Intro to F-Class Shooting — How to Get Started
Have Fun with Rifles and Equipment You Probably Already Have….
Forum member Rod Vigstol (aka Nodak7mm) has written a great Introduction to F-Class for shooters getting started in this rewarding discipline. Rod’s article, which originally appeared in the Rifleman’s Journal Blog, covers F-Class basics and addresses concerns that “newbies” may have when trying a new shooting sport. Rod stresses that most guys who own a varmint-hunting or tactical rig likely have nearly all the gear they need to give F-Class competition a try.
Rod explains: “If you’re reading this, you have more than just a general interest in the shooting sports and in the awesome rifles that shoot tiny groups at insane distances. You probably even have friends that enjoy shooting as much as you do. The quandary you may find yourself in is your friends haven’t quite jumped into it head-first like you have and they haven’t spent a lot of money and time obtaining the equipment you have to go shoot these matches. But you know what? Your prairie-dog shooting buddy or coyote-hunter friend can attend these matches and shoot alongside with you. He or she more than likely already has the basic equipment needed to shoot a match.” Most varmint shooters already have a suitable, accurate rifle and the following equipment:
• A variable-power scope in the 4.5-14x range or higher.
• A front bipod like the trusty old Harris 9″-13″, or maybe even a basic pedestal front rest.
• A rear sand-bag or similar sand-sock to rest the butt stock.
• A basic shooting mat from Midway or at least a piece of carpet or canvas to lay on.
Rod also provides a handy checklist of items to bring to the range. These include: Canvas or carpet strip (to set under bipod), Notebook, Kitchen Timer, Cleaning Rod, Camp Chair, Elbow Pads, Shooting Hat, and Open Bolt Indicator (OBI). Along with rifle, bipod (or front rest), rear bag, and ammo, that’s pretty much all you need.
Rod encourages all shooters to give F-Class a try — even novices. Rod explains: “We have all been rookies, newbies, new kids on the block or whatever. So we all have a good idea of what may be going on in your mind, the questions and concerns you may have. I’m telling you this sport is full of fantastic people who deep down find it far more fulfilling to help a new shooter get started than running a clean target. You just have to take the first step to get involved.”
Similar Posts:
- Getting Started in F-Class by Rod Vigstol
- Getting Started in F-Class Competion
- Rear Sandbag Solutions for F-Open and F-TR
- Experiment with Rifle Position on Rest and Bags for Best Accuracy
- Fore and Aft Rifle, Rest, and Bag Positioning for Accuracy
Tags: F-Class, Marksmanship, Novice, Vigstol
Are there any other “How to” articles in the accurateshooter.com library? The amount of info given is minimal and when I click on the links to get the full article, I get a message that its only available to “invited” readers.
Editor: Sorry, German S. decided to close access to his website for a variety of reasons. You could communicate with the author through our Shooters Forum.
F-class ia very much a equipment game. If your going to be competitive expect to pay around 4,000-5,000 for a bench rest quality rifle and pricey bullets. Be ready to change barrels mid stream as new high BC bullets come out to remain competitive.