The folks at F-TR Ireland send greetings from the Emerald Isle: “Wishing all our friends … around the globe all the very best. Beannachtai na Féile Phádraig! (that means “St. Patrick’s Day Blessing”.) Hope you all have a great St. Patrick’s Day … whether be you Irish by birth, heritage, or aspiration!”
Your Editor sends a Happy St. Patrick’s Day greeting to all our AccurateShooter.com Bulletin readers. As an Irish-American whose great-grandfather was born in County Donegal, I’m proud to wear green today. But lest readers think that Ireland is only a land of shamrocks, lucky leprechauns, and Riverdancers, be aware that Ireland has an active community of precision shooters. In 2011, the National Rifle Association of Ireland unveiled the beautiful new 1200-yard range in Tullamore, at the Midlands National Shooting Centre. Also in 2011 Tullamore was was the site of the first modern-era Creedmoor Cup Challenge Match between Irish and American Teams. The Yanks won that year, but that was just the beginning of a great rivalry.
Midlands National Shooting Centre of Ireland In the year 2000, the National Rifle Association of Ireland (NRAI) was formed. One of its primary goals was to promote fullbore target shooting in Ireland. The NRAI needed a home and that home was found on the bog of Derrymore in Blueball just outside Tullamore in County Offaly. In 2000, a 400-yard range was built on the site. Three years later the 600-yard “Windmill” range, the first of its kind in modern Ireland, was also built to allow for mid-range target shooting. The site was christened the Midlands National Shooting Centre of Ireland (MNSCI) and with it the story of Irish F-Class began. No sooner had the 600-yard range been built at the MNSCI, when the NRAI formed a national F-Class league bringing together like-minded shooters from all over Ireland.
Irish Rifle (Crafted by Enda Walsh of Custom and Precision Rifles Ireland)
Irish Shooting Range (National Shooting Center, Tullamore, Ireland)
Benchrest Competition in Ireland
Along with long-range and F-Class shooting, benchrest shooting (both rimfire and centerfire) is also popular on the Emerald Isle. Here are images from a major rimfire match sponsored by the National Rimfire Benchrest Association of Ireland (NRBAI).
This video shows a variety of .22 LR rifles shooting Ireland rimfire matches from the bench. It’s great to see the many different rifle types and front/rear rests.
What’s wrong (or right?) with this picture? Does the “F” in F-class refer to “Fauna”? Look carefully at this Bisley Range photo taken by Australian R. Hurley while looking downrange through his March 8-80X scope. The photo was taken in 2015 at the Bisley National Shooting Centre in the UK.
The Story Behind the Photo
British shooter T. Stewart reports: “I was there when this photos was taken. All I can say was that Mr. Hurley was firmly reminded that should said deer accidentally jump in front of his bullet … he would spend five years ‘At Her Majesty’s Pleasure’.”
“That morning we had five deer moving across the targets, literally blocking the V-Bull. Since we were on the 900-yard Firing Point, and elevated for such, obviously the bullet would pass well above them. But they do NOT move or flinch at the noise or passing bullets since they are not hunted on the Bisley Ranges. Earlier this year we saw a herd of 20 or so deer grazing slowly across the Range.”
More Fauna Findings…
Apparently Bisley is not the only place were “the deer and the antelope play”. In Canada, on the Connaught Ranges near Ottawa, Ontario, shooters often encounter a variety of wildlife. William McDonald from Ontario says: “Animals are a common sight on the Range. Along with deer we see geese, turkeys, and coyotes on a daily basis.”
Likewise, E. Goodacre from Queensland, Australia often sees ‘Roos on his home range: “I shoot at Ripley, Australia, and shooting is regularly interrupted by kangaroos. Our last silhouette match was delayed by an hour while 30 ‘Roos dawdled across — silly buggers!”
R. Hurley wasn’t the first fellow to view deer through his F-Class rifle’s scope. After seeing Hurley’s photo from Bisley, B. Weeks posted this image, saying: “Been there, done that!”
Just last week hundreds of F-Class shooters competed at the 2026 Southwest Nationals in Phoenix, Arizona. The vast majority of F-TR shooters had rifles chambered for the .308 Winchester cartridge (7.62×51), but F-TR rules also allow the .223 Rem (5.56×45). There are some advantages to the smaller .223 Rem round — there’s notably less recoil, bullets and brass are significantly cheaper, and a lot less powder is required. For those who are considering campaigning a .223 Rem F-TR rifle, this story explains how an accurate .223 Rem load was developed. This load development was done by a father for his daughter who was getting started in F-Class competition.
