This Report was submitted by Darrell Buell, F-T/R Team USA Captain
The F-Class World Championships are just over a year and a half away. In the past four years, much has changed in the F-T/R game. Most noticeably, participation has increased greatly. We had 60 shooters at the 2011 Nationals in Lodi compared to 19 shooters in 2007. The level of competition has risen as well. There was a mere 3% spread in scores for the top 30 places this year. That’s tighter than it has ever been since I started keeping statistics. The top 15 spots had only a 2% score spread!
F-T/R Team USA Selection Process
With many more shooters and a higher level of competition, selecting the 2013 American F-T/R team was especially difficult. There were many qualified applicants to choose from. The selection criteria have not changed over the years. All of the 40+ applicants’ qualifications were dumped into a matrix to get sorted. The initial sort was done by examining the best data I have that compares all of the shooters side by side, i.e. Nationals scores. More weight was given to those times when I could compare shooter vs. shooter on the same relay, when they were facing the exact same conditions. From there, we used modifiers for International Team experience, and other factors. 50 million calculations later, a ranking was developed. This ranking was used to set the Roster List below.
USA F-T/R Team Roster:
Team Staff:
Captain: Darrell Buell
Vice Captain: Mike Miller
Head Coach: Mid Tompkins
Coach: Steve Cunico
Adjutant: Kathy Buell
Team Members:
Jeff Rorer
John Hayhurst
John Chilton
Chris Ozolins
John Weil
Dale Carpenter
Derek Rodgers
Team Members (cont’d):
Philip Kelley
Warren Dean
Brad Sauve
Paul Phillips
Monte Milanuk
Lane Buxton
Sierra Scott
As with past Teams, this roster will be used for the next four (4) years for International Competitions of every description. These events include (but are not limited to): 2013 F-Class World Championships in Raton, NM; 2013 South African International Matches in Bloemfontein; 2013 Stars & Stripes Challenge 2013; Creedmoor Cup; USA vs. Europe, and others.
Reserve Team Spots
The sharp-eyed will notice that I may seem to be a couple of shooters short. I am reserving a couple of spots to be named after the 2012 Nationals in Raton, in case other shooters are absolutely on fire this year, and would be good additions to the Team.
F-T/R Team USA Sponsors
As with past Team campaigns, the financial challenges (especially for the travel) will be considerable. I am absolutely committed to taking the very best Team I can field, regardless of finances. To this end, some outstanding sponsors are helping take some of the burden off the individuals: Berger Bullets, Nightforce Optics, Surgeon Rifles, Hodgdon Powder, Lapua, Kowa, and Redding Reloading. Many thanks to these and other sponsors for their continuing support.
You may not know it, but Whidden Composites, run by two-time National Long-Range Champion John Whidden, produces a nice series of hunting, F-TR, match, tactical, and general purpose gunstocks. These high-grade stocks all feature advanced composite construction, Whidden Gunwork’s signature V-blocks, three installed sling swivels, and a Pachmayr® Decelerator pad. Epoxy construction ensures that these stocks are stiff AND light. John explains: “All of our stocks are crafted with epoxy from core to finish. The core is an expanded epoxy blended to a density that perfectly balances weight, strength, and rigidity. The outer shell is an epoxy coating that is incredibly durable — but light enough to carry all day. The textured epoxy external coating forms a handsome, tactile finish that is great to hold.”
Built-in V-Block Standard, with Many Options Available
The latest stock design from Whidden Composite Works is the model 175 Tactical/F-TR stock. This unit offers a long, rigid fore-end, with a straight comb and straight buttstock toe. This makes it very well-suited for prone shooting with a rear sand-bag and front bipod. The design is ambidextrous so it can be used by either right- or left-handed shooters (with appropriate inlet). Five color choices are offered: black, silver, reddish brown, tan, and green. Base price, inletted for Rem 700 long- or short-action, is a reasonable $549.00 — remember that includes deluxe buttpad and the versatile V-block which allows one stock to be used with multiple barreled actions.
For the model 175, Whidden offers a number of options: $100 Fore-end Rail, $125 Adjustable Cheek piece, $135 Rear Monopod, and $75 Picatinny Bipod Rail. The sling attachments can also be flush-mounted for $10.00 per slot. For just $30.00 over the base price, Southpaws can order a left-hand version of the model 175 stock. Whidden Composites can also inlet for detachable bottom metal and for non-Rem actions (Tikka, Winchester, Sako, etc.), but it does cost more for these non-standard inlets.
