Posted: 9/15/2016 9:28:45 AM EDT
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I'm sure someone can find the thread but my search abilities aren't there.
I'm looking to get into F Class shooting here in the VA area. I'm looking for a "Beginners" thread as I'm sure it's been covered a dozen times. I plan on using my RPR in 6.5, with Vortex PST 6-24x50 FFP, I have a Vortex spotting scope 20-60x80 (I think?) |
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I am on a train. I will have a longer reply later.
See this thread for locations the shoot F Class F Class Ranges |
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OP,
Find out what the course of fire is going to be and bring enough rounds to cover. A typical match is usually 3 strings of 20 shots for record. So figure 60 + sighters, I usually bring 70-75 rounds per match. Bring whatever you think you will need for a day of shooting, Drinks, snacks, bug spray, etc. A towel for sweat is a good idea. Spotting scope is good, for both you to observe mirage and for when it is your turn to score for whomever you may be paired with. A shooting mat is recommended, makes it more comfortable depending whatever type surface you will be shooting from. F-class shooters' attitudes cover a wide range, from very serious competitor to the total noob and every iteration in between. We have fun at our matches, good natured trash talking, joking around or discussion all happen at our matches. If it is your first match, just try to shoot your best and not worry about anyone else, look around, pay attention and see what others are doing to get thru the match. Your 6.5CM will put you in Open class, so more than likely you will be up against some serious competition. So go with an open mind and have some fun. Just a few thoughts off the top of my head. SY |
Ok, on another train heading home.
The basic points have been covered above. Depending were you live in Virginia, you will either head up to Delaware or head down to North Carolina. They shoot F Class in Quantico, but it is my understanding that access to the post is a big pain. I started shooting F Class via PRS style shooting. Here in Central NJ the only PRS style shooting is in one club in Pa. They basically have 4 matches a year so I started looking for another way to shoot at some distance. F Class provide a way to shoot at distance 3 times a month and has taught me pretty decent wind reading skills. Try it, I think you will enjoy it. Specialy if you shoot .308 out to 1,000 yards in the F T/R Division. 
PS- Your equipment is ok and as stated before you will shooting in the Open Division. |
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Quoted:
Would you recommend me using my 10T in .308 instead?. Yes, that way you could get your feet wet in Target Rifle (instead of Open) F-T/R is limited to either 223/556 or 308; not 'entry level' competition, but compared to Open, it is. F-Open is anything under 35 caliber. Exotic (BIG $) equipment, highly skilled and experienced shooters. Open division is extremely competitive. Open shooters may not have the same patience with or be as willing to help new shooters. A newbie can do pretty good in Target Rifle. A lot of confidence and accomplishment comes with that. Jumping straight into Open, with a factory rifle and no prior competitive experience, and you'll finish at the back. Can be frustrating. |
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Quoted:
Yes, that way you could get your feet wet in Target Rifle (instead of Open) F-T/R is limited to either 223/556 or 308; not 'entry level' competition, but compared to Open, it is. F-Open is anything under 35 caliber. Exotic (BIG $) equipment, highly skilled and experienced shooters. Open division is extremely competitive. Open shooters may not have the same patience with or be as willing to help new shooters. A newbie can do pretty good in Target Rifle. A lot of confidence and accomplishment comes with that. Jumping straight into Open, with a factory rifle and no prior competitive experience, and you'll finish at the back. Can be frustrating. Quoted:
Quoted:
Would you recommend me using my 10T in .308 instead?. Yes, that way you could get your feet wet in Target Rifle (instead of Open) F-T/R is limited to either 223/556 or 308; not 'entry level' competition, but compared to Open, it is. F-Open is anything under 35 caliber. Exotic (BIG $) equipment, highly skilled and experienced shooters. Open division is extremely competitive. Open shooters may not have the same patience with or be as willing to help new shooters. A newbie can do pretty good in Target Rifle. A lot of confidence and accomplishment comes with that. Jumping straight into Open, with a factory rifle and no prior competitive experience, and you'll finish at the back. Can be frustrating. OK thanks. I will probably drop the 10T in a chassis to be able to use AI mags |
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Quoted:
