Sunday Gunday: Shiraz’s F-Open Dynamic Duo — .30 Cal and 7mm

Pair of Premium F-Open Rifles with Kelbly Golden Bear Actions

Report by Shiraz Balolia, CEO Grizzly Industrial
This project was started 2-3 years ago when I decided to build two brand-new rifles based on the Cerus riflestock chassis. I had my own highly-figured woods and sent them to Will at Cerus Rifleworks. Within a few months I received back two very nice-looking stock blanks but unfortunately they were made for a regular recoil pad system. I was going to install the R.A.D. (Recoil Absorption Device) systems and failed to mention that to Will. Further the thumbhole slot for the adjustment knob was through-cut on both sides of the stock and placed in a position where it would interfere with the R.A.D. recoil system installation. Accordingly, some serious modifications were in order.

Modifying the Cerus Stocks and Installing the R.A.D. System
The very first thing I did was plug up the thumbhole slot in each bank and then installed decorative caps in highly-figured contrasting woods. I also wanted the thumb-knob adjustment to be accessible and adjustable using only one finger so I shifted the whole system forward and to the right. I was now able to install the R.A.D. recoil system (see below) without interfering with the cheekpiece adjustment.

Next, I installed the bottom wider track for my rear bag and also carved out the finger grooves in the grip. The blanks were quite long so I cut off approximately two inches from the front end of each stock and also deepened the large tracking cavity under the fore-ends. I went ahead and inlaid my name in Mother-of-Pearl on the Walnut stock.

Gold Kelbly Actions for Two World-Class Tack-Drivers
The two sequentially-numbered Golden Bear F-Class actions (057 and 058) arrived from Kelbly at different times and the stocks were sent to Alex Sitman at Masterclass Stocks for bedding the actions into the stocks. Alex does an outstanding job on pillar bedding and has done most of my rifles for many years.

The stocks were then sent to Sims Guitar Finishing for clear coating with “wet look” finish on the stocks. Chambering of the barrels was done in-house by Dave, our top engineer at Grizzly Industrial. Dave has chambered most of my rifles in recent years. Both he and I have been trained by Gordy Gritters in precision chambering. Finally, the rifles were assembled, scopes installed, and tested out. Both are tack-drivers made for world-class competition.

Shiraz Tests his .300 Shiraz F-Open rifle. As you’d expect shooting heavy 215gr Berger Hybrids, the recoil is significant, but the rifle tracks perfectly with smooth return to battery.

Rifle #1 – Walnut Stocked .300 Shiraz

• Chambered for .300 Shiraz (modified .300 WSM)
• Stock made of highly-figured Walnut with Curly Maple inner laminations
• Kelbly Golden Bear F-Class action
• Bartlein 1:10″-twist barrel, 31″ length
• March 10-60x56mm High Master scope with Barrett rings
• Bald Eagle tuner
• Jewel trigger

Rifle #2 – Curly Maple Stocked .284 Shiraz

• Chambered for .284 Shiraz (modified .284 Winchester)
• Stock made of highly-figured Curly Maple as well as Walnut and Wenge inner laminations
• Accents and inlays as well as the base shoe are made of Curly Koa wood
• Kelbly Golden Bear F-Class action
• BRUX 1:9″-twist barrel, 31″ length
• March 10-60x56mm High Master scope with March rings
• Bald Eagle tuner
• Jewel trigger

Two Improved Cartridges — .300 Shiraz and .284 Shiraz

The two rifles run their own respective “Improved” cartridges. The dark walnut rig runs the .300 Shiraz which is based on the .300 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM). The maple 7mm runs the .284 Shiraz derived from the .284 Winchester. Shiraz developed these two improved cartridge designs to boost the performance of the parent cartridges which are both quite popular among F-Open competitors. The .284 Shiraz has similarities to the popular .284 Shehane wildcat.

.300 Shiraz Load Information: Shiraz loads his .300 Shiraz with Berger 215gr Hybrids, CCI BR2 Primers, and Hodgdon H4350 Powder. This load produces groups under quarter-MOA.

.284 Shiraz Load Information: The .284 Shiraz (shown below) is loaded with Berger 180gr Hybrids, again with CCI BR2 Primers, and H4350 powder. And like Shiraz’s .30-cal rifle, this handsome 7mm rig delivers sub-quarter-MOA grouping capability.

This stock is made from highly-figured Curly Maple with Walnut and Wenge wood inner laminations. Accents and inlays and the base shoe are made of Curly Koa wood.

About Shiraz Balolia

Shiraz Balolia is the founder and CEO of Grizzly Industrial. He is also one of the USA’s leading F-Class shooters. He has been a Team USA member and F-Open Team USA Captain, and in individual competition he won three straight Canadian F-Open Championships (2014, 2015, 2016). That Canadian Three-Peat is definitive proof of Shiraz’s stellar long-range shooting talent.

In the video below, created when Shiraz was F-Open Team USA Captain, Shiraz works with Palma Team Coach Gary Rasmussen. With the target at 800 yards, Shiraz shows how a shooter works with a wind coach. Three cameras are employed to show the target, the shooter, and the spotter’s-eye view.

This video starts with a lesson on target reading, then Shiraz and Gary work together to judge the wind. Watch as Shiraz makes ten straight “10 point” center hits at 800 yeards. A inset frame in the video shows bullet placement after each shot. This video is highly recommended for all long-range competitive shooters and coaches.

Here is Shiraz (top left) with Team Grizzly, the 2018 U.S. F-Open Championship Team. Members are: Shiraz Balolia, Emil Kovan, David Mann, John Myers, Trudie Fay (Coach).