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May 22nd, 2012
F-Classer Kenny Adams was spotted at the recent Tennessee NRA Regional using the new patent-pending PD Products LLC On-Time Cartridge Caddy. This $95.00 gadget is the creation of ace pistolsmith and “casual” High Power competitor, Paul Liebenberg of Pistol Dynamics. The On-Time Caddy combines 25 cartridge slots with a countdown timer so the shooter can keep track of time while accessing his ammo. No one knows if the new Caddy had anything to do with Kenny’s one-point win over Danny Biggs at the Tennessee match, but Paul figures it has to be worth at least one point per match, so the inventor is shamelessly taking credit for Kenny’s win.
 The PD On-Time Cartridge Caddy is entirely CNC-machined from aluminum and acrylic (clear or colored) and is available for all cartridges commonly used by High Power and F-Class shooters. The angled-face integrated timer lets you manage time and handle ammo without shifting from the shooting position.
The PD Cartridge Caddy is not a one-size-fits-all product. With its smaller rim diameter, the.223 Rem requires a dedicated tray. However certain trays can hold multiple cartridge types (with common case diameters). For example the .308 Caddy also works with .243 Win, 6.5X47 Lapua, .260 Rem. There is a special tray designed for the 6mmBR, 30BR, and Dasher. And there is tray for the larger-diameter 7mm WSM and RSAUM. The top photo above shows Kenny with 7mm RSAUM rounds in his PD Caddy.
PD Cartridge Caddies are available now at an introductory price of $95.00. To order, send email to info@pistoldynamics.com, or call Pistol Dynamics at 321-733-1266. There is a lifetime guarantee on the machined part and a one-year warrantee on the timer.
May 20th, 2012
7mm has become the caliber to beat in F-Class open division. The dominant performances of UK shooters with 7mm cartridges at the 2009 F-Class World Championship, following the South African team’s success with 7mms at the previous Worlds, has shown the strength of 7mm chamberings for long-range competition. After losing to the Team Britain, the U.S. F-Open Team decided to switch to a 7mm for the next World Championship. While most of Britain’s top F-Class shooters were using WSM-based 7mm cartridges, you don’t need a short magnum to enjoy the wind-bucking abilities of a 7mm.
 With a standard .284 Winchester, or better yet, a .284 Improved, you can drive the high-BC Berger 180gr bullets to competitive velocities. A .284 Improved will shoot well inside a 6.5-284, and you’ll probably get 40-60% longer barrel life (at least 2000 rounds vs. as little as 1200).
The straight .284 Win is a good cartridge, but in most barrels, it can’t push the 180s at 2900-2950 fps velocity levels*. A lot of barrels will top out at about 2850. That’s where the .284 Shehane comes into play. The .284 Shehane is a slightly modified wildcat that retains the same 35° shoulder as the parent case. However, by blowing the sidewalls out 0.010″, the .284 Shehane picks up about 3.3 grains of extra case capacity. That enhancement makes a BIG difference. The extra boiler room is enough to drive the 180s at 2900-2950 fps with H4831sc. With N560 or Reloder 17 you can go even faster.
Scotland’s Grant Taylor used the .284 Shehane to finish 3rd overall in the 2009 individual F-Class World Championships at Bisley, England. Grant reports: “I have a .284 Shehane and it’s very accurate with superb vertical spreads at 1000 yards. I have to thank Jim Hardy for putting me onto the caliber, it has awesome accuracy. I’m getting 2930-2950 fps with spreads in the 3-5 fps range. I use Hodgdon H4831sc powder, CCI BR2 primers, and pointed 180gr Bergers.”
Forum member Jim Hardy has shot the .284 with great success. He tells us: “In my humble opinion, the .284 Shehane is the best balanced long range round there is — bar none. I (perhaps_ have shot more of this chambering than anyone else, and it has proven better than I ever expected. Here is why:
You have to shoot a 30 Cal magnum with a 240gr bullet to equal the performance of most 7mm chamberings with the 180 Berger VLD. With the .284 Shehane, you have a .308 bolt face, medium action, and Lapua brass. You use less powder than the 7 mags, and have great accuracy and ballistics even while fire-forming. The .284 Shehane shoots inside the 6.5 AND the straight 284, the 300 WSM, and the 300 Win Mag with less recoil. The .284 Shehane offers twice the competitive barrel life of the 6.5-284, an easy 2950 fps with H4831 SC, [and it] can run 3000+ with N560 and Reloder 17, which is right there with the 7mm WSM. What is not to love about the 284 Shehane? It is a no-brainer for long range — F-Class or Prone or 1000-yard Benchrest.”
