The 2025 Southwest Nationals (SWN) concluded yesterday at the Ben Avery Range outside Phoenix. The individual long-range matches were held for F-Open, F-TR, and Sling shooters. There was a good turn-out, particularly in the F-Open class. The match was very challenging at the end, with strong winds (see Brandon Green short video below). Along with the individual competitions there were team matches for F-Open, F-TR, and Sling (Palma/Optic) Teams. The weekend featured individual and team matches at 1000 yards on Saturday and Sunday. This was preceded by multi-distance (800, 900, 1000 yard) events on Thursday (Team) and Friday (Individual). EDITOR’s NOTE: We are still awaiting the final published results for some events. We will update/correct the information when available.
Shown above are Tim Vaught (left) and Keith Trapp, winners in F-Open and F-TR classes respectively. Congratulations to Tim (F-Open) and Keith (F-TR) for their first-place finishes among very tough competition. Well done!
2025 SWN Long-Range Match, Individual Results
2025 Southwest Nationals F-Open, F-TR, Sling 600-Yard Top 10
F-Open LR Top Ten
TIM VAUGHT 1245-66X *MW*
ROBERT MASSINGILL 1241-59X
DOUG SKOGMAN 1240-62X
ALAN KULCAK 1239-65X
WILLIAM KOLODZIEJ 1236-82X
JOSEPH FAIRLEY 1236-62X HiGS
SCOTT MCNEELY 1235-75X
PETER JOHNS 1235-69X
SHANE HOWETH 1235-68X
JOSHUA MASSINGILL 1235-62X HiJr
F-TR LR Top Ten
KEITH TRAPP 1237-72X *MW*
OLEG SAVELYEV 1234-48X
NIKLAS MONTIN 1227-49X
ALLEN TAMPKE 1223-54X
BRAD SAUVE 1223-47X HiSr
JEREMY NEWELL 1223-40X
ERIC BISSON 1222-53X
ALAN BARNHART 1221-50X
BENOIT VAUTOUR 1221-50X
TRACY HOGG 1220-39X
SLING LR Top Ten
BOBBY GILL A 791-33X *MW*
DAVID LUCKMAN P 790-35X
JUSTIN SKARET A 790-33X
MICHAEL STORER P 788-36X
MIKE KELLEY P 788-34X
JESS MELLEN F 788-28X
LARRY SOLLARS P 787-35X
PHIL HAYES A 787-32X
PARAG PATEL P 787-30X
RYAN HAYES P 786-30X
Forum member Johnnyi praised the folks who worked hard to run this major match: “Thank you so much to all of the volunteers organizers and staff who run one of the best matches in the country. So many friendly and welcoming faces! Much much appreciated in donating your time away from your families to put on this event!”
The Southwest Nationals is one of the few American events where sling shooters compete on the same firing line as F-Class competitors (though in separate groups).
2025 SWN Long-Range Match, TEAM Results
2025 Southwest Nationals F-Open, F-TR, Sling TEAM Results
USA F-TR BERGER 2556-125X
USA F-TR VORTEX 2556-106X
GUN RUNNERS 2551-117X
TEAM USA VIHTAVUORI 2543-114X
SPIN DRIFTERS 2526-102X
SLING LR Top Five
USNRT FRIGUGLIETTI 2570-115X
USNRT-VFB THEURER 2560-119X
USNRT MRNAK 2557-127X
THREE MEN & A BABY 2556-125X
USNRT GROSS 2546-107X
Congrats to the Winning Teams in F-Open, F-TR, and Sling disciplines: F-Open, Bayou Boyz
Captain: Neil Woody, Coach: Peter Johns
Johnny Ingram, Joseph Fairley, Pat Wood, Alan Kulcak, Michael Kurtz
F-TR, Team USA F-TR Berger
Captain: Charles Rowe, Coach: Jim Crofts
Robert Garibay, Todd Strasavich, Kimberly Rowe, Oleg Savelyev, Adam Husted
SLING (Palma), USNRT Friguglietti
Captain: Justin Utley, Coach: John Friguglietti
Michael Storer, Curtis Gordon, Trudie Fay, Benjamin Lucchesi, John Friguglietti
Interview with 2025 F-Open Winner Tim Vaught and Range View Video at Ben Avery:
Here are two members of winning Team USA F-TR Berger with Brandon Green (at left). Brandon posted: “Helping good friends celebrate their F-TR team win yesterday. Great job guys!”
The SWN was made possible this year through the participation of three dozen sponsors including Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori, Applied Ballistics, BAT Machine, Brux Barrels, SEB Rests, Lilja Barrels, F-Class Products, Borden Accuracy, McMillen Stocks, Whidden Gunworks, 21st Century, Sightron, PMA Tool, Kelbly’s, Creedmoor Sports, Doan Trevor, Nightforce, SW Action Works and many other companies.
Photo by Nancy Tompkins near Ben Avery Shooting Facility in 2022. Nancy posted: “Thank you to all of the sponsors, volunteers, and shooters who have traveled from all over… to make this match so special.”
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Forum member Martin Tardif (aka “Killick” in our Forum) competes with a very accurate .284 Win F-Open rig fitted with a Barnard action, Brux barrel, and Eliseo F1 chassis. Unlike some F-Class shooters, Martin has tried many disciplines over the years, including service rifle and Mid-Range and Long Range sling competition. But he told us, “After experiencing arthritis in my hands and wrists, I decided I would dabble with F-Class. And that has turned into a happy obsession.” Today’s story features the object of that happy obsession — Martin’s tack-driving .284 Win he calls the “Red Rocket”.
F-Open Match Rifle — .284 Winchester “Red Rocket”
by Martin Tardif
This is the story of the new “Red Rocket”, my new F-Open rifle. It’s chambered in .284 Winchester (.317″ neck, .220″ freebore). This rifle features Barnard P action, Barnard single-stage trigger (4 oz.), and Brux 30″ one-inch straight-taper, 1:8.5″-twist barrel fitted with Blake Tuner. The barreled action rides in a Gary Eliseo Competition Machine (CMI) F1 F-Open metal chassis with Marine Corps Red powder coat. On top is March 48x52mm fixed-power High Master scope. In a previous incarnation, this same Barnard action served in a wood-stocked F-Class rig, a Red Retromod built from a modified Anschutz stock. I still have the Barnard action (and trigger), but mostly everything else is new.
Here’s the .284 Win “Red Rocket” with CMI F1 Stock, Barnard action, Brux barrel, and Blake Tuner on my SEB Mini at Burbank Rifle and Revolver Club in SoCal.
My previous F-Class rifle started out as a Palma rifle back around 2008. With a modified Anschutz prone stock, that .308 Win Palma sling gun served me well, helping me earn the 2009 California State Palma Championship. Much later I grafted more wood on and whittled that same stock into an F-Open specimen (shown below). That did get me to Long Range High Master but it definitely had limitations. For one it had annoying flex in the fore-end and the buttstock was not aligned with the barrel channel.
I wanted to upgrade my stock to get a more consistent, better-shooting F-Open performer. So in April of 2020 I contacted Gary Eliseo of Competition Machine and ordered one of his streamlined, F1 “boom-stick” chassis units. These feature a very low Center of Gravity. I sent Gary my Barnard action and had Brux send him a barrel that I had won at the 2020 SWN raffle.
This video shows Martin shooting the “Red Rocket” in California
This rifle has been a success from the very start. At its first big match, the 2020 California State Championships, the Red Rocket tied for First Place on points but finished second overall on X-count.
Martin tells us: “The new red Eliseo stock is phenomenal and far surpasses the old red stock on my RetroMod project previously featured on the Daily Bulletin. The three things I like best about this Eliseo F1 chassis system are:
1. The lean, clean, efficient engineering and styling.
2. Easy manipulation of buttstock and cheek piece adjustments, ease of bolt removal.
3. Inherent confidence in its straightness and the durability of all the parts and finish.”
“I’m extremely impressed with the potential of this rig and I have still yet to fiddle with the tuner and test some of my Wolf/KVB primers. It’s all gravy now.” — Martin Tardif
I received the finished rifle in September and was impressed with its stark and consummate functionality and there is no doubt as to that function. The collinear aspect from any angle suggests a Red Rocket Car on the Bonneville Salt Flats, so that’s what I call this rig.
