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March 29th, 2010
2010 F-Open Class Champion Derek Rodgers, a young shooter from Albuquerque, New Mexico, proved that youth and skill can triumph over age and experience. Though Derek had placed third in F-TR class at the 2009 Nationals, this was Derek’s very first year competing in Open Class at the Nationals, and his NRA Classification was “Sharpshooter”. Derek’s win was a great victory for an unheralded newcomer. On the last day of the competition, Derek put together three superb 1000-yard matches, out-shooting High Masters and past National Champions to secure the Open Class title. Derek finished with 1330-57X, five points ahead of runner-up Ken Dickerman (1325-57X).
Ironically, Derek only decided to shoot in Open Class only because his favorite F-TR rifle is currently being upgraded by his gunsmith, and so the rifle wasn’t ready for the Nationals. (We suspect some F-Open competitors wish that gunsmith had finished Derek’s F-TR rifle a bit sooner).
 Derek brought a 300 WSM to the Nationals, a “big boomer” by F-Class standards. A fan of “heavy bullets”, Derek loads his 300 WSM with high-BC, 210gr JLK bullets. In Derek’s home state of New Mexico, strong winds are the norm. Shooting in those conditions has shown Derek the effectiveness of heavy 30-caliber bullets at long range. Derek’s load certainly shot well in the windy conditions during the final 1000-yard match on Sunday. While some of Derek’s success can be attributed to his wind-bucking WSM (built by Score High Gunsmithing in New Mexico), he also is a careful reloader who “goes the whole nine yards” to produce the best possible ammo. Derek anneals, weight-sorts and neck-turns his Remington brass. He weight-sorts and ogive-sorts his 210gr JLK bullets, and he points up the tips for uniformity. He spared no effort in loading for the Nationals because he knew “those other guys are really, really good.”
The Sierra Cup (at left) is presented each year to the U.S. F-Open Class National Champion. This year Derek Rodgers’ name will be placed on the trophy alongside other F-Open Champions including John Brewer (2004), Jeff Cochran (2005), Eric Bair (2006), Robert Bock (2007), and Charles Ballard (2008, 2009).
March 29th, 2010
The 2010 U.S. F-Class Nationals concluded yesterday. It was a big success, drawing nearly 120 individual competitors and 18 teams. Young Derek Rodgers (Sharpshooter Class, 1330-57X) from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the new Open Class Champion, and Californian Lane Buxton (1302-42X) won the F-TR division using a .308 Win Palma Rifle with Sierra #2156 bullets. Forum member Ken Dickerman finished second in F-Open posting a 1325-57X. Past multi-time F-TR Champ Danny Biggs shot F-Open this year, finishing third with a 1324-67X. While we are still waiting to receive ALL the final official results, it appears Danny set the high X-count for the match, while shooting with a Sinclair bipod equipped with a vertical adjustment knob. (The Open-class guns work amazingly well off the wide-base bipods.) Charles Ballard, the reigning (back to back) F-Open champ, finished seventh in F-Open.
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New F-Open Champ Derek Rodgers was shooting a 300 WSM with 210-grain bullets. This heavy bullet/short magnum combo performed well in the windy afternoon conditions during Sunday’s afternoon matches. Most of the other top F-Open competitors were shooting a .284 Win or some other 7mm. Charles Ballard told us told us: “with so many guys shooting 7mms this year, the competition is tougher than ever. If I had a caliber advantage before… that’s gone. With the winds we had in the afternoons, I’m not surprised Derek Rogers did well with his 300 WSM and the heavy bullets. I want to congratulate Derek on his well-deserved win.”
The team event was hotly contested, with 18 teams on the line, most of which were in F-TR Class. In Open Class, the North American Shooters Team, coached by Bryan Litz won the Berger Trophy for the 600 + 1000-yard combined Aggregate, as well as the 1000-yard Team Match. The Sierra Spindle Shooters team took first place in the 600-yard Team Match. In F-TR Team shooting, Savage Shooters pulled off a clean sweep, winning the 600-yard match, the 1000-yard match, AND the Team Aggregate. Congrats to Savage Shooters!