*Some exceptional barrels chambered in straight .284 Win can reach 2900 fps with the 180s. Ryan Pierce, who recently set a 450-24X Pending F-Open record, has a 32″ Brux barrel that is delivering 2900 fps with the straight .284. However, Ryan acknowledges that his velocities are not typical: “A lot of .284 Win barrels top out at around 2850 fps with the 180s.”
May 12th, 2012
Danny Biggs is one of the nation’s most successful F-Class shooters. A two-time (back to back) National Champion in F-TR Class, Danny also finished third in Open Class at the 2010 National Championships. Notably, Danny’s X-count of 67Xs, the highest of all competitors, was 10 Xs higher than 2010 F-Open winner Derek Rogers.
 Mat with ‘Donut-Hole’ Cut-Out for Rear Bag
Danny is a very savvy competitor, to say the least, and he brought some innovative gear with him to the Nationals. Along with his height-adjustable Sinclair wide-base bipod, Danny used a cleverly modified shooting pad and Edgewood rear sandbag. Danny’s “donut-hole” mat featured a cut-out in the middle, allowing him to place his rear sandbag directly on the ground. This helps stabilize the bag no matter what the ground surface or slope. With the bag sitting directly on the ground, it’s less likely to slide or rotate.
In addition, Danny’s rear bag is raised up via a thick rubber base or “foot”. The fat base, which appeared to be hard rubber, is secured via metal tabs that clamp on to the hard leather bottom of Danny’s Edgewood rear bag. The Edgewood bag has a lip around the bottom that provides a natural attachment point for the metal tabs.
Inexpensive MidwayUSA Shooting Mat
Danny uses an affordable shooting mat — the basic 67″ L x 26.75″ W MidwayUSA shooting pad that retails for $49.99. FYI, MidwayUSA’s larger Pro Series Competition Shooting Mat is on sale right now for the same $49.99 (sale price through May 31, 2012). Sized 73.5″ long x 35.5″ wide, this deluxe, khaki-colored mat rolls up into an 8.5″ Diameter “sausage” for transport or storage. The mat has rubberized elbow and knee pads; the mat is about .535″ thick at the knee and elbow pads. By comparison, the standard MidwayUSA Shooting Mat is only 0.335″ thick on the pads. Both standard and Pro Series mats have corner grommets allowing the mat to be staked down in high winds. These mats both have a carry handle and a shoulder strap.
May 9th, 2012
Forum member Ryan Pierce set a pending new F-Class Open National Long-Range record this past Sunday at a Long Range Regional Palma Match in Lodi, Wisconsin. Ryan shot a “clean” 450 with 24 Xs in a 800/900/1000 match at Winnequah Gun Club. Once certified, Ryan’s 450-24X score tops the 449-33X record set by Robert Bock in 2008. To make the story even better, Ryan smithed the gun himself, doing his own metal and stock work! Ryan’s record-setting rig is a .284 Win with BAT action, Brux barrel, and Precision Rifle & Tool (PR&T) stock. Ryan shot Berger 180gr Hybrids pushed by H4831SC and CCI BR2s. Interestingly, Ryan set the record with a ‘dirty barrel’. By the time he finished the 1000-yard stage on Sunday, he had put over 150 rounds through his barrel since its last cleaning. Ryan wasn’t just being lazy — he had noted that the vertical tightened up the more rounds he shot.
Ryan Reveals How Record Was Set
Ryan tells us: “I had actually debated using my 6BR last weekend but didn’t and used up my last box of 180 Hybrids. They are seated .025″ off the lands with 56.0 grains of Hodgdon H4831SC and a BR2 primer. This load is running 2900 fps. I had 1 1/2 min of wind on and was favoring another half minute. I had excellent pit service, 6 seconds, by Jeff Dick. I knew he was fast so I figured ‘let’s rock and roll’. I was done in 3 to 3.5 minutes. I was pretty stoked. Halfway through the relay I started shaking pretty bad. After my last shot came up a 10 I was all smiles and couldnt believe I’d shot the 450.”
Above is Ryan with his rifle and 1000-yard target. He had two (2) sighters in the 9-ring, but the rest were 10s and Xs. Jim tells us: “As the string went on Ryan started flirting with the bottom of the 10 ring. Those pasters were removed to validate that they were indeed solid 10s.” Jim adds: “I witnessed Ryan’s 900- and 1000-yard strings and had the pleasure of signing the score card on the 1000-yard string, it was amazing to watch and see Ryan so excited about accomplishing this.”