Dad builds an F-TR Rifle for his Daughter and Develops Load
Jeremy Rowland decided to put together an F-TR rifle for his eldest daughter, who enjoys competitive shooting. For his daughter, Rowland chose the .223 Rem option because it has less recoil and components are less costly than the .308 Win. Here is Rowland’s account of how he developed a .223 Rem load. For more details (with data charts), read Jeremy’s FULL STORY on Sierra Bullets Blog.
Journey to Find a .223 Rem F-Class Load
by Jeremy Rowland, Reloading Podcast
My oldest daughter has been to several matches with me, and has even competed in several, using her .243. [A few seasons back] I decided, she would compete with a .223 Rem in F-TR. Looking for a good starter rifle, I settled on the Savage Axis Heavy Barrel since it has a 1:9″ twist. This would be a great little rifle for her to learn on. The rifle was shot unmodified, as it came from the factory. A Sinclair F-Class Bipod w/micro elevation adjustment was fitted to the front.
Next came finding the components I wanted to use for her match loads. After spending hours and hours running numbers on JBM stability calculator as well as in my iPhone Ballistic AE app, the 69 gr Sierra Tipped MatchKing® (TMK) looked really good. So that’s what I decided to go with. I jumped in head first and ordered a bulk pack of the Sierra 69 gr TMKs. I had settled on Hodgdon CFE 223 powder since it shows good velocity. I decided to go with once-fired Lake City brass with CCI BR4 primers.
Next came the testing. I decided to run a ladder test (one shot per charge from min to max looking for the accuracy node). The ladder test ranged from 23.5 grains to 25.6 grains, in 0.3 grain increments.
Bullet: 69 gr Sierra Tipped MatchKing®
Case: Lake City (mixed years, sorted by case capacity)
Primer:CCI BR4
Powder: Hodgdon CFE 223 (one round each from 23.5 to 25.6 grains)
Cartridge OAL: 2.378″
Base to Ogive: 1.933″ (.020″ off lands)
After his ladder test, Rowland settled on a load of 25.2 grains of Hodgdon CFE 223. He then fine-tuned his load with different seating depths: “I loaded up 5 rounds each at .020″ off lands, .015″ off lands, .010″ off lands, and .005″ off the lands. Here are the results from the best group for OAL/Ogive fine tuning. As you can see, I think I’ve found a winner in these 69 gr Sierra Tipped MatchKings.”
The 2026 Southwest Nationals (SWN) have concluded. Held at the impressive Ben Avery range in Arizona, the 2026 SWN was a very successful event with good conditions (for the most part) and impressive scores by shooters in all three divisions: Sling, F-Open, and F-TR. We congratulate the new SWN Grand Agg Champions: Bobby Gill (Sling), Ryan Mitchell (F-Open), and Brad Sauve (F-TR). This was familiar territory for Sauve who has won the SWN F-TR title before.
The SWN has both individual and team competition in all three classes. The winning team in the Sling Division was Team USAMU 2564-124X (Capt.: Jarrod McGaffic / Coach: Verne Conant). The top F-Open team was LOS CHINGONES 2590-153X (Capt.: Dennis Ray / Coach: Brian Bowling). The F-TR team competition was dominated by Team USA F-TR VORTEX 2575-123X (Capt.: Ian Klemm / Coach: Keith Trapp).
The 2026 SWN had very high participation in all classes. Observers said that 2026 may have rivaled the highest total turn-out in many years. Weather-wise, we’re told that conditions were “very manageable” for most of the week until the final day of individual competition. Wind angles and velocities became quite hard to diagnose on that last day. As a result many top shooters dropped multiple points in the last individual relay and this created major shake-ups in the leaderboard, with some very skilled shooters dropping out of the Top 20 after an otherwise impressive week.
A special congrats to our friend Gary Eliseo who actually ended up with the highest Sling Division overall score, 1240-64X. But because he used a scope throughout the match he could not win the Sling Grand Aggregate.* Gary Eliseo reported: “I had a great time at SWN 2026. It was a privilege to catch up with so many friends from around the country, managed to shoot a PB too! My UMRS/6.5 El-Mo did everything it could to make me look good.”