Would you recommend me using my 10T in .308 instead? Getting onto Quantico won't be an issue for me. I live in Fredericksburg so it's pretty close as well. Savage make good rifles. If you visit their Web Site you will see they sell single shot target actions for competitors. http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/actions/target/ The 10T with its 1/10 twist will get you in the game. The only issue with the rifle, is its 24” barrel , which is considered short by F-T/R standards. F-T/R rifles typically have 30” barrels to maximize the velocity out of your bullet. My current rifle is a compromise. The rifle started life as humble Rem 700 SPS Varmint. After one season, I had it “Trued” and replaced the barrel with a Bartlein 26” Mid-Palma. The barrel is a bit short for F Class and a bit too long for PRS but it does not prevent me from being competitive in F- Class My recommendation is for you to use the rifle. Since you live in Fredericksburg you are in an excellent location to get involved with F Class shooting. Quantico, VA- 30 minutes http://quanticoshootingclub.com/first-time-here.php Bridgeville, De -3 hours http://bville-rifle-pistol.org/ North State Shooting Club, NC – 3.5 hours http://www.northstateshootingclub.com/Pages/MatchCalendar.htm Costal Carolina Shooting , NC – 5 hours http://coastalcarolinarifleclub.com/ New Holland R&P Club- 3.5 hours http://www.nhrpc.org/ Cumberland Riflemen , NJ – 4hours http://www.cumberlandriflemen.com/ Yes , it you want to shoot at distance you need to travel 
Good luck and I hope this helped |
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Quoted:
Savage make good rifles. If you visit their Web Site you will see they sell single shot target actions for competitors. http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/actions/target/ The 10T with its 1/10 twist will get you in the game. The only issue with the rifle, is its 24” barrel , which is considered short by F-T/R standards. F-T/R rifles typically have 30” barrels to maximize the velocity out of your bullet. My current rifle is a compromise. The rifle started life as humble Rem 700 SPS Varmint. After one season, I had it “Trued” and replaced the barrel with a Bartlein 26” Mid-Palma. The barrel is a bit short for F Class and a bit too long for PRS but it does not prevent me from being competitive in F- Class My recommendation is for you to use the rifle. Since you live in Fredericksburg you are in an excellent location to get involved with F Class shooting. Quantico, VA- 30 minutes http://quanticoshootingclub.com/first-time-here.php Bridgeville, De -3 hours http://bville-rifle-pistol.org/ North State Shooting Club, NC – 3.5 hours http://www.northstateshootingclub.com/Pages/MatchCalendar.htm Costal Carolina Shooting , NC – 5 hours http://coastalcarolinarifleclub.com/ New Holland R&P Club- 3.5 hours http://www.nhrpc.org/ Cumberland Riflemen , NJ – 4hours http://www.cumberlandriflemen.com/ Yes , it you want to shoot at distance you need to travel
Good luck and I hope this helped Quoted:
Quoted:
Would you recommend me using my 10T in .308 instead? Getting onto Quantico won't be an issue for me. I live in Fredericksburg so it's pretty close as well. Savage make good rifles. If you visit their Web Site you will see they sell single shot target actions for competitors. http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/actions/target/ The 10T with its 1/10 twist will get you in the game. The only issue with the rifle, is its 24” barrel , which is considered short by F-T/R standards. F-T/R rifles typically have 30” barrels to maximize the velocity out of your bullet. My current rifle is a compromise. The rifle started life as humble Rem 700 SPS Varmint. After one season, I had it “Trued” and replaced the barrel with a Bartlein 26” Mid-Palma. The barrel is a bit short for F Class and a bit too long for PRS but it does not prevent me from being competitive in F- Class My recommendation is for you to use the rifle. Since you live in Fredericksburg you are in an excellent location to get involved with F Class shooting. Quantico, VA- 30 minutes http://quanticoshootingclub.com/first-time-here.php Bridgeville, De -3 hours http://bville-rifle-pistol.org/ North State Shooting Club, NC – 3.5 hours http://www.northstateshootingclub.com/Pages/MatchCalendar.htm Costal Carolina Shooting , NC – 5 hours http://coastalcarolinarifleclub.com/ New Holland R&P Club- 3.5 hours http://www.nhrpc.org/ Cumberland Riflemen , NJ – 4hours http://www.cumberlandriflemen.com/ Yes , it you want to shoot at distance you need to travel
Good luck and I hope this helped Awesome! Thank you so much for your help! The reason why I'm trying to use either the RPR or 10T is because I already own them. So I hope to use what I already own. Another question, given what I have would PRS or F Class be better? I'm assuming they're completely separate things. |
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No need to use mags. You have to load one at a time. Also, having a brake or a suppressor may keep you out of the competition. Some places are more hard nosed about it than others. But the official rule is no brakes, no suppressors. Nothing that would mitigate recoil.
