Help me choose a caliber for my first F-class rifle.
- Thread starter bward
- Start date
As to F/Open. The 6brx, or 6 dasher will do well at 1000. The 6br will do well also. The 6br will just about run out of gas at 1000, but it! Can, will, and has done well at 1000yrds! With that said If you take two shooters with equal abitlty behind the gun and wind reading capibitly. The 7mms will out do the 6mms any day of the week and twice on Sun!
Change things around a bit, and put a shooter that is inexperience with wind reading, or lack of experience at shooting at 1000 and a experienced shooter with good abilty to read the wind. Can and will out do the 7mms with the 6mms! In the end it will always come down to Trigger time! The big 7mms will give you a advantage for sure! BUT you can not out do trigger time! Regardless of what you shoot!! If I was going to dedicate myself to F/Open I would go with the 284win, or 284 Shehane, and put in alot of trigger time!!!
Change things around a bit, and put a shooter that is inexperience with wind reading, or lack of experience at shooting at 1000 and a experienced shooter with good abilty to read the wind. Can and will out do the 7mms with the 6mms! In the end it will always come down to Trigger time! The big 7mms will give you a advantage for sure! BUT you can not out do trigger time! Regardless of what you shoot!! If I was going to dedicate myself to F/Open I would go with the 284win, or 284 Shehane, and put in alot of trigger time!!!
Im not so sure the stock you are using will work all that well. If your intent is pure enjoyments then you will have fun, but if your competitive and want to win you need to build a proper rifle. I am assuming your using a LV short range benchrest stock that weighs around 23oz? This stock just isnt made for prone heavy recoiling chamberings. Since your glued in a 7mm is out of the question in my opinion. heck you might even brake the action loose if you go with anything bigger than a dasher/BRX. I only offer up this opinion because you asked for help. You need to decide what dissaplain you want to shoot and build a rifle to best suit that need. If you alter and add a bunch of weight to this LV stock with a glued in action and later find out this isnt the rifle you need it to be, you will have a heck of a time selling it. Not much need for such a rifle. Anyway the most important thing is to enjoy yourself and have fun, but if f-class is your game sell your rifle while it still has some value and build a proper rifle, or shoot your rifle as is without altering it to see if you even like f-class. Heck shoot the 6ppc. I think you will be surprised what it is capable of even at 600 yards. Just to get your feet wet. Bottom line is to do it right from the start. Its the only way!! I know from experience! Lee
Lee makes a very good point!!!!! Deadcate yourself to one displine of shooting, and build the proper rife to start! I have learn very quickly in this game. There is no such thing as a do it all rifle in the comp world!! All round hunting rifle yes maybe, but not comp!!!
Your 6ppc bolt face will not fit any of the other hot choices and will need to be changed.A 308 is always a good choice,as is a 6.5-284.Also,the 6br and family would be great.All of these will work with a .473 bolt face.Good Luck with your choice,let us know what you choose.Panda's handle heavy barrels great,no worry there.Your br stock is not the best choice,not sure how well it will work from prone.Would rather have a tacticle style like a McMillan A-5.Just a thought,have you considered shooting br?You already have a great rifle for it. Lightman
I would like to do bench rest, but there are very few matches close to me. The range I shoot at has monthly 600 yard f class matches so that is why I'm trying to get into it. I'm beginning to think I would be better off to try to trade my br setup for a f class setup. I have several tactical style bolt guns so I may just use one of those for a while.
Erik Cortina
Team Lapua Brux Borden Captain
Like I said, I have both, a 6 Dasher and a 6.5x47 Lapua, and if I was to stick to only one, I would definetly pick the 6.5x47 Lapua, much better ballistics than the Dasher, and barrel life about the same as the Dasher, and no fireforming needed, just load and shoot!
Sleepygator - The reason I said F-Open is more challenging is that it has proven to be tougher to compete and win in as this class seems to draw the more experienced shooters and the range of cartridges is so much more diverse. In my area (Arkansas) this class draws the most shooters and the equipment is really first rate as are the cartridge choices.
This is not to say anything against F-TR shooters, or guns or cartridges. I shoot this class also, but locally the competition is not as tough in this class for me. If anything, the playing field seems to be more level in F-TR here.
George
This is not to say anything against F-TR shooters, or guns or cartridges. I shoot this class also, but locally the competition is not as tough in this class for me. If anything, the playing field seems to be more level in F-TR here.
George
Travelor said:
Thanks, George. I thought that competition was probably the reason. The last tournament I shot, Arizona State Palma Championship, that was also the case. The Open guys had fine shooters from several states and TR was more local. We were blessed with light winds and beautiful weather but I made a couple of dumb mistakes that cost me the tournament. There is a redemption opportunity in late January and I hope to make the most of it.
You really need an adjustable cheek piece. Holding your head at the proper angle for twenty minutes when prone is not much fun. An adjustable butt plate is also good as the butt tends to be low for proper shoulder placement. This is a good example of an F-Open stock. It need not be laminate and there are a number of good stock makers that offer this configuration.
The need for an adjustable cheek piece and butt stock is debatable.
It depends on your shooting style. If you use a light hold, as quite a few top F-Class shooters do, they are just an unnecessary expense.
The Precision Rifle and Tool stock is very good. The Shehane MBR is a popular laminate also.
David
It depends on your shooting style. If you use a light hold, as quite a few top F-Class shooters do, they are just an unnecessary expense.
The Precision Rifle and Tool stock is very good. The Shehane MBR is a popular laminate also.
David
DBailey said:
David,
It is not that it cannot be done without the cheek piece, but it is way more comfortable with it. I recently shot 135 record rounds over three days and would have suffered a bit if I had to hold my head at a 45° angle for nine 22-minute sessions. I saw no F-Class shooter in Phoenix, Open or TR, without a cheek piece. Additionally; I see no one shooting a .284 or Shehane with a light hold. That is certainly possible with smaller calibers. I shoot Berger 210 BT-LR's in F-TR and hold the rifle firmly.
I concur with your suggestion on the Shehane MBR, although I would have a cheek piece installed.
My Viper SS 6BR Light Gun is in a Shehane ST-1000. It is a great benchrest stock but the vertical grip on the MBR is better suited to prone shooting.Erik Cortina
Team Lapua Brux Borden Captain
Sleepygator,
I shoot my 284 Shehane with a light hold, and use no cheekpiece. Actually, many of us open class shooters use no cheekpiece. Depending on your style, if you use a hard hold, you probably need it, but holding hard never worked for me.
I shoot my 284 Shehane with a light hold, and use no cheekpiece. Actually, many of us open class shooters use no cheekpiece. Depending on your style, if you use a hard hold, you probably need it, but holding hard never worked for me.
If it works, it works. Maybe I should do some neck exercises.
I just took at look at my photos from 29 Palms and Phoenix and saw a lot of cheek pieces but I am not doubting anybody's approach. Results are what matters.
I just took at look at my photos from 29 Palms and Phoenix and saw a lot of cheek pieces but I am not doubting anybody's approach. Results are what matters.
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