Ryan Pierce SPEAKS OUT
CLICK “PLAY” to hear Ryan TALK about setting Nat’l Record with .284 Win at Lodi. |
[haiku url=”http://accurateshooter.net/Video/pierceaudio215.mp3″ title=”Ryan Pierce Talk About F-Class Record”] |
Above you can see Ryan’s 800- and 900-yard strings on the same target. Jim See reports that: “Due to the rain delay, and some relay jockeying, Ryan ended up being the last shooter at 800 and the first shooter at 900, all on a clean target. So when [Ryan] hit the pits he took the picture, not knowing what was in his near future.” NOTE: The 800-yard stage allowed unlimited sighters, so there are a few shots out of 10 Ring. At the 900- and 1000-yard distances, two sighters were allowed at each yardage.
We congratulate Ryan for his great shooting. This was a tough record to beat. Forum member Nodak7mm says: “This was great shooting by an awesome up-and-coming shooter in the F-Class arena. Ryan is definitely a force to be reckoned with….”. Click the link below to hear Ryan talk about setting the record, and some surprising changes he made the day of the match.
Ryan Pierce .284 Win F-Open Rig Specifications
Ryan provided this info on his record-setting rifle: “The gun has a BAT ‘M’ action (Jewell trigger), Brux 32″ 1:9″ twist barrel, and a Ray Bowman (PR&T) F-Open ‘low boy’ stock with adjustable cheekpiece and adjustable buttplate. The scope is a Nightforce NXS 12-42x56mm. The barrel has 1300 rounds through it. All the metal and stock work was done by me.” Ryan’s record-setting load consisted of Berger 180gr Hybrids pushed by H4831SC and CCI BR2s at 2900 fps. This was a straight .284 Winchester.
May 3rd, 2012
 The Dolphin Gun Company, based in the United Kingdom, has developed a very stable, yet lightweight wide-base bipod, ideal for F-TR shooters. We expect Dolphin’s new Trakker bipod will also be popular with varmint hunters and some tactical shooters.
Trakker bipods are available in two confirgurations, “Standard” and “Long”. Perhaps they would be better named “Wide” and “Extra-Wide” — the “Long” version has extended legs which can provide a wider base and/or extra elevation. Both versions provide a very stable platform for prone shooting, and both versions are available with either Sling-swivel or rail attachments (see photos below).
Here’s the great news — these Trakker bipods are very light, yet sturdy. The standard version weighs just 21.2 ounces (600 grams), while the long version tips the scales at 24.7 ounces (700 grams). This will help shooters “make weight” in F-TR class even if they have a very long barrel, or jumbo-sized scope. Trakker bipods are offered with multiple color choices: natural (silver) alloy, matte black powder coat, or other powder coat color of the customers’ choice (extra charge may apply for custom colors).
Dolphin’s Trakker bipods have been extensively tested by top F-TR shooters in Europe and we have heard that these bipods work extremely well. They are stable yet easy to adjust, and they are quite a bit lighter than most wide-base bipods on the market. Retail price in the UK is £165.00, which translates to $267.00 US Dollars, but this does not include overseas shipping or possible customs charges. Americans can order direct from Dolphin at this time and Dolphin will ship to the states. (Dolphin is currently in discussions with a US-based company that would produce the Trakker bipod for the North American market, under license). For more information, visit DolphinGunCompany.co.uk or email mik [at] mikdolphin.demon.co.uk. NOTE: The Dolphin Gun Company website is pretty slow. You may have to try multiple times to load the pages.
About Dolphin Gun Company
Dolphin Gun Company was formed several years ago by Mik Maksimovic and Pete Hobson, two active, competitive F-Class shooters. Both Mik and Peter come from engineering backgrounds. They first set up Dolphin Gun Company to build their own competitive shooting gear. From hobby gunsmithing and preparing their own rifles and equipment, Mik and Pete quickly progressed to building rifles for other shooters and creating top-of-the-line shooting accessories such as the Trakker bipod.
Product Tip from Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
April 15th, 2012
The NBRSA Long-Range Nationals will be held this upcoming week, April 18-22, 2012 at the Sacramento Shooting Center in Sloughhouse, California. This five-day program encompasses three separate events, starting with the 2-day 600-yard Nationals, followed by an F-Class Benchrest Match, and concluding with the 1000-yard Nationals on Saturday and Sunday. Entry/information forms are now available for the NBRSA 600-yard Nationals (Sloughhouse 600: April 18-19), 1000-Yard F-Class Bench Match (April 20), and 1000-Yard Nationals (Sloughhouse 1000: April 21-22, 2011). All three events will be held at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center, located outside Sacramento, California.
