F-Class "Swedish style" and twist for Norma 6,5 VLD?

S

Stefan Karlsson

New member
There´s a new rifle-class developing here in Sweden similar to F-class at the moment. Since at least after WW II we have had a service-rifle type of shooting here witch we call "field-shooting". A match is useally 6x6 shots on 6 different known targets but at unknown distances. Smallest targer is about 8" and the biggest 3 feet high. Ranges depends on the target, smallest ones is set from 180 y and the biggest out close to 700 y.

This national form of rifle matches used to be a "army m-96 rifle iron sights only" type of event. Match-type rifles was allowed in the 60-ies but only with m-96 actions, 6,5x55 and a strictly regulated stock config. Latley the Sauer 200 STR have been adopted but the 6,5x55 is still the cartridge to use.

This winter there has been a few matches where a "scope-class" have been tryed out across Sweden. Not many rules set yet but it seemes like this could attract some shooters here in Sweden! There have been shooters using everything from 223 Rem up to 338 Lapua in the "scope-class". Lots of different rifles as well.

I´m in the progress of building a rifle for this F-Classish type of shooting at the moment. I had a sleeved Rem 700 SA in my vault and a Swedish copy of a Shehane tracker so this will be the base for my rifle. We can buy Normas 130 gr VLD quite cheap here so the barrel is going to be a SS Lothar Walther in 260 Rem or mabye AI.

I´m not sure about what twist that the 130 VLD bullet needs. A 1-9" "feels" right but should I go for a 1-8" just to be sure? Any ideas!?

Stefan Karlsson/ Sweden
 
Stefan Karlsson said:
There´s a new rifle-class developing here in Sweden similar to F-class at the moment. Since at least after WW II we have had a service-rifle type of shooting here witch we call "field-shooting". A match is useally 6x6 shots on 6 different known targets but at unknown distances. Smallest targer is about 8" and the biggest 3 feet high. Ranges depends on the target, smallest ones is set from 180 y and the biggest out close to 700 y.

This national form of rifle matches used to be a "army m-96 rifle iron sights only" type of event. Match-type rifles was allowed in the 60-ies but only with m-96 actions, 6,5x55 and a strictly regulated stock config. Latley the Sauer 200 STR have been adopted but the 6,5x55 is still the cartridge to use.

This winter there has been a few matches where a "scope-class" have been tryed out across Sweden. Not many rules set yet but it seemes like this could attract some shooters here in Sweden! There have been shooters using everything from 223 Rem up to 338 Lapua in the "scope-class". Lots of different rifles as well.

I´m in the progress of building a rifle for this F-Classish type of shooting at the moment. I had a sleeved Rem 700 SA in my vault and a Swedish copy of a Shehane tracker so this will be the base for my rifle. We can buy Normas 130 gr VLD quite cheap here so the barrel is going to be a SS Lothar Walther in 260 Rem or mabye AI.

I´m not sure about what twist that the 130 VLD bullet needs. A 1-9" "feels" right but should I go for a 1-8" just to be sure? Any ideas!?

Stefan Karlsson/ Sweden
Click to expand...

Hi Stefan,

You seem to be on ignore all day, I'd like to apologize for that. Please let me bounce some thoughts your way. Unless you just want to be different, why would you want to go with 260 Rem. when you apparently are familiar with the 6.5X55 Swed? You would have to go AI to even approach the 6.5X55 in performance. Twist go with 1-8" don't cut yourself short there you will more than likely want to move up to 139-142 grain bullets that seem to be favored for the longer ranges. 30 inch barrel is the length to start with, it will give you max velocity and allows for a set-back along the way. Not so familiar with LW barrels but I suspect they can make one as good as most. Tight chamber and premium brass and you can safely push the pressure a bit. Good luck with your project.

D R
 
Thx for the input!

I have a sleeved Rem 700 SA so that´s why I´ll go with the 260! I´m first of all a LV/HV benchrester and this is made on a rather tight budget.

It will probably be 95% Norma 130 gr VLD bullets shot thru the barrel. Bullets from USA is getting harder and harder to get here due to the export restrictions. Barrels from Krieger, Bartlein, Shilen and the other great barrelmakers are getting really, really hard to get over here:(

Normas 130 gr VLDs is avalible at all times, half the price (or less) compared to Sierra 142 MK for ex. The accuracy differs a bit depending of lot but they will do fine in this new form of shooting here. Lapua Scenars shoots great but at almost tvise the price.......

The Lothar Walther barrels shoots great! I have chambered mostly 6 mm barrels for 6 BR useing Walter barrels. They shoot really great, close to what a Krieger, Bartlein or Hart could do!

Stefan
 
Rifle build components

Stefan,

In response to your future needs for components for this type of build you may wish to contact Thoger Olesen @ ... thoger@olesen-firearms.com

He will be building rifles from actions that I manufacture in the USA.

Matter of fact I will be at a shooting event in Sweden May 8-9, would be great to meet you and show you my products. What we make would be nice for your application

Please contact Thoger if you are interested for details of the event.

Best Regards

John Pierce

Pierce Engineering

jpierceltd@tds.net

Lansing Michigan
 
John!

Where is the shoot that you will attend in may? I´m goingt to shoot a benchrest HV match 100+200 m in Fredriksberg 9-10 May!

Fredriksberg is aprox 3-4 h drive W-N/W of Stockholm!

