New shooter, first time f class

[Bobcat]

Hello All,

Long time stalker first time shooter for f class standard. I shot my first match at 500m using on Omark 308w with 155gr HBC, 30 inch SS Madco barrel, lynx 20 power fixed with custom wood chassis with aluminium v block. I have a home made front bipod (came with a rifle I purchased ) which looks like a Davies bipod and caldwell rear bag. I've shot a lot mostly feral culling in 223 and other 308w, just not in this type of competition. The club members were friendly which was awesome and I enjoyed the shoot, some points to work on being first time out. At least I didn't shoot the electronic target frame which was a goal of mine haha. My front bipod ran out of adjustment to lower it and the rear bag I couldn't get high enough. It was too high with another slim bag under it.

Anyway, would I be better with a front bag and rest instead of the bipod? I ask this as the first two sighters were X's, the rest then went low just inside the 4 ring. Some opinions are very clean barrel and atmospheric changes are possible causes and settling into the rear bag. It was windy, cool 14 degrees with cloud cover. I'm taking notes of this shoot to see what happens next time, most likely at a different distance.

Happy to take on board the advice of those more experienced, and if you want to help out a newbie f class shooter with some gear that you no longer need to help me improve on my journey just pm me and I'll consider all opportunities. The lynx was good, however at longer distances and mirage (anticipated in the future on sunny warmer days) I'm not so sure that's the best option long term. I have a small budget so the likes of nightforce and March are a pipe dream. Haven't won big on the lotto just yet.

Regardless, I'll load up again and attend when I can. I enjoyed the shoot, friendly people which makes it all worth while regardless of the score. I'll get closer to the pointy end over time and each shoot I hope to improve and rely on the knowledge of others to assist me in my persuit of getting the most out of my rifle and myself.

Thanks for reading.

[Rich4]

Getting a solid rear bag would be high on my list to eliminate vertical, the rifle setup is critical to shooting well, you will find that pretty much every mound setup is different so some versatility in bag choice is good, also the donuts to prevent rocking, I normally find if the rear bag is not compressed enough I get high shots, not low, did the weather cool appreciably whilst shooting? Did you bring the ammunition from a warm vehicle into the cold? Try to eliminate setup and procedural errors before looking at the gun or loads, glad to hear another addict is hooked

[AlanF]

Just to add some more advice about rest heights, most mounds are shaped such that if you move everything forward, the front of the rifle will come down (relative to the back). Particularly with a bipod, this is reasonably quick and simple to do. There are however limits to the forward and back positioning of your rifle on the mound, too far forward and you may get severe muzzle blast from neighbouring shooters, too far back and you may attract some "advice" from the range officer (there is usually a rule about how far back on the mound the muzzle can be).

On the question of bipod vs. pedestal rest, there are pluses and minuses. In F-Std (only) the rules give you an extra total weight allowance with a bipod. And if you end up doing F/TR then bipods are compulsory. Also they are generally less than half the price of equivalent quality pedestal rests. On the other hand pedestal rests are generally considered easier to master the use of. Some people (myself included) never get the hang of bipods. Best to decide as soon as possible which way you want to go, before you spend too much.

[Weairy]

Welcome to F-Class Bobcat.

Rest vs. Bi-Pod in F-Class, the rest wins. Easy to set up and a lot less room for user error. Have a look at everyone running top-end of F-Standard; with a few (very few) exceptions, it's all on pedestal rests. I see there is a cheap-ish Caldwell rest for sale here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12975 Might not be a bad start, depending on your budget.

Don't neglect the rear bag. Make sure it has plenty of sand in it and that the rifle tracks through it nicely (ie. check the angle of the stock and the bag somewhat match). I know when I put my rear bag down, I literally slam it down, to settle the sand in it. Not enough sand makes it squishy and will give you elevation shots. We also run rear plates with a 30mm board attached to it to give a comfortable height. You'll see a few people with stacks of ply for the rear bag; cheap and easy way of getting height adjustment.

[bruce moulds]

the big trap in fclass is to go and spend money on just about anything under the sun, because you need it to win.
forget winning, and learn the right things, and then winning might come as a side effect.
for a beginner, this attitude is an endless drain of money, most of which will be wasted.
experienced shooter also seem to waste a lot of money looking for an edge.
where your scores will improve the most is in technique and wind reading, so that is the best place to put effort.
you will not master those things fast.
and you cannot cheat the wind with gimmicks. you have to learn to go with it.
this offers the opportunity to truly learn what you need, and only buy it when you have proven to need it.
bruce.

[ShaneG]

Very good advice Bruce
May I add ? Nobody “ masters” the wind!
But the more one puts rounds down range while really thinking about it the better you will score