F T/R Competition Here's my new rig.

[captcoop]

308 built on a trued 700 . Shilen barrel, Manners T4A stock with mini chassis . Vortex PST 6-24X50.I haven't decided on a bipod yet. The brake will get removed for matches . I was allowed to keep it on last weekend as long as I could shoot on the end and no one was affected.

 

[jim_k]

That's one of the finest-looking F/TR rigs I've ever seen. They'll be fighting for second place at the next match!

 

[TunTav0321]

Very nice looking Rifle, but it is not a dedicated F/TR rifle. Looks much more like a nice Tactical Match Rifle. As you know it cannot be shot in a registered match with the brake, so in this configuration you will not be able to compete for the match. The Magazine also is something of a hindrance in shooting F/TR as all rounds will have to be single loaded. It is a very cool rifle though...

RS

 

[captcoop]

The brake is coming off, and I'm getting a bipod Friday . The first match I ever shot was last weekend . I scored 529/600. I'm shooting 168 SMK's . I know they're not Vld's . It's just to get me a routine going for now . It is more of a tactical than a straight up F class rig. So I'm planning a 6.5X47 with a straight barrel for a little more serious F class rig. Thanks for the props!

 

[captcoop]

The load was given to me from my gunsmith and it groups well. All I need to do now is keep shooting and " try" to learn the wind. You can tell by my score that it kicked my ass.

 

[gstaylorg]

Very nice looking Rifle, but it is not a dedicated F/TR rifle. Looks much more like a nice Tactical Match Rifle. As you know it cannot be shot in a registered match with the brake, so in this configuration you will not be able to compete for the match. The Magazine also is something of a hindrance in shooting F/TR as all rounds will have to be single loaded. It is a very cool rifle though...

RS

FWIW, although they may appear more like "tactical" rifles like the OP's above, every one of my rifles is a dedicated F-T/R rig. Some F-T/R shooters actually prefer an A5 or T4 over other types of stocks. It doesn't mean they're not dedicated F-T/R rifles. In addition, a good DBM setup like the Badger M5 when combined with an AICS mag is not a hindrance to single loading whatsoever. Drop one in, close the bolt, pull the trigger...couldn't be simpler. However, unlike like a strict single feed setup, you do still have the option to use the mag for other types of shooting if you want.

Catcoop - great looking rig! What's the barrel length and what kind of velocity are you getting with the 168s? You might also want to try 175 SMKs or better yet Berger 185s to buy yourself a little bit of a break if strong wind is routinely an issue in your neck of the woods.

 

[Capt Academy]

Nice looking rifle!

 

[TunTav0321]

FWIW, although they may appear more like "tactical" rifles like the OP's above, every one of my rifles is a dedicated F-T/R rig. Some F-T/R shooters actually prefer an A5 or T4 over other types of stocks. It doesn't mean they're not dedicated F-T/R rifles. In addition, a good DBM setup like the Badger M5 when combined with an AICS mag is not a hindrance to single loading whatsoever. Drop one in, close the bolt, pull the trigger...couldn't be simpler. However, unlike like a strict single feed setup, you do still have the option to use the mag for other types of shooting if you want.

Catcoop - great looking rig! What's the barrel length and what kind of velocity are you getting with the 168s? You might also want to try 175 SMKs or better yet Berger 185s to buy yourself a little bit of a break if strong wind is routinely an issue in your neck of the woods.

We will just have to agree to disagree, I stand completely by my statements.

Catcoop, The 6.5x47lapua is a great round and I for one would encourage you to give it a try. I still shot a 6.5x47 in quite a few matchs and really love that cartridge.

You do understand that will put you into F-Open? You then will be competing against guys shooting off of a in some cases ( not all) a very sturdy front rest, with your Bi-Pod. I have a good friend who does have a nice F/TR rig, it is a switch barreled rifle and he also shoots the 6.5x47L with this same rifle in F-Open. When he first started doing this his scores suffered badly when "compared" with most good F-open shooters as he was still using the Bi- POD against shooters not so handicapped. His solution was to make a simple front 3" wide bag rider for the front and to shoot off of a rest. His scores improved greatly even at the first shoot he shot. This maybe something you could give some thought to.

Don't worry about the wind thing, it will come in time. It takes a lot of powder and bullets downrange to ever get a handle on it. Shoot all you can and do that on windy days, usually late in the day is best for some wind. Before you know it when you show up at a match and there is a good amount of wind, and you will be the guy with a Smile on his face because you will know that all of the trigger time is going to pay off TODAY.

Remember if you say "You can" or say " You Can't" you are right!!!

it is a great looking rifle though!!

Roland

 

[Belisarius]

Well, very nice!!!

 

[Bigalfromfl]

Nice setup!

 

[captcoop]

FWIW, although they may appear more like "tactical" rifles like the OP's above, every one of my rifles is a dedicated F-T/R rig. Some F-T/R shooters actually prefer an A5 or T4 over other types of stocks. It doesn't mean they're not dedicated F-T/R rifles. In addition, a good DBM setup like the Badger M5 when combined with an AICS mag is not a hindrance to single loading whatsoever. Drop one in, close the bolt, pull the trigger...couldn't be simpler. However, unlike like a strict single feed setup, you do still have the option to use the mag for other types of shooting if you want.

Catcoop - great looking rig! What's the barrel length and what kind of velocity are you getting with the 168s? You might also want to try 175 SMKs or better yet Berger 185s to buy yourself a little bit of a break if strong wind is routinely an issue in your neck of the woods.

The barrel length is 23.5" without the brake. I shot in the open division last weekend. Top score in the open class was a 579. Winds were quartering to. I plan on shooting Bergers, my gunsmith told me that " you can be all around the 9 ring with 168 SMK's" . But to really steer in those Is quite difficult. this was from the match Last Saturday.

 

[limamike56]

Great looking rifle.

 

[XTR]

Every firearms BB on the web needs a sticky thread that says "DO NOT USE 168 SMK's BEYOND 600 YARDS"

It is a good bullet to 600, somewhere beyond there it goes transonic and then picks a random direction in which to fly off course or tumble.

When your gunsmith said the 9-Ring he was talking about the one on a sling target. Good luck keeping them in the 9 ring on an F-Class target at 1000 yards.

 

[BradfromND]

Beautiful looking rifle there! I'm kind of regretting selling that stock to you now......hope it serves you well.

 

[BradfromND]

Also a good quote to remember is "friends don't let friends shoot 168's past 600".....

 

[JBD56]

A 6.5X47 will work well for the mid-range matches and can be competitive at 1000 if the wind isn't too bad. Are you thinking about the 130 VLD for loads? I found my rifle likes both the 123 and 139 Lapua Scenars better than the VLD, but that is what load work is for. There is getting to be some really sturdy bipods manufactured for ftr class, so you will want to think about how you will configure the stock before you start the build if you are not going with a full blown f class rig in 6.5X47. I am considering taking mine out of the Manners T2-a stock it rides in and putting it in a f-class stock to ride in my Farley rest. As someone else already said, unless you build a .308 or .223, and use a bipod you will have to compete in f-open and will be at a huge disadvantage to the open guys shooting off solid front rests.

 

[captcoop]

Yeah Brad, everyone is loving the stock. I actually got some info from Shortbus on the paint job. He said he wanted to paint it, but someone else got to it first. I had about 400 SMK's , those are going to be an aid just to keep me shooting. I'm buying some VLDs in the 185 grain fashion. My gunsmith warned me about the smk, but advised me to go ahead and shoot em up.