SLING TEAM Top 3
Team 44 USAMU HM 2564-124X
Team 49 USNMT VFB MRNAK HM 2564-115X
Team 46 USNRT GILL HM 2562-122X
F-OPEN Grand Aggregate Top 10
1. Ryan Mitchell, 1245-83X, Match Winner
2. Joe Traylor, 1245-74X
3. Tim Vaught, 1245-69X
4. Jason Simes, 1243-73X
5. Gwen Basalla, 1243-66X
6. Brad Johnson, 1242-78X
7. Pat Scully, 1242-74X
8. Erik Cortina, 1242-71X
9. Emil Kovan, 1242-64X
10. Brian Bowling 1241-78X
F-TR TEAM Top 3
Team 23 USA F-TR VORTEX HM 2575-123X
Team 21 USA F-TR BERGER HM 2568-118X
Team 13 CREEDMOOR SPORTS GOLD MA 2556-111X
Report from F-Open Competitor John Masek (F-Class John)
This year’s Southwest Nationals appeared to have the highest attendance I’ve ever seen. The Mid-Range match on Wednesday isn’t usually all that full but this year every firing position was used which is something I’ve never seen before in Mid-Range. Long range was also sold out which I believe is around 365 shooters with the majority being in the F-Open category. I don’t know the exact count, but there were nearly three full pages of F-Open shooters listed — that means there could’ve been close to 200 F-Open shooters. Overall there was beautiful weather with mostly gorgeous conditions during the week, and it was great seeing everyone from across the country and even the world.
Conditions were manageable for a lot of the shooters throughout the week with some of the highest scores I’ve ever seen — 16 F-Open shooters all shot a perfect 450 points on the Palma day Friday. Saturday got just a little trickier, but still many of the top shooters were managing to only have dropped a couple points over the two days. Sunday started with mild conditions again, but the final relay on Sunday afternoon completely shook the leaderboard up. While there were certainly top shooters who were able to hold their positions… but just as many dropped quite a few places down. It was one of the trickiest conditions I’ve ever seen that didn’t involve giant winds.
* Scopes help older sling rifle shooters whose eyes are starting to wear out. But, Gary Eliseo explains: “In this event, the match director dictates that a Palma rifle be used on the first day, and if you want to shoot an ‘any rifle’ on Day Two it also must have iron sights with the third day being ‘any sights’ so ‘F-sling’ is a category where ‘any sights’ are allowed to be used on all three days but that makes us ineligible to win the Grand Aggregate.”
Today marks the third day of competition at the 2026 Berger Southwest Nationals (SWN). And yes, it’s Friday the 13th — causing some concerns among competitors. The superstitious types among the competitors viewed the day with some trepidation. But most shooters didn’t worry too much about the date — they were more concerned about calling the wind correctly. As Bryan Litz said at the SWN a decade ago: “I don’t believe in superstition. We make our own luck”.
On Wednesday, February 11th, the 600-yard competition was held for all three competition classes: Sling (Palma), F-Open, and F-TR. 600-Yard match results for all three classes are shown below for the Top 10 in each class. For F-Open, F-TR, and Sling Divisions there were three relays, each with 20 rounds for score. Thus, the maximum possible score was 600-60X. There were some very impressive performances with the top 9 F-Open Shooters, top 5 F-TR Shooters, and Sling Winner Fazal Mohideen not dropping a single point. Congrats to the winners — Fazal Mohideen, Sling P 600-34X; Cal Waldner, F-Open 600-49X; and Brad Sauve, F-TR 600-44X. CLICK HERE for full 600-yard results for all competitors.
600-Yard SWN Top 10 Results
Here are the Top TEN 600-Yard Competitors for each Division:
Sling (Two Divisions, “P” and “A”) 600-yard Top 10
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). At the SWN this sling division has two sub-classes: “A” for “Any Rifle, Any Sight” and “P” for Palma rifles.
F-Open 600-yard Top 10
1. Cal Waldner 600-49X (Match Winner, MA)
2. Antun Kovacevic — 600-48X (MA)
3. Joe Traylor — 600-44X (HM)
4. Jason Simes — 600-42X (HM)
5. Dan DiLeva — 600-40X (HM)
6. Brian Bowling — 600-39X (HM)
7. Ryan Pierce — 600-37X (HM)
8. Eric Houser — 600-36X (HM)
9. Martin Tardif — 600-31X (HiGS)
10HM. Peter Johns — 599-47X (HM)
10MA. Noah Burleson — 599-47X (MA)
Modern F-Open Rifle with SEB Mini front rest with Blake Machine accessories.
F-TR 600-yard Top 10
1. Brad Sauve — 600-44X (Match Winner, HM)
2. Keith Trapp — 600-43X (HM)
3. Alan Barnhart — 600-39X (HiGS)
4. Alton Johnson — 600-35X (HiSr)
5. Anthony Jordan — 600-34X (HM)
6. Tracy Hogg — 599-42X (HM)
7. Adam Husted — 599-38X (MA)
8. Ryan Crozier — 599-36X (MA)
9. Benoit Vautour — 598-42X (MA)
10. Jeremy Newell — 598-39X (HM)
F-TR Rifle looking downrange at the targets.
