SHOT Show and F Class?

[Dimner]

Yes to a degree. Some form of benchrest shooting. Be it on a bench or on the ground. Most people are shooting in their clubs at reduced distances. Not everybody can be in a club that has 600 and a thousand yard range. People genuinely enjoy shooting at their clubs multiple times a month against people that they know. I think that's really the heart of shooting are the guys who belong to a club and shoot their local competitions. I do have some more serious guys that's for sure, but like in all things the serious competition guys are more of a minority.

And varmint shooters.

This is what this sport needs. more of these club matches.

 

[Jeff Porter]

John, that was an entertaining poll. So here’s the zinger, if you were to explain what we do to each one of those guys in two concise sentences, their expressions would not change, assuming they were even still listening after the first sentence.

You could show them a picture of our guns on the line, but that would just draw smirks. Are we old, - well, our guns do look like, to the uninitiated, a catalog of contrived ADA accommodations, made for a rifle. F-Class was actually created for the aged. But young guys were drawn to it, lazy ones I guess , because we all know sling is a real thing, you know, that one we all love to avoid.

F-Open rifles propped up with their rests with long handles terminating in a ball (for our safety?) are a little analogous to the purpose of those folding walkers old folks whip out, you know, those contraptions we don’t like to make eye contact with. Words never uttered on this planet, “hey that’s a really good looking walker, can I try it?”

Do little kids run around the neighborhood saying to each other, let’s go play F-Class now. If the climax of an old western is the stare down and a blink of the eye holster draw with an instinctively placed hip shot, then F-Class resides at the exact opposite end of the spectrum, we are the credits tolling, but in slow motion, without the music.

On a list of all sports and activities that can be watched, shooting has been ranked by women as the least sexy, and I believe board games were included on the list. We will get an Olympic event right after Spellibg Bee’s. So other shooters want to say we in f-Class don’t rate. Hilarious, we are all from the same barrel of cane pole pond fishing.

I’m good with that; I don’t care, I love our tempest in a teapot.

Ironic that you mis-spell spelling in Spellibg Bee….


Easy fat finger thing to do on a touch screen

 

[urbanrifleman]

This is what this sport needs. more of these club matches.

That's where I placed my emphasis of my company, specifically because I AGREE!!!

 

[Dimner]

While I've shot quite a few PRS matches or the offshoots of it. It's just not my thing. I admire the guys that do well at it. It is definitely a different skill set, both physically, and mentally. Tons of sponsors who donate to the prize tables. I also don't shoot F Class or Benchrest I admire the guys that do it,, super talented. I've learned a ton from this site and I'd like to think I've contributed some. F Class appeals to me, so maybe some day. I'm not a Fan of the Typer Snipers either. I see the name calling, chest thumping tough guys on that site and don't get it. But, what they don't do, is make fun of the F Class, Benchrest shooters. I don't get it guy's. We're all buying hardware and components from the manufacturers that meet your needs for whatever discipline you pursue. I belong to this site to gain more knowledge in MY pursuit of reloading, maintenance, and gear. Met and talked to some great people over the years here. I've noticed a shift.
Could be my age though.

I speak negatively only out of envy to be honest. Maybe there needs to be a PRS "Senior Tour"? You know for us guys who enjoy a walk in nature but for the long distances could use a golf cart.

 

[boltfluter]

Went to a 3 day PRS event a few years ago while in Texas helping a buddy with his new CNC lathe. It was interesting to see, but had absolutely no appeal to me. Not sure why. These guys spend serious money on these events for sure. So much so, that they are actually purchasing anything that they "win". I don't get it, but they seem to be having fun, so there is that. I do work for a few PRS shooters.
Paul

 

[DHuffman]

High cost of entry. Little information online.

Yeah, well aware of that. People think it looks fun until they price it all out. If you start off with "no excuses" equipment and enough components to shoot a season it doesn't take long to spend a ton of money. Not to mention the cost of traveling to matches.

That's a lot so you can get several humbling placings before it all comes together for you, if it ever does.

 

[FrankG]

Is Prs really that popular?

YEP! Way more shooters turn out for PRS matches than any other from what I've been seeing.

 

[Dimner]

Yeah, well aware of that. People think it looks fun until they price it all out. If you start off with "no excuses" equipment and enough components to shoot a season it doesn't take long to spend a ton of money. Not to mention the cost of traveling to matches.

That's a lot so you can get several humbling placings before it all comes together for you, if it ever does.

Not to mention the entry fees on some of the more well known matches. That shocked me too

 

[SSchnd]

I liked the guy that was first to say I know F Class, bunch of older guys and then ran it down from there. I thought to myself, well I am new to F class but I am 57. Pretty funny video, the face tells it all when they were clueless, but Yeah PRS is very popular !!

Id like to see Shooting USA and John Scouten do a show on F Class Nationals or other big match to get some air time.

As a side note, trying to find instructional video online for a FNG in F is hard. Real stuff I watch F Class John a lot. He brings good stuff.

 

[JFrank]

High cost of entry. Little information online.

More likely, BR is considered boring with too many grouchy gray tops complaining about the rules.

That’s just a guess of course..

 

[Dimner]

I liked the guy that was first to say I know F Class, bunch of older guys and then ran it down from there. I thought to myself, well I am new to F class but I am 57. Pretty funny video, the face tells it all when they were clueless, but Yeah PRS is very popular !!

