Many, many F Class Questions

[Tsv900]

Hey all,

I have a Tikka T3X Super Varmint in 6.5CM that I purchased in 2021, long before I knew what F Class was. Anyway, my local public range goes to 500m however there's also a local VRA range that goes to 900m. I'm going to a come and try day there soon and am interested in the idea of F Class competition.

I initially bought the 6.5CM as it is recoil friendly and I wanted a good starter rifle capable of longer ranges.

Anyhow, looking into F Class, I see that 7mm cartridges are the best performers. However, I was wondering if I'm correct in assuming the F Class is a you vs you sport as well as a competitive sport. As in, if I'm improving my score each time and becoming a better shooter, that's a win for me.

Or, is it something where the stakes are higher?

My rifle is currently in stock form with a Harris bipod and rear bag. I'd been looking into an MDT XRS chassis to get a bit more weight behind it and a flatter buttstock for more horizontal recoil. Is this enough to get me started and continue improving my performance? I also don't like the ergonomics of the standard stock much.

Do most F class guys in Aus use MOA or MRAD? My current scope is an Athlon Argos and I have enough internal elevation to get to 1000m with higher BC rounds. However I'd need a 30MOA rail to gain enough internal elevation to shoot lower BC rounds. For now I'm using factory ammo as I do not have reloading gear and I want to improve my stock before I start reloading.

Or, should I sell my rifle if I enjoy the come and try day and get something in 7mm? I'd love to keep my creedmoor if I can just compete and keep improving on myself with it, but I'd also be open to upgrading if I'm going to be at a severe disadvantage.

TL;DR - Is a 6.5CM good enough to be somewhat competitive and just focus on improving my own shooting? Is an MDT XRS enough of an upgrade?

[Lachlan]

Lots of questions to answer, so I’ll try to give you a short and sweet answer…

Your rifle/cartridge won’t be competitive in F Open, the only traditional class that allows any calibre other than 223/308. BUT, it’s perfect for Sporter class, a new class that requires you to have a factory rifle. A Creedmoor with an XRS stock would definitely be competitive, once you start reloading.

Stick with Sporter for a year or so to get better at making wind calls and used to the scoring system before you think about building a 7mm and going into F Open. Just head to your VRA range and I’m sure the guys there will be more than happy to help you out and get you started in Sporter class. They’ll also be a great help when you want to get started in reloading.

[Tsv900]

Oh cool, is the sporter class nation wide? Also, how far do they shoot?

If I were to go into open just to compete and continue improving my own skills, is that viable in the me vs me sense?

Thanks

[GuyLuke]

F open is the F1 of the shooting world. Most guys front rests will cost more than your entire rig. No saying it's impossible to be competitive with a stock Tikka but you're definitely better of starting in Sporter class and doing a whole heap of shootings and learning first.

You can 'shoot against yourself' in any class and it's normal to want to improve but once you see the scores going up on the board it's hard to fight being competitive in a broader sense.

Just to give you a heads up on a average F open build.

Front Rest: $3000
Scope: $4000 +
Action: $3000
Barrel: $1000
Gunsmith: $800
Trigger: $700
Stock: $1000
In-letting and bedding: $600
Rear bag: $300
Mat: $300
Chrony: $1000
Reloading gear: $1000

It can definitely be done for less but YGWYPF.

[Tsv900]

I just had a read into the sporter class and it sounds perfect. I still get to shoot the same distances whilst keeping my rifle pretty standard and not a dedicated comp rig.

And the scoring is about the same too? Any mode of target shooting without having to spend a ton is very appealing.

[Benji]

You will love sporter class and it will let you learn to reload as well as the wind and scoring. Then when the hooks are nice and deep you build and f-open gun.

[Tsv900]

You will love sporter class and it will let you learn to reload as well as the wind and scoring. Then when the hooks are nice and deep you build and f-open gun.

Yeah, that sounds like a good plan,

I take it the 6.5CM is a fairly competitive choice in the sporter class due to the 6.5kg weight limit and relatively low recoil?

[OuttaAmmo]

You will love sporter class and it will let you learn to reload as well as the wind and scoring. Then when the hooks are nice and deep you build and f-open gun.

Yeah, that sounds like a good plan,

I take it the 6.5CM is a fairly competitive choice in the sporter class due to the 6.5kg weight limit and relatively low recoil?

