What Cartridge for F-Open
- Thread starter ShootDots
- Start date
I will be with you for most of this year Matt. However, I will be working hard on making the 6.5 x 284 w/ 150SMKs shoot very well. I am hoping to take it to the TSRA Long-Range State Championship this year. If I get it to do what I want, I will be hoping to unseat Erik Cortina as the reigning CHAMP at that event! That will be a reach, EVEN if I get it to do what I want. Erik may very well be the FINEST L/R F-Open shooter in this country! I have shot with him for quite some time now. When he is ON, he is all but impossible to beat! But I will give it my best shot!I hope all of my competitors go the heavy 6.5 route, will make my life easier
Matt P
Even though I'm not an F-class shooter, (sling/coat) I'm currently using a 6BRX and 105 JLK's for calm days at 600. For windy days at 600 or calm days at 1K I use a SLR with 110 SMK's. For not so pristine conditions at 1K I'm using a 284 Shehane and 183 SMK's. As soon as my 7.5 twist shows up in 6.5mm I'll bring back my 6.5 GWI and see what happens with the new heavy weight bullets.
Thanks,
Lloyd
Thanks,
Lloyd
Isn't that also a similar load for H4831SC? And H1000 is even slower. Did you have a fast barrel?
I believe your thinking of a .284 NOT a 6.5 x 284. Somewhere around 51.0grs in a 6.5 x 284 with 140s and H4831SC would be the correct charge..
No. Made Q/L calc with 54gr of H4831SC and 140gr bullet and got 2980fps for 30in barrel. I remember using 53-54gr in the past. You may have a tighter bore or throat. I've used 50gr of H4350.
Prior to using H4350, I used VV N560. Fabulous powder>>> (this was in my first 6.5 x 284 barrel)but it smoked primer pockets at 2 grs UNDER max! Then I used exactly 50.0grs of H4350 in my first barrel, got 2 firings out of my brass before the primer pockets opened up. So I went to H4831sc and ran 51.7grs. I made it all the way to 3 firings. By that time, my barrel was shot out. Then I decided to try H1000 on my new barrel. VOILA! I got 3030 f.p.s. with 54.7grs and superb accuracy AND right at 1500 rounds on my barrel and never opened up a primer pocket all the way to the end of the barrel..
Keith Glasscock
Gold $$ Contributor
One month to BSWN and it is ON! This year is going to be a show like no other! We have so many excellent F-Open shooters that it is guaranteed to be exciting!
For F-Class beginners, I'd recommend keeping things as simple as possible, and that would be a 6.5x47 Lapua for 300/600 and a .284Win for 600/1k. No fire forming of improved cases initially until they get comfortable with the idea, and both proven shooters. KISS....
For the experienced guys, no point in trying to recommend anything specific, as it's all personal preference. I've shot 6BR, 6BR-DX, 6.5x47, 6.5x284, .284W, 7mmWalker, & 7RSAUM, 7/270WSM - all have accuracy capable of winning, given the conditions of the day. Multi-day matches lend themselves towards the 7mms or big .30s, though, IMO.
Pick what you like to play with a go learn to read the wind. Winning is not about picking the right case, its about spending time on the range and learning how to manage match conditions and reading the wind just a little better than the guy laying beside you - especially if he's your buddy... ;-)
For the experienced guys, no point in trying to recommend anything specific, as it's all personal preference. I've shot 6BR, 6BR-DX, 6.5x47, 6.5x284, .284W, 7mmWalker, & 7RSAUM, 7/270WSM - all have accuracy capable of winning, given the conditions of the day. Multi-day matches lend themselves towards the 7mms or big .30s, though, IMO.
Pick what you like to play with a go learn to read the wind. Winning is not about picking the right case, its about spending time on the range and learning how to manage match conditions and reading the wind just a little better than the guy laying beside you - especially if he's your buddy... ;-)
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Mark, that is sage advise that is right on the money. For example, I chose the 6.5 x 47 because my wife is comfortable with the recoil and it shoots the same powder as my 284. Had nothing to do with the bullet/cartridge availability or practicality. Yet, I have won a lot of matches with it.
Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
If @Erik Cortina still posted here I would suggest a dasher on a savage action just to give him heartburn.
They work just fine in my1-8” twist 6.5x47. I’m getting 2,745FPS easy with them and they’re shooting very well. Holding the X ring at 600, and in F-class, what more do you need? Pics shot at 600 yards, two seven shot groups and 6 over the magneto.
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Since you make huge amounts of money as a gunsmithI hope all of my competitors go the heavy 6.5 route, will make my life easier
Matt P
chambering barrels, I bet you will be recommending extra heavy bullets in 6.5x284s and SAUMs to all your more cashed up customers.But yes, the 195and 197gn 7mm bullets certainly haven't done much in F class, so curious to see how the heavy 6.5s go
Has anybody tried using the super high bc solid copper bullets for 1000 yard f class like the Flat line 30 cal? Out of a 300 wsm it shows it could have about half the wind adjustment of a .284 with a Berger 180 hybrid.
One thing I noticed while testing the Matrix 152's and 160's in my 6.5 x 47's is that the ES for the velocities were almost nothing. Easy to get 1-3 fps ES. Never seen that before. In a 1 in 8 they are stable right to 1000 yards in heavy winds at Rattlesnake and in calm air are extremely easy to get very good scores. I run against the 284's and obtain very close results.
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