Id like to see Shooting USA and John Scouten do a show on F Class Nationals or other big match to get some air time.

As a side note, trying to find instructional video online for a FNG in F is hard. Real stuff I watch F Class John a lot. He brings good stuff.

Perhaps shooting sports organizations should do booths at shot show.

Put a nice F-Class booth with a couple of TVs playing F-Class video and still image highlights. Add in a few F-Class Rigs with all the trimmings on display. A display of most used cartridges, some of the targets, and so on. Maybe they can talk the show promotors into a discount for the space. It only helps the whole industry. People buying equipment, fuels the industry. Promotors can write it off if your org is a non-profit.

Benefit: Exposure of F-Class to potential recruits and exposure to the industry for possible sponsorships. There would have to be a budget set aside by the national org.

 

[Phys86]

1st or 2nd out of 30 something barrels....

I guess they didn't believe him.

What barrel test is it? Is there a link you could provide? I'm interested in reading.

 

[FrankG]

Also look at some of the shooting sports.... They don't do as much to bring new shooters in. BR is probably the worse. Not poking at anyone just saying.

Also you have to look at who is running the matches/events and the leg work they do to bring the shooters in. I'll say the PRS organizers go way out of they're way to bring shooters in vs high power, f class and BR etc...

Also I'll say more shooters or spectators like seeing a reaction when the shooter fires the gun. Seeing a bullet impact a steel plate is something you can see/hear... .a spectator watching a guy shoot a paper target at a given distance with out looking thru a spotting scope... you get no reaction. Watch a shooter run from spot to spot and handling the equipment... again vs a guy sitting at a bench or laying on the ground and just cycling the bolt or pulling the trigger... what else is there to see.

 

[ballisticdaddy]

Shows how clueless people in the shooting industry are.
If it's not related to an AR or PRS

Clueless that they try to cater to what is being purchased and shot? Seems like paying attention to the market would be a smart idea if you were a manufacturer. I have not shot f-class for a few years because it is honestly boring to setup my rifle in the front rest and rear bag where a monkey could shoot a clean in the right condition. PRS match near my house sells out EVERY month, even in the dead of winter, with almost 50 shooters while the f-class matches are lucky to get 20 shooters even on a good day.

 

[Jim Ziegler]

Good question for Ken Wheeler. Lol

Locally my PRS club gives the monthly match winner a $300 gift certificate to Scheels. So my local Scheels in Colorado Springs helps with the winners prize and in turn lots of folks go shop there. We have 40-60 every month for a local 1 day match.

Lots of the companies who produce products for PRS are also very active in the community both shooting matches and ROing
- Phil Cashin of Masterpiece arms
- John Kyle Truit of Foundation stocks
- Dave Preston of Gray Ops CNC
- Matthew Findlay of AMP comes a few times a year to shoot
- MDT Gang is at every match
All great people

The list really does go on. This year the PRS moved to being officially international also.

Did I see that the Pikes Peak matches are cancelled? I've shot a few of the matches at Pawnee, but haven't made it south yet.

 

[K22]

I never heard of "F Class" before I joined this forum. Furthermore, I never met anyone at the two clubs that I belong to that discusses or shoots that discipline.

As for me and my fellow shooting friends, it has no practical application for us. However, I certainly marvel at those that can shoot those distances accurately since it probably takes the best rifles, ammo, and skills to be competitive in that discipline.

As for me, I have no desire to compete except against myself. When I did compete in NRA precision pistol shooting for over 30 years, I enjoyed it especially the team aspects and close friends I made.

 

[ballisticdaddy]

Did I see that the Pikes Peak matches are cancelled? I've shot a few of the matches at Pawnee, but haven't made it south yet.

Yup there have been a few mishaps on the range the past few months that had them shut down the matches. Pawnee is always fun along with Cheyenne, Laramie and Rawlins as part of the WYCO league.

 

[Phys86]

I'd guess that even NRL is more popular than f class now and it's not been around very long.

 

[Fuj]

Also I'll say more shooters or spectators like seeing a reaction when the shooter fires the gun. Seeing a bullet impact a steel plate is something you can see/hear... .a spectator watching a guy shoot a paper target at a given distance with out looking thru a spotting scope... you get no reaction. Watch a shooter run from spot to spot and handling the equipment... again vs a guy sitting at a bench or laying on the ground and just cycling the bolt or pulling the trigger... what else is there to see.

Ridgway Pa. and their 850/1000 yard VBR match's got it right for a
combination of reactive steel and bench rest. Once a month, there
is 32 bench's going with about 5 shooters per bench, and 4 relays
per shooter. And the place will humble the best shooters around.
There are quite a few members on these forums that shoot there.
They also do a version of it for rimfire.

 

[urbanrifleman]

What barrel test is it? Is there a link you could provide? I'm interested in reading.

UrbanRifleman 6BR Savage Small Shank Nut Barrel Testing

I got a 26" 1-8 Savage Small Shank Nut Prefit straight barrel from https://theurbanriflemanstore.com/ALL-PREFIT-BARRELS-FOR-BOLT-GUNS Ive been hearing people talk about them and saw good results so I decided to reach out to Brad and get a test going. I was really interested in what kind of...

www.snipershide.com