NAS Team shooters (left to right): David Mann, Dean Morris, Bryan Litz (coach), Rick Jenson, Larry Tait.
F-Open Class Results
Winner: Derek Rodgers (Sharpshooter) – 1330-57X Nat’l Champion
Second: Ken Dickerman (High Master) – 1325-57X
Third: Danny Biggs – 1324-67X – High X Count?
Fourth: Jeff Cochran – 1324-28X
Fifth: Jeff Traylor – 1323-51X
High Woman: Brenda Hill – 1302-31X
High Senior: Larry Bartholome – 1321-51X
High Grand Senior: Danny Biggs – 1324-67X
F-TR Class Results
Winner: Lane Buxton – 1302-42X – National Champion
Second: Robert Lach – 1297-36X
Third: John Hayhurst – 1293-37X
Fourth: Jeffery Rorer – 1293-28X
High Senior: Robert Lach – 1297-36X
High Grand Senior: Peter Church – 1279-31X
Complete Results for Download
Check the attachments for all the scores. FCNAT2010OPEN.doc has all the F Open scores and FCNAT2010TR.doc has all the F-TR scores.
Download All F-Open Scores/Standings | Download All F-TR Scores/Standings
March 24th, 2010
The 2010 U.S. F-Class Nationals kick off tomorrow, March 25th in Sacramento. Match dates are: March 25, 26, 27, and 28. The venue is the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center range in Sloughhouse, California, just east of Sacramento. The F-Class National Championship is one of the biggest long-range shooting events of the year. Match organizers expect upwards of 150 competitors from the USA and other nations including Great Britain, Canada, Australia and (possibly) South Africa.
If you have questions about the range facilities or driving directions, call Sac Valley Shooting Center at (916) 354-9668. The Center is located approximately 15 miles South/East of the city of Sacramento. To navigate to the range, take a look at the map above. The Sac Valley staff cautions: “Do not use GPS or Map Quest to get to the range. On the Dillard Road side is an unpaved, nearly impassible rock road. Use Ione Road to approach Meiss Road [from the east]“. You can also get detailed, turn by turn directions (from main approach highways), on the Sac Valley Shooting Center website.
UNITED STATES F–CLASS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2010
DATES: March 25, 26, 27, 28, 2010
LOCATION:
Sacramento Valley Shooting Center
P.O. Box 1407
15501 Meiss Road
Sloughhouse, California
Ph. 916-354-9668
March 6th, 2010
It’s already March 6th, and that means the 2010 U.S. F-Class Championships is less than three weeks away. That’s right, this year the F-Class championships will be held in March instead of October. The venue is the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center range in Sloughhouse, California, just east of Sacramento. 2010 Match dates are: March 25, 26, 27, and 28.
We know you east-coasters may still be shoveling snow, but it’s time to pack up those F-Class rifles, start loading ammo and get prepared for one of the biggest long-range shooting events of the year. There will be shooters from across the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, and likely from Australia and South Africa. Match organizers expect upwards of 150 competitors.
 This year the course of fire is at two distances: 600 and 1000 yards. There will be three days of individual competition and a one-day team match. Lunch will be served at the range each day, and a huge barbecue is included for Saturday. The awards for placing high in the standings will be great, but the prizes drawn randomly from all of the competitors participating will be even better.
If you’re curious about the location and how the Nationals are run, check out this report on the 2006 F-Class Nationals previously held in Sacramento.
UNITED STATES F–CLASS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2010
DATES: March 25, 26, 27, 28, 2010
LOCATION:
Sacramento Valley Shooting Center
P.O. Box 1407
15501 Meiss Road
Sloughhouse, California
Ph. 916-354-9668
Web site: www.sacvalley.org
February 3rd, 2010
Many of our readers have been looking for a folding shooting mat that does double duty as a rifle case. Well, the NRA just released such a combo mat/carry case that appears to have all the needed capabilities. In carry mode, the case is 48″ long by 13″ wide. The rifle is stowed in a padded center section, and held in place with velcro straps. A center handle lets you carry the bag like a suitcase, or optional shoulder straps allow backpack-style carry. These straps stow away in a zippered compartment when not in use.
