who have a good varmint rifle in the closet but don’t have the funds to own a class-built rifle. I would also like to see the sport draw more junior shooters. Why shouldn’t the NRA rules be structured to provided shooters an entry level class, offering a more level playing field?

There's no need for all kinds of new extra classes to try to please all; just give everyone a $1 participation trophy and a juice box.

I agree with Monte; this subject has been mangled to death, countless times. I'm hoping we can now drive a stake through its heart and then pour salt all over the grounds of this discussion.