F-Class question?

[You-Two]

I was reading an article about F-Class competition in the Dec '09 Shooting Sports USA magazine and was curious about one thing....

Why are only .223 and .308 allowed in the F-T/R class?

Seems like there is enough to distinguish between the two classes with the (1) rifle weight and stock shape and (2) bipod vs rest. Does it have to do with them being service rifle cartridges? Why wouldn't .30-06 be included then?

Appreciate any insight you experienced competitors might have...I didn't find anything in the search.

 

[navyretired 1]

There are 2 classes of F class shooting. The first is F class/O for open, any gun under 22 pounds. The second F class is TF which is for.
.223 and .308 Target Rifles only.
F class is shot from prone possition and is scored by hits not groups, after each shot targets are pulled and marked. It's getting big in target shooters world.

 

[Jim Watson]

The PC crowd in power at NRA calls the .223 and .308 F-T/Rs "Target Rifles" but darned if I don't think it makes more sense to think of them as "Tactical Rifles." A bull barrelled .308 on a bipod is not enough different from a GI sniper rifle to matter.

Read the rules before jumping in. The F-T/R has a weight limit of 18 lb 2 oz (8.25 kg if you speak French) and that includes the attached bipod. An F-Open gun may weigh up to 22 lb (10 kg) not including its separate rest; and, may be in any caliber under .35. Not that you see any .338 Lapuas, muzzle brakes are not allowed.

There is no limit on scope power and the trend is up, up, up. Even on a bipod, 24X is enough for me but then I am only a Sharpshooter. A friend of mine was very impressed by the 35-55X March at Camp Butner last Fall.

In Open, the 6.5x284 is the current baseline caliber. Some shooters are using smaller 6.5s for longer barrel life and there are some 6mms in use. There are very few .300 magnums still around, they will launch a heavy bullet through the wind very well, but the recoil will wear you down in a long day's shooting. There is some interest in 7mms, though; there are very high BC bullets available with bearable recoil.

A good .223 will hang with the .308 for midrange matches (up to 600 yards) but is not as effective at 1000, no matter what the ballistic charts say. I have one and the shooting is not the same as the reading.

 

[USSR]

Why are only .223 and .308 allowed in the F-T/R class?

Does it have to do with them being service rifle cartridges? Why wouldn't .30-06 be included then?

It has to do with being current service rifle cartridges. I have shot 1,000 yard F Class for the past 7 years, and have yet to see a .223 on the firing line, so it is essentially a .308 class. Too bad the .30-06 wasn't included in the T/R class, then some of the ".308 is twice as accurate as the .30-06" guys could eat some crow.

Don

 

[You-Two]

It has to do with being current service rifle cartridges. I have shot 1,000 yard F Class for the past 7 years, and have yet to see a .223 on the firing line, so it is essentially a .308 class. Too bad the .30-06 wasn't included in the T/R class, then some of the ".308 is twice as accurate as the .30-06" guys could eat some crow.

Don

Thanks...figured it might be something like that! F-Class looks like a lot of fun...I'll probably get into it one of these days.

 

[Hoser]

No suppressors allowed though. And that makes me grumpy.

 

[ForneyRider]

A recent F T/R (a Britisher) winner won with 308 1:14tw long barrel on a Choate stock, custom receiver and custom bi-pod. He uses a Leupold VX-3 8.5-25x scope.

He shot 155gr Sierra Palmas at over 3000fps. A stout load to be sure.

Only thing really high dollar was the receiver and barrel. Probably $1200US for the receiver and $300US for the barrel plus gunsmithing.

http://www.6mmbr.com has an article on him and his equipment.