Hi guys ! Finally shot in my first 500 yard F Class match . Didn’t do too bad . Came in 4th out of 18 guys . Shot a total of 394. After first relay I was in the lead , with a 199 , but dropped 5 points on 2nd relay , due to not being able to see my 6mm holes at 500 yards . If I could have just seen I was shooting high I would have scored better . Any ideas how to see those holes at 500 yards ? I have a Sightron 10-50 , but it’s still very difficult to see .
First F Class match !
- Thread starter SavageMark
- Start date
DngBat7
Silver $$ Contributor
I do not shot fclass, but if it’s allowed this is your best solution I think. As long as nobody thinks it’s a groundhog with a orange jump suit on
https://www.longshotcameras.com/
If you can set up a special target frame, this may actually be better. You can even measure your group size.
https://www.autotrickler.com/shotmarker.html
I picked up a long shot camera for 300 and change, have read that the 300 number is very conservative for that model, people use it out to 4 or 5 hundred. Even if you got that model and range was not good, you can by the extender to bring it out to a mile
https://www.longshotcameras.com/
If you can set up a special target frame, this may actually be better. You can even measure your group size.
https://www.autotrickler.com/shotmarker.html
I picked up a long shot camera for 300 and change, have read that the 300 number is very conservative for that model, people use it out to 4 or 5 hundred. Even if you got that model and range was not good, you can by the extender to bring it out to a mile
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Appreciate the response. Unfortunately they don’t allow target camera systems .
Typically at an f-class match the shots are marked with a shot marker and the score for the shot is displayed with a scoring disk by the pit crew. All you would need is a decent rifle scope to see this. The upcoming trend is electronic targets. You can see your exact shot placement on a tablet or smart phone.
Your post makes me believe the shots were not being marked with spotters by someone in the pits.
Doesn't seem reasonable to see holes in the black aiming bull with a riflescope in all conditions, although some will claim it is possible.
Even target cameras - at least my Bulls Eye, isn't great picking up bullet holes on black.
How are the other shooters coping with this?
Our club doesn’t have pits ! So you have to see your hits from where you’re shooting from . And at 500 yards on white paper it’s tough to see.
If you can convince your club, the e targets from Shotmarker are excellent and cheaper than installing pits. If you have enough shooters in your area to support the matches, the income can offset the cost of the targets.
J F Johannes
AKA "RatRifle"
You think they are hard to see on white paper, try to see them on an MR65FC with the black centers, impossible, even with a spotter.
Jim
Guess they call it informal F class because they also let us older guys shoot from bench !
J F Johannes
AKA "RatRifle"
It's called F-BENCH and is shot alongside F-Open, F-T/R, and sling at a lot of matches. Sounds like you guys need to get the Shotmarker system going.
Jim
Yes , we’re just a little club in Towanda PA . Not too technologically advanced ! Lol
Do u guys think an optical booster on the 10-50 would help ? Can’t afford a 3 grand spotting scope .
Forum Boss
Administrator
At 500 yards, seeing a 6mm Bullet hole in the white is doable, with an excellent scope. Less so if the hole is in the black. At 600 yards it gets a LOT more difficult.
It will be easier with a good low-distortion glass spotting scope, and you don't have to spend $3000.00.
But understand, seeing 6mm holes at 500 yards is going to be marginal, even with the best equipment. So much depends on the conditions. I have seen 6mm holes at 1000 yards in absolutely perfect conditions with a 100mm Pentax Spotter. Heck I could even see nail-head in the wood frame.
But with the same spotter, I wasn't able to see 7mm holes at 600 yards on a day with mirage.
The TSN-770 series Kowa spotting scope is a top performer at $1600 without eyepiece. The TSN-880 is better, but a LOT more money.
https://amzn.to/2ECpgaV
It will be easier with a good low-distortion glass spotting scope, and you don't have to spend $3000.00.
But understand, seeing 6mm holes at 500 yards is going to be marginal, even with the best equipment. So much depends on the conditions. I have seen 6mm holes at 1000 yards in absolutely perfect conditions with a 100mm Pentax Spotter. Heck I could even see nail-head in the wood frame.
But with the same spotter, I wasn't able to see 7mm holes at 600 yards on a day with mirage.
The TSN-770 series Kowa spotting scope is a top performer at $1600 without eyepiece. The TSN-880 is better, but a LOT more money.
https://amzn.to/2ECpgaV
Ned Ludd
Silver $$ Contributor
With a quality spotting scope, you might be able to see the bullet holes in the target black if the conditions are perfect, or the target is backlit by the sun. Otherwise, maybe not. At a similar match/range setup at 300 yd in San Diego (South Bay Rod and Gun Club - Reduced Palma Match), we used 12" Shoot-N-C targets centered and stapled over the top of the NRA MR-63FC target face. Hits on the Shoot-N-C are fairly easy to spot. After each round of shooting, we would simply peel off the Shoot-N-C target and score the NRA target underneath. At 500 yd, you might be able to use an 18" Shoot-N-C target in a similar manner. Although it does become more challenging to spot your latest shot as the Shoot-N-C target acquires more and more hits around the center, it is still much better than shooting a string essentially blind, which is what it sounds like may be happening at your matches.
1. Figure out what works for the other guys.
2. Shoot with the same handicap as everybody else.
3. Get everybody to agree on something better: e-targets, cameras, whatever.
I've been struggling at 200 and haven't found anything that always works. I'm up to an 8" Celestron with 120x eyepiece and often all I get is more haze or more mirage in a very small field of view!
2. Shoot with the same handicap as everybody else.
3. Get everybody to agree on something better: e-targets, cameras, whatever.
I've been struggling at 200 and haven't found anything that always works. I'm up to an 8" Celestron with 120x eyepiece and often all I get is more haze or more mirage in a very small field of view!
Excellent idea ! I’ll see how the club feels about it . They actually let us use a shoot & see for the sighter . It helped , but you are still shooting blind when shooting record target !
Ned Ludd
Silver $$ Contributor
It worked well for our 300 yd match. When overlaying the NRA target with a Shoot-N-C, it is critical to have the Shoot-N-C perfectly centered. Otherwise, you might not be hitting the NRA scoring target underneath in the same position relative to center. We solved this problem by making a little hole in the center of the "X" on the NRA target and the center of the aiming dot on the Shoot-N-C with a pushpin. Once the NRA target is affixed to the target backer, you can then line up the hole in the Shoot-N-C with the hole in the NRA target quite easily before affixing the Shoot-N-C over it. Good luck!
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