Which Caliber would you suggest for both open F-Class and Precision?

[Matt_3479]

I went to a local gunsmith in my area and it was my first chance to get to speak to a custom gunsmith one on one. A local shooter recommend them to me and after talking with him and seeing his work and titles behind i am very confident in his capabilities! He is doing some work on one of my guns currently and this year will be my first year in competitions! Excited i was going to get a build going shortly but he wanted me to take what i have now, run them first to make sure i enjoy the competition before dropping this kind of money on it. Of course took his advice but i just wanted to lay out a few details as we discussed builds while i was there. Because i am new to the competition part im curious what are some calibers you are recommending. He recommend 6.5's and 7mm's more then anything.

I wanted a build for some time and had a few calibers prior such as 243. win (or AI), 260 rem, 6.5 creedmoor and 300 win mag. But since i have never shot either of these types of matches and only target shooting id like to here whats peoples preferences and recommendations?

 

[ShootDots]

We need to know what kind of competition you are talking about.. F-Open, BenchRest (short or long range) or some level of tactical... That info is critical>>> when you say precision..

 

[jim_k]

If you're in any competition, you most likely are talking about F-class. I don't know anything about tactical matches, because I'm too old to compete. If you have to ask, you most likely are not a candidate for Benchrest at this time. F/TR only allows .223 Rem or .308 Win cartridges, and .308 is the only one you see many of. F/TR is easier on wallet, learning curve, and nerves than F/Open. F/Open is an entirely different game in those regards. Also, the F/TR rifle can be usable for hunting and general paper punching, so there - I've decided you need a .308 Winchester chambering. Now, the options on rifles are many. If you promise never to shoot 1,000 yds, you can pick a 24" barrel, but if you might want to launch to next zip code, get a 26" barrel. OK, in 26" barrel, I recommend Remington, Savage Model 12, or Winchester Stealth. No matter which one you pick, you will drop a dime with your gunsmith for him to bed the action, because any of those will benefit, and will most likely need bedded. If your smith does diamond-lapping, pay for that, too, since it replaces barrel break-in, and makes the barrel more accurate.
Jim

 

[Petros284]

There are as many opinions as there are options out there. Depending on the distances you will be shooting. If it is up to 600 Yards I would look at the 6mm BR family of cartridges like the BR/BRX/Dasher. As for up to 1000 yards look at the .284 and the .284 "improveds" such as the Shehane. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Matt_3479]

The Fopen will be out too 1000 yards and the precision is a 2 man team with shots been 200-800 yards. Its like 10 mins for 10 shots then you and your spotter switch. you know which target will be the next target to shoot but you don tknow if it comes up in front of you, to the left or to the right. and you have 3 seconds after the target appears to make your shot!

 

[ShootDots]

There are as many opinions as there are options out there. Depending on the distances you will be shooting. If it is up to 600 Yards I would look at the 6mm BR family of cartridges like the BR/BRX/Dasher. As for up to 1000 yards look at the .284 and the .284 "improveds" such as the Shehane. Just my 2 cents.

Petros is EXACTLY right! You need go no further in your search..

 

[Petros284]

Matt

With what you are saying you could go either way, 6mm or .284... however I have had good luck in past matches where we shot 100-800 yards with a straight .284. I would use lighter (168 grain) bullets up to 300 and the 180's for longer out. (Shorter bullets seemed to group tighter at short range). All in all you cannot go wrong with the straight .284 or even a Shehane. I have been shooting the .straight 284 for close to 5 years and have found it to be a great all round cartridge as have so many in this forum. I do currently shoot a Dasher in the mid-range matches (300-600) and love the accuracy I get out of it. I am finishing up a Shehane build right now to get the extra ummph for my 1000 yard rifle and can not wait to get it out on the line. Good luck with your project and enjoy it!

-Pete

 

[Rustystud]

My first choice would be a 6mmBRX for F-Open. Inherently accurate, economical to shoot, does not punish the shooter. The 6mm Dasher would be my second choice. The 6 x 47 would be my third choice. The fourth would be a toss up between the 6mm Creedmoor or a .243 Winchester. With exception of the Creedmoor all are available in Lapua brass.

I could shoot anything I want but these would be my first choices.

Nat Lambeth

 

[brxbrad]

IMO, knowing what I've grown to know and if I were going to build only one gun for both F-class and precison for shooting both mid and long range, I would go with the 284 Winchester. I love my BRX but my 284 is more versiatile and at 20lbs the recoil is not bad. It's really not an expensive gun to shoot and offers the best in both worlds. The wind won't beat you up as bad as the small calibers and the barrel life is close to that of a 6BRx. Now, if I were going to only compete in midrange, it would be from the 6BR family.

From:
http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/7mm/#284win
by Charles Ballard

Multi-Discipline Versatility
The .284 is my hands-down choice for shooting F-Class. I recently shot my first 600-yard benchrest match. I shot the .284 Win in heavy gun. In this match I found the first weakness in my beloved .284. On a bench you do notice the recoil. The 6mmBR pilots could run off five shots before I could shoot two. My groups were respectable: a four-group, 3.055″ Agg. But, the added recoil of the .284, even with front and rear rests aligned, took me off target. All this being said, if a man wanted just one caliber for F-Class, long-range benchrest, and hunting, I would still suggest the .284 Win.