When you arrive at the range, just open up the bag and you have a 3 foot wide by 6 foot long shooting mat with rubberized “elbow” contact zones. In shooting position you’ll find a convenient pouch for ammo on the right, and a place for your log-book on the left. Constructed of tough, 600D polyester with heavy-duty silent zippers, the NRA Mat includes four multi-position pouches: a 9″ x 8″ clear map / document pouch, a 10″ x 10″ zippered ammo pouch with 20 cartridge loops, a 9½” x 10″ exterior MOLLE pouch, and a 9″ x 18″ utility / strap pouch. The front exterior has MOLLE loops to attach additional pouches.
The NRA combo carry case/shooting mat costs $99.95, in either “coyote” tan or black. We think thats a pretty good price considering that a quality roll-up mat by itself can cost $80.00 or more and you still need a rifle case. This mat would be a good choice for F-Class shooters, and for long-range High Power shooters, provided their rifle is less than 45-46″ overall. Measure your gun before you order this product from the NRA Store.
January 20th, 2010
Manners Composite Stocks builds very strong, stiff stocks employing advanced manufacturing methods and high tech carbon fiber materials. In this video, stock-maker Tom Manners showcases his new products for 2010. These include the handsome new MCST 5A Tactical stock, composed of 30% carbon fiber, 65% fiberglass. Though as strong as any comparable stock on the market, the MCST 5A weighs just 4.1 pounds. Tom also displayed his impressive “long wheelbase” F-Class stock. A full 7″ longer than any other F-Class stock on the market, the Manners F-Class stock features all-carbon construction and a unique “fish-belly” design that provides extra rigidity so the stock tracks smoothly without the “springboard effect” common to some other low profile stock designs.
Tom also previewed the new Manners Mini Chassis, an integrated v-block/bottom metal/mag carriage. Manners’ Mini Chassis can be installed in one of Manners stocks or other designs, and it provides a rock-solid, “bolt-in and go” mount for a Rem-700 footprint action. The Mini Chassis takes both 5-round and 10-round AI magazines.
December 27th, 2009
AccurateShooter.com offers dozens of FREE, printable targets for target practice, load development, and fun shooting. We also offer a few samples of the most popular NRA Bullseye targets. One or more of these printable targets should work for most training purposes. However, some readers have asked “where can we get the real targets… exactly like the ones used in NRA, IBS and NBRSA shooting matches?”
Sources for Official Shooting Competition Targets
Here are six (6) sources for official match targets: ALCO Target Company, American Target Company, National Target Company, Orrville Printing, Pistoleer.com, and U.S. Target Company. All five of these vendors carry nearly all the NRA High Power and Smallbore targets, including the new, smaller F-Class Targets. Most sources also have international 300m and 300m-reduced-to-300-yards targets.
National Target and Orrville Printing currently sell IBS targets for rimfire (50 yard) benchrest, short-range centerfire Benchrest (100, 200, 300 yards), Hunter BR Rifle (100, 200, 300 yards), plus the official 600-yard and 1000-yard IBS targets. However, this year the IBS designated Orrville Printing as the official source for IBS 100-200-300-600 group and score targets. Orrville Printing was selected after an extensive review of available target papers in 2008. Clubs hosting IBS registered shoots may use up old stock, but new purchases should be from Orrville Printing.