Product Tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Ace UK shooter Vince Bottomley decided he wanted to build a new F-TR rifle for the 2011 season. Vince selected all the best components: Stolle Action, Bartlein Barrel, Precision Rifle & Tool Stock. The build came together superbly, producing a .308 Win rifle that shoots bugholes at 100 yards, and holds sub-half-MOA (or better) to 1000. After building the rifle, Vince decided to shoot Open Class at the 2011 European Championship. So, he graciously loaned his purple F-TR rig to his friend, Stuart Anselm. The rest, as they say, “is history”. Despite having just one day’s practice with the gun, Stuart drove Vince’s rifle to victory, winning the 2011 European F-Class Championship (F-TR division) by a sizable margin.
Superb Accuracy with VV N150 and Berger 185gr Bullets
This 2011 Euro Championship-winning F-TR rifle is the star of our latest Gun of the Week Feature Story. In that article, Vince explains how he modified the long PR&T stock to make weight, and how he developed an accurate load with Vihtavuori N150 and Berger 185gr Target Long-Range Bullets. Vince notes that many UK F-Class shooters are moving back to single-base powders, after trying out double-base powders such as VV N550 and Reloder 17. What’s the reason? Barrel life. Vince feels that the single-base powders can give somewhat better barrel life, even if you lose a little velocity.
New F-TR Champion Reviews Bottomley’s Stolle-Action Rifle
Stuart Anselm tells us: “I only shot the rifle a couple of days before the Europeans — two sighters and then five rounds at 800 yards which went into a 3.75-inch group. That gave me a lot of confidence in the rifle. The bi-pod is very light and looked a bit flimsy but it’s well-engineered, so it worked well. That long Precision Rifle & Tool stock is definitely the way to go and helps the rifle to track nicely under recoil. Of course, the Stolle action was perfect with the right-bolt, left-port set-up and the 10-60X March is just about the ultimate F-Class scope.”
Winning Performance: Scoring 452 points out of a possible 475, Stuart won the F-TR Euro Championship convincingly, finishing 10 points ahead of F-TR runner-up Adam Bagnall (also from Great Britain). Stuart also had the highest V-Bull count with 33.
Sinclair Int’l has started shipping its new, improved “3rd Gen” F-Class bipods. These are nearly a pound lighter than before, but just as stable. The key new feature is an optional, central rotary height adjustment. This was successfully tested by Danny Biggs, who won some big matches with a prototype height-adjusting bipod. While the new bipod is designed for F-TR competition, Sinclair’s wide-base bipods have also been used successfully by some F-Open Class competitors, and they have been popular with varmint hunters. Two versions of the new “3rd Gen” bipod are offered. The basic version, without central height adjustment, is currently in-stock for $199.95. The deluxe version, with central quick-adjust height control, can be pre-ordered for $249.95.
Sinclair tells us: “The Sinclair F-Class Bipod was designed with input from many of our customers, including members of Team Sinclair. The new third generation Sinclair F-Class Bipod is offered with an optional quick-adjust elevation knob. Made from 7075 T6 aluminum, the 3rd gen bipod is lighter yet more rigid — nearly a full pound less than the previous generation.” The latest F-Class Bipod now also includes handy laser-etched height markings on the adjustable legs.
Popular features of Sinclair’s previous F-Class bipod designs have been retained, notes Sinclair: “The bipod locking feature enables you to adjust rifle cant quickly and easily. The bipod can be mounted to the rifle’s sling swivel stud in just a few seconds with the captured, hardened pin system. Two tensioning knobs then pull the stock against heavy, low-compression felt pads for a movement-free mount.”
Highly Recommended. Here’s a great video interview with current F-TR National Champion Jeff Rohrer. At the recent F-Class Nationals, Jeff won the F-TR division (individually), and Jeff also was a member of the winning F-TR squad, Team Sinclair (photo below). In this video interview, Jeff talks about his background in shooting, and explains some of the strategies and techniques that have made him a Champion. Jeff then discusses precision reloading and the equipment used in F-Class competition. Jeff also explores the differences between shooting as an individual and shooting in a team event. There’s a lot to be learned from Jeff’s interview — long-range competitors should take the time to watch it.
