GAP Crusader for F-Class?

F

freedomfighter

Guest
I'm working towards entering competitive shooting in the somewhat near future. I am very interested in F-Class and other rifle disciplines and have been trying to soak up as much info and advice as I can. Lately, i've been thinking about the rifle.

I have been planning on saving up for a GA Precision Crusader, more due to my love of tactical rifles and LR shooting than the urge to compete. How feasible is this rifle for competing in F-Class? I have seen and read about dedicated F-Class rifles a bit so I am aware of some of the differences. If I decide to stick with the GAP rather than going with a specialized F-Class rifle, will I be hurting myself? If I go GAP, I will go with a 28-30 in. barrel and I'm leaning towards 6.5x47 Lapua for the cartridge. GAP guarantees the Crusader to shoot 3/8 moa out of the box. I assume thats with factory match ammo but I will obviously be working up my own loads.

I guess another way of asking my question is simply, would a GAP (or any other) rifle such as i've described above be on the same level of accuracy as a specialized F-class rifle? Or, I guess, what kind of accuracy should I expect out of a specialized F-class rifle?

This is all, of course, setting aside my part of the deal. I have many many hours of practice range time between here and where I want to be...I just want to know if i'm looking at a rifle that can do its part if I do mine.
 
I shot a tactical rifle for 6 years befor finally building a dedicated F-Class rig. The simple answer to your question is yes you can play in the sand box with a tactical rig. I won my share of the comps at our range with my 7wsm. I didnt go in with that assumption, but my KMW is a great rifle, shooting day in and day out regardless of weather at just a hair under 1/2 MOA.

In my opinion you don't need a 1/4MOA rifle to compete in F-Class. The day is long, and they pull the target every time you pull the trigger, so condititions tend to change during the course of your relay. From 1,000 yards the wind calls, and we have big wind in the desert, will determine the winner.

JeffVN
 
Thanks Jeff. Funny you mention your 7mm WSM. I've just been reading about the performance of the 7mm, it is pretty apparent why they are rising in popularity. Makes me rethink the caliber I go with. Good thing it will take a while to save up for the rifle so I can hash this out :D
 
With your mentioned choice in caliber, I'm assuming you mean F-Open and not F/TR? With that said, it's doable and have seen tactical shooters compete well against a dedicated F-class rig. It really comes down to how well the gun fits you and like Jeff said, it's all about reading conditions. I shoot F/TR with my KMW using a Harris bipod and don't use some of the tools that others use...However, F-Open is just that, a lot more gizmos. More (maybe better) equipment from seeing guys use Sinclair bipods, leveling equipment for the front rests, silicone spray on stocks, etc., etc. I'm still learning and am there more for the learning aspect and to see if I can even compete as opposed to winning the match.

Lastly, one thing that seems to get me towards the end of the match is fatigue. I see it in my scores every time I attend. I'll shoot strong for my 1st relay but by my third relay, I'm making mistakes that could be avoided....bad wind calls, not reading mirage, etc. I can't emphasize enough in making sure your gear fits your style of shooting. It's a full day b/t pits and range time. Good luck.
 
Yes I mean F-Open, I have a Rem. 700 .308 that I could shoot in F/TR. The 700 will be what I would use while saving for a nicer rig as well. The fact that F-Class is so much about learning to read the conditions is what appeals to me so much as I really want to become proficient at that skillset. I too want to be there for the learning aspect of it all. I have no illusions as far as the competition goes, I will be happy with far less than a podium finish, especially if I learned something that will help the next time. Thanks for the response!
 
If I were building my first F-Open class rifle, it would be a 6 Dasher or 6mm BR.

Reason: LONG barrel life, superior accuracy, cheaper to shoot, almost NO recoil. Also it uses a .473 bolt face (308 family) so at any point you want to change cartridges and stay within the 308 family you can from the 6mm BR up through the 284 Win. The 6mm BR is outstanding at 600 yards - I shot a 200-17X not long ago (unfortunately it was in an approved match, not a registered match as it would have been a National record at the time).

Also, if I were just getting into F-Class I would stay with a 308 and shoot F-TR while learning wind and watching other shooters and their equipment/calibers.

Reason: LONG barrel life, you already have it, there is ABUNDANT loading and ballistic data.

George
F-Class High Master
 
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