F Class Finally

Greetings All,
Finally got to my first F Class shoot after some delays. Hooked. For reasons previously mentioned shot from a bench using a bipod and bag with my T3 Lite .223. It was what I had ready. The rifle was zeroed for 200 metres and the dial up for 300 yards from my chart was close to spot on. For the record I participate rather than compete but this will still be a satisfying pastime for me regardless of results. Next shoot for me will be at 600 yards and my son has lent me a rifle with more legs. Quite looking forward to it.
Regards Grandpamac.

Awesome - it is very enjoyable and you can think about it two ways - improve your scores with the gear you have for your own satisfaction . . . .or join the gear race and see if you can beat other shooters. Either is fine but it pays to think about it. I've had a he'll of a lot of fun and shot possibles out to 600 yards with a rebarreled Omark 223 and Lithgow LA 102 308 = my goal achieved.

Wow. Well done @grandpamac. One of our sons regularly shoots his Howa heavy barrelled 1:8 twist out to 500 using Belmont 77 gr. I have the same rig but should perhaps use my Tikka Forest T3X 6.5x55. With handloads and off the bench I’ve managed cloverleaf results at 300yds. Sadly, I can no longer shoot prone after a lower back ‘weld’. The nearby Te Puke Club isn’t too far away, so I’d better investigate it as a challenge for ‘23.

Yep. You'd better :)

Trigger time with like minded people is always good value, regardless of what rifle or calibre you use. I enjoy shooting with others for the extra eyes, the added knowledge , and the tips and advice you get. Thats what make us better shooters, and it a lot of cases better hunters, because we recognise our limits and take the ethical shots. Which in my case usually results in free range quality meat on the table.

@Ingrid 51 we even let people use those horrible old x55's :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by johnd

@Ingrid 51 we even let people use those horrible old x55's :thumbsup:

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Be very careful mate! VERY careful!!

Greetings all,
Thanks for all your responses. At some stage I will need a dedicated rifle rather than just using what is available. Whether this is something that is already here repurposed or something new I don't know yet but I am reasonably certain it is likely to be a .308, another all time favourite of mine. Coming up 74 this year I should probably not waste too much time. The last time I shot on a range at 300 yards was well over 30 years ago and I still have the Omark I used. The 14 inch twist could be a problem though. Looking forward to it all.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings all,
Thanks for all your responses. At some stage I will need a dedicated rifle rather than just using what is available. Whether this is something that is already here repurposed or something new I don't know yet but I am reasonably certain it is likely to be a .308, another all time favourite of mine. Coming up 74 this year I should probably not waste too much time. The last time I shot on a range at 300 yards was well over 30 years ago and I still have the Omark I used. The 14 inch twist could be a problem though. Looking forward to it all.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Although not quite as old, nor experienced as you @grandpamac, I still manage to make my presence felt at our club shoots whilst using one of my 6.5x55’s. Whether it be the 1900 Oberndorf, 1916 M96, the 1941 Husky M38, the M93 with Soderin aperture sights or the scoped Tikka, the home loaded cartridges with Lapua brass and pills/ ADI 2209 combination just seems to work. I’ve shot other cals over time, but the old Swede stuff keeps producing very good results. I’ll stay with it.

FTR Classic medium and long range shooting is interesting. A maximum score is 61 10X which means at 600 yards all 10 counting shots have landed inside the 1/2 moa (3"diameter) ring. A score of 60 likely indicates a 1moa group. The rifle and ammo may be perfect but the difference between a 50 score (10 shots inside the 5 ring) and a 55+ score comes down to handling and wind interpretation; the human factors, especially wind. Regardless of others scores you are ultimately competing against youself for consistency and improvement. Seeing fellow shooters trying just as you do, brings the enjoyment to the sport especially for us older shooters with diminishing reflexes, flexibility and vision. Going all out to win is of lesser importance but we older ones still have our moments :)

I think you mean 60.10 is the max possible score Woody

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings All,
Finally got to my first F Class shoot after some delays. Hooked. For reasons previously mentioned shot from a bench using a bipod and bag with my T3 Lite .223. It was what I had ready. The rifle was zeroed for 200 metres and the dial up for 300 yards from my chart was close to spot on. For the record I participate rather than compete but this will still be a satisfying pastime for me regardless of results. Next shoot for me will be at 600 yards and my son has lent me a rifle with more legs. Quite looking forward to it.
Regards Grandpamac.

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800 yards will be the limit for .223 on electronic targets as you drop to subsonic after that, and the target wont detect the shot.

We actually saw that issue in action the previous week. A guy was shooting some piss-weak .308 ammo at 1000yds and nothing registered.

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Originally Posted by Percy Jones

800 yards will be the limit for .223 on electronic targets as you drop to subsonic after that, and the target wont detect the shot.

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Thanks @Percy Jones,
I was aware of that and only used the .223 as that was what was ready at the time. Chatting with a full bore shooter, years ago, who was having problems with his accuracy going to pot between 900 and 1,000 yards we decided that his projectiles were going subsonic. An increase in powder charge fixed the problem. He had started using a .303 and surplus military ammo. After the change to the 7.62 most shooters loaded their own and it took a while for the skills we see today to develop. It was years before things like chronographs and load development appeared.
Regards Grandpamac.