Reloading Methods and Load Development
My virgin brass prep starts with a .284 neck mandrel with the occasional squirt of WD-40, then to the drill press to turn the necks to 0.014″ wall thickness with my PMA Model B turner. After a quick dip in the media tumbler I run the whole batch through my DIY cake pan annealer and they’re ready for sizing. I like the Whidden Gunworks full length bushing dies. I use a .310″ bushing and a loaded round measures .312″. After sizing, I run the cases through the tumbler for 10-15 minutes to clean them up and then they are primed. I’m using my stash of S&B primers with an RCBS benchtop primer seater with a Holland Perfect Primer Seater add-on. I do point my 180-grain Berger Hybrid bullets with a Hoover die (see below).
Here is Martin’s reloading bench. From left to right: A&D FX-120i Force Restoration Scale with Auto-Trickler V3, Hoover Bullet-Tipping Die, Whidden .284 Win FL Sizing Die with PMA click-adjust lock ring, Hodgdon H4350 powder. Martin reports: “I’m also using some of F-Class John’s Auto Trickler Methods — using two powder cups to speed up the process, hash marks on Auto Trickler gear drive, and minimal openings on FX-120i wind guards. These all improve the powder measuring.
Load Development and Accuracy Testing in Competition
I started load testing in November 2020. I tried both H4831sc and H4350 at 100 yards. I usually have excellent results with H4831sc but the Brux tube stubbornly preferred H4350. So I took a preliminary recipe (52.2 grains) to the California Long Range Championship and tied for First Place on points but got beat on Xs. Having seen a little too much vertical at the state match, I went with a lighter load that looked good for vertical at 100 yards (51.8 grains — see photo below). That load got me an overall win at our 1000-yard club match.
I wanted to fine tune that load so I started a seating depth test. I did a final head to head test, comparing .015″ jump (away from first lands contact) and .018″ jump at 1000 yards. The .015″ jump load was the clear winner. This 15-round group was shot at 1000 yards with no flags on an overcast day with no mirage.
The ShotMarker screenshot above shows 15 shots at 1000 yards with bullets seated .015″ out, switching winds and no flags, just watching the mirage. I added .25 MOA up after the first round ‘9’ (me fighting a clean barrel on first shot) and went to town.
Advice for New F-Class Shooters — by Martin Tardif
1. Watch a Top Competitor — Find a good shooter that you respect and watch and take note of their equipment, how they set up to shoot, how they shoot, what conditions they shoot in or don’t. Ideally you should ask to be squadded with them (if possible) so you can score for them. That way you’re not dividing your attention from the shooter you’re supposed to be scoring for. Be mindful not to pester them while they are setting up. Best to wait until they have finished shooting and try to ask questions off the firing line, others still shooting need to concentrate.
2. Cartridge Selection for F-Open– Go to Accurate Shooter’s 7mm Cartridge Guide and scroll to the .284 Winchester section by Charles Ballard. You can read further about the 7mm WSM and 7mm SAUM but for a caliber that’s not fussy you should stick with the .284 Win.
3. Reloading Equipment — To win, you really need ammo as perfect as you can make it. You should be able to find out everything you need to know about reloading equipment via the Accurateshooter Forum’s Reloading and Competition areas. It’s a one-stop shopping brain trust for everything F-Class, Sling, and Benchrest. And the Forum Marketplace is literally a never ending ‘Gun Show’ of For Sale items. It’s a great place to buy quality used stuff for newbies.
As a final bit of advice — BELIEVE the wind — it’s smarter than you are!
Commentary on Metal Chassis vs Wood Stock
I previously had a wood F-Class stock so flexible you could easily pinch the barrel to the fore-end with one hand and hold it there. My Eliseo metal chassis is MUCH more rigid. I don’t think there is any argument that a metal stock is more rigid than wood. I also think a metal stock with its monolithic properties has a more consistent cross-sectional density along its length than a wood stock would have due to the vagaries of grain structure. However I have no experimental data to support that theory, or how that might positively affect shot to shot consistency. I CAN say that the gun shoots better, with smaller groups and higher scores, than the previous wood stock version.
The CMI F1 chassis has three main sections: rear assembly, main assembly, and fore-end. The main assembly is a 27″-long solid billet section with milled cavities for the rear assembly and trigger group. This also supports the action V-Block which cradles the full length of the action. The V-Block is mated to the top of the billet in a milled channel but doesn’t touch the sides to avoid uneven harmonics. The rear assembly hold the LOP-adjustable butt pad/bag rider and “easy off” cheek piece. The 3-piece fore-end is fitted to the main section with screws. The complete F1 chassis with grip and cheek piece weighs 6 pounds.
F1 Chassis Maker Gary Eliseo Talks about His Design
The F1 was designed to incorporate the most important features needed in an F-Open rifle system. Top priority was placed on how the rifle tracked. The chassis had to be perfectly straight, and immune to weather so it will stay straight. On the F1, the fore-end is designed to keep the centerline of the barreled action as low as possible. This super-low center of gravity, along with the tall vertical sides, keep torque to a minimum, so the gun doesn’t twist or hop, but instead comes straight back.
The F1 chassis can be fitted with bedding blocks to accommodate any action. These action bedding blocks are carefully epoxy-bedded to the chassis so the customer’s barreled action is perfectly in line with the central axis of the chassis. In addition to optimizing tracking, I also took a look at how the shooter interfaced with the rifle. I wanted the cheek piece to be narrow so that the shooter would not be forced into applying side pressure on the stock to get their eye behind the scope. The cheek piece is also easy to remove for those who shoot without one. This also facilitates bolt removal.
If you’re interested in an F1 F-Open Chassis, contact Gary via the Competition Machine eMail page. The current price for an F1 Chassis with Cerakote finish (any color) is $1295.00. Lead time is about 12 weeks.
Green Tools for Red Rocket — Martin uses an RCBS Rock Chucker single-stage press on an Inline Fabrication UltraMount. Primers are seated with an RCBS Bench Primer fitted with Holland’s Gunsmithing Perfect Primer Seater Adapter. This provides ultra-consistent primer seating.
F-Class Match Strategies for California Ranges
My strategy for a match clearly depends on the specific location. For instance, at my home range, the Burbank Rifle and Revolver Club, which has several cuts and gullies crossing the canyon, the wind comes primarily from NNE and since the range faces slightly NNE the predominant condition will be a head or right wind so I’m looking for R to L mirage and left angled flags.
By contrast, Coalinga CA is a much more open/exposed range which can make it much more challenging. When you see all the flags going against the mirage for the majority of the string (after you’ve gone for record of course) that can be tough. So I like to watch the wind while I’m scoring and for a few minutes during sighters and shoot them in a few ‘looks’ if I can get them. But sometimes you have to go with your gut if your sighters whisper “go-for-record-you-knucklehead” and so it’s off to the races. It often seems like I should have just chased the spotter when I’m waiting out a fishtail or let-up there.
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Today we share some smart tips from a past F-Class and Sling Champion who is both a great shooter AND a ballistics wizard. Founder of Applied Ballistics LLC, Bryan Litz is the author of multiple books and creator of advanced Ballistics Software.
Bryan is also a highly skilled competitor. In 2015, Bryan Litz won the F-TR Mid-Range AND Long-Range National Championships hosted at Ben Avery. And at the 2014 Berger SW Nationals (SWN), Bryan took top honors among all sling shooters. If you only know Bryan Litz from his Applied Ballistics Books and DVDs, you may not realize that this guy is a also great marksman along with being an actual rocket scientist!
Given his impressive track record in both F-Class and Palma (Fullbore) out to 1000 yards, we asked Bryan if he had any advice for other long-range competitors.
First Bryan provided three tips concerning Ballistics, his special area of expertise. Next Bryan offered three more general tips about long-range competition — how to analyze your shooting, how to choose your ‘wind strategy’, and how to avoid the most costly mistakes, i.e. how to avoid the “train-wrecks”.
Bryan Litz won the 2015 F-TR Mid-Range and Long-Range Championships with this sleek rig:
Litz Ballistics Tips
Ballistics TIP ONE. If you’re having trouble getting your ballistic software to match actual drops, you need to look at a number of possible reasons. Here are some common issues that can cause problems.
