Set me up for rookie Fclass hardware

[BobbyJ]

I've never tried Fclass shooting and looking for the minimum (Best bang for the buck) to shoot 300 to 600 yard competition.
I'm not new to shooting but have never really shot at targets at those distances my club is limited to 200 yards.

I don't think my 24" 1/9 twist will cut it and I don't think my varmint pencil barrel .204 will cut nor will my hunting guns.

Cheapest that I can think of is get a 1/7 Match barrel for my AR to shoot like 90gr with a true .223 chamber. Or maybe just buy a new bolt gun then maybe a different caliber might be better.

Fclass pros what do you think is the minimum gun you could win or place well with?

If you want you can put in the min scope too.

I'm starting with low end as I know the sky is the limit on this type of stuff.

 

[Jeff Porter]

Sounds like you are wanting to stay with .223 so F-TR?

slightly different than F-open options.

 

[Jeff Porter]

http://rulebooks.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/RuleBooks/HPR/hpr-book.pdf

Section 22 page 68

 

[swd]

For 300-600 a factory Savage F class rifle in 6BR would certainly get you by nicely.

Any decent scope with 36x-42x will work.

 

[RegionRat]

Try visiting the club you plan to shoot at during a club match.

You will get an idea of the difference in F-T/R versus F-Open, versus high power (sling), versus XTC.

The AR-15 idea won't make it easy on you or your budget if you chase F-Class, so decide if what you really want is to shoot XTC (where an AR-15 is a good idea), high power (sling) or F-Class before you go too far.

If you are only going to shoot to 300 yards, you have some options to weigh that can allow for your 223 idea to become an economical way to start. If you are going to shoot to 600 with any regularity, then the trade space gets more complicated.... YMMV

ETA: Here is an article on the main sight. The 6.5-284 may not be the current trend, but the rest of the article is still fairly complete. https://www.accurateshooter.com/guns-of-week/gunweek063/

 

[BobbyJ]

Sounds like you are wanting to stay with .223 so F-TR?

slightly different than F-open options.

In F-T/R division, caliber is limited to .223 Rem. or .308 Win. rifles. Rifle weight limit is 8.25 kilograms (18 pounds). Unlike the F-Open, which allows an adjustable rest, the only front support allowed for the F-T/R is a bipod, but a sandbag may be used under the rear of the stock.

Actually I have everything needed for F-T/R maybe wrong twist rate. But I have a 24" semi AR 1/9 twist. Its around 1/2 MOA gun but still fooling with ammo for it.

Is this a real thing? Fclass AR?

F-Class for AR Shooters: F-AR15

[ This guest post was written by John Dink and Dr.Jim Clary ]F-Class is an outgrowth of Palma shooting which requires the shooter to use micrometer aperture (iron) sights firing a 7.62 NATO cartridge (.308 Win) at ranges from 600 to 1,000 yards.The goal of F-Class (originating in Canada in the...

www.thefirearmblog.com

I really don't know what I want yet. Just wanting to try it. Maybe start F-T/R and try Open later.

 

[memilanuk]

Bear in mind, that article is over a decade old. Things have changed. There is - and never has been, other than maybe on a local level, any "F-AR15" class. However, there *is* 'Mid-range AR Tactical', which is very similar. It occupies a weird niche in the ecosystem - 'tactical' ARs with scopes shot from folding bipod and rear bag (not a target style, but more of a sand 'sock' or bean bag), but shot on the 'big' target used for sling shooters. Not really F-class, and definitely not sling... it's kind of the bastard step child that neither parent really claims. That said, it's a lot fun to shoot There are a number of threads here on the forum on that particular class if you are interested.

Either way, load up some Sierra 69gn MKs or Berger 73gn BTs, and go shoot a match. Probably not the ideal 600yd load in the wind, but it works, and more importantly, it'll get you a taste with what you have, now, as far as equipment. One of the early tenets of F-class that got lost along the way was 'run what ya brung'.

Something that will probably take a little getting used to is that everything in F-class is shot 'slow fire, single load' i.e. one round at a time in the gun. No feeding from the magazine, period.

You can just toss a round in and then chase it forward with the tip of a pen - or your finger - but it's probably something you want to practice at your local range, rather than in your first match. An alternative is to get a SLED (single load enabling device) - either a 'Genuine BOB SLED' or a single-shot mag follower that you can put in the top of a regular AR magazine. Places like Sinclair's or Creedmoor Sports, Midway, Brownell's etc. should have either or both.

Shooting F-class with an AR can be fun in its own right, but go in with some realistic expectations: an AR is not an ideal F-class gun, and even a really good AR is going to be an uphill battle against most bolt guns. The best thing you can do is not worry about comparing scores for a match or three. Shoot against yourself, not anyone else on the line. Work to shoot better than your last string or match, not someone else's.

 

[swd]

Spending time and money in an AR is just time and money you could spend on something that will actually be competitive and last you a few years.

While a 223 can be a lot of fun if you really want to competitive something at least 6MM or larger will be a lot less frustrating and probably give you a faster learning curve. Successful FTR with a 223 takes a lot of knowledge, time and tuning. Brass doesn’t last long and it’s a definite rabbit hole. It’s really not an entry level cartridge unless your really devoted to it. But it can done..