Palma Format Multi-Distance Matches on Friday the 13th
Today, Friday is the Palma format match. This is not limited to “hard-hold” sling Palma rifles, but the match utilizes a multi-distance target sequence similar to Palma rifle matches. All three rifle classes will be shooting: Sling, F-Open, and F-TR. There will be three target distances with 15 shots for record at 800, 900, and 1000 yards.
In the video below, you’ll see highlights from last year’s SW Nationals from the break of dawn throughout the day. This also features new products on display. This video was created by our friend F-Class John, who is competing right now at the 2026 SWN event.
Yes, as we start 2026, there’s snow on the ground in many parts of the nation. There have been some big snow-storms in the northeast, with very cold weather in many parts of the country.
Rifle Transformed from Ordinary Varmint Rig to a Stunning F-TR Machine
As an antidote to these weather-related worries, for this Sunday GunDay we’re offering a bit of beauty amidst snow — a handsome rifle showcased in a white winter wonderland. This handsome rifle started life as a rather ordinary .204 Ruger Rem VSSF varmint rig. With a new barrel, a new stock, and a stunning flame-pattern hydro-dip coating, this is now an ultra-accurate .223 Rem F-TR competition rifle.
Flames in the Snow…
Forum Member Brandon Schlund (aka “Bois Blanc Boy”), photographed this handsome flame-themed F-TR rifle against the snowy background of Michigan’s Bois Blanc Island. Brandon posted this to our long-running Pride and Joy Rifle Forum thread. He notes: “This is my first F-TR build, which started out as a stock Remington .204 Ruger. I had the action blue-printed, firing pin was bushed by Speedy, and I had a new bolt handle and knob installed by John Pierce.” This rifle is now fitted with a 3-groove Pac-Nor 1:6.5″-twist barrel chambered in .223 Remington to shoot the 90gr Bergers. Other components are: Kelbly KTS stock, Phoenix bipod, and Sightron 8-32x56mm SIII scope. Brandon says: “It took a long time to get this gun where it is now but I’m truly happy with it!” Here’s the “before” photo:
The Transformation — F-TR Comp Rig Made from Rem .204 Ruger Varminter Report by Brandon Schlund
This rifle started out as a “plain Jane”, factory Remington VSSF II. I shot it on varmint hunts in factory configuration. Then I decided to transform the rifle into a .223 Rem F-TR gun. As the .204 has the same bolt face as a .223 made sense to go in that direction since I would be able to use the gun for varmint hunting as well as F-TR.
While I had shot some F-Class matches with my dad (Joe Schlund aka Bench on AccurateShooter) it wasnt much. When we did a PD hunt in Wyoming I primarily shot my .204 but I decided I wanted a cartridge that could reach out a little further and also do double duty — competition and varminting.
The first step in transforming this rifle was selecting a barrel. We ordered a Pac-Nor, 1:6.5″-twist, 3 groove, 30.5″ heavy Palma contour. This was then chambered with a PTG .223 ISSF reamer with 0.169″ freebore to run the .224 caliber heavies. I went with Pac-Nor because both my father and my brother Mark (aka Labrador2 on AccurateShooter) owned Kelbly-built F-TR rifles with the same barrels. Mark and my father couldn’t be happier with the results. Pac-Nor has great customer service along with a short wait time.
I sent the barrel and the factory Remington 700 action down to Kelbly’s where they did the chambering and cut the threads. While Kelbly’s had my action I had them blueprint it. A Kelbly KTS stock with the three-way buttplate and adjustable cheek piece came next. After getting behind Dad’s rifle and Mark’s gun there was no reason to look any further. With all its adjustments, the KTS stock fits very comfortably.
Loading for the .223 Rem with H4895 and 90gr Bergers
As a .223 Rem, this rifle has proven very accurate — it’s a bullet-hole cutter at 100 yards (low twos easy). Our best load is with Hodgdon H4895, 90gr Berger VLDs, CCI BR4 primers. This load is running at about 2835 FPS but YMMV (remember this is a LONG 30.5″ barrel). The Bergers are loaded .008″ into the lands with base-to-ogive of 2.035″.
Our loading technique may be tedious — with lots of sorting and measuring. But brother Mark, father Joe, and I all enjoy the steps. Our three .223 Rem match guns all love the same load which makes loading much easier. Believe it or not we use a Hornady Lock-N-Load progressive ammo plant, which is great when loading for three guns. Our consistency is fantastic with run-out a mere .001-.0015.
