Interested in F Class TR shooting, need some recommendations

[George Dickel]

As the title says, I'm considering getting into F Class TR shooting due to the number of ranges holding these matches that are within a reasonable drive from my home.

A friend shoots the service rifle class but has a couple rifles he shoots occasionally in F Class TR. He recommended a Remington 700 or a Winchester 70 as the basic rifle to start with. I have been looking at the Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .308. Any suggestions on a different model Remington or another brand of rifle would be appreciated.

To keep costs down I have a Sightron 36 X 42 target scope I used when I was shooting .22lr benchrest. I believe this scope will be able to adjust out to 1,000 yards with the proper mount. Will this scope be sufficient to start out with and will it work until my skill at long distance shooting improves? I don't want to jump on a $2,000 + scope for this competition as I had all I wanted of equipment racing when I was shooting .22 benchrest. I would like to stay under $500 for a scope. I know that in glass you get what you pay for as I had a Leupold 36X I used in benchrest and had a Bosch and Lomb 6-24. Both have excellent optics. Do I need to go to a 30mm scope vs the typical 1 inch tube? Am I dreaming on what I can get in a scope under $500?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated and if I'm dreaming, wake me up!

 

[jwrowland77]

I bought a Rem 700 SPS Varmint .308 that I use for F-Class shooting FTR.

I've pretty much upgraded stuff over the last year or so, like new trigger and stock and that was it and a better scope. The Sightron should do you just fine. I used a Weaver 8-32x50 last year until I upgraded in January to a NF.

The Rem 700 SPS does great for me.

Also, make sure you have a nice solid rear bag and a good solid bipod.

Don't forget a shooting mat....you can get a decent one from Midway.

 

[George Dickel]

I bought a Rem 700 SPS Varmint .308 that I use for F-Class shooting FTR.

I've pretty much upgraded stuff over the last year or so, like new trigger and stock and that was it and a better scope. The Sightron should do you just fine. I used a Weaver 8-32x50 last year until I upgraded in January to a NF.

The Rem 700 SPS does great for me.

Also, make sure you have a nice solid rear bag and a good solid bipod.

Don't forget a shooting mat....you can get a decent one from Midway.

I appreciate the help. I forgot to state that the reticle in the Sightron is a very fine crosshair with a 1/8 dot. At 100 yards I don't have a problem seeing the dot, do you think it will be OK at 1,000?

 

[jwrowland77]

It should be. At a 1000, you'll still be able to see the dot, it might just be covering a bit. I know several guys though that use a reticle like that at 600/1000 yard matches.

 

[Jim Watson]

Savage F-T/R maybe, but Remington is ok.
Your Sightron will do OK if you are accustomed to the high power, but it will need a 20-25 MOA scope base to reach 1000 yards. Nothing wrong with a 1/8 min dot, the black of a 1000 yard target is 4 min.
The Sinclair bipod looks ungainly but is steadier than the usual varmint hunter's Harris.

 

[Trent]

Remember to preload that Sinclair, it can be really "bouncy" if you don't set it as low as you can and give it good preload.

The midway shooting matt JWRowland recommended, the pro one has straps that the sinclair bipod fits perfectly into. Get it set up, level it and keep the rifle low as you can, and then preload with your shoulder being careful to apply pressure evenly and straight forward. Don't try to crush it forward, just make it firm.

It's critical to have a straight line of recoil, as the bullet takes a ms or two to leave the bore and the rifle is moving backwards during this time under recoil. It needs to meet some resistance (to slow the movement) and the resistance it meets needs to be in line with the bore (or it will skew your shot up/down/left/right, depending on where the uneven pressure is on recoil movement)

Hard to describe but if preloaded right, you should be able to let go, and have a friend tap on the rifle (with the action open), and it won't move your aim off target.

Getting a precise parallax setting is absoutely critical on f-class and that is where those expensive scopes really shine. Otherwise you'll open your groups up shot to shot unless you are a miracle worker with cheek weld.

That 1/8 MOA adjustment will help you get dialed in, though. I use a 1/10 mil Nightforce and it's pretty frigging coarse adjusting it, I nearly *always* have to hold to the edge of the X ring to compensate for what the scope can't do. (One click sends me from one edge of the x-ring to the other... if I'm grouping on the edge of it, I have to hold to the other edge to land center; one click would just move my group from one edge of the x-ring to the other)

 

[Trent]

Also, don't worry TOO much about equipment right off the bat. For the first 6 months you'll be fighting your matches mainly on the reloading bench trying to get a good load worked up!

Equipment won't help you win matches if you don't have a good load tuned to your rifle.

As far as ammo goes...

When you're working up loads for F-Class you really want to find something that'll be resoundingly good on velocity standard deviation. You want as small of a velocity spread as possible with a good BC projectile, while still staying supersonic at the distance you are shooting, and that's not at all easy on F/TR w/ 308 win at 1k yards!!

Spend a lot of time on tuning your load for the gun!

 

[George Dickel]

Thanks for the advice. I figure that this year will be spent on doing load development/testing, gathering the proper equipment and getting the feel for shooting long distance. I plan on going to a couple matches just to get my feet wet. Like when I was starting out in rimfire benchrest, I got a load of information just observing the equipment the other shooters were using and asking a lot of questions. In rimfire benchrest, the wind was not my friend and I doubt it will be any gentler with me in 1,000 yard shooting. Just when I would think I had it the wind would make a change I missed and it would cost me 2 or 3 points. With the level of skills the tops shooters had those missed 2 or 3 points were the kiss of death.

I've looked at the Sinclair bipods and they are quite impressive. Initially I'm going to have to use one of the lesser bipods until I get the funds to finish off my equipment needs. Any suggestions on a better budget one? Just purchased the rifle today, a Remington 700 Varmint, so the wallet is a bit light for right now and I would like to get in my first match in April.

I understand about the parallax on the scope and hopefully in a year or two I can get a higher quality scope. It would be faster if I could get my wife to come out of retirement and get a job to help me live the life style I desire.

 

[Trent]

Just a harris ultralight swivel bipod will work - I used it without a rear bag until I was shooting high master scores. Chasing that damn x ring though is what led me in to the gear race.

The nice thing about the Harris is it's reusable on to another gun later.. nice, light, compact, and holds the business end up.