Click Values Are Not Exact. Scopes and iron sights don’t always produce accurate adjustments. In other words, if your ballistics program predicts 30 MOA of drop, and you dial 30 MOA but hit low, it might be that your sight actually only moved 28 MOA (for example). To see if your sight is adjusting accurately, shoot a tall target at 100 yards and measure group separation when dialing your sight.
Barometric vs. Station Pressure. This is a commonly misunderstood input to ballistics programs. You can avoid this pitfall by remembering the following: station pressure is the actual measured pressure at your location, and you don’t need to tell the program your altitude when using station pressure. Barometric pressure is corrected for sea level. If you’re using barometric pressure, you also have to input your altitude.
Muzzle Velocity. Chronographs are not always as accurate as shooters think they are — your true MV may be off by 10-20 fps (or more). If your drop is different than predicted at long range, it might be because your muzzle velocity input is wrong.
Mixing Up BC (G1 vs. G7). Knowledgeable long range shooters know that the G7 standard is a more representative standard for modern LR bullets. However, using G7 BCs isn’t just a matter of clicking the ‘G7′ option in the program. The numeric value of the BC is different for G1 and G7. For example, the G1 BC of the Berger 155.5 grain Fullbore bullet is .464 but the G7 BC is .237. If you were to enter .464 but click on G7, the results would be way off.
Ballistics TIP TWO. A properly installed level is absolutely essential for long range shooting. Without a good level reference, your long range wind zero will be off due to minor canting of the rifle from side to side. You can verify that your level is installed correctly on a 100-yard ‘tall target’. Draw a plumb line straight up the target and verify that your groups track straight up this line as you go up in elevation.
Ballistics TIP THREE. If your long range ballistic predictions aren’t tracking, always come back and verify your 100-yard zero. Sometimes a simple zero shift can be misconstrued as errors in long range ballistics predictions.
Litz Competition Shooting Tips
Competition TIP ONE. Improving your scores in long range competition is a constant process of self-assessment. After each match, carefully analyze how you lost points and make a plan to improve. Beginning shooters will lose a lot of points to fundamental things like sight alignment and trigger control. Veteran shooters will lose far fewer points to a smaller list of mistakes. At every step along the way, always ask yourself why you’re losing points and address the issues. Sometimes the weak links that you need to work on aren’t your favorite thing to do, and success will take work in these areas as well.
Competition TIP TWO. Select your wind shooting strategy carefully. For beginners and veterans, most points are typically lost to wind. Successful shooters put a lot of thought into their approach to wind shooting. Sometimes it’s best to shoot fast and minimize the changes you’ll have to navigate. Other times it’s best to wait out a condition which may take several minutes. Develop a comfortable rest position so you have an easier time waiting when you should be waiting.
Competition TIP THREE. Actively avoid major train wrecks. Sounds obvious but it happens a lot. Select equipment that is reliable, get comfortable with it and have back-ups for important things. Don’t load on the verge of max pressure, don’t go to an important match with a barrel that’s near shot out, physically check tightness of all important screws prior to shooting each string. Observe what train wrecks you and others experience, and put measures in place to avoid them.
Looking down-range with F-TR rifle at Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
Bullet Stability and Twist Rates
In this video, Bryan Litz talks about bullet in-flight stability and how to calculate barrel twist-rate requirements for long-range bullets. Bryan explains that bullet stability (for conventional projectiles) is basically provided by the spinning of the bullet. But this spin rate is a function of BOTH the nominal twist rate of the barrel AND the velocity of the projectile. Thus, when shooting the same bullet, a very high-speed cartridge may work with a slower barrel twist rate than is required for a lower-speed (less powerful) cartridge. For match bullets, shot at ranges to 1000 yards and beyond, Bryan recommends a twist rate that offers good stability.
You’ll find more expert information on long-range shooting and ballistics on the Applied Ballistics website and the Bryan Litz Ballistics Facebook page. Bryan’s most recent Facebook post talks about the Coriolis effect — the apparent drift of a rifle trajectory due to the rotation of the earth.
To learn more, we recommend you subscribe to the Applied Ballistics Science of Accuracy — with in-depth articles, brilliant podcasts, exclusive videos and more.
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Erik Cortina is one of America’s top F-Class competitors. He has won major matches and is a member of Team Lapua-Brux-Borden. Erik, who produces his own line of EC Barrel Tuners and Tuner Brakes, also has a popular Believe the Target YouTube Channel which features interviews with top shooters, parts makers, and gunsmiths. For this Saturday Movie showcase, we feature videos created by Erik for his channel.
Interview with Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics
Bryan Litz, head honcho of Applied Ballistics LLC, is arguably the leading ballistics expert on planet earth. A talented shooter who has won major F-Class, ELR, and Palma matches, Bryan is a high-IQ scientist who has developed the ballistics software many of us now use in Kestrels and other devices to calculate scope clicks with extreme precision. In this interview, Bryan explains basic ballistics principles and also corrects some popular misconceptions. This is a great interview that has received much praise from viewers, one of whom has noted: “Bryan is a walking science lab. He puts out amazing data-based info[.]” With 87,000 views, this is Erik’s second-most popular video ever.
Interview with 6-Time Nat’l Long Range Champion John Whidden
CLICK HERE for full 81-minute interview with John Whidden.
John Whidden of Whidden Gunworks is one of the greatest American marksman in history. Shooting sling rifles, John has won the U.S. Long Range National Championship a remarkable six times. He has also won a Palma World Championship, and this summer John won the 2022 Smallbore Prone U.S. National Championship. While a humble individual, John has superb shooting skills and unrivaled mental toughness. In this interview, John talks about the challenges of competition and what motivates him to excel. John also talks about the products he has developed for Whidden Gunworks.
Interview with NBRSA 3-Gun and Tackdriver Champ Bart Sauter
Bullet-maker Bart Sauter is one of the world’s best benchrest shooters. He won the 2022 NBRSA 3-Gun National Championship this year, and he also has won the multi-class Tack Driver event two years in a row. Plus he has set small-group world record at 600 yards. In this very informative interview, Bart talks about bullets, equipment selection, match preparation, and shooting techniques. We think every benchrest shooter should watch this video.
Master at Work — Sauter in Action
If you want to see how a world-class bench shooter runs his rifle, check out this short video showing Bart Sauter in action. He runs five shots in about 9 seconds.
Interview with Tod Hendricks, 2021 F-Open National Champion
A member of Team Lapua/Brux/Borden, Tod Hendricks has been one of the most talented and consistent F-Open competitors for many years. He used his mental toughness and wind-reading skills to capture a National Championship in 2021. In this wide-ranging interview with his team-mate Erik Cortina, Tod reveals what it takes to win in F-Open these days, covering equipment, ammo quality, and match preparation.
Brux Barrels is a machine tool company located in Lodi, Wisconsin, specializing in premium, custom, cut-rifled barrels. Brux barrels have set some impressive benchrest records, and have won championships in multiple disciplines. In this video Erik Cortina interviews Ken Clemens of Brux. They discuss the production process at Brux, from the selection of top-quality steel blanks to the final hand-lapping procedures.
Interview with Lanny Bassham, Olympic Gold Medalist and Author
Erik Cortina recently interviewed noted author and Olympic Gold Medal-winning shooter Lanny Bassham. Erik asked Lanny about his book With Winning in Mind. Lanny discussed the “mental game” in the shooting sports and Lanny’s program for visualization of a winning performance. Lanny explains that after you have mastered your rifle skills, and learned to read the wind, it is important to adopt a winning mentality and to visualize success. Lanny should know. He won a shooting Gold Medal in the Olympics along with 22 world individual and team titles.
Interview with Lindsey Paul, Queen of 2 Miles
Lindsey Paul is the only women to win the King of Two Miles ELR competition, becoming the first-ever QUEEN of Two Miles, shooting a .375 CheyTac. In 2021, the talented lady Texan beat a field of top competitors, including past KO2M Champions, all guys. Lindsey had a truly outstanding performance, including 3 hits in 5 shots at the max distance, 2.0 miles (3520 yards). In this interview, Lindsey, who works in the law enforcement field, talks about the Extreme Long Range (ELR) game, and she also explains what it’s like to shoot the heavy-recoiling .375 CheyTac.
