New to F Class T/R

S

StrongArm67

New member
Hello everyone,
Long time BRC reader, first time poster!
I have been wanting to get in to rifle competition for some time now and recently sold a pistol and before the wife had a chance to get it, I found a guy with a very nice used Savage FTR in .308 with a 4-16X50 Millet attached and it shoots very well.

My questions are:

Bi Pod - I attached a cheaper Caldwell and I could tell right away that this gun was too heavy for lack of quality. I used a coupon and took advantage of free shipping from Brownells and bought their Gen3 F Class bi pod with elevation. If this does not work well for me, please give me some suggestions on a quality bi pod to use that will get me the height I need as I can return the G3, add a little money to it, and get something better but I generally shoot better with "free recoil" than I do by loading a bi pod.

Millet Scope - The Millet is clear with no issues that I can report...good glass. At 300yds, it is fine. The "funds" for improved magnification are a little on the thin side. With that, to get started, I think I can swing $400-$500 but I am not sure about how high of a power I would need (get by with) for most events being at the 500-600yd mark and the occasional 1000yd match. I have been reading about and looking at the Weaver T Series but I am not sure about which power would be best.

Thank you all for your time and I look forward to being a part of a fine group of people!
 
Have you been to a match yet? No better place to see what everybody is using and find good deals on retired equipment. Or previously loved equipment. Or lightly used. If i was to ever shoot f/tr id look for a seb joy pod. I see those guys enjoy shooting off a bipod instead of fighting it.
 
Since the CenterShot bipod is no longer available, I'd say take a look at the Duplin bipod from Sinclair Int'l. Same basic design, with some improvements. If money wasn't an issue, I'd say get the Phoenix bipod, and have John @ Pierce Engineering do his mods to it. The Phoenix is fairly heavy, as far as bipods go these days (the new Gen II should be ~6 oz. lighter). The SEB is very nice, but having had two (still have one)... they have their quirks. The M-pod (from EGW) is about as stone-simple and durable as they get, and one of the lightest designs out there.

As far as budget scopes... you might take a look at a Weaver T24, or something equivalent from Sightron. The glass is 'good', not 'great', only a 1" tube, etc. but with some diligence (i.e. 20 or 30 moa Farrell rail and some Burris Signature Zee rings with inserts) it'll have enough adjustment to get you to 1000yds.

I'm not really a fan of lower-power (<20x) scopes... I think I'd almost feel handicapped if I had to run a match with 'only' a 24x scope, but some people would flip out trying to use my NF Competition 15-55x52mm scope @ 40x in the summer heat with mirage.
 
F-Calss

I can feel your pain.
I also my playing with F/TR , have a Sinclair Gen. 3.
I just can't get that great possion, I hope to get out to the range and play with my toys.

On scopes I picked up a Vortex 30mm 6-24 not bad glass and under $700.00. life time Warranty.

The best of Luck,
Don
 
6.5 Don said:
I can feel your pain.
I also my playing with F/TR , have a Sinclair Gen. 3.
I just can't get that great possion, I hope to get out to the range and play with my toys.

On scopes I picked up a Vortex 30mm 6-24 not bad glass and under $700.00. life time Warranty.

The best of Luck,
Don
Click to expand...

Hey Don,
I actually got out this week with the gen3 bipod and it was butter! I have always preferred shooting "free recoil" and never did quite get the feel of "loading" a bipod the way they are intended.

I hate to say it, but I enjoyed it so much, I'm considering selling my custom Service Rifle!

As far as glass goes, I keep an eye out for a good used tube and hope to find one like you did with a good warranty.
 
I think the best use of time and money is for you to go shoot matches and enjoy your gun and the matches.

Don't get caught up in the equipment race, just shoot and learn the wind and have fun. There is always someone with more money and expensive toys.

:rolleyes:
 
Travelor,
I completely agree and believe me when I say, I don't "keep up with the Jones's".
The Millett glass is great at 300 but I'm just concerned about how well I will be able to see what is happening down at the target end of the range when I get to 500, 600, and 1k yards...I have a decent spotting scope but I think good powerful clear glass is always an asset, especially on cloudy days.
Not being a whiner, I just want to be able to see better...

I'm still considering the Weaver T series fixed power scope. I've had them before, they are affordable, and I don't think they get enough credit for being clear...just my thoughts and I truly appreciate your input regarding competing at matches and I'm very excited to be able to do so!!!
 