There will be hot dogs for purchase April 18, 19, 20 and 22. The organizers have arranged a catered lunch on Saturday, April 21st. (April 23rd, Monday is reserved as a “make-up” day in the event of bad weather). Match Fees for the two Nationals Events are $50.00 per class (Light Gun and Heavy Gun), while the fee for the F-Class Bench Match (22-lb class) is $30.00. Make checks payable to: FOLSOM GUN CLUB. Mail to Craig St Claire, 10607 Sacramento Road, Galt, CA 95632. Click the links below for more information or visit the NBRSA website.
 Get Some ‘Tax Relief’ by Joining the Fun at Sloughhouse this Week
The 2012 Tax Deadline for tax returns to be filed (unless you get an extension) is April 17th. So this provides some added incentive to get those returns done and then go have some fun in Sacramento. You can compete at 600 yards, or 1000 yards, or both, and F-Class shooters can try their hand at long-range shooting from the bench.
March 31st, 2012
After a series of try-outs, 28 shooters have been selected to the U.S. F-Class Open Development Team. From this select group of 28 shooters, F-Open Team USA squads will be filled for future international team matches. After further try-outs, the top 18 (16 + 2 alternates) will be selected for the final F-Open team that represents the United States in the next World F-Class Championship in 2013.
The idea behind the Development Team is that having a larger group of qualified individuals to draw from makes it easier to field a strong team at any given time. Not everyone can travel at the same time — particularly to international matches. From the 28 current Development Team members, a final 18-shooter team will be chosen prior to the 2013 World Championships at Raton, New Mexico.
| The U.S. F-Open Development Team — Officers, Coaches, Shooters |
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Captain: Shiraz Balolia
Vice Captain: Bryan Otey
Head Coach: Bob Mead
Coaches: Emil Praslick, Rick Hunt, Trudie Fay |
Shooters
(sorted by first name)
Bob Bock (Senior)
Charles Ballard
Charles Clark
Danny Biggs
David Gosnell
David Mann
Dean Morris
Doc Bock
Don Nagel
Emil Kovan
Erik Cortina
Herb Edwards
Jim Fowler |
Jim Murphy
John Brewer
John Dunbar
John Gaines
John Myers
Ken Dickerman
Kenny Adams
Larry Bartholome
Larry Taite
Mark Walker
Rick Jensen
Ron Herms
Ryan Pierce
Tony Robertson
Walter Lange |
The Try-Out Process for the F-Class Open Development Team
The U.S. F-Class Open Rifle Team held nine try-outs throughout the country in six different cities over the course of the last two years. These shooters had to prove themselves multiple times shooting at 1000 yards. The shooters were tested on their ability to shoot under a coach and hold vertical. Each and every shooter had to meet minimum standards. The process was very transparent with all shooters being able to view other shooters’ scores and targets.
March 11th, 2012
 Ace gunsmith Joe Chambers (aka Joe C), who is best known for his custom pistols, recently joined our Shooters’ Forum. Guns built by Joe have been used to win 49 class championships at the NRA Camp Perry National Championships, as well as many regional, state and local matches. He has built guns for collectors, concealed carry and action pistol competitors as well. Joe’s custom pistols have been featured in American Handgunner Magazine. Chambers’ guns are noted for their outstanding reliability and accuracy. He has built 1911s chambered in .38 Super that will put ten (10) shoots in under 1.00″ at fifty (50) yards. (We’ve seen some factory rifles that can’t do that!)
You can view impressive Chambers-built customs on Joe’s website ChambersCustom.com. Here are some samples:
Chambers Gains Precision Rifle Knowledge Through Forum
While the AccurateShooter Forum’s main focus is on precision rifles, it’s good to know that someone with Joe’s skills and abilities can help forum members who have questions about 1911 pistols and custom pistol-smithing. In return, we invite our experienced rifle shooters to share their long-gun knowledge with Joe. A budding interest in long-range and F-Class rifle shooting drew Chambers to our Forum. He came to the right place. Many of the nation’s top F-Class shooters (both F-TR and F-Open) frequent our board. No doubt Joe will advance his knowledge of rifle shooting through participation in our Forum. Welcome aboard Joe — we are pleased to include you in our community of precision shooters!
Story tip by Tanner F. (aka Flybuster). We welcome reader submissions.