Interview with Frank Galli — Founder of Sniper’s Hide
The founder of the popular Sniper’s Hide Forum, Frank Galli is an online pioneer and living legend in the tactical shooting sports world. A former U.S. Marine Scout-Sniper, Frank (aka “Lowlight”) runs a very active Forum with over 180,000 members. Along with moderating his Forum, Frank runs training clinics and hosts regular podcasts. Frank is also the author of the book Precision Rifle Marksmanship: The Fundamentals, an excellent resource for PRS/NRL competitors as well as tactical marksmen.
BONUS Videos — Two Great Tech and Reloading Videos
How to Find Jam Point on your Barrel
Loading for F-Class
Erik Cortina produces his own line of EC Barrel Tuners and Tuner Brakes. These have been used successfully by many top shooters. View the full line of Cortina Precision products at: ShootSmallGroups.com.
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As a Labor Day Weekend bonus for our readers, we thought we’d celebrate the beauty of highly-figured wood with a collection of custom rifles. In our Shooters’ Forum, there is a long-running Gun Glamour thread that showcases many beautiful wood-stocked rifles. Today we feature some very handsome rifles from that Forum Thread as well as other rifles we’ve featured in the Daily Bulletin.
Two F-Open Beauties with Walnut Laminates
Cerus-stocked Special from Cigarcop
Forum member Keith W. (aka “Cigarcop”) of KW Precision LLC is a talented riflesmith whose projects display outstanding finish work and attention to detail. Keith does some of the best bedding work we’ve ever seen. Back in 2018, Keith built a stunning .284 Win F-Class rig for a shooter in Delaware. It’s a beauty, that’s for sure.
Check out the stunning Cerus F-Open stock. This features multiple laminations with highly-figured Walnut on the sides. This certainly ain’t your “off-the-shelf” laminated stock. This just shows the beauty that can be achieved with carefully-chosen lamination layers (plus 12 coats of clear).
This beautiful F-Open rig features a laminated wood stock with stunning figured walnut on the outside.
A Beauty for the Boss (of Grizzly.com)
This F-Class rifle belongs to Shiraz Balolia, Chairman/CEO of Grizzly Industrial. Shiraz finished the stock himself: “I installed the bottom wider track for my rear bag and also carved out the finger grooves in the grip. The blank was 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-end. I went ahead and inlaid my name in Mother-of-Pearl on the Walnut stock.” The stock was then sent to Sims Guitar Finishing for clear coating with “wet look” finish. This rifle is chambered for the .300 Shiraz wildcat, an improved .300 WSM.
F-0pen Stock made of highly-figured Walnut with Curly Maple inner laminations.
Beautiful Rifles from our Forum Gun Glamour Thread
Here are a variety of handsome wood-stocked rifles from our Forum Gun Glamour thread. In that thread, member Kurz posted a dream gun owned by a friend in England. Kurz included a quote from a book created by the rifle’s owner: “There, with my father’s words ringing in my ears, I shall take that ‘step forward’ and order a perfect machine based on the Mauser ’98 action, built from metal and wood by master craftsmen who truly understand that ‘reliable’ and ‘mechanical integrity’ have as much relevance today as they did all those years ago.”
A gun can “shoot dots” and still be handsome. Here is a short-range benchrest rifle with a stunning, exhibition-grade Walnut stock. Forum member Josh B found this beauty.
Forum member JRS submitted a stunner from Europe. This beauty features a truly exquisite piece of wood with elaborately engraved receiver. It also has escutcheons and special metal work on the grip.
Lever-action Falling Block rifles can be beautiful too. This one features a color case-hardened receiver and handsome two-piece fancy wood stock. This was submitted by Forum member Kurz who notes: “Besides exhibition grade walnut, I like the variations available in spalted maple for rifle stocks.”
Here is member Oldduc’s Stevens 44 1/2, .38-55 Black Powder Cartridge Rifle, with an extra .218 Mashburn Bee barrel. Very nice blueing along with the figured wood stocks and fore-arms.
A competition rifle must be “performance first”. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be handsome too. Forum member XTR’s rifle, an F-TR rig, features Maple wood with Bubinga tips.
Here is “something completely different” — a classic lever-activated Martini Martini Cadet chambered in .20 Vartarg (rimmed). Look at the figure on that fore-end. Remarkable!
And wood can work for Benchrest rifles too, when cleverly fashioned in thin carbon-reinforced laminates. Photo from member mdman352.
“Wood is Good” — as demonstrated by all the rifles showcased above. In the photo below, master stock-builder Doan Trevor handcrafts a highly-figured wood stock.
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The 2024 F-Class Mid-Range and Long Range National Championships were held August 10-17 at the Winnequah Gun Club in Lodi, Wisconsin. The match was a success, drawing 145 competitors in F-Open and 67 shooters in F-TR. Shooters tell us the Long-Range match was tough, with challenging weather conditions. The entire competition — Mid-Range and Long Range — was shot using a ShotMarker Electronic Target System. Each target frame had sensors that locate shot placement (and score) with great precision. This system provides instant score access, and eliminates the burdens of pit duty.
We congratulate the new 2024 Long Range National Champions: Alan Kulcak (F-Open) and Randy Littleton (F-TR). These men both showed great shooting skills and impressive wind-reading abilities — there were some tough conditions in Lodi this year.
F-Open champ Alan Kulcak shot a great match to win with 1390-71X, four points ahead of second-place Peter Johns (1386-72X) and third-place Robert Sebold (1386-60X). F-TR Long Range National Champion Randy Littleton fought a tight battle to the very end. The F-TR LR match went down to the final target with Littleton (1376-54X) edging runner-up Mike Plunkett (1375-56X) by a single point. Now that’s close competition!
Credit AccurateShooter Forum member Turbulent Turtle for all the images in this story. You can see over 340 photos from the match, thanks to Turbulent Turtle and his camera. CLICK HERE to see 2024 F-Class Nationals Photo Archive.
Here are the Long Range Top 10 for F-Open and F-TR:
F-Open LR Top 10
1 Kulcak, Alan (HM) 1390-71X
2 Johns, Peter (HM) 1386-72X
3 Sebold, Robert (HM) 1386-60X
4 Dileva, Dan (HM) 1384-73X
5 Skogman, Doug (HM) 1384-72X
6 Fairley, Joseph (HM) 1383-67X
7 Nettesheim, Brian (HM) 1382-73X
8 Basalla, Matthew (HM) 1382-67X
9 Kolodziej, William (HM) 1382-63X
10 Mitchell, Ryan (HM) 1382-62X
F-TR LR Top 10
1 Littleton, Randy (HM) 1376-54X
2 Plunkett, Mike (MA) 1375-56X
3 Trapp, Keith (HM) 1373-57X
4 Hubbard, Tom (HM) 1373-50X
5 Hogg, Tracy (HM) 1370-51X
6 Strasovich, Todd (MA) 1367-44X
7 Lucy, Dale (MA) 1363-41X
8 Klemm, Ian (HM) 1362-55X
9 Casale, Lou (MA) 1362-53X
10 Faloon, Christopher (HM) 1360-46X
Long Range F-Class Nationals Team Competition
In F-Open Long-Range team competition, Team Bayou Boyz won the F-Open Team title followed by Team Lapua-Brux-Borden (Second) and Team Vihtavuori (Third). It was a close match, with the Bayou Boyz (1590-83X) edging Team Lapua-Brux-Borden by a slim 2-point margin (1588-83X) with the same X-count. Congrats to Team Bayou Boyz members: Joseph Fairley, Johnny Ingram, Peter Johns, and Alan Kulcak.
Team Bayou Boyz won both the Long Range and Mid-Range F-Open Team events.
In F-TR LR Team competition, Team Vortex (1583-80X) finished first, followed by Team USA White and Team USA Red. Team Vortex recorded an impressive victory, winning by 20 points over runner-up squad Team USA White (1563-54X). Congrats to Team Vortex members: Tracy Hogg, Ian Klemm, Brad Sauve, and Keith Trapp.
Team Vortex recorded an impressive 20-point win in the F-TR Long Range Team Match.