You may not have enough adjustment in a 1" scope. Dont try to get good enough glass to see your hits- you cant do it even without a budget. Just about any scope will allow you to see the spotters in a match. You need quality so you can trust the adjustments and a big enough tube to be able to get there. One of those sightron siii may be at the bottom of the list cost-wise thatll fit your bill.
 
also getting started in F/TR competition. the rifle and gear:

Savage Target Action
28" Criterion pre-fit Bull contour barrel, 1 in 10 twist
XLR Industries Element Chassis
Murphy Precision stainless steel scope rail
Vortex matched scope rings
Sightron SIII 8-32x glass

DSC06484.jpg

the rifle is shooting great at 100 yds. my limited experience with it at 600 yards shows it can do well if the nut behind the trigger can figure out the wind and mirage. i need more practice.

DSC06488_zpskueiusn7.jpg

DSC06481_zpsdiwilbzh.jpg
 
I would say your current scope doesn't have enough power. I also note that some scope recommendations you've been given exceed your glass budget by a wide margin, some by a very wide margin.

I shoot F/TR and F-Open. Although I use scopes in the $1500 range I have had success with a Mueller 8-32×44 Target Scope. It has a 30mm tube, plenty of power, side focus, and frankly I can't tell much difference between it and my other more expensive scopes. It tracks well too. The Mueller is a real bargain at around $250 and it's my normal scope for my F/TR practice gun. If the scope on my competition gun ever failed for any reason, I would not hesitate to mount the Mueller and go to the next match.

Before you settle for a fixed power scope in an attempt to save money, I would think long and hard about the power being lower than you really want for good conditions yet too powerful when the mirage gets really bad.

I would say that you will be frustrated with an inexpensive bipod and a scope without sufficient power. A Sinclair 3rd Gen bipod will be just fine as will the Mueller 8-32×44 Target Scope or something similar. You will want a decent barrel and you'll want to use your best reloading technique using (most likely) Berger bullets and Lapua brass or other top-of-the-line components. Of course, you'll need a pad too, but even a moving pad will get you started.

Unfortunately, if your "jump into F/TR" budget totals less than a thousand bucks, you really can't afford to buy all the stuff on a high-end wish list. You'll have to stick to a "good enough" list.

The good news is that if you do start with "good enough" you can fully enjoy the F/TR experience and that's because reading the wind is such a large part of winning in F Class. A shooter good at reading the wind using decent entry-level equipment will always beat someone with the best equipment money can buy if the rich guy can't read the wind.
 
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Bipod:
1. Harris 6-9" tilting bipod. Light weight, height adjustable (kind of). Inexpensive. Narrow stance. Not great results because you have to preload it and that creates another variable.

2. Mystic Precision (EGW in the U.S.) M-Pod. Good solid bipod. adjustable height, but you have to adjust each leg independently. No tilt feature (at least on mine). Fairly wide stance but noticed the rifle would lift the right leg when the shot broke.

3. Duplin Rorer Spec. Nice wide stance that does not jump to the left (due to the reactive force from the bullet spinning up in the rifling) and it has a nice "speed wheel" for height adjustments, tilt feature, nice big skids and rock solid, sturdy construction .

Scope: I went through 5 scopes in the last year before settling on my current model.
1. Millet 4-16x 50. Decent glass, thick reticle (covers too much of the target), MRad adjustments (too coarse an adjustment for F-Class). Felt notchy when adjusting windage and elevation. Turret locks were nice, but are better for hunting (if you bump the turrets)

2. Sightron SIII 6-32x50 Good glass, good magnification, MOA 1/8 adjustments (1/8 is great for F-Class)

3. Bushnell 6-24x50 DMR2 FFP. Very good glass, positive clicks on the MRad turrets, Lifetime warranty (I used it and they sent a replacement scope because my elevation reticle was sticking) Horus H59 type reticle (Awesome for hold over/ windage adjustment shots)

4. Vortex Viper 6-24x50 HS LR FFP Good glass, lifetime warranty, Zero stop elevation turret, 1/2MOA adjustments (not great for F-Class)

5. Nightforce Benchrest 12-42x56 2nd FP. Excellent glass, great magnification range. Lifetime warranty. Great reticle with 2MOA hash marks.Works like a top and has 1/8MOA adjustments. If mirage is bad, you can use the magnification on a 2nd focal plane scope to "bracket" the overall target face on top, bottom and sides. It works...

I should have gone by the adage "Buy once- Cry once"...

Hope this helps.

Cheerz!
 
I am planning on making the transition from sling shooting to F T/R. I have not shot in over 2 years because of health reasons. A friend suggested that I try F T/R as way to get back into shooting.

I have a Pierce action with a Shilen Heavy Palma Barrel in an Eliseo stock. The barrel is a 1 in 10 twist. I plan on using Berger 175 boat tails and Lapua brass. I have a Sinclair F Class bipod, no adjustable, that I was using for sighting in and load development. My Nightforce benchrest scope should be delivered tomorrow.

I will have lots of questions as I get into it. Sunday will be my first try at a 600 yard informal match.

Thanks, Mike
 
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