We also turn necks and weigh our primers. Does neck-turning and primer weighing really make a difference? Who knows but we try to eliminate more variables since we have to the time to do it, and we actually enjoy the procedures.
Pierce Engineering Installed Action and Modified Bolt
Being from Michigan, Pierce Engineering has done a lot of work for my family’s guns. For this project the Pierce team bedded the action and glued in a single-shot follower. The stock bolt handle/knob was too short for comfort in the KTS stock. Pierce added a longer handle and tactical knob to the bolt. I then installed a .223 Rem Lapua case base into the knob.
The complete .223 Rem rifle ready to shoot F-TR, as fitted with 8-32X56mm Sightron and Phoenix Bipod, weighs 17 pounds, 15 ounces.
Flame Graphics by Camo Creek Hydrographics
After the action was bedded by Pierce, the stock was sent to Camo Creek Hydrographics in Fenton, Michigan. I selected a flame-style design which Camo Creek applied through hydro-dipping. The stock went back to Pierce’s shop, which applied three coats of clear over the entire stock. The clear-coating really enhanced the flame graphics.
Firing Pin Bushed by Speedy
I sent the bolt to Thomas “Speedy” Gonzalez to have the firing pin hole bushed as otherwise the load could crater the primers pretty bad. Knowing I’d be shooting heavy-weight .22-Cal bullets with a stout load this was a good idea. Speedy also cut his trademark grooves into the bolt shroud which looks amazing. His work is top notch! There is zero cratering now, even with the hottest of loads.
Competition Components — 8-32x56mm Sightron and Phoenix Bipod
For an F-TR rig you need a quality high-magnification optic and a premium, wide-base bipod. I installed a 8-32x56mm SIII Sightron. This was another easy choice because of the attractive price and because my family has four other Sightrons that work great.
I installed a fore-end Picatinny rail to attach a Phoenix Bipod. I extended the Mariners wheel handles by adding short sections from an aluminum arrow shaft. This lets me adjust elevation without stretching forward. I also installed a Calvin Elite Timney Trigger set at 6 ounces.
$2500.00 Invested in Rifle Transformation and Upgrade
How much did this all cost? Brandon tells us “I have roughly $2500 into the rebuild of the gun from a .204 Ruger to the .223 Rem.”
Bois Blanc Island in Michigan
Here on Bois Blanc Island we don’t have many amenities, but we do have the ability to shoot 550 yards at our local gravel pit on state land. It’s snow-bound right now as you can see. But later in the year this will be our close-to-home training center.
Winter at Bois Blanc Island, Michigan — Here’s the gravel pit where we can load test during warmer weather. When I took this photo, it was a “balmy” 10-degree day.
The 6mm GT (aka 6GT) cartridge was conceived as a “bigger Dasher” for PRS and NRL competition. The 6mm GT’s creators wanted 6mm Dasher accuracy and moderate recoil delivered via a cartridge with a slightly longer case body for better mag-feeding, longer neck for seating flexibility, and more moderate pressures. So far the 6GT has performed very well in PRS competition. Today’s story is a bit different — this is about an experiment — running a 6mm GT in an F-TR type rifle. Understand that, under current NRA rules, you may only shoot .223 Rem (5.56×45) or .308 Win (7.62×51), in official, sanctioned F-TR competition, but the 6GT is fine for F-Open. Mike McCasland wanted to see the potential of the cartridge for long-range target shooting, so he put a 6mm GT-chambered Bartlein barrel on a nice custom rifle with McMillan XIT stock and Kelbly F-Class Panda action. The results were impressive.
6mm GT — New Cartridge with Multi-Discipline Potential
Story by Mike McCasland, Texas Precision
The 6mm GT began garnering attention within PRS circles in early 2019. It promised to shoot 105-110gr 6mm bullets at 2950-3000 FPS, yet not suffer from mag-feed issues sometimes found with 6mmBR variants such as the 6 Dasher, 6BRX, and 6BRA. Moreover, since it burned less powder, the 6mm GT promised increased barrel life compared to the 6mm Creedmoor or 6XC. The 6mm GT case size should still work with the accurate powders in the Varget burn-range. I found the 6GT also worked great with H4350.
As someone who aspired to building a repeater and jumping into the PRS game, and had a spare F-TR rifle sitting around, I thought it would be fun to build up a 6mm GT to see if there was any merit to the hype. My smith, Wes Ripley of RIP Precision in Texas, builds a lot of PRS rigs, and already had the reamer on hand (a 0.120″ freebore variant).
