Shot my first F-Class match

[Tacoma]

One of my clubs is starting to run some new and varied rifle matches. (First one was a 200 yd lever gun match. That was fun!)
As part of that effort , they are doing a intro to F-Class thing. Course of fire is 22 rounds a 200 yds in 20 min. All shooting is done prone or off a bench. Most shooters are using common military/ hunting caliber scoped rifles in .223, 308, 30-06 but there are a few outlyers. There are rifle" classes" but given this is a effort to get people interested with the equipment they already own, the rules become guidelines.

Anyway, I showed and shot 3 relays for a total og 66 rounds from my .223 Savage LRPV. I found the rifle with it's Right bolt, Left port configuration to be perfect for the task (which requires single round loading). Shooting prone with a rear bag and a bipod, the 14# rifle gave gentle nudges with teh 73gr ELDs I had loaded to 2700 fps. Shooting was slow, deliberate and very satisfying. I'd like to say I ruled the day but I didn't . Being my first match, I made the mistake of not bringing a spotting scope that could see those little 22 holes at 200 yards with enough clarity to give me feedback and confidence. Consequently, I had great groups, just not I the right places due to over "correcting " . Anyway, I highly recommend this form of competition to anyone that likes shooting rifles of any sort. I can't wait for next months match. I've already corrected my spotting scope situation!

 

[XUSNORDIE]

I take it your club is loosely following rules of F-OPEN and not F-TR.

I wish I could still get up out of prone easily lol.....it would take me more time than the course of fire

 

[Tacoma]

I take it your club is loosely following rules of F-OPEN and not F-TR.

I wish I could still get up out of prone easily lol.....it would take me more time than the course of fire

I have no idea what rules he's following. It's all new to me at this point. My bet it is some kind of mix until he can get enough of us hooked to keep coming back. ( That's what i do when i run rimfire matches) I think there are only 4 guys who shoot F class on a regular basis. They all would shoot open as they have custom rifles.
I feel your pain, sir. I'm old and also suffer from a chronic neurological condition that leaves me with diminished strength in both my legs. (i.e. near 40% loss of strength in the right one). I walk with a limp these days and NEED to pull myself up with my arms anytime I get down on the floor. If you look at the old guy in the forefront of the picture, you can see that I keep a folding stool next to me. That stool is my lifeline to getting vertical again on any fireing line. Sometimes I even use my rifle as a cane to leverage my butt up too.) I'll do it as long as I can. Shooting from the bench is fine (and I do it regularly for all my rimfire addictions) but there is something unique about the prone experience that I enjoy.

 

[CFJunkie]

Tacoma, I am excited for you.
Having a regular range activity that has measured results I'm sure will speed your accuracy improvement.
Shooting prone is a great way to shoot, but like XUSNORDIE that is no longer an option for me at 83.

Are there limitations on the power of scope you can use on your rifle?
It would seem that one of my 42X or 45X scopes would resolve .223 holes at 200 yards, based on what I normally see at 100 yards.

 

[CFJunkie]

Also, if you're now shooting F-Class, you might want to consider adding an F-Class bipod.
I have two, one was purchased about 18 years ago and the second was purchased about 2 years later. They each have over 45,000 rounds shot on them, between Rimfire and Centerfire. I wouldn't consider ever changing them out of my equipment suite.

 

[Tacoma]

Tacoma, I am excited for you.
Having a regular range activity that has measured results I'm sure will speed your accuracy improvement.
Shooting prone is a great way to shoot, but like XUSNORDIE that is no longer an option for me at 83.

Are there limitations on the power of scope you can use on your rifle?
It would seem that one of my 42X or 45X scopes would resolve .223 holes at 200 yards, based on what I normally see at 100 yards.

As I read the rules, there are no magnification limits. Only weight limits for the entire rifle. I'm currently using an Athlon ARES ETR 4.5-30x56 with FFP that's set at 27x ish. It's a nice scope and all I need to get lined up on the reduced SF21 target bull. Still, I do know that many scopes that are marketed for F-class go well above 30x. Near all are second focal plane as well. I'm thinking that the second focal plane 15-60 ARES ETR HD model may be in my future. Even if I shoot it at 30x, the extra mag would be there to do quick spotting without breaking position. Meanwhile I've set up my (vortex Viper 20-60x85) on a LOW tripod that will take the guesswork out of any of it. The set-up is rock solid and should work well. Of course, the club just ordered 4 electronic targets so all this may be a mute point soon. ( At least for matches.)

 

[CFJunkie]

30X should be enough magnification if your comfortable with it, now that you have your spotting scope set up.

Now all you have to do is hone your set up and firing regimen. It will take some practice but it will help if you are really interested in improving.
Time behind the trigger working on the right things is the path to improvement.

 

[ONE-TEN]

As I read the rules, there are no magnification limits. Only weight limits for the entire rifle. I'm currently using an Athlon ARES ETR 4.5-30x56 with FFP that's set at 27x ish. It's a nice scope and all I need to get lined up on the reduced SF21 target bull. Still, I do know that many scopes that are marketed for F-class go well above 30x. Near all are second focal plane as well. I'm thinking that the second focal plane 15-60 ARES ETR HD model may be in my future. Even if I shoot it at 30x, the extra mag would be there to do quick spotting without breaking position. Meanwhile I've set up my (vortex Viper 20-60x85) on a LOW tripod that will take the guesswork out of any of it. The set-up is rock solid and should work well. Of course, the club just ordered 4 electronic targets so all this may be a mute point soon. ( At least for matches.)

I’m guessing this is you in the foreground?

 

[Fjold]

I was a regular competitor in F class in a club in California that shot 800, 900 and 1,000 yard matches along with straight 1,000 yard matches. There's no spotting scope made that would let you see those hits so we used the Shotmarker electronic targets and they worked so well that I bought a system myself so that I don't have to bring the spotting scope when I'm working up loads for rifles at home.

https://autotrickler.com/pages/shotmarker

The system shows the score, the velocity at the target and the standard deviation of the loads on your phone or a tablet, live as you shoot. It's instant feedback. It also numbers each shot. The shots marked "S-1" - "S-2", etc. are sighters.