The Nosler Custom competition should work in the 1-14 Omark if you can find them, they had been fairly well priced buying through the NRANZ but like all things the new shipment will cost more once they arrive.
I’m a full bore shooter and the nosler is my go to if 1000yds isn’t being shot we’re I’ll then switch to Berger 155.5

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Originally Posted by kiwial

The Nosler Custom competition should work in the 1-14 Omark if you can find them, they had been fairly well priced buying through the NRANZ but like all things the new shipment will cost more once they arrive.
I’m a full bore shooter and the nosler is my go to if 1000yds isn’t being shot we’re I’ll then switch to Berger 155.5

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What was the issue with the Noslers at 1000Y. Now i have used up all my Lapua projectiles I am going to try 155 bergers and 155 Hornady ELD-M to see if they are better than the Optimus projectiles from Aussie.

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Originally Posted by Percy Jones

800 yards will be the limit for .223 on electronic targets as you drop to subsonic after that, and the target wont detect the shot.

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Not always true.

I've shot a .223 to at least 900 yards on e-targets with the shots registering.
I can't guarantee 1000 yards but I think so as well.

Loaded with an 80 gr A-Max projectile at near the safe maximum load they were supersonic out to 1000 yards.
My son's first shot at 1000 yards at Trentham was an 'X' bull.

In heavier winds the .223 was hard to use at 800 - 1000 yards.

the low Bc is really starting to show past 900 yards, I’m sending them around 3000fps out of 30” barrels but they are crawling along at 1000 and while I have been able to register every shot on open faced electronic targets the ET system accuracy suffers when speeds get close to transonic.
The Hbc projectiles are no longer made so they will dry up within the year, NRANZ are looking to supply Hornadys which I’m keen to test also

GPM was shooting lights out of his slow twist .223 so a planet different to 80s out of a fast twist. 53 VMaxs out of mine was basically subsonic at 850yds.

Greetings All,
Well this F Class thing has really got its teeth into me. Barely a week after my first shoot I find myself researching different options for rifles, projectiles and scopes. The wet weather, likely to continue until Wednesday at least is not helping one bit. The option of repurposing one of my old target rifles has been discarded and thoughts have turned to a new rifle, perhaps. For the moment there are some 75 grain ELDM .224 projectiles to play with in the 8 inch twist .223 and some loads for the 7mm-08 to develop possibly with some 162 grain AMAX projectiles from their dusty box. The barely used Sendero in 7mm SAUM may even get a spin. There are family jokes about OCD and not just about me so you can see this could go on for some time. Will keep you posted.
Regards Grandpamac.

Greetings All,
In a post on Redundant Cartridges I half jokingly suggested I might try my .30-40 Martini at 300 yards on one of the F Class shoots. Later I thought why not. The rifle has a target weight barrel with a 12 inch twist and has proved reasonably accurate. The throat is relatively short allowing 150 and 165 grain projectiles to be seated close to the rifling if 30-40 Krag cases are used so the half joke turned into a project. Yesterday when it was raining the old Leupold 4 power scope that was on the rifle was changed to a FX1 3-9 with finger adjustable click adjustments. Next the 40 rounds of .30-40 ammo on hand were broken down for their components. These were loaded by Collings & Brady in the 1990's with 150 grain Interlock projectiles and 38 grains of what I am reasonably sure is AR2206. These were likely loaded for rebarrelled Lee Enfields and were a little hot for what I care to fire in a 140 year old action.
Today, still raining and a Severe Weather Warning in place, some test loads will be put together with 150 and 165 grain projectiles for basic testing, rough scope adjustment and chronographing. Longer range shooting will have to wait as even more rain is forecast for tomorrow.
Regards Grandpamac.

Greetings again all,
I was a bit below pa last Saturday and missed the 600 yard shoot. Anybody over the age of 70 will understand this. This gave me time to sort some loads for the 7mm-08. The 162 AMax projectiles were saved for the 7mm SAUM and some 145 grin Speer projectiles used. Some chronographing this morning showed a velocity of 2,800 fps with 41.0 grains of AR2206H, book max in the Hodgdon data. Velocity variations became less as the charge increased as expected and the final velocity was in line with book velocity once extra barrel length and the heavier Lapua cases are factored in. A loading session and a base zero is all that is needed to be ready for the next 300 yard shoot.
On another front I finally convinced myself that I really needed a better scope. A trip to Chateau Jeremy (our local Rivers to Ranges) resulted in a 6-24 mil mil Bushnell being ordered complete with rings and a 20 MoA base. The scope is Bushnell's entry level F class scope and will go on the Sendero 7mm SAUM. Should have it ready for the next 600 yard shoot.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by johnd

@Ingrid 51 we even let people use those horrible old x55's :thumbsup:

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but please not the dreaded 6.5 crudmore no please not

My para mate shot a 58+ at 600 yards with his howa creedmore and delta 4-24*50 scope last weekend. He shoots off a bench from his wheelchair.

