First F-Class in the books

[jwrowland77]

Originally Posted by 4runnerman

4895 works well also. Man now this is just me,but if there was one thing I could stress to you, It would be,Change your primer selection. Use your same load,just switch to GM210M primers or CCI BR2. Gm's would be the best bet. Bigggggg Difference as you would see.

Yeah I'll have to look at getting the CCI BR. I just like CCI. That's what I started with almost 2 years ago. I'll have to get a brick and check them out.

[jwrowland77]

Originally Posted by LRRiflemanSNJ

Hi. I, too, fired my first F class (F T/R) on Sunday. I have been shooting high power competitively since '88. However, a severe accident in '07 left me disabled. I had built a disabled friendly AR for NRA mid range and long range prone matches, but the arm injuries were working against me too much.

I found the two new challenges for me are optics focus and my hand loads. I fired a 180-2 in a 20 shot any/any match at 600.

I am using a Bushmaster lower with a White Oak match upper and a versa pod bipod, and a Chip McCormick modular trigger. I was using Sierra 77s, holding the 9 ring or better, with only 6, 7, 8 out of the 9, and these were due to focus. I was using a BSA Platinum (8-32x) I had purchased for smallbore before my accident. This rig weighs in at about 14#.

I am finding I will have to place more attention to load development because of the more challenging target

It's pretty fun ain't it?

[Brian Pfleuger]

Sounds like a blast.

Nothing like it that I know of around here.

[LRRiflemanSNJ]

Yes, it was fun. For me, F class is allowing me to continue with a life long hobby. The greatest thing for me was that I came off the line without extreme arm pain and fatigue.

When I shot the long range matches at Camp Perry this year, I took myself off the line on the second day of the four day individual matches due to extreme arm pain, ending my sling shooting career on a sour note.

[LRRiflemanSNJ]

When I was shooting service rifle, and a bolt gun gun in .308, I tended to always use a load of about 40.5 grains of IMR4064, it seemed to burn a little more consistently than IMR4895, which is the only powder I will use in a Garand.

With respect to primers, I have always used the CCI Bench rest primers. I find they are very consistent. Personally, I have never seen Federal Gold Medal primers for sale at any of the shops I haunt. I just managed to locate a supply of BR2s, and the current ammunition buying frenzy has driven the price up about 50%, to about $68 per thousand. I am willing to pay that price, since I would pay more than that difference in load development.

[LRRiflemanSNJ]

Brian, you will typically find F class matches at any scheduled mid range prone or long range prone match. They are not typically advertised as F class matches. If the range at Camp Smith is still utilized, you should see them there.

[jwrowland77]

I might have to tone down my load a bit. Last night I found my first ever split neck. It was split right above the shoulder in the neck. I also noticed the primer pockets had loosened up since the first reloading. I had only loaded the cases one time.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by LRRiflemanSNJ

Brian, you will typically find F class matches at any scheduled mid range prone or long range prone match. They are not typically advertised as F class matches. If the range at Camp Smith is still utilized, you should see them there.

I've heard that they have them there but it's about 3 1/2 hours from me.
There are very few ranges in NY that have long distance capability. There are a few but most are 100 max, a few get to 300, not many beyond.

[jwrowland77]

Originally Posted by Brian Pfleuger

I've heard that they have them there but it's about 3 1/2 hours from me.
There are very few ranges in NY that have long distance capability. There are a few but most are 100 max, a few get to 300, not many beyond.

Same here. The range I go to quite a bit is only 200yds. I'm driving 3.5-4 hours Saturday morning though to go shoot in another F-Class though. Got to go where they're at.

[LRRiflemanSNJ]

Have you checked out the up coming matches in Shooting Sports USA? It is online online and free.

My home club (Bridgeville, De) has monthly mid range matches one Sunday a month (camping on range available). There are also matches at Cumberland Rifleman, Millville, NJ and in Jackson Twp NJ near Great Adventure. It is a shame there are so few ranges out there.

Bridgeville also opened its 1000 yard range, and runs 4-5 weekend long range matches a year, where F class is fired simultaneously.