February 4th, 2012
Gary Eliseo of Competition Shooting Stuff (CSS) is about to release his new Heavy-Duty (HD) bipod for his CSS tubegun chassis systems. In development for over a year, this unit is very innovative. To place the bipod’s rotational (swivel) axis as close as possible to the bore axis, the bipod actually attaches with a cylindrical bushing fitted to the front tube (handguard). This keeps the center of gravity low and significantly reduces perceived torque, particularly with .308 and larger calibers.
You’ll also notice the large half-spherical leg bases. These have been called “golf-ball” feet or, alternatively, “mushroom heads”. Extensive testing showed that this design works really well, particularly for shooting off an uneven or inclined surface. Because the half-spheres contact the ground in just one point, you can easily adjust your rifle’s angle to the target. By contrast, some of the popular sled-type and ski-type bipod feet will dig one end into the ground if the rifle is angled up or down significantly relative to the ground plane. With the golf-ball feet you can shoot on a steep down-angle hill with no problems.
Gary also found that the spherical “mushroom head”-style feet work real well on a shooting mat, sliding back smoothly on recoil without hopping too much. This is good for those guys who like to allow their rifle to slide back a bit to smooth out the recoil and follow-through. If you prefer to hold hard and brace firmly against the backward push of the rifle, you can screw down pointed spikes from the bottom of the ball feet. These spikes can be planted in the ground to anchor the gun against rearward movement. So, the spherical bases offer a choice of two shooting styles.
Gary explains: “The new CSS HD Bipod is designed specifically for my chassis systems. As you can see, the bipod mounts in the end of the hand guard so the rifle rotates on its central axis. Our testing shows that this mounting system works really well at controlling torque effects. The spherical feet are made of delrin so they slide easy if you want to let the recoil move back on recoil. But the round leg bases are drilled and tapped to accept track shoe spikes so you pre-load the bipod and hold hard if you prefer.”
 Both bipod legs are individually adjustable for height with an inner rod sliding in an outer tube on each side. Adjustment is continuous, with height fixed by way of a tensioning knob. It’s fast and easy to adjust height. One or both legs can also be retracted upwards in an arc, so they can be stowed parallel to the barrel (with tips facing either to the front or to the rear). The new Eliseo HD Bipod weighs 1 pound, 10 ounces — reasonably light considering how sturdy these units are. Pricing has not yet been set, but Gary says they should retail for under $200.00. For info, visit CompetitionShootingStuff.com.
January 30th, 2012
Our sharp-eyed researcher EdLongrange spied something very interesting in the 2012 HS Precision Catalog. Among HS Precision’s complete rifle offerings are two competition rifles — an F-Class gun, and (believe it or not) a short-range Benchrest rig chambered in either 6 PPC or 22 PPC. It’s been a long time since a major gun builder came up with a turn-key rifle for the short-range (100/200) benchrest discipline. The HS Precision BCR™ Rifle complies with all NBRSA short-range rules and is even set up with a tight-neck 6 PPC or 22 PPC chamber. The BCR Rifle features a single-shot action, competition trigger and an aluminum trigger guard. And get this — with each BCR Rifle, HS Precision supplies a 5-shot test target measuring .250″ or less. For guys who don’t compete, but would like to use this rifle for varminting, other short-action calibers are available with a ½”, 3-shot 100-yard accuracy guarantee.
Will we see this BCR 6 PPC rifle on the firing line at registered benchrest matches? Probably not, as the $3375.00 price is comparable to what you’d spend for a full custom gun. On the other hand, we’re pleased that HS Precision is building something for the accuracy market. If the gun is a commercial success, perhaps other large gun-makers will follow suit.
New HS Precision F-Class Rifle
In addition to the surprising “point-blank” BCR rig, HS Precision is introducing a new F-Class competition gun, the FCR™, designed to compete straight out of the box. The rifle is available in short or long actions, and in chamberings such as 6.5×284. With multiple barrel lengths, stocks, and accessories available, this rifle “can be made as individual as its user” according to HS Precision. We don’t have a price on the HS Precision FCR, but it looks like a well-thought-out F-Open rig. The listed barrel length is 26″, but we imagine many F-Classers will prefer a longer tube. Hopefully HS Precision will offer a .284 Win or 7mm WSM version with a 28-30″ barrel. For more information, visit HSPrecision.com, or call (605) 341-3006. HS Precision is based in Rapid City, South Dakota.
CLICK HERE to Download 2012 HS Precision Catalog (PDF File).
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