Whidden Gunworks had some 6mm GT FL bushing die kits in stock, so I figured why not see what all the fuss was about? At the very least I could play around with the 6mm GT in F-Open Class at local club matches to see how it compared to the 6BRA, 6 Dasher, and other popular 6mm cartridges.
Click image to see video comparison of multiple 6mm cartridges by Quarter Minute Magnums.
How the Project Got Started with Backup F-TR Rig
My 6mm GT build really started as a project spawned purely from COVID-19 Isolation boredom. This rifle primarily serves as a backup F-TR gun, and it had been relegated to performing some load development on .308 barrels, so I could spin new ones on my main match rifle. The only problem was, I had run out of .308 barrels that needed load development. So, I basically had an ideal test platform just collecting dust in the safe. All I needed was a 6mm GT-chambered barrel, since (like the 6mmBR) the 6mm GT works in a short action with a .308 Win-sized bolt-face.
6mm GT Rifle Specifications:
Action: Kelbly Panda F-Class SA RB/RP
Stock: McMillan XIT with RAD 2A
Barrel: 30″ 5R Bartlein 1:7.5″-Twist, HV Contour
Scope: Vortex Golden Eagle 15-60x52mm
Trigger: Jewell Benchrest, about 2 ounces
Bipod: Phoenix Precision
Mike McCasland reports: “I have used both Hornady and Alpha brass in this rifle and haven’t noticed much difference between the two. I will say that my batch of Alpha brass was slightly softer than Alpha brass I’ve used in other calibers; you could feel a difference when neck turning cases. I’m unsure if that’s a batch issue, or something specific to their 6mm GT brass as a whole. As far as performance, there was little discernable difference. Oddly enough, the Hornady brass seemed to have slightly less case capacity than the Alpha; with most other cartridges it’s the other way around.”
In this video, George Gardner of GA Precision talks about the 6mm GT cartridge which he helped develop.
POWDERS — The 6mm GT was designed with Hodgdon Varget in mind, and that popular powder works exceedingly well in this platform. That said, the 6mm GT can work with a wide variety of powders, some yielding better performance than Varget.
I’ve tried a multitude of powders during my initial 6mm GT load development: Varget, Shooters World Precision, RL16, VV N140, H4350, and RL-15 to name a few. In my barrel, Hodgdon H4350 seems to deliver the best velocity/accuracy combination. SD and ES also seemed to be the lowest with H4350.
Load Development for the 6mm GT — Many Powders Tested
BULLETS — The most common 0.120″ freebore chamber allows for the majority of high-BC 6mm projectiles found in both F-Class and PRS. I had good luck with the pointed 107gr Sierra Match Kings (SMK), as well as the 110gr Hornady A-Tips in my rifle. For those looking to run the heavier 112-115 grain 6mm offerings, I believe GAP designed a 0.160″ freebore reamer that gets those bullets out of the neck/shoulder junction. Shown below is the 0.120″ freebore JGS reamer print:
SUMMARY — Good Cartridge with Much Potential
Generally speaking, I think the 6mm GT is a good little round. Some may not subscribe to this theory, but I believe some cartridges are inherently easier to tune than others. I’m not sure the 6mm GT is as easy-to-tune as a 6mmBR, 6 Dasher, or 6 BRA, but I don’t think it lags that far behind.
With relatively little trouble, I was able to find loads with both Varget and H4350 that would consistently shoot very well — 0.2 to 0.3 MOA. Moreover, I found the 6GT cartridge lives up to the velocity claims made by G.A. Precision. I was easily able to push the 110gr A-Tips to 2950 FPS, and the 107gr SMKs to low 3000 FPS range without any pressure signs, or unnecessary wear and tear on the brass.
As a fun test, I ran my 6mm GT rifle in a local 1000-yard F-Class match with the 110gr A-Tips, just to see just how well they would perform. Although wind conditions of the day and some E-Target issues prevented my 6mm GT rig from getting the better of the larger 7mm and .30-Cal rifles, the 6mm GT proved itself an accurate little round at distance. Here is a 1000-yard ShotMarker target:
After putting several hundred rounds through my 6mm GT rifle, I anticipate building another 6GT on a repeater action to give PRS a try. I think if you are looking for a dual-purpose rifle that can run tactical matches (with 100% feeding reliability), and can also be used for mid-range, F-Open Class competition, the 6mm GT would be a very good option.
About the author, Mike McCasland:
Mike McCasland is an avid shooter who competes regularly in F-Class matches. Based in Texas, Mike is the creator of the Texas Precision YouTube Channel. There you’ll find many videos covering reloading, gun projects, and marksmanship. Mike has done some notable product reviews including a comparison test of Micrometer Competition Seating Dies. To access Mike’s YouTube Channel, CLICK HERE.