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Originally Posted by Ingrid 51

Wow. Well done @grandpamac. One of our sons regularly shoots his Howa heavy barrelled 1:8 twist out to 500 using Belmont 77 gr. I have the same rig but should perhaps use my Tikka Forest T3X 6.5x55. With handloads and off the bench I’ve managed cloverleaf results at 300yds. Sadly, I can no longer shoot prone after a lower back ‘weld’. The nearby Te Puke Club isn’t too far away, so I’d better investigate it as a challenge for ‘23.

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We have a bench available at 3,5 and 600 yrds for those that cant shoot prone

Greetings,
I have had a fixed bench here at home for about 20 years but didn't appreciate just how useful a portable bench would be until I finally put one together with components supplied by others. Thanks chaps. This, together with getting involved in F Class, has added a rosy glow to what was looking like a pretty bleak future in target shooting. Long may it continue.
Regards Grandpamac.

Greetings All,
My first 600 yard shoot is proving rather elusive. Access to the 600 yard is difficult and I made the decision not to try to get my bench rest up there. This got me thinking, "What would a pared down to the bones rest that I could use sitting look like?" I had a metal folding saw horse base and knew there was a short length of 240x40 in the barn which turned out to be long and wide enough fit a rifle with bipod and rear bag. After a bit of shimming the legs were quite rigid and I will clear finish the top and assemble it tomorrow. The top is quite low so the seat will need to be close to the ground. It carries easily in one hand so will be good for 600 yards but my existing bench rest will still be used at 300 and possibly 1000 yards.
Regards Grandpamac.
Attachment 217533

Greeting All,
The day has finally arrived and I shot my first ever 600 yard shoot this morning with the 7mm-08. Didn't do too badly for a novice and an elderly one at that. Conditions were perfect, overcast, cool and dead calm. The rifle had been sighted in at 200 metres with the impact the predicted trajectory above point of aim and the first sighter scored a 3. The range has the Silver Mountain target system which measures the velocity of the projectiles at the target. Being an inquisitive type of chap I compared this velocity with that predicted in my trajectory chart and it was almost spot on, 3 fps difference.
This makes me wonder why we don't see more of the long range hunters getting involved in F class. It provides much more info than shooting a gongs. Any thoughts?
Regards Grandpamac.

anyone want my rem 700LR. 7mmRM, harris bipod (real one) 5-25x56mm Minox z5 . less than 100 rounds fired. @akaroa1 can confirm it shoots well .weaver 30mm rings, weaver 20moa base.
serious offers only.

It's a quandary @grandpamac, one that's hard to fathom. Possibly their rifles aren't up to the task of repeatable 1/2 moa 10 shot strings?
In the current climate they may not want to burn ammo?
Possibly they think it's boring?

I for one got hooked because I wanted to learn wind call and actuall bullet drop. So that I could shoot gongs, but once I realized you got to shoot every weekend, I soon decided it was a lot more bang for your buck.

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Originally Posted by johnd

It's a quandary @grandpamac, one that's hard to fathom. Possibly their rifles aren't up to the task of repeatable 1/2 moa 10 shot strings?
In the current climate they may not want to burn ammo?
Possibly they think it's boring?

I for one got hooked because I wanted to learn wind call and actuall bullet drop. So that I could shoot gongs, but once I realized you got to shoot every weekend, I soon decided it was a lot more bang for your buck.

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Greetings @johnd,
Thanks for your reply. We had the same thing with self professed master hunters that seldom, if ever, showed up at NZDA shoots. Others that did show up did shoot well especially prone. Our last shoot for the season is at the end of the month so it will give me time to get a couple of my rifles sorted for next season. It will also give me a chance to work on my back and neck to see if I can manage to shoot prone again. Might need a high rest and some pillows though.
Regards Grandpamac.

Yes as always where theres a will theres a way! I am suprised I have no bites from my trawl yet. I did expect to have a few.:pacman:

Greetings All,
The F Class shooting season is over until September so it is time to sort out some rifles and loads for Spring. The previously mentioned 7mm Rem SAUM Sendero and 7mm-08 will be used for 1,000 and 600 yards respectively and my long neglected .223 VSSF II will be dusted of for 300 yards. The latter has a 1 in 12 inch twist so the Hornady 60 grain V-MAX has been selected based on some previous test loads at 200 metres and some calculations on stability. All that remains is to sort out loads for each rifle and get them zeroed for next season.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings All,
The F Class shooting season is over until September so it is time to sort out some rifles and loads for Spring. The previously mentioned 7mm Rem SAUM Sendero and 7mm-08 will be used for 1,000 and 600 yards respectively and my long neglected .223 VSSF II will be dusted of for 300 yards. The latter has a 1 in 12 inch twist so the Hornady 60 grain V-MAX has been selected based on some previous test loads at 200 metres and some calculations on stability. All that remains is to sort out loads for each rifle and get them zeroed for next season.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Attachment 223264

Greetings All,
The rifles for next season have been assembled. Some may note that there are five rather than the three mentioned earlier. The extra two are, from the left no 4 an Omark in .308 win and 5 a Martini in .30-40 Krag. Only two currently have loads ready so I had better get my skates on.
Regards Grandpamac.