Jeff is a modest guy, but very, very talented. Forum member Mark H (aka “Deadlyswift”) tells us: “I have had the pleasure of shooting with Jeff, and against him at Camp Butner. Jeff is not just a great shooter, he’s a great guy! He sets a fine example for fellow shooters to follow. He is always helping out new shooters that come out to shoot with us at Camp Butner. He even lent his own rifle to a newcomer to shoot a relay, because the newcomer’s rifle and load just couldn’t make it to the target at 1000 yards. I have learned a great deal from Jeff. The way he handles himself, and treats people on and off the range, is great for our sport!”
In addition to the individual matches at the 2011 F-Class Nationals in Lodi, Wisconsin, there was a fiercely-fought team competition. Normally the team with the best combined (Aggregate) results of 600-yard and 1000-yard stages wins the Team Championship. However, this year, the 1000-yard team segment got called off due to a bad rain-storm that blew in about half way through the stage. So, as a result, the teams that won the 600-yard trophy also won the Aggregate trophy. Team Sinclair won F-TR class, while Team Long Shots won F-Open. CLICK HERE for all Team Results.
In F-TR Class, there were ten (10) teams competing. Team Sinclair finished first, scoring 771-22X. The USA Development Team (766-18X) finished second, edging third place BNX Team (766-16X) on X-count. Here’s a glamour shot of the Sinclair Team, complete with their trick Sinclair wide-base bipods.
This marks an impressive string of victories for Team Sinclair. Here’s an interesting factoid about the Team Sinclair shooters. One or more members of the current Sinclair squad have been on the winning F-TR team at every U.S. F-Class National Championships since they were first held in 2004, except for 2010 when Sinclair did not field a team. Brad Sauve has been on the winning F-TR team every year except 2010: Great Lakes Express (2004, 2005 winning team); Team Green (2006 winner); Team Sinclair (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 winner). Ray Gross and Paul Phillips were also on most of those winning squads. Team Sinclair set the F-Class Team National Records at both 600 and 1000 yards.
In F-Open Class, the winning team was a new group appropriately called the ”Long Shots”, scoring 790-36X. Jeff Cochran of Team Sierra Spindle Shooters tells us: “The Long Shots did a great job under adverse conditions and pressure from all the major, more experienced teams.” Michelle Gallagher coached the Long Shots squad to victory. Finishing second in F-Open, with a 788-32X score, was Team Grizzly, coached by Emil Praslick. In third, tallying 786-41X, was the NAS Team (Bob Mead, coach). Thirteen (13) F-Open Teams competed this year at the Nationals in Lodi.
More 2011 F-Class Championships Photos in Forum
Forum member Denys Beauchemin (aka “Bayou Shooter”) has posted more than a dozen photos from the recent Championships in our AccurateShooter Forum. To view the pictures, go to This Forum Thread, starting with the third page of the thread. CLICK HERE for PHOTOS.
Shiraz Balolia has recently been appointed as Captain of the U.S. F-Class Open Rifle Team. Balolia served as Vice Captain of the previous team and was one of eight American shooters at the last World Championship held in England in 2009. He was also one of four shooters in the International Team matches in England where Team USA won the Gold Medal. The step up from Vice Captain to Captain brings new responsibilities, but Balolia told us he accepts his new role “with honor and a fierce passion to lead the team to gold in the 2013 World Championship”.
USA Will Host 2013 F-Class World Championship
With the 2013 F-Class Championship being hosted by the United States for the first time ever, Balolia and the U.S. team are determined to win the Gold Medal on home soil. Team tryouts commenced in 2010 and will continue until the complete Development Team is selected in early 2012, from which the main 2013 team will be chosen. Balolia added: “I am excited to have been given the opportunity to lead this team into the next World Championship. The shooters we have are absolutely incredible, and everyone has a single goal in mind… and that is to Win!”
2013 F-Class World Championship | Raton, New Mexico (USA) | August 23-27, 2013
The next F-Class World Championship will be held in Raton, New Mexico, from August 23 to 27, 2013. This will be the fourth F-Class World Championship and first time it is being held in the United States. Previous F-Class World Championship venues were:
2002 – Ottawa, Canada. Won by the USA.
2005 – Bloemfontein, South Africa. Won by South Africa.
2009 – Bisley, England. Won by Great Britain.
As you can see, historically, home teams have won in the past two events. This bodes well for Team USA’s chances in 2013.