I’ve used a Rem 700 chambered 6.5x47 to shoot in Open from a bipod and rear bag. I shot it well enough. I was basically shooting FTR style (my whole rig weighed 6.5kg) before that came about except I had the wrong cartridge.

The 6.5CM will be pretty competitive. You can at least buy decent factory ammo in 6.5CM.
For all the various 7mm F Open chamberings, you cannot buy any factory ammo, which is probably a moot point anyway, but just pointing it out that F Open is pretty specialised.

[BATattack]

Oh cool, is the sporter class nation wide? Also, how far do they shoot?

If I were to go into open just to compete and continue improving my own skills, is that viable in the me vs me sense?

Thanks

At club level shoots you will compete against club mates (of all disciplines) based on handicap. The winner on the day is the one who uses the least % of their handicap to achieve possible scope. So as a new shooter who will likely be improving you will do well against yourself and others in this format.

For instance say your shooting sporter / hunter. You might start out shooting an average of 80 points out if a possible 100 so you handicap will be to 20. A more experienced shooter may only have a handicap of 3 points. If you shoot 90 you use 50% of your 20 point handicap to achieve a possible 100. If the more experienced shooter shoots a 98 they require 66% of their handicap to achieve a possible. So you would win the club match because you used less of your handicap. Your handicap is usually based on an average of your last 3-5 shoots so it will go up and down depending on your form.

Open prize meets and kings (state championships) are "off rifle" so your scores are not handicapped.

Go to the come and try day. If you have more than 1 club in your area go to both and see which one gives you the best vibes. Buy a MOA second focal plane scope NOT mil or first focal plane scope. Buy factory ammo and just start shooting! Don't get hung up on needing all the bells and whistles straight out. Start shooting and you'll learn what you really need and someone from the club will help steer you in the rite direction with reloading and the rest of the sport.

[Tsv900]

Oh cool, is the sporter class nation wide? Also, how far do they shoot?

If I were to go into open just to compete and continue improving my own skills, is that viable in the me vs me sense?

Thanks

At club level shoots you will compete against club mates (of all disciplines) based on handicap. The winner on the day is the one who uses the least % of their handicap to achieve possible scope. So as a new shooter who will likely be improving you will do well against yourself and others in this format.

For instance say your shooting sporter / hunter. You might start out shooting an average of 80 points out if a possible 100 so you handicap will be to 20. A more experienced shooter may only have a handicap of 3 points. If you shoot 90 you use 50% of your 20 point handicap to achieve a possible 100. If the more experienced shooter shoots a 98 they require 66% of their handicap to achieve a possible. So you would win the club match because you used less of your handicap. Your handicap is usually based on an average of your last 3-5 shoots so it will go up and down depending on your form.

Open prize meets and kings (state championships) are "off rifle" so your scores are not handicapped.

Go to the come and try day. If you have more than 1 club in your area go to both and see which one gives you the best vibes. Buy a MOA second focal plane scope NOT mil or first focal plane scope. Buy factory ammo and just start shooting! Don't get hung up on needing all the bells and whistles straight out. Start shooting and you'll learn what you really need and someone from the club will help steer you in the rite direction with reloading and the rest of the sport.

Thanks for explaining, I think that makes sense. I'm interested in the Sporter Class as per the recommendation here and it's much more suited to my rifle and budget.

Thanks for explaining the handicaps. For open meets, does each discipline have it's own scoring and placing? Or is Sporter/Hunter not something that really exists outside of club level?

My scope is in MRAD and First Focal Plane. The Zooming reticle actually annoys me but it's not too bad as I'm generally in the 12-15 power range up to 500m as I like being able to see around the target. I'll probably sell it and eventually swap it to an MOA SFP scope but this will do for now.

[BATattack]

Sporter class the highest scoring ring is 5 and is approximately 2moa. The other f classes use the same target but utilise the inner ring which is 6 and is approximately 1moa. So your shooting on the same target and with a little thought you can work out how your score directly equates to other f classes.

Yes some prize meetings and kings events have started offering sporter / hunter and it's a good idea to attend some of these events to get outside the club bubble. You'll meet a lot of people and learn a lot regardless of the result..

The target gets bigger as you go back and they stay roughly in scale so a 15x scope is fine. You won't have any issues hitting 2moa with that. The MRAD gets a little difficult if there aren't other people at the club familiar with it. People will help you with getting your elevations correct and teach you about wind reading and how much you'll need to allow. If you have a MRAD scope there is a bit more of a language barrier so I'd recommended learning how to convert one to the other pretty quick.