We are told that National Target supplies NBRSA matches. One other NRA-licensed target vendors is Central Target Company (Kentucky), (502) 895-3390, but it appears that Central Target doesn’t maintain a web site.
| Available Official Competition Targets |
| Vendor |
NRA High Power |
F-Class |
NRA Smallbore |
Air Rifle/Pistol |
IBS |
NBRSA |
Other |
ALCO Target
Company |
Yes, All |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Archery, IDPA, IPSC, Police, Realistic, Shoot-N-C, Silhouette, Fun Targets, Pasters. |
American Target
Company |
Yes, All |
Yes |
Yes, All |
Yes |
No |
No |
USBR, Sight-in, Muzzle-Loading, Police Silhouette |
National Target
Company |
Yes, Nearly All |
Yes |
Yes, All |
Yes |
Yes* |
No |
IDPA, IPSC, FBI, Police Silhouette, Sight-in, Target Backers, Pasters |
| Pistoleer.com |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, most and color training |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Bianchi, FBI, IBS, IDPA, IPSC, Silhouette, Archery, Pasters |
| U.S. Target, Inc. |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, All |
Yes |
No |
No |
Bianchi, FBI, Police Silhouette, IPSC, Realistic Silhouette, Varmint |
| *National Target Co. is allowed to sell off remaining IBS Target inventory. |
ALCO Target Co., Ph: (626) 358-4814, 2048 Central Ave., Duarte, CA 91010
American Target Co., Ph: (877) 733-0433, 1328 South Jason St., Denver, CO 80223
National Target Co., Ph: (800) 827-7060, 3958-D Dartmouth Ct., Frederick, MD 21703
Orrville Printing Co., Ph: (330) 682-5066, 1645 N. Main St., Orrville, OH 44667
Pistoleer.com, Ph: (618) 288-4588, 12 Schiber Court, Maryville, IL 62062
U.S. Target Inc., Ph: (800) 746-6836, 16472 Common Rd., Roseville, MI 48066
Alternate NBRSA Target Source
NBRSA 600-yard and 1000-yard targets are also available from Karl Huntstiger, wfo13 [at] aol.com, 2901 E. Cortez Street, Phoenix, AZ 85068.
December 1st, 2009
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The latest issue of Target Shooter online magazine has been released and you should definitely check it out. The December issue of Target Shooter is really good — maybe the best yet. READ it here: www.Targetshooter.co.uk.
This month you’ll find an outstanding article by Vince Bottomley, “Building a Rifle for F/TR Class”. Whether you’re shooting F-TR now, or have an F-TR rifle in the works, this story is a “must-read” that will help you choose the right equipment and wring the best performance from it.
The six-page “Hand-loading for the .308 Winchester (Part 2)”, by Laurie Holland, is a fact-filled article that all .308 shooters shoot read and archive. Holland carefully measured various brands of .308 brass, recording weights and neck thickness (see chart below). Even if you are an experienced .308 reloader we guarantee you’ll learn something new from this article. |
The December Target Shooter is chock full of other content covering a wide array of shooting disciplines — from Air Pistols to Black Powder Cartridge Rifles. There’s even something for collectors of historic military arms — Nigel Greenaway’s guide to the Enfield No.4 (T) sniper rifle. This issue also includes a 6-page holiday shopping guide featuring interesting new products as well as low-cost “stocking stuffers”. You can read Target Shooter online via a browser plug-in, and print pages you want to save. In addition, you can now downline the entire month’s content as a handy .pdf file for off-line reading.
October 4th, 2009
As the trophy presentation concluded, our correspondent, John Whidden, filed this report from the 2009 F-Class Nationals at Camp Butner, NC. John reports that Charles Ballard (1328-62X) successfully defended his 2008 F-Open Title, edging Jim Murphy (1327-59X) by just one point. Both men were shooting 7mms — Ballard a straight .284 and Murphy a 7mm short magnum. The duel between Ballard and Murphy went down to the wire, but Ballard is now the F-Open Champ for the second year in a row. In F-TR class, Danny Biggs also won his second straight National Championship, finishing first with 1288-38X, four points ahead of Jeff Rorer (1284-34X). Congratulations to Charles and Danny on their back-to-back victories, and all the shooters who competed at the Nationals!