U.S. F-Class Championships Will Precede Worlds at Raton
Preceding the World Championship, the 2013 US F-Class National Championship will be held from August 18 to 22, 2013. All F-classers are welcome to register. With the U.S. and World Championships scheduled back-to-back, August 2013 should offer the most memorable 10 days of F-Class competition ever conducted in North America.
To learn more about the US F-Class Open Team, visit www.usfclass.com.
The 2011 F-Class National Championships in Lodi, Wisconsin are now history. Hail the new Champions: Jim Murphy, F-Open (1331-55X) and Jeff Rorer, F-TR (1315-41X). Hosted by the Winnequah Gun Club, the Nationals were well-attended, with 61 F-TR competitors and 90 F-Open shooters. The F-Open race was incredibly tight, with just four (4) points separating first through fifth positions. In F-TR, runner-up John Weil shot incredibly well in the crazy conditions on Friday. John made up a bunch of points, but it wasn’t enough to grab victory from Rorer, who shoot well all three days. CLICK HERE for Complete Match Results. Sorry, we don’t have an equipment list at this time.
Final Results for F-Open (TOP 10):
1. JIM MURPHY: 1331-55X
2. DON J NAGEL: 1330-46X
3. DAVID GOSNELL: 1329-61X
4. JOHN BREWER: 1328-62X
5. ROBERT BOCK: 1327-64X
6. RICK JENSEN: 1326-62X
7. DAVID MANN: 1326-57X
8. CHARLES BALLARD: 1325-59X
9. DANNY J BIGGS: 1324-62X
10. BOB PASTOR: 1324-47X
Final Results for F-T/R (TOP 10):
1. JEFF RORER: 1315-41X
2. JOHN H WEIL: 1308-42X
3. LAURA PERRY: 1307-39X
4. CHRIS OZOLINS: 1305-34X
5. JOHN CHILTON: 1303-39X
6. DARRELL BUELL: 1300-49X
7. IAN KLEMM: 1300-43X
8. DANIEL POHLABEL: 1296-43X
9. MARK HOUSEMAN: 1296-35X
10. MICHELLE GALLAGHER: 1292-35X
Forum member Darrell Buell provided Match Reports for our Shooter’s Forum. Darrell, who finished sixth in F-TR Class at this year’s Nationals, explained that conditions were erratic throughout the week — changing from one day to the next:
“The first day in Lodi was the 600-Yard stage. The winds were relatively light, no more than two minutes, but they had some tricky pick-ups and let-offs, and some vertical thrown into the mix. The weather was excellent, temps in the mid 60s, with rain threatening most of the day, but only producing a few sprinkles for the last two (of six) relays. Day two saw the Shooters move back to the 1000-Yard line. The weather was beautiful, temps in the mid to high 60s, with partly sunny skies. Winds were stronger than they were at 600 the day before, and there was a good deal of vertical noticed by the competitors.
The final day of the Nationals saw wild conditions, with unpredictable gusty full value winds. Congratulations go to John Weil for a superb performance in difficult conditions Friday. Thanks go to the Liebetrau clan for running another Nationals.”
USA v Scotland F-TR at Blair Atholl Match Report by Laurie Holland
After their success in Ireland (Bulletin June 27th) a third of the American shooters, Tony Robertson in F Class and a complete F-TR team captained by Darrell Buell, travelled to Scotland to shoot over Perthshire’s famous Jubilee Range above Blair Atholl. As well as competing in six individual 900 and 1,000-yard matches in the Scottish Long-Range Meeting, the USA challenged Scotland to a 900-, 1,000-, and 1,100-yard yd F-TR team competition, to be held on the American Independence Day, July 4th.
After practice on Friday, July 1st, US competitors did well in the six individual matches over the weekend taking four out of the top six places overall with Stan Pate and Michelle Gallagher leading the way. However, Scottish home team captain Paul Crosbie took all three 900-yard matches and one 1,000-yard yard match. Winners of the other two 1000-yard events were Michelle Gallagher, and Scotland’s Laurie Holland, shooting his .223 Rem (That’s right — Laurie beat all the .308s with a .223). The weekend’s overall F-TR winner was Paul Crosbie on 405.23v (ex 450.90v) narrowly leading Stan Pate and Michelle Gallagher. After tying on Saturday, Scottish Shooter Les Bacon slowly pulled ahead of Tony Robertson in F Class and took this section by five points on an aggregate of 420.25v.
