My 1st F-class match

[trazman]

It was more than 3 months now since I decided to participate on f-class matches. Well this weekend my friend and I participated on LR Cup in Vrbovec near Zagreb/Croatia. Both of us shot in F/TR class. I have a rifle in .223 rem so shooting in Open class would be a little bit silly... The shooting distance was 300 and 600m. Of course I like to win, but my intentions were more to see what other guys are using and to see what my equipment and me was capable of.

So the results were not really the best, but I learned a lot of things. Some things can be improved immediately, like some parts of my equipment and some will need time. I consider myself a good long range shooter since I shoot a lot and most of times I have 1st shot hits. But my shooting until now was always oriented on long range hunting so it was more about trajectory prediction, little wind doping and concentration on that first hit.

F/TR is completely another story. You still need that first shoot hit since you only have 2 sighters, but then you have 15 more shots for the score. I found myself doing basic mistakes after a few shots since I was not used to shoot so much shots for score. Also when I hunt long range I avoid those days when wind is blowing or at least when it is not predictable. On a match, wind or no wind you have to hit that target. You can immagine how this is like on 600m with .223rem and 69gr bullets.

What I actually learned...

- First and most important thing is that I have to improve my shooting concentration for all 17shots.
- There are certain parts of my equipment that need to be changed like the rear rest.
- I need to change my bullets if I want to be competitive at 600m or more. I am using 69gr nose CC with a G7 BC of 0.158 I will change this with 77gr Nosler CC with the BC of 0.193 which is a big improvement.
- Installing a mirage band would help a lot since after a few shots the heat of the barrel made quite tricky to spot holes.
- At 300m I have lost 2 points just because of .223 cal. With a .308 cal 2 holes would touch the line and I would have 2 more points and I would gain one position in this case but I will not change the caliber because I feel that I can improve other things that will help me more. However if I would have to choose now I would definitely use a .308win rifle for F/TR also because spotting holes is much easier than with .223.

 

[Centerfire]

Have you considered

the Berger 80.5 gr for a 8 twist barrel, G1 BC=.436 G7BC=.223 Try Reloader 15
Centerfire

 

[trazman]

Thanks Centerfire. Unfortunately my barrel has 1-9" twist so I guess 77gr is the heaviest it will stabilize...

 

[Bill Leeper]

While it makes sense to shoot the best BC you can, it is important to remember that it is up to the shooter to beat the wind. One of the most important things I have found is to try and eliminate all vertical dispersion; or as much as possible. This will give you more latitude for windage corrections. A shot hitting at twelve o'clock or six o'clock has only slightly more than zero room for error in windage. So, whether your vertical dispersion comes from shot-to-shot variation in velocity or from variations in holding, you want to correct it.
Another important thing, to me, is to make a serious effort to shoot an "X" (or a "V" in Canada) with your sighter shots and pay close attention to wind indicators and the effect on point of impact. I have always said, if my first sighter is a "V", I'm likely to have a good day. If my first shot is a four, I'm in for a long day!
I honestly don't think the type of rest matters too much and I have shot equally well (and sometimes not so well) using a BR pedestal, a chunk of wood, a bipod, or a sack of sawdust.The important thing is to use a setup with which you are comfortable and with which you can hold consistently. While some people will employ the "BR without the bench" technique and shoot with the rifle allowed to recoil freely, others will hold and use the rests for stability. When shooting a 308, I prefer to hold. Regards, Bill

 

[Mozella]

Thanks Centerfire. Unfortunately my barrel has 1-9" twist so I guess 77gr is the heaviest it will stabilize...

Do some careful testing because you're flirting with the limits of your twist vs bullet weight. My 1:9 .223 will shoot some 75gr and 77gr bullets OK and some not. For example, it shoots Hornady 75gr Match bullets quite well, but the Hornady 75gr A-Max is HORRIBLE in my gun. Actually they're shockingly horrible. Others, especially those with faster twist barrels, love them.

Of course, your experience might be different, but don't assume that ALL of the bullets at the upper range of what your 1:9 twist might stabilize will actually group well.

Like you, I usually shoot 69gr at shorter ranges. I have a particularly accurate 69gr recipe for my particular gun, but for 600 yard F/TR matches, I prefer the slightly less accurate Hornady 75gr match bullet simply because the performance by the time it reaches the target is better as far as wind drift is concerned. And, as you know, wind is the key to doing well in F/TR.

I haven't yet found a 77gr bullet which groups well enough to use. You need both stability and precision plus good terminal performance at longer ranges.