The Mid-Range F-Open event saw tight competition. We congratulate new Mid-Range Champ Johnny Ingram who edged second-place Jim Fowler by two points. The top five F-Open finishers were separated by just five points and third-place finisher Matt Basalla had the highest X-Count with an impressive 99X. In the F-TR division, 2024 Mid-Range Champion Tom Hubbard put on a dominant performance, winning by ten points with the highest X-Count (87X) among all F-TR competitors.
Here are the Mid-Range Top 10 for F-Open and F-TR:
F-Open Mid-Range Top 10
1 Ingram, Johnny (HM) 1783-95X
2 Fowler, Jim (HM) 1781-82X
3 Basalla, Matthew (HM) 1779-99X
4 Waite, Boe (HM) 1779-92X
5 Brooks, David (HM) 1778-88X
6 Kulcak, Alan (HM) 1777-78X
7 Thomas, Jamie (MA) 1777-71X
8 Stob, James (HM) 1776-86X
9 Basalla, Gwen (HM) 1776-70X
10 Zwahr, Brandon (HM) 1775-86X
F-TR Mid-Range Top 10
1 Hubbard, Tom (HM) 1770-87X
2 Gavrock, Gabriel (HM) 1760-68X
3 Crofts, James (HM) 1759-78X
4 Conrad, Keith (HM) 1756-73X
5 Retzloff, Robin (EX) 1755-62X
6 Faloon, Christopher (HM) 1749-63X
7 Brindle, Jerry (HM) 1749-55X
8 Wiens, Gerry (HM) 1746-62X
9 Sowa, Mike (EX) 1743-58X
10 Dixon, Richard (HM) 1739-59X
Mid-Range F-Class Nationals Team Competition
In Mid-Range Team Competition, Team Bayou Boyz (1598-115X) won the F-Open Division while Team USA White (1585-87X) won the F-TR Division. Congrats to the Mid-Range Bayou Boyz (Johnny Ingram, Peter Johns, Alan Kulkak, and Pat Wood) and to USA White (Keith Conrad, Christopher Faloon, Dale Lucy, Mike Plunkett). There were 17 teams competing in F-Open, and 10 Teams competing in F-TR.
CLICK HERE for 2024 F-Class Nationals Program and Match Rules. NOTE: This official program incorrectly states that Silver Mountain electronic targets are used. Instead the ShotMarker system was used.
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The USA F-Class National Championships are underway right now in Lodi, Wisconsin. The Mid-Range Championships run August 10-13, 2024, while the Long Range F-Class Championships start on the 14th and run through August 17, 2024. With the Mid-Range event underway today, as you read this, top F-Open and F-TR shooters are aiming their rifles at 600-yard targets. VIEW Nationals Match Program HERE.
2024 NRA F-CLASS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
NRA F-CLASS MID-RANGE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AUGUST 10-13, 2024
NRA F-CLASS LONG RANGE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AUGUST 14-17, 2024
Event hosted by Winnequah Gun Club and sponsored by Brux Barrels, Criterion Barrels, Krieger Barrels, and Silver Mountain Target.
There will be two divisions at The F-Class National Championships: F-Open and F-TR. In F-Open the rifles can shoot any cartridge type (up to .35 caliber) and have a 22-lb (10kg) weight limit. A front rest is allowed, and most shooters favor a rest with a joystick control.
In F-TR, two cartridge types are allowed: .223 Remington (5.56×45) or .308 Winchester (7.62×51 NATO), with no restrictions on bullet weight. F-TR rifles are fired off a bipod attached to the rifle’s fore-end. The F-TR weight limit is 8.25 kilograms, or about 18 pounds. This includes the weight of the rifle, scope, and bipod. A sandbag can be used under the rear of the stock. Because of the lower weight limit, which includes the bipod, F-TR stocks tend to be much slimmer and lighter than F-Open stocks which have wide fore-arms to work with the front rests.
F-Open Cartridge Options — Modern Magnum Options
For Today’s Sunday Gunday Story we feature an article about F-Open chamberings by respected rifle builder and past F-Open National Champion Emil Kovan. In this article, Emil reviews some of the new magnum cartridge options that are being employed by F-Open competitors. Many shooters are still using the .284 Winchester (or variants), but an increasing number are shooting 7mm and .30-caliber cartridges based on magnum cartridge types. The 7mm is probably still the favored caliber for F-Open because 7mm bullets offer great ballistics with less recoil than heavier .30-caliber projectiles.
Cartridges for F-Class Part II — Rise of the Magnums
A few seasons back, I wrote an article on cartridge choices for F-Class shooters. CLICK HERE to READ ARTICLE. Since the first article I wrote, F-Class has continued to grow, and push the limits of precision and accuracy. While the .284 Win and its variants are still the most common F-Open cartridges, more and more top F-Open shooters are using magnum cartridge types to win competitions and set new records. In this article, I will list some of the advantages and disadvantages of the most commonly used magnums, and will cover the strengths and weaknesses of each one of them.
Performance factors we will consider for magnum F-Open cartridges include:
1. Equal or better accuracy than standard chambers
2. Better ballistic performance
3. Enhanced case life
4. Barrel life
Accuracy Potential of Magnum Cartridges for F-0pen Competition
John Meyrs has won four National Mid-Range Championships using the .300 WSM. Tim Vought used the same cartridge to win two Mid-Range Nationals and used a 7-6.5 PRC to win the long range Nationals. Standard .437″ case head (.308 Win head size) cartridges still have more Nationals wins overall, but the magnums are quickly catching up, and my prediction is that magnums will dominate soon.
The accuracy and precision potential of magnums used in F-Class (.300 WSM, 7-270 WSM, 7mm RSAUM or “7 SAUM”, 7-6.5 PRC) is better than non-magnum cartridges because their shapes are closer to the ideal “fat/short” body associated with wider nodes and extreme precision. For example a .300 WSM is proportionally much closer to the 6 PPC, 6 Dasher, and 6 BRA than is the .284 Winchester.
Stunning F-Open rifle with SEB Mini front rest with Blake Machine accessories.
The first thing that comes to mind when magnums are discussed is power and speed. In my humble opinion most shooters are missing out on accuracy because they push their magnums right past the most stable and accurate nodes. Recently I met my good friend from the Army Marksmanship Unit, SFC Brandon Green, at a shooting competition. We discussed the latest and greatest in long-range shooting. I knew that the USAMU had switched from 6.5-284 Norma to 7mm RSAUM several years back, but didn’t know what load they are currently using. Brandon told me that the load featured Berger 180gr hybrids in Nosler cases at 2820 fps. We all know that the 7 SAUM is capable of much higher speeds, “but at around 2820 fps the load/rifle combo will hammer the X-Ring anywhere under any conditions” SFC Green said.
F-Open rifles on the firing line at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
Most shooters jump right into magnum territory velocities when testing, missing out on better precision at standard chamber speeds. For example, my 30 KMR can easily reach 2880 fps with 230gr Hybrids, and it actually shoots pretty good. But the same rifle at around 2770 fps will absolutely hammer the X-Ring in any condition anywhere. When it’s all said and done, F-Class is a long-range shooting competition at a known distance which requires extreme precision and accuracy. It is not a speed race.
IMPORTANT — Case-Head Dimensions Do Make a Difference
Magnums, when shot within reasonable velocities, on average will give better case life due to the bigger case + lower pressure and “more meat” in the case-head area. For example a 7 SAUM case will outlast a .284 Win case when both are loaded to around 2900 fps.
Disadvantages of Magnum F-Open Cartridges
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage linked to magnums is recoil. Some people complain about developing the “gun shy” syndrome after shooting a magnum for a while. Muzzle blast and recoil are significantly more pronounced in magnums, but that can be easily managed with a properly-built rifle equipped with appropriate recoil mitigation hardware such as RAD and the various butt plates.
F-Open rifle equipped with recoil reduction buttpad system.