| F-Class National Championships, 2009 Final Results |
F-Open
1st Charles Ballard: 1328-62X
2nd Jim Murphy: 1327-59X
3rd Brian Otey: 1321-47X |
F-TR
1st Danny Biggs: 1288-38X
2nd Jeff Rorer: 1284-34X
3rd Derek Rogers: 1283-33X |
Milder Winds on Saturday, but Challenges Remained
Whidden reported that conditions were better on Saturday (Oct. 3) than on Friday: “On Friday it was tricky — winds were whipping everyone’s tail.” On Saturday, John said: “Winds were generally lighter, predominantly from the left, and a good deal more readable. We didn’t see the fishtailing winds as before. Saturday was a warm day, with highs about 85° and lots of sunshine.”
Even with milder weather, shooting at Butner can be challenging. John told us: “Having shot the Butner range before is definitely an advantage — experience helps. There are a few nuances you have to learn. For example, there is some vertical that comes off the berms, particularly if you have headwinds or tailwinds.” However, John added, “this vertical treated everyone pretty much the same. One side of the range wasn’t worse than another.” John noted that squading changes on Saturday (shifting from 4 relays to 6, with fewer firing points) created some initial confusion and made for a longer day. After shooting about half the match with six relays, shooters were re-organized back to four squads. Overall, however, everything went pretty smoothly.
Image courtesy NRAblog.com.
October 2nd, 2009
Congrats to Team Sierra Spindle Shooters and Team Sinclair. The Sierra-sponsored Spindle Shooters won both the 600- and 1000-yard team events for F-Open and the F-Open Team Aggregate. Likewise, Team Sinclair won both 600- and 1000-yard events and the Team Aggregate for F-TR. In the process of winning the F-TR Team Championship, Team Sinclair set new records. Brad Sauve, Team Sinclair shooter, posted: “I am proud to announce that Team Sinclair, sponsored by Sinclair International and Sierra, set new national records at the 2009 F-Class National Championship at Camp Butner. The new 600-yard team record is now 784-40x and the new 1000-yard team record is now 774-20x. Paul Phillips did a fine job coaching the team (and also shooting) along with Jeff Rorer and Derek Rodgers.” Finishing second in F-TR Team competition was the USA Veterans Team, while Charles Ballard’s Precision Rifle & Tool Team was runner-up to the Spindle Shooters in F-Open class.
Sierra Spindle Shooters: Shawn Ahrens, Jeff Cochran, Brett Solomon, Jeff Traylor.
Team Sinclair: Paul Phillips, Derek Rodgers, Jeff Rorer, Brad Sauve.
Click Here to View All TEAM Results (PDF File)
Individual Results through Friday
There’s one more day left in individual Competition. Currently, after two days of shooting, Charles Ballard (893-48X) leads F-Open, followed by Jim Murphy (888-43X), and Larry Bartholome (885-29X). In F-TR Class, Danny Biggs (866-31X) is in first place, with Jeff Rorer (864-28X) two points behind, and Darrell Buell (859-18X) in third. There are 87 competitors in F-Open Class, and 56 in F-TR.
CLICK HERE for All Individual Standings Through Friday (Excel file)
 Whidden’s Report from Butner
John Whidden writes: “Today’s conditions have been very tough and most shooters have been humbled! Clearly the leaders figured something out but most of us struggled. Danny Biggs has a 2-point lead lead in F-TR while Ballard is up by 5 in the F-Open class.
Winds started out fairly mild for the first string but all of that changed shortly afterward. Winds were from behind the firing line and fishtailing. Wind velocity climbed through the middle of the day and any slight angle change could easily have shooters crying the blues. Mirage offered little help mostly looking like a boil. As the time for team match arrived things were starting to calm a bit. The last shooters to shoot the team match all had realtively easy conditions.
Again the day at the range was long. Firing was completed near 6:00 PM. Tomorrow’s schedule holds three, 15-shot strings of individual fire and no team match. Weather is forecast to be milder with highs of about 82° F.”
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