 

[Jeff Porter]

Where are you located BobbyJ?
Thinking about it you should shoot a Midrange match in AR - Tactical class to start. You shoot the same course of fire using gear you already have and you shoot the bigger scoring ring sling targets. Once you get your feet wet there and are shooting cleans then decide if you want to up your game and gear and be competitive in F class.

 

[Fullbore308]

Fclass pros what do you think is the minimum gun you could win or place well with?

I’m not a Fclass pro, however as you are aware the rifle is just one component of many within fclass. This maybe a stretch or travel distance may limit you, Southern Indiana (SIRAPC.com) host a Fclass non firing clinic usually third Saturday in February followed by a midrange match first Saturday in March. It’s a small class setting of about 20, squad/pair up with some folks on match day to help you with setup, gun handling suggestions, coaching on wind and so on. You should leave with the understanding of how the game is played. The importance of practice and competition. Checkout the “fclass program” under club matches. If you find yourself going to this send me a PM early February I’ll meet you there to see if I can help you. Also, if you want to try FTR in 308 I’ll supply all the equipment you need that day to have some fun with. Be prepared to get hooked, Best of luck, Jeremy Spencer

 

[CharlieNC]

First you need to decide whether you want to go into Open or TR, then the answers can become focused. If you want to first try modifying your AR, be aware a muzzle brake is not allowed and you need a mechanism to catch the hot cases upon ejection.

 

[Bottom Fodder]

Go watch a match and ask question, somebody might just offer to let you take their rifle for a spin. I only shoot at small unsanctioned match with just good ole boys and girls they will alway help and not try to spend all your money

 

[kzin]

The only f-class OTS option is Savage
ftr 223
ftr 308
f-open 6BR
f-open 6.5/284
I think the palma gun also works fine for ftr

For Tactical you could grab a 20" Varmint upper from White Oak or others

Or go directly to a used first class f-class gun, possibly from the classifieds here.

 

[1911mag]

My first F Class was Remington 700, HS Precision stock, Bartlein HV at 30" 1:7 with the .223 ISSF reamer for heavies (80-90 bullets). It served my budget well for starting out and made HM with that set up for Mid Range. I have since sold that and built another one with a Borden action for the wife and she does well with it too.

 

[Warren Dean]

The only f-class OTS option is Savage
ftr 223
ftr 308
f-open 6BR
f-open 6.5/284
I think the palma gun also works fine for ftr

For Tactical you could grab a 20" Varmint upper from White Oak or others

Or go directly to a used first class f-class gun, possibly from the classifieds here.

I will say that the Palma gun is far superior to the F-T/R model. It can be had with the F-T/R barrelled action versus the Palma tapered and sight cut barrel. The stock on the F-T/R model is not a competitive stock.

 

[CharlieNC]

Fclass pros what do you think is the minimum gun you could win or place well with?

This is based on my personal experience and helping / shooting with others.

Buy an action, Savage is the cheapest and fine if you can be satisfied with a tuned accutrigger. A little more cost for a Rem so you can add a nice trigger, PTG had a number of trued ones for sale.

Order a Criterion prefit barrel. For less than $400 it's as good as it gets.

Look at aftermarket stocks which are designed for prone shooting.

So you can have a semi-custom rig for around $1500 that will enable you to perform well, and not hold you back as you learn to load and shoot. Much better than a factory rig, and I've seen records shot with this approach.

 

[CA_Shooter]

You're best off just going out with what you have for a few matches to get an idea of what it's like an what others are shooting with no buy in other than getting a single shot follower for your AR. Or use one of your bolt guns if you have one

 

[BobbyJ]

Where are you located BobbyJ?
Thinking about it you should shoot a Midrange match in AR - Tactical class to start. You shoot the same course of fire using gear you already have and you shoot the bigger scoring ring sling targets. Once you get your feet wet there and are shooting cleans then decide if you want to up your game and gear and be competitive in F class.

Is that laying down with a bag or walking around a course? My varmint AR is a 15 pound pig iron not good for running around with.

I did not notice in the rules but is it 20 shots at the same target? And they give you two practice shots? Just wondering how they would score a hole in a hole vs a miss, maybe they have steel backers.

 

[Warren Dean]

Is that laying down with a bag or walking around a course? My varmint AR is a 15 pound pig iron not good for running around with.

I did not notice in the rules but is it 20 shots at the same target? And they give you two practice shots? Just wondering how they would score a hole in a hole vs a miss, maybe they have steel backers.

You need to attend a match and see what it is all about.

From your comments, it appears you have no idea what an F Class match is, and a visit to a proper match would give you good idea of what goes on at one.

 

[Dgd6mm]

Where are you located BobbyJ?
Thinking about it you should shoot a Midrange match in AR - Tactical class to start. You shoot the same course of fire using gear you already have and you shoot the bigger scoring ring sling targets. Once you get your feet wet there and are shooting cleans then decide if you want to up your game and gear and be competitive in F class.

Jeff is describing AR Tactical class in F Class. It would be the easy button for you to get your feet wet. Also 300 yards is challenging. F Class shooting is definitely enjoyable. Warren also has made very good suggestions.