The HV (sporter and hunter) match is one of the major events here in Sweden. We only expect about 50 shooters or so from Sweden, Finland and Norway but if you turn up to show actions it would be a great thing and it would be notised on the internet-forums here in Scandinavia!

Reg.

Stefan
 
Swedish HV Match

Stefan,

I do believe this the place I will be with Thoger... He lives about an hour from the range...at a town called Sadmyra... You could call Thoger to confirm..
70 8379719.

See you at the match... will be joined by another BR shooter as well.

John
 
Hi Stefan
I have talked to John P this evening and we will be on place in Fredriksberg 9-10 of May. We will show 3 rifles build on Johns action a 6 mm Br, 6,5-284 and a 300 Win Mag. If you want to get in touch with me you are welcome to write or phone me, 070-240 84 17 (wrong number in Johns answer)
 
Hi Thöger!!

The Scandinavian benchresters are really looking forward to meet you all at the shoot in Fredriksberg!

Make sure that you stay in a cabin at Säfsen resort! Most of the shooters stay in the cabins you can rent at a fair price in Säfsen! We get together for BBQs in the evenings and have a general great time!

For me benchrest is a matter of 50/50 competition and get to meet old and new friends in this great sport!

Stefan
 
I recently was given the actual BC of the Norma 130gr VLD Golden Match. It has an avg. BC of .566 . I was only able to do a limited test with it. The test rifle was a very accurate Quad-Lite in 6.5x284. The powder charge was 51.0grs of RL22. The only thing I changed was the bullet. The 142gr. Sierra Match King was zero'd within the 9 ring on a 1,000 yard BR target. I fired a group with the same everything except for the Norma bullets. The group was 2 MOA higher & 1 MOA to the left. Sorry for the brief test but that's all I have.
 
sorry for using this post but..

Stefan Karlsson said:
wc872

Thx for the input, what twist do your test rifle have?.......
Click to expand...

Hi Stefan, I think we met in 2006 at the Africa Regional BR shoot in Klerksdorp South Africa. At the time I was shooting for the Namibian team. I now live in England and is participating for team GB in WBC10. I am flying out to Johannesburg on a different flight than the rest of my team, and I gather from Martin Miles I am on the same flight as you guys, and we are staying in the same lodge. I am flying with KLM via Amsterdan Thursday morning, 18th of June. Can I join up with your party for the trip? I hate flying alone.. :p

Once again, sorry for interfering with this post..

Cheers
Gerrit van Rooyen
 
Thx wc872!!

Gerrit!

Don´t worry about highjacking the tread!:D

It´t a few yeras since we met in Klersdorp...... I cant put a face to your name but will for sure recognice you when we meet at the lodge close to Krokodilspruit in 6 weeks! The Swedish team will not go together on the same flight! I think Robert Persson, Jonas Sandberg and Bengt Nilsson will travel with KLM. Me and two other guys will leave Sweden 16/6 and fly Swiss to Jo-burg via Zurich.

Send Robert a e-mail and get the details on their trip! robert.persson@robsoft.nu

Robert Know Martin Miles! I have also met Martin a few times, last summer he was here for the Europeian Ch. and he was even here in my house one night for a beer and some gun-talk :)

I´m really looking forward to the trip to RSA and think the WBC 10 will be one to remember, regardless my results on the range:cool:

Cheers!

Stefan
 
Stefan - I shoot 139 gr Lapua Scenars at 2950 fps out of a 1-9 twist Lothar Walther (match program barrel) with no problems, the current barrel is my third LW on this receiver chambered for 6.5 X 284. The barrels have been extremely uniform and extremely accurate. I would thing either a 1-9 or 1-8.5 (a more cautious choice) would be fine with the 130 gr Normas.
 
After looking at L-Ws web site, it seems they only offer whole inch twists in 6.5 mm so the choice there would be either 1-9" or 1-8" twist. The 1-9" should properly stabilize a 130 gr bullet.

I have been using their match program barrels which have worked exceptionally well for me, as I mentioned the rifle is on it's third barrel and they have been extremely uniform and extremely accurate.
 
I have only shot one LW barrel with "match-treatment". It´s a 6 PPC 1-14" on my old Hart HV rifle and I have to say that it was a pain inte a.. to break in and get to shoot:mad: I have never used it at a major BR match and consider it not up to the same level as Kriegers, Harts and the other US top brands......

This is one barrel so my opinion isn´t exactly the truth!

The standard barrles in LW-50 (ss) from LW have been a lot easyer to break in and they have shot extremy well! I have not fitted a standard SS barrel on a bench-gun yet so I can´t exactly deliver a "tru" report about how the perform against the regular BR-barrels.

I think I´m going with a 1-9" barrel from LW for my 260 rifle!
 
Some people have said that the 142SMK don't always work in a 1-9, but I think it may be rather barrel specific, as they work just fine in my Shilen 1-9 twist 6.5-284, in the limited testing I have performed so far.
 
I´m going to use the Norma 130 gr VLD in the barrel. Here in Sweden the 130 gr Norma bullet is always avalible and at a lot less money than the Sierra 142 and other bullets from US.

We can get Lapua Scenars without any troubble but at a much higher price than Normas 130 gr bullet.
 
Hi Stefan sounds interesting may have to come over and give it a try. Not long before the Whisky starts flowing it will be my birthday whilst we are at WBC 10 so may have to bring somthing special. I think Robert may have the F-Class bug after he shot the European Championships at Bisley if you get the rifle built in time why dont you come over at the end of October and give it a try. See you in Africa.
Martin
 
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