Sling Shooter Learns the F-TR Game
Following shoulder surgery, our Contributing Editor German Salazar moved to F-TR shooting, replacing his sling and iron sights with bipod and scope. German has done remarkably well for an F-TR newbie, winning his first two 500-yard matches (in F-TR class) at Phoenix-area ranges. German has been shooting his “old Palma rifle with a scope and bipod attached”. This rig features a Gilkes-Ross action in a Robertson/Sitman Highpower Prone stock with an Anschütz 5020 trigger and 30″ 1:11″-twist Krieger barrel. The rifle is fitted with a Canadian-made Rempel “Ski” bipod and a Leupold BR 24X scope.
On his Riflemans’ Journal website, German has crafted a helpful article with advice for “sling shooters contemplating a busman’s holiday into F-Class.” Even seasoned F-Class shooters can learn something from German’s observations in his F-TR: Scoping it Out article. Here are some highlights from the article:
Carpet Under the Bipod
“I quickly learned that a piece of carpet was an essential component under the bipod. Without the carpet, [on dirt surfaces] the bipod tends to dig into the dirt with every shot, resulting in odd elevation shots. On the concrete it isn’t quite as essential, but it smooths the recoil movement appreciably and is worthwhile. [I used] a short-nap carpet remnant for this, but my car floor mat also worked well.”
Clicking vs. Holding Off
“I’ve been shooting iron sights and clicking sight knobs for most of my life; trying to hold off made me very uncomfortable and the reflex pull of the trigger just wasn’t there. Once I returned to holding center and clicking, I was more comfortable and was able to execute my shots more quickly and cleanly. By zeroing the windage knob I can also easily return to a previous setting when conditions warrant.”
Reading Mirage with Spotting Scope
“In conversations with other F-Class shooters in our club, I found that few were using a spotting scope to see mirage; they were largely relying on the rifle scope. However, the rifle scope is focused on the target, as it must be to eliminate parallax, and thus cannot show mirage with the same clarity as a spotting scope that is focused roughly halfway down the range.”
Positioning Your Spotting Scope
“I position the spotting scope in the same manner as I did when shooting from the sling. It is very close to me and can be used without moving the head from the cheekpiece. The object, as always, is to minimize movement in order to maintain a consistent position and to minimize the time lost between the last glance at the mirage and breaking the shot.”
CLICK HERE to Read Full F-TR Article by German Salazar
German’s F-TR article first appeared in 2011. Since then German has had another shoulder surgery, but he is progressing well.Similar Posts:
- USAMU Tips on Sling Use
- Spotting Scope Stands for F-Class and Prone
- Sling Thing: Dennis DeMille Explains How to Set Up Your Sling
- Sling Science — How to Install and Adjust Your Rifle Sling
- Getting Started in F-Class by Rod Vigstol
Tags: .308 Win, Bipod, F-Class, F-TR, German Salazar, Spotting Scope
German it is great to see you in F-Class. Old age and treachery always triumphs over youth and skill!
ERIC
Sure beats tripping around in the dark taking pictures of primer flash. Best-o-luck in all your endeavors German.
Thanks guys, I’ve had a few good days and a few pretty bad ones with the F-TR game, but it sure beats not shooting while the arm recovers!
Great to see an iron sight shooter taking a walk with us on the “dark side”!
I guess the spotting scope thing must be regional culture… I would be blind without mine, and you nailed it: I keep it focused on mirage, not the target. A nice wide field eyepiece and a good scope (In my case a Pentax PF80ED with EW14 eyepiece)
He who reads mirage wins…..
German – I’ve missed seeing new content on The Rifleman’s Journal. Looks like July was the latest update. Any plans to post more?