Scottish team captain Paul Crosbie and coach Tim Kidner pause during a wind change.
Independence Day Challenge — Team Scotland Beats Team USA
The 4th of July started cooler and cloudy with a near calm disturbed by intermittent light fish-tailing breezes from behind. The 900-yard scores benefitted from this, the six strong teams averaging 70 or more points per shooter out of the possible 75. After the 900-yard stages, Team USA was ahead with 427-24V against Scotland’s 420-20V.
By the time the teams relocated to 1,000 yards, the overcast had gone, sunshine alternated with moving shadows from big white puffy clouds to produce heat-induced, variable winds and intermittent mirage. Scores tumbled and there were many gaps between shots as the wind coaches stayed their hand waiting for a previous condition to return or trying to read a new one. Different wind doping approaches were apparent with Scotland’s Tom Kidner and Hamish Hunter relying mostly on the wind flags and plots while Nancy and Michelle spent considerable amounts of time glued to a pair of massive spotting scopes trying to read the mirage.
Nancy calls 1K wind for daughter Michelle Gallagher. USA captain Darrel Buell is just behind them.
At 1000 yards, the Scots produced 357-8V against the visitors’ 346-8V, putting them into a four-point lead overall. Remarkably, however, the youngest American shooter, Sierra Scott nailed the best individual 1,000-yard score, a 65-2V. With everything hanging on the 1,100-yard stage, conditions were as for 1,000 yards only more so — warmer, still more variable winds and intermittent aiming difficulties from a boiling mirage downrange. The Scottish coaches’ experience really paid off now, their shooters scoring 295-2V, 23 points ahead of the visitors. Three out of the top four individual results (with scores of 50 or better) were by Scots, and top scorer Paul Crosbie posted a 59 shooting the big 210gr Bergers. Michelle Gallagher (shooting Berger 155.5s) nailed an excellent 57 to edge Scotland’s Peter Burbridge (55 points shooting 208gr Hornady A-Max). Laurie Holland posted an impressive. His .223 Rem ‘mouse gun’ was obviously still in the groove at 1,114 yards!
So, the home team kept its honor and Blair Atholl’s reputation intact. While disappointed, the visitors knew they had done really well given their inexperience with the quirks of this most difficult of venues. Everybody had a great time, some old friendships were renewed, new ones made. This was F-TR at its most enjoyable with four days shooting that no participant will ever forget. There was even an informal 1,233-yard competition on the Saturday afternoon won by US team captain Darrell Buell.
Readers in the Rockies region should head to the Colorado Rifle Club (CRC) range tomorrow July 2, 2011, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. There you can try out a variety of Savage rifles, and the ammo is FREE! Can’t beat that. This July 2 “rifle test-ride” at CRC is part of Savage’s innovative Arms Club Program, which provides sample rifles to clubs around the country. There, potential rifle buyers can try out target rifles, hunting rifles, both centerfire and rimfire at no cost.
Savage Arms provides the rifles, Nikon supplies the optics, and Hornady provides free ammo for testing. Caliber options include .17 HMR, .223 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win, and .300 Win Mag. If you have not shot Savage’s F-T/R or Law Enforcement Series rifles, now is your chance. We also recommend Savage’s 93 R17, a .17 HMR rimfire with the look and feel of full-size centerfire rifle. The 93 R17 we tested last year was very accurate and we liked the look and feel of the matte-black tactical-style stock.
Directions: The Colorado Rifle Club range is located at 76099 East 96th Ave., Byers, CO 80103. Byers is 40 miles east of Denver on l-70 at exit 316. To get to the range, travel 8 miles east of Byers on U.S. 36, then about 9 miles north on Leader Road (52N), then one mile west on 96th Ave. to the range gate, then one mile north to the ranges. CLICK HERE for map to CRC range.
Latitude and Longitude: 39° 52′ 12.58″N, 104° 05′ 39.47″W
Editor’s Comment: Savage deserves praise for its new Arms Club Program. Bringing rifles to popular ranges is a great way to introduce new shooters to the sport. Letting range visitors sample an accurate target rifle (something they may not have tried before) can also help convert pistol shooters and shotgunners into avid rifleman.
You may not know it, but 
Shiraz Balolia has recently been appointed as Captain of the 