Barrel Life — “Barrels are Expendable Components”
It is true that certain magnums can torch a barrel in just a few hundred rounds. But the same is true when improving a 6BR to 6 Dasher for example — barrel life might be reduced significantly. More powder = more heat = diminished accuracy after a certain round count. In my experience, a F-Open magnum’s barrel life is very close to high-performance standard cartridges such as the .284 Shehane or .284 KMR. I “retire” my barrels around 1200 rounds regardless of the cartridge being a magnum or not. After that many rounds most barrels will still shoot OK but will copper up, and you will start seeing those unexplained vertical 9s. The bottom line is this, barrels are expendable components very much like brass. You can’t get the performance of .300 WSM and the barrel life of the .308 Win at the same time. If you want to race in NASCAR, fuel mileage should not be the top priority!
Top Magnum Cartridge Types Used in F-Class Open Division
.300 Winchester Short Magnum
The .300 WSM (Winchester Short Magnum) tops the popularity chart in F-Class Open division. It has been used to win numerous National championships and has set many National records. The .300 WSM’s short/fat case shape, with minimal body taper and 35-degree shoulder, contribute greatly to its outstanding performance at long range. Components are readily available as well. Best brass remains to be Norma, although ADG is just as good and some would even say better, but it is more expensive and harder to get at this time.
The .300 WSM has been described as a “super-sized Dasher”.
For the .30-cal magnums, in my opinion, the best bullets by far are made by Berger. If your rifle does not shoot 215gr, 230gr hybrids, or 210gr VLDs well, you likely have a rifle problem, NOT a bullet issue. My “go to” bullet is the Berger 230gr Hybrid. The 215-grainer is a close second, followed by Berger’s accurate but ballistically inferior 210gr VLD, which I use in calm and steady conditions.
Top powders for the .300 WSM are Hodgdon H4831SC and H4350. I know there are many more powders suitable for the .300 WSM cartridge, but none I have used can match Hodgdon’s consistency when shot in different geographical locations and weather conditions.
7mm Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum
The 7mm RSAUM (aka 7 SAUM) used to be the darling of F-Open. Its case capacity and shape are about perfect for launching 180gr pills with great ballistics and precision. Its popularity faded a little, due to the lack of good brass, and the rise of the improved versions of the .284 Win which can almost match the RSAUM performance. Norma still makes 7 RSAUM brass which is pretty good but little on the soft side and hard to find. ADG is arguably producing the best RSAUM brass right now. It is very uniform, reasonably priced, and seems to hold up very well even when pushed hard. The best bullets are again made by Berger, and those are the 180gr hybrid, 184gr hybrid, and 180gr VLD. Best powders are H4831sc, H4350, and Alliant Reloder 16 and Reloder 23.
7-270 WSM, 7-300 WSM, and 7 WSM
The first two are pretty much identical, the only difference being that the 7-270 WSM is necked up .270 WSM while the 7-300 WSM is a .300 WSM necked down to 7mm. I personally prefer the first one since necking-up is easier than necking-down (with fewer doughnut issues).
The WSM case-based 7mms will give you great velocity flexibility as well as superb precision when tuned well. In the 2013 world championship in Raton NM, I was scoring for a gentleman from Canada who was shooting 7-270 WSM. The wind was blowing pretty hard that day. On one of his shots, just before he pulled the trigger the wind gusted. I remember thinking that’s going to be an 8 for sure. The target came up a line 10! I asked him after the match what he was shooting, and he replied 180s at 3100fps. Although capable of such speeds, I think that potentially better and more consistent accuracy can be achieved at much slower speeds. The best powders and bullets are again Hodgdon and Berger respectively. Best cases are made by Norma and ADG, with Winchester being a third option.
7-6.5 PRC — Popular Wildcat
Last but not least on our chart is the 7-6.5 PRC. This particular cartridge is actually a wildcat. It is a 6.5 PRC necked up to 7mm. It is pretty much identical to the 7 RSAUM with the only differences being a shorter neck and .01″-narrower body. Currently the 7-6.5 PRC is the most requested cartridge that I offer when building new rifles. It seems to fill the gap between the .284 Win and the larger magnums very nicely. It is capable of reaching 3000fps but most shooters are getting their best results around 2920-2950 fps. The biggest advantage of this wildcat is brass. Lapua makes super high-quality, readily-available 6.5 PRC brass. Best powders are H4831sc, H4350, Reloder 16, and Vihtavuori VV 555. The best bullet in my opinion is the 180gr Berger. I am yet to hear about a better-performing bullet in this chamber.
Conclusion In conclusion, magnums are not perfect but their performance advantages should be very seriously considered when building a rifle for long-range F-Class. In part three, I will list the most common wildcat magnums, and present the KMR magnums which will make you (if you haven’t already) buy a magnum action and get a magnum build for sure!
– 2014 F-Class Open National Champion
– 2015 F-Class Open National Championship, Silver Medal
– F-Class Open National Championship Teams, 2015, 2014, 2013, Shooting Team Member
– Over 15 wins in Regional and State Championships in Palma, F-TR, F-Open
– 2013 U.S. National Team Member
– 2023 F-Open Gold Medal Team USA Member, 2023 World Championship in South Africa
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Do you have an Eliseo Tubegun that you use for sling-shooting competitions, but would like to try your hand at F-Class Open matches? Well here is a low-cost, yet very effective add-on that can transform your TubeGun into a serious F-Open rifle. The bolt-on rails also work great for load development if you want to use a front rest with 3″-wide front bag for greater stability and repeatability.
Competition Machine’s Gary Eliseo is a very smart designer as well as a talented shooter. The inventor/builder of the popular Competition Machine Tubegun chassis systems, Gary offers a bolt-on bag-rider accessory. Gary call this his PickleFork fore-end extension. The Pickleforks are rails that fit to the sides of the tubular fore-end/handguard on his chassis systems. This allows you to use a pedestal-style front rest for F-Class competition.
Pickleforks also provide a much more stable platform for load testing, varmint hunting, or any kind of rest-assisted precision shooting. These PickleForks transform a Tubegun into an ultra-stable, straight-tracking rig when used with a competition-style front rest.
Gary explains: “Now you can have the same super low-boreline, long ‘wheelbase’ and vertical sides of our innovative F1 F-Class chassis system for your tube chassis. The new PickleForks attach directly to the sides of the F-Class/Tactical fore-ends, no modifications are required. They are very rigid with no flex or twist and make the rifle track like it’s on rails.” The new Eliseo Competition Machine PickleForks are offered for a very reasonable $70.00 per pair, with Cerakote finish. (You get two metal units, one for each side of the fore-arm). For more information, visit www.GotXRing.com or call (928) 649-0742.
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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Mike Kurtz’s Competition Machine F1 “Pro-Mod” F-Open Rifle
Today’s Sunday GunDay article showcases a modern F-Open Rifle built on a Competition Machine Aluminum Chassis. This is quite a bit different than a typical F-Open rifle with a laminated wood or wood/carbon stock. But the rifle shoots extremely well, and has already won some mid-range F-Open matches.
The rifle’s owner, a highly respected vehicle mechanic, explained his objective with this rifle: “I wanted to build a second F-Open rifle to shoot primarily 600-yard Mid-Range and also serve as my back-up long range rifle. That way I can use the same brass, bullets, and primers. So it would be chambered in 7mm-6.5 PRC, the same as my other F-Open rifle. That rig is a 7mm-6.5 PRC with Cerus XR stock, BAT Neuvo action, and Bartlein 1:9-8.7″ gain-twist barrel. I absolutely love that rifle and it has achieved several top honors. But for this project, I wanted to try some different rifle components to see how they performed in this same caliber. So I decided to go with Brux barrels, BAT Neuvo aluminum action (but see below), and an Eliseo Competition Machine F1 aluminum alloy chassis.”
BARREL SPECIFICATIONS: I ordered two Brux 7mm x 33″ barrels with 1:8.5″ twist. The contour was supposed to be 1.350″ diameter for 5″, tapered-down to 1.150″ diameter at the muzzle end. However, when the barrels arrived they were tapered down to 1.050″, a bit smaller. The folks at Brux admitted the work order was mis-read and offered to take back the barrels and make me two more. Or, I could keep the barrels with nice discount. I contacted my gunsmith, Omar Alonzo, for his advice and he said to keep them, they would shoot just fine. That turned out to be a blessing because the total rifle weight is now just three ounces under 22 pounds with one of these barrels. Omar chambered it with his 7mm-6.5PRC “no-turn” reamer that was used on my Cerus rifle. The Brux barrel was finished at 32″ with the muzzle end threaded for a V2 tuner.