Here’s a handy training option for F-Class shooters. Forum member SleepyGator is an F-Class competitor, but there are no long-distance ranges close to his home. Accordingly, he wanted some “reduced-distance” targets he could use at 300 yards for practice. There IS an official reduced-distanced standard for 300-yard F-Class matches. This utilizes the NRA No. MR-63FC – F-Class Target Center which is pasted over the MR-63 target. It provides a 1.42″ X-Ring, 2.85″ 10-Ring, and 5.85″ Nine-Ring. We offer some free targets you can print out for use at 300 yards. The dimensions of F-Class targets are found in the NRA High Power Rules, Sec. 22, part 4, page 70-71 — see sample below.
To duplicate the 300-yard target, SleepyGator made a printable version of the MR-63FC Target Center, along with a pair of training targets with two bulls and five bulls. The two-bull and five-bull targets mirror the scoring rings on the MR-63FC, but they display only the innermost three rings and two rings respectively. All three targets are Adobe PDF files that can be easily printed.
NOTE: You may need to adjust the scale (sizing) on your printer to get the dimensions exactly correct. As noted above, when printed, the 10-Ring on all three targets should measure 2.85″. This should provide some handy practice targets you can use between matches. Thanks to SleepyGator for providing these targets. You can download all three as a .Zip archive. After downloading the .Zip file, just click on the .Zip archive to extract the individual targets.
The 2025 European F-Class Championships took place September 1-8, 2025 at the famed NRA Bisley Shooting Centre in the United Kingdom. Hundreds of talented competitors attended the match, with shooters from the USA finishing at the top in both F-Open and F-TR class.
Here’s a report from the NRA UK Facebook Page: “That’s a wrap on the F-Class European Championship. As the biggest F-Class event in the world, it brought together the finest shooters to test their skills at our very own National Shooting Centre, Bisley. It was a true testament to the skill and dedication of every competitor, with Bisley’s Stickledown Range living up to its reputation as a challenging and dynamic range. The wind and conditions were relentless, but so were the competitors.
A huge well done to all the competitors who travelled from across the world to participate. And thank you to the incredible NRA staff and volunteers who made the event possible. We are so proud to have hosted this prestigious event at the National Shooting Centre and we are already looking forward to hosting the World Championships in 2026.”
Stunning rainbow on the Stickledown range at Bisley, England, UK.
F-Class competitors on the firing line. CLICK HERE for more information about the famed Stickledown range at the NRA UK Bisley Centre.
The 2025 European F-Class Championships drew hundreds of shooters from around the globe, many from outside Europe. Top competitors from the USA wanted to gain experience at the challenging Stickledown range because the 2025 WORLD Championships will be held at the same venue. It was a demanding match, with very tough weather conditions during some sessions. CLICK HERE for full Individual and Team Results at 2025 Euro F-Class Championships.
Top 20 Finishers at 2025 European F-Class Championships
Congrats to F-Open Champion Peter Johns, who surpassed runner-up John Murphy of Ireland by 4 points. American shooters took three of the top five places in the F-Open competition.
Praise to F-TR winner Tracy Hogg, who edged second-place Dale Lucy by 3 points. Americans took four of the top five place in the F-TR championships.
American Tracy Hogg Wins 2025 European F-TR Title
SEB Lambang, creator of SEB Rests and Joypod-X joystick bipods, posted: “Congratulations to Tracy Hogg for winning the 2025 F-TR European Championship!” Tracy, shown below with his awards, posted: “I’ll have to be honest I should have started years ago (using the Joypod-X). It really helped being able to move across the target so quickly in those tricky winds in Bisley”.
Report from John Murphy (2nd Place, F-Open)
American F-Open competitor John Murphy posted this report: “Finally back home and unpacked after an incredible week at the European F-Class Championship in Bisley. I’m thrilled to have finished 2nd overall [in F-Open], shooting through some of the toughest conditions I’ve ever faced and competing against many of the best in the world. Congratulations to Peter Johns on taking 1st place — he’s not only a world-class shooter but also a true gentleman.
A big thank you to Richie, the GBFCA, and the entire crew for organizing such a fantastic event. And of course, to my teammates, who made me proud in both the Team Matches and the America’s Cup. Already looking forward to seeing everyone again next August for the World Championships!”
Here’s a video report from Erik Cortina, who finished 7th overall in F-Open:
Rifle Images from the 2025 European F-Class Championships
F-TR competitor with alloy stock. Note the extremely low-profile bipod mounted close to bore axis. That helps minimize twist/roll on recoil.
