Re: Never tried F T/R
I'm sure someone else can comment on where there are some matches in your area. My suggestion is for you to try it out, you'll be hooked. It's a hell of a lot of fun and I've met some pretty good folks at matches.
There two divisions in F-Class: F-T/R, which requires either .308 or .223 caliber, a bipod in front, and a rear bag. F-Open class allows a front rest (table) and pretty much any round you want up to .35 caliber.
To get started, you'll need a rifle that fits one of the above descriptions, a scope, a bipod OR front rest, a rear bag, a shooting mat, and ammunition (factory can work, but handloads are the norm among the better shooters). Barrel lengths can go from around 20" to over 30", in part depending on the shooting distance at a particular match. Generally, the longer barrels give greater muzzle velocity, which means flatter trajectory and less wind deflection.
It is also helpful to have a spotting scope, a timer of some sort, a wind reading device such as a Kestral, a pen/notebook to record data, and any other small items you might be accustomed to having at the range. None of these items are absolutely essential, but can be useful during a match.
As far as rifle scopes, you will find a wide range of individual preferences. Generally, a minimum of a 10X-15X scope is preferable for anything past 500 yd or so. However, magnification can be as high as in the 40X range (I use Nightforce 8-32X and 12-42X scopes). All sorts of reticles can be used, but you generally want one that is not so thick that it obscures the target X-ring. Just as with a precision rifle, you can spend some serious coin on high end scopes, but it is not essential. A guy I used to shoot with did very well with an inexpensive Redfield 12X scope.
One of the attractive things about F-Class competitions is that many shooters already have the minimum necessary equipment to participate (rifle, scope, ammo, bipod, shooting mat, rear bag). Even if they might not be able to shoot at the absolute highest level with inexpensive/minimal equipment, it doesn't really matter. The key point is to get involved and have fun, and the minimal equipment requirements for F-Class allow a lot of shooters to participate. Equipment can always be upgraded over time as more competition experience dictates.
Anyhow, you should seriously think about giving it a try, you'll enjoy it a lot. Below is a link to the current NRA High Power rules. Section 22 has a lot more info on F-Class. Good luck!
www.nrahq.org/compete/RuleBooks/HPR/hpr-book.pdf