ACTION and TRIGGER: I intended to use an aluminum BAT Neuvo action because I anticipated weight may be a concern, but they were on back-order with no lead time in sight. So for now I went with a used steel BAT Model M, 1.47 Octagon action that I acquired via the AccurateShooter Forum marketplace. This is a RBLP Right Eject action with magnum bolt face and 20 MOA integral Picatinny rail. The trigger is a Bix’N Andy Competition also scored on the Forum, set at 3 ounces. [NOTE: I now have an aluminum Neuvo AL in my possession. However, the F1 rifle is shooting so well, I’ll save the aluminum Neuvo for a future build.]
STOCK and FINISH: When I was planning my second F-Open 7mm-6.5 PRC rifle build, Gary Eliseo’s F1 aluminum chassis was my immediate choice. I was already familiar with Gary’s products since I started out three years ago with a used 6BR-chambered R1 tube gun. I purchased it from a Forum member and I adapted it for Mid-Range F-Open very successfully. Being a long-time drag racer and fabricator piqued my interest in these aluminum chassis combos. I contacted Gary Eliseo at Competition Machine and ordered his F1 F-Open Chassis System with one of his custom-machined bedding blocks for the Bat M action I acquired off the Forum.
Video of F1 Chassis Rifle in Action
Turn-around time was just about eight weeks, including aligning and epoxying the action bedding block into the chassis. Gary Eliseo offers full custom Cerakote services for his customers but I had something else in mind so I had the chassis sent to me “raw”, i.e. with a bare aluminum finish. At first I thought about polishing some or all the entire chassis but that would be too high maintenance. I decided to go with anodizing as I have done in the past with many race car components. Anodizing is an electrochemical process that converts the metal surface into a decorative, very durable, corrosion-resistant, anodic oxide finish that’s pretty tough and looks great!. This finish is available in many colors and in clear.
While I was surfing the internet looking for some color/combo ideas I stumbled on a local custom anodizer who had dozens of some really wild and crazy anodizing patters and color mash-ups. I messaged Stephen @ Caustic Customs and told him about my project. He replied that his specialty is paint-ball guns and this would be his first long gun but, hey, it’s aluminum! I gave him all the pieces of my F1 chassis. There were a couple of his patterns I really liked so I asked his opinion which he thought might look best for my project. He replied why not both? So I instructed him take both patterns and “run with it”. The end result is the Icy-Hot blue/red finish as seen in the pictures.
It all came together at Alonzo’s Custom Rifles in Pasadena, Texas. Omar hand-lapped the action bedding block surface to smooth-out some tiny high spots. He then skim-bedded the action with an epoxy filler to make sure the action made 100% contact with the bedding block. Barrel chambering, action fitting, trigger tuning, and final assembly was performed by Omar.
I finished the rifle with a hydraulic recoil pad from Falcon Strike and Anarchy Outdoor’s Penguin Precision Grip. Gary designed the F1 to utilize AR15-style grips. The Falcon Strike pad is not as sexy as the R.A.D. unit I have on my Cerus-stocked rifle, but I think its recoil-absorbing performance is up there with the R.A.D. unit. So, if a RAD is not in your budget or if weight is a concern, you can’t go wrong with a Falcon Strike recoil pad.
SCOPE/RINGS: My intention was to switch my March-X 8-80x56mm Majesta High Master scope between my two rifles. However the hefty stainless Bat M action nixed that idea. So to ensure the new rifle would be F-Open legal weight I went with a used March-X 10-60x56mm High Master scope that I acquired through the AccurateShooter Forum Marketplace. That 10-60X March, shown in the video, is almost 11 oz. lighter that my 8-80X March-X Majesta HM. NOTE: In some of the photos here, the rifle is fitted with an older March 8-80X scope (NOT the latest Majesta). The rings are March Superlight Titanium Ghost Rings — under 5 oz. for the set, the lightest I could find.
F-Open F1 Chassis Rifle Specifications
Chambered for: 7mm-6.5 PRC Wildcat
Stock: Competition Machine F1, F-Open Chassis, Falcon Strike Recoil Pad, Anarchy Outdoors Penguin Grip. Custom anodizing by Caustic Customs.
Trigger: Bix’N Andy Competition trigger
Action: Bat Model M — Right Bolt, Left Port, Right Eject with 20 MOA scope rail
Barrel: Brux 7mm, 1:8.5″ twist, 32″ overall, 1.350″ x 5″, tapering down to 1.050″, V2 Tuner
Scope: March-X 10-60 High Master, MTR-1 reticle. March Ultra-Lite Titanium Ghost scope rings.
Gunsmith: Alonzo Custom Rifles
CARTRIDGE COMPONENTS and LOADING METHOD: I use Lapua 6.5 PRC brass, Berger 180gr Hybrid bullets and Federal 210M primers. New brass necks are expanded to 7mm and skim-turned to get a consistent .014″ neck thickness. I use a 35-degree cutter and go just a slight bit into the shoulder to ward off donuts. I then chamfer the flash holes, uniform the primer pockets, full-length size the cases, then expand and trim/chamfer the necks. My fired brass gets annealed, wet-tumble cleaned, full-length sized/expanded, and trimmed in that order. Bullets are pointed and then sorted by OAL. Primers are sorted by height and then by weight. I apply Neo-Lube to the inside of the necks with a foam Q-Tip for consistent seating psi.
This is from a 600-yard match shot with the F1 rifle a few months ago. Despite a strong wind from behind constantly switching right to left, I scored a 200-12X — good enough for Second Place.
LOAD DEVELOPMENT PROCESS: Thanks to some good 7mm-6.5 PRC load data posted on AccurateShooter.com, it helped me with a starting point to find a nice velocity node at 2865 fps using Hodgdon H4350. I did this by shooting some 2-shot groups seated .010″ off the lands. my focus was to find a node where the velocity leveled-out in at least two 0.5 grain increments in the 2850-2880 fps range. I then did a seating depth test at 100 yards to find my ideal seating depth which ended up at .024″ jumped. Next, I did some 3-shot groups at 100 yards to dial-in he barrel tuner until I got at least two consecutive ultra-tight groups. I verified that setting with a one-hole, three-shot group.
About Mike Kurtz
Michael Kurtz is owner/operator of Century Automotive & Transmission. An ASE Master L1 Technician since 1983, Mike has been an avid drag racer over the last 40 years. Mike notes: “I never owed any kind of rifle until I retired from racing. Got bit by the accuracy bug and learned about F-Class in 2021. I read several reloading and long range shooting books while I scoured the AccurateShooter Forum Marketplace for a rifle, scope, rests, and reloading equipment for my first F-Open rig. Most all of my major components I acquired via online Forums. I have to attribute the early success of my F-Open accomplishments to the vast content found on AccurateShooter.com.
I am also a member at Bayou Rifles Inc. in Houston Texas where I’ve learned from some of the best shooters in the country. The competition here is fierce but the camaraderie is second to none!”
Last weekend, a prestigious competition, the V2 Finale, was held in Texas. This double-elimination match is the culmination of the F-Class Points Series conducted around the country. The F-Class Points Series V2 Finale was held May 23-26, 2024 at the Bayou Rifles Juliff Range in Rosharan, Texas. This is a unique competition with head-to-head pairs competition from start to finish. The event attracted leading F-Open and F-TR shooters including many past National Champions. There were tough conditions this year, with hot and very humid weather. To learn more about the F-Class Points Series visit FclassPointsSeries.com.
We congratulate the 2024 V2 Finale Champions, Norm Harrold in F-Open, and Scott Kyle in F-TR division.
F-Open third-place finisher Erik Cortina told us: “The fourth Vihtavuori V2 Finale was a success. Bayou Rifle Club proved to be a challenging range and gave way to many nail-biting matches. After three days of grueling competition, two shooters came out on top. Norm Harrold won F-Open and Scott Kyle won F-TR”. CLICK HERE to see more photos from the recent competition.
Here the Top 8 V2 Finale F-Open competitors receive their awards. Left to right are: Norm Harrold (Champion), Joe Fairley (2nd), Erik Cortina (3rd), Peter Johns, Tim Vaught, Matthew Bassala, Doug Skogman, and Jay Christopherson.