F-Class competitors on the firing line. All shooters shown here had laminated wood stocks.
F-Open shooter with SEB NEO-X Front Rest. This rest folds compactly for transport yet is extremely stable during shooting, with superb joystick control.
Lady F-TR competitor with a handsome gold snakeskin pattern on her stock, with matching gold bolt shaft.
This rifle called “Sindy” features a leopard print on multicolour metallic. Very handsome. SEB Lambang posted: “Thank you Wendy LFree for sharing this lovely pix and for using my products!”
Heavy Rain and High Winds at Stickledown — Challenging Conditions
There were significant rainstorms during the 2025 F-Class Championship. Competitors needed tough wet-weather gear, and rainguards over their ammo and scoresheets. It was also wise to protect your scopes from moisture so that raindrops did not obscure the lens views.
The 2025 Great Britain F-Class Association (GBFCA) European F-Class Championships take place in the United Kingdom this week from September 2-7, 2025. This match will feature hundreds of F-Open and F-TR competitors. The 2025 “Euros” will be the largest F-Class event ever to be held at the world-famous Stickledown range at the Bisley Camp in the UK, the home of the UK National Rifle Association since 1890. Vihtavuori, Lapua and Berger, known for their world-class reloading powders, brass, ammunition and bullets will be platinum sponsors for the 2025 GBFCA European F-Class Championships.
The Championships are expected to bring more than 400 top shooters (from over 20 countries) to compete in F-TR and F-Open classes. The event consists of both individual and team matches at 800, 900 and 1,000 yard daily aggregates, and Grand Aggregates on Friday and Saturday.
With the ‘Euros’ taking place less than 12 months before the 2026 F-Class World Championships, also at Bisley, the organizers are expecting a very high level of competition. The world’s top shooters are taking this timely opportunity to experience the famous Stickledown range as part of their preparations for 2026.
Conditions were challenging earlier in the week — with heavy rains during the competition. But then the skies cleared, revealing a double rainbow. Photos courtesy March Scopes UK.
The European F-Class Championship event is run by the GB F-Class Association. “We’re really thrilled to extend our partnership with these top brands as main sponsors. Working together to create this successful event strengthens the shooting community and offers great development opportunities for our sport”, said Richard Jones, GBFCA committee Chairman.
“The GBFCA European F-Class Championships is one of the world’s long-range shooting highlights. We’re excited and proud to support this event that brings together the world’s top F-class shooters”, states Vihtavuori, Lapua, and Berger Sales & Marketing Manager Olof Borgstrom. Vihtavuori, Lapua and Berger are part of Nammo Group, a leading supplier of high-quality ammunition for military, LEO, and sporting use.
To learn about the 2025 European F-Class Championships, visit GBFclass.com.
In the year 2000, the National Rifle Association of Ireland (NRAI) was formed. One of its primary goals was to promote fullbore target shooting in Ireland. The NRAI needed a home and that home was found on the bog of Derrymore in Blueball just outside Tullamore in County Offaly. In 2000, a 400-yard range was built on the site. Three years later the 600-yard “Windmill” range, the first of its kind in modern Ireland, was also built to allow for mid-range target shooting. The site was christened the Midlands National Shooting Centre of Ireland (MNSCI) and with it the story of Irish F-Class began. No sooner had the 600-yard range been built at the MNSCI, when the NRAI formed a national F-Class league bringing together like-minded shooters from all over Ireland.
The 2026 Southwest Nationals (SWN) have concluded. Held at the impressive Ben Avery range in Arizona, the 2026 SWN was a very successful event with good conditions (for the most part) and impressive scores by shooters in all three divisions: Sling, F-Open, and F-TR. We congratulate the new SWN Grand Agg Champions: Bobby Gill (Sling), Ryan Mitchell (F-Open), and Brad Sauve (F-TR). This was familiar territory for Sauve who has won the SWN F-TR title before.
Flame Graphics by Camo Creek Hydrographics
As someone who aspired to building a repeater and jumping into the PRS game, and had a spare F-TR rifle sitting around, I thought it would be fun to build up a 6mm GT to see if there was any merit to the hype. My smith, Wes Ripley of 
BRASS — Editor’s Report: Lapua now offers excellent 
SUMMARY — Good Cartridge with Much Potential
The European F-Class Championship event is run by the GB F-Class Association. “We’re really thrilled to extend our partnership with these top brands as main sponsors. Working together to create this successful event strengthens the shooting community and offers great development opportunities for our sport”, said Richard Jones, GBFCA committee Chairman.