I don't know if you will be shooting over pits or shooting sighters then adjusting for your string of 20. There are a lot of different strategies for dealing with wind and dealing with the different conditions as your barrel heats up. Go to a match with an open mindset. Introduce yourself as someone who wants to learn. You only need a rifle, a bipod, a sand sock, and a mat or heavy blanket. But all those items can be upgraded (f-class bipod, heavy Sinclair rear leather bag, shooting mat, etc...). See what others use. Most people I have met are willing to loan out gear for new shooters to try out. Bu.t maybe I've been lucky. F-Class is great for learning how to do the exact same thing every time. Same cheek weld, same grip, same pressure on the stock, same trigger pull, same follow through, etc... It is pure fundamentals. PRS will be more moving and shooting from many different positions. I did a PRS match two days ago and never got prone. Squatting, kneeling, sitting, leaning on a car hood, and shooting from a school bus were the positions that day. I like it a whole lot more than F-Class. Good luck and have fun. |
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F Class and PRS style shooting are completely different.
In F Class, you will be shooting Known Distances from the prone postion and the targets that are stationary . Either 300, 500, 600 or 1,000. You will also have visual aids to help with your wind reading ( Wind Flags)In addtion, you will be given sighters . Depending on the relay , you will have 2 sighters for the 2nd and 3rd and the1st relay it will be unlimited. You also have the element of plenty of time in F Class. Regardless of sighters allowed , you will have a total of 22 minutes to complete the 20 rounds required for "Record". Now for the difficulty - Accuracy You are looking to shoot 1 MOA Groups regardless of distance. At 300 yards the 10 ring is 2.85", the X ring 1.42" At 500 yards the 10 ring is 5", the X ring 2.5" At 600 yards the 10 ring is 6", the X ring 3" At 1,000 yards the 10 ring is 10", the X ring is 5" At a recent Mid Range (600 yard) Match, I shot 576-17X basically 96%. Regardless, I came in 4th place in the F T/R Division. F Class is all about accuracy and repeatability. PRS ( East Coast Version) You will shoot at various unknown distances either by Milling the distance or by using a Laser. At least at the matches I have attended you are forced to shoot out of your comfort zone in a short period of time. You will shoot from behind unsteady barricades , towers from inside of cars with a limted time to make your shot. Which is better ? I like both for different reasons. Shoot both and decide which you like better or choose BOTH> 
PS- Unfortunately , the NRA does not permit you to officially shoot for record with a suppressor or a comp. I think they are making a big mistake. I am sure a lot of PRS shooters would shoot F Class if they were allowed or at least made welcomed |
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Quoted:
Why aren't suppressors allowed? Before I answer ,let me qualify my answer as a proper construction professional. I am a NRA Life Member and I habitually contribute to the NRA ILA. Answer: Because the Competition Division is controlled by really old guys. We are talking about an organization the only recently got into 3Gun and action shooting. Only this year the NRA finally changed the rules for High Power Rifle Matches and finally allowed Optics. One day suppressors will have their own Division in F Class but not now. 
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Hey cone, just so you're aware:
F-class is single feed only. No ammunition feeding devices of any kind. You can still run a magazine fed rifle, you just can't use the magazine to feed ammo. Empty mag in the magwell, hand-feed a cartridge into the action, and away you go. You might need a single shot follower, or modify a follower to allow you to close the bolt over an empty magazine (if your action locks back; some do, some don't). |
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Hey cone,
A common first-timer mistake is to shoot a target other than your own. Looking through your optic, you'll see several target boards; make DARN sure you're shooting at your assigned target. They're numbered of course. Shooting the wrong one is quickest way to piss off the shooters on either side of you, as it takes the scorekeepers some time to sort it out, and time is critical. Also, don't be the first one to fire. Depending on the PA system, it can be difficult to clearly hear the range commands (you're wearing EarPro). If you fire before the command is given, regardless of the reason, you'll be immediately DQ'd and probably told to pack up and leave. Let someone else shoot first. You'll also need a chamber flag if you don't already have one. Those are mandatory. Just a few tips I was given by some old-timers prior to shooting my first F-class match. |
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Quoted: Before I answer ,let me qualify my answer as a proper construction professional. I am a NRA Life Member and I habitually contribute to the NRA ILA. Answer: Because the Competition Division is controlled by really old guys. We are talking about an organization the only recently got into 3Gun and action shooting. Only this year the NRA finally changed the rules for High Power Rifle Matches and finally allowed Optics. One day suppressors will have their own Division in F Class but not now. Quoted: Quoted: Why aren't suppressors allowed? Before I answer ,let me qualify my answer as a proper construction professional. I am a NRA Life Member and I habitually contribute to the NRA ILA. Answer: Because the Competition Division is controlled by really old guys. We are talking about an organization the only recently got into 3Gun and action shooting. Only this year the NRA finally changed the rules for High Power Rifle Matches and finally allowed Optics. One day suppressors will have their own Division in F Class but not now. |