This Erik Cortina video features interviews with many top shooters including Norm Harrold (F-Open winner), and Scott Kyle (F-TR winner). The two F-Class John short videos below feature music (very cool).
High-Tech Hardware on the Firing Line
There was some interesting hardware on the firing line. With the electronic target systems used, competitors could see shot locations/scores via mobile WiFi devices. Many shooters also had spotting scopes which allowed then to watch wind and weather conditions on the 1000-yard range. And to beat the heat some shooters had battery-powered portable fans.
Above Erik Cortina, Cortina Precision, shoots his F-Open rifle with SEB NEO-X Front Rest.
Match photos from 2024 courtesy Denys Beauchemin, aka “Turbulent Turtle” in our AccurateShooter Forum. CLICK HERE to see more photos in 2024 V2 Finale Photo Archive.
Many of the Canadian F-TR shooters used a handy unitized base pad for their bipods. This provided consistent support and smooth tracking for both ski-type bipod feet.
Here are six of the Top 8 F-TR shooters: Scott Kyle (Champion), Brad Traynor (2nd), Allen Tempke (3rd), Ray Weaver, Robin Retzloff, Eric Bisson. Not present are Skip Barkley and Adam MacDonald.
Match Organizers Thank Vihtavuori and Other Sponsors
“We’re thrilled to extend our partnership with Vihtavuori for the 2024 V2 Finale event! As one of our original sponsors, their direct support has been instrumental in bringing this event to life and supporting its growth, commented Tod Hendricks, F-Class Point Series member. “Now serving as the lead sponsor, Vihtavuori’s continued generosity ensures that events like ours can flourish, offering fresh and exhilarating experiences in the competitive shooting sports arena.” Along with Vihtavuori, other V2 Finale sponsors included: Borden Accuracy, SEB Rests, Brux Barrels, and PrecisionPay. Our friend F-Class John served as Match Director.
This was a high-tech match with video cameras and electronic target monitors. Shown above is the main video recording station on the firing line. This was used by Erik Cortina to monitor/record match video feeds. The video below shows the Bayou Rifles Juliff 1000-yard range where the V2 Finale was held.
F-Class Points Series Rules and Course of Fire
The F-Class Points Series is a yearlong F-Class points system and leaderboard, that culminates in the V2 Finale, which pits F-Class competitors against each other in a bracket-style double elimination match. Sixty-four competitors, 32 for each class (F-Open and FT/R), are invited to the Finale based on their series ranking. Since the V2’s inaugural series in 2021, partnerships have begun in Canada, South Africa, Italy, and Australia. The 2024 Finale was held May 23-26 at Bayou Rifles in Rosharon, Texas.
CLICK HERE for V2 Finale and F-Class Points Series rules. For more information on the F-Class Points Series and V2 Finale, visit FClassPointSeries.com.
This new-format match pits F-Class competitors against each other in a bracket-style double elimination match. The elite field (32 per class) is selected via a preceding Points series. In the past targets were placed at 1000 yards. In something unusual for an American F-Class match, in the V2 Finale all shooting will be done via PAIR FIRING, with shooters going head-to-head with alternating shots. The listed course of fire for 2024 is:
3.1. 2 CONVERTIBLE SIGHTERS AND 15 SHOTS FOR RECORD AT 1000 YARDS, PAIR FIRE
3.2. 2 CONVERTIBLE SIGHTERS AND 10 SHOTS FOR RECORD AT 1000 YARDS, PAIR FIRE
3.3. 5 SHOTS FOR RECORD AT 1000 YARDS, PAIR FIRE
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Erik Cortina of Team Lapua has won the 2024 Texas State Long Range Championship for an unprecedented fifth time. Loading Berger 7mm 180 Gr Hybrid Target bullets in his own 7mm PRCW cartridge (formed from Lapua 6.5 PRC cases) Cortina outshot all F-Open competitors and scored a 993-51X. Erik has his own company, Cortina Precision, which produces barrel tuners, tuner/brakes, dies, and other products.
The Texas State Long Range Championship hosted by Bayou Rifles, took place April 12-14 at the Juliff Rifle and Pistol Range in Rosharon, Texas. The Texas Long Range Championship hosted the top shooters from around the USA, competing in both F-Open and F-TR disciplines.
“This year, the Texas State Long Range Championship adopted the Bisley pair fire format. This format requires shooters to alternate shots rather than string fire. Time limit is 45 seconds per shot. Reading the wind and staying focused is essential, so I decided I was going to ignore my partner’s shots and shoot my own match the entire weekend”, commented Cortina. “It worked out and I secured my 5th Texas State Championship with a five point margin. It’s one of the most fun matches I have ever attended.”
The F-Open category requires a rifle weighing no more than 22 pounds and chambered in any caliber .35 and under. Rifles are fired from the prone position with rear sandbag and adjustable front rest.
This F-Class John video shows the Texas match and includes an interview with Erik Cortina.
One of the world’s best F-Class competitors, Erik has won many other major F-Open titles in recent years, including the 2023 Southwest Nationals (see below), and the 2023 South African Championships held right before the F-Class World Championships last year. Below is a photo of Erik at the Southwest Nationals in 2023 with his winning rifle:
Great Shooter Interviews on Erik Cortina’s YouTube Channel
Erik also has a popular YouTube Channel with gear reviews and excellent long-format interviews with talented competitive shooters. CLICK HERE to see the videos on Erik’s Believe the Target Channel.
Lapua is a part of the Capstone Precision Group, exclusive U.S. distributor for Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori and SK-Rimfire products. For more information, visit Lapua.com.
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Vihtavuori Powders, a leading choice of competitive target shooters and long-range hunters, returns as the title sponsor of the F-Class Points Series V2 Finale. The 2024 V2 Finale will be held May 23-26, 2024 and at the Bayou Rifles Juliff Range in Rosharan, Texas.
“We’re thrilled to extend our partnership with Vihtavuori for the 2024 V2 Finale event! As one of our original sponsors, their direct support has been instrumental in bringing this event to life and supporting its growth, commented Tod Hendricks, F-Class Point Series member. “Now serving as the lead sponsor, Vihtavuori’ s continued generosity ensures that events like ours can flourish, offering fresh and exhilarating experiences in the competitive shooting sports arena.”
The F-Class Points Series is a yearlong F-Class points system and leaderboard, that culminates in the V2 Finale, which pits F-Class competitors against each other in a bracket-style double elimination match. Sixty-four competitors, 32 for each class (F-Open and FT/R), are invited to the Finale based on their series ranking. Since the V2’s inaugural series in 2021, partnerships have begun in Canada, South Africa, Italy, and Australia. The 2024 Finale will be held May 23-26 at Bayou Rifles in Rosharon, TX.
CLICK HERE for V2 Finale and F-Class Points Series rules. For more information on the F-Class Points Series and V2 Finale, visit FClassPointSeries.com.
This new-format match pits F-Class competitors against each other in a bracket-style double elimination match. The elite field (32 per class) is selected via a preceding Points series. In the past targets were placed at 1000 yards. In something unusual for an American F-Class match, in the V2 Finale all shooting will be done via PAIR FIRING, with shooters going head-to-head with alternating shots. The listed course of fire for 2024 is:
3.1. 2 CONVERTIBLE SIGHTERS AND 15 SHOTS FOR RECORD AT 1000 YARDS, PAIR FIRE
3.2. 2 CONVERTIBLE SIGHTERS AND 10 SHOTS FOR RECORD AT 1000 YARDS, PAIR FIRE
3.3. 5 SHOTS FOR RECORD AT 1000 YARDS, PAIR FIRE
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There will be two divisions at The F-Class National Championships: F-Open and F-TR. In F-Open the rifles can shoot any cartridge type (up to .35 caliber) and have a 22-lb (10kg) weight limit. A front rest is allowed, and most shooters favor a rest with a joystick control.
In conclusion, magnums are not perfect but their performance advantages should be very seriously considered when building a rifle for long-range F-Class. In part three, I will list the most common wildcat magnums, and present the KMR magnums which will make you (if you haven’t already) buy a magnum action and get a magnum build for sure!
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