F-Class shooting is the fastest-growing form of NRA rifle competition. While sling-shooting is in decline, the number of F-Class shooters grows every year. Recognizing this, the NRA Competitive Shooting Division has decided to expand the sport of F-Class with a new, third classification: F-TRipod. Like the current F-TR class, F-TRipod will be limited to .223 Remington or .308 Winchester chamberings. However, the rifle support can have three legs, and the weight of the tripod will NOT count in the rifle’s overall weight limit, which will be the same as F-TR, (8.25kg or 18.18 pounds). That way all current F-TR shooters will automatically “make weight” in the new F-TRipod class.
Three-legged shooting platforms can be adapted from photo tripods using a variety of mounts.
Why did the NRA create a new division for F-Class? According to Ryan Tromper of the NRA’s High Power Committee, “It’s all about improving the competitor’s experience. This new class should make the sport more popular among shooters of all ages and all levels of physical ability.” Ryan noted that many current F-Class shooters are not happy shooting on the ground: “At the 2014 F-Class Nationals in Phoenix, we polled F-Class shooters. The number one complaint was the shooting position. We heard many comments such as ‘I’m getting too old for this, I just can’t stay comfortable for a whole match anymore'”. After hearing many complaints about “eating dust all day on the ground”, the NRA realized there was a problem. F-TRipod is the solution.
The addition of the F-TRipod division should make F-Class competition more accessible for older competitors and for the many “weight-challenged” Americans who have difficulty getting down into the prone position. “We want F-Class to be inclusive. No matter what your age, your size, your shape, or your weight, we want you to be able to shoot F-Class and enjoy the experience”, said Tromper. This should make a big difference to shooters who have limited mobility.
With the advent of F-TRipod competition, shooters will no longer have to spend all day long on their belly in the dirt. Instead they can shoot from a comfortable seated position. F-TRipod competitors will be allowed to sit on the ground or in a portable chair.
F-TRipod Competition Should Be More Affordable
Affordability was another key factor in the NRA’s decision to create a new F-TRipod classification. As Derek Rodgers, the only man to win both F-TR and F-Open national titles, explains: “Let’s face it, F-Open has evolved into a hardware race. A complete F-Open rest set-up, with coaxial front rest, pad, and a couple custom rear bags, can run close to $1500.00. That’s not affordable for a lot of guys.” With the new F-TRipod division, all you need is a photo tripod and some kind of support head. With a used eBay tripod, and the $135.00 Pig Saddle, the whole system can be assembled for under $200.00. That’s half the cost of today’s most exotic F-TR bipods. Other than the tripod (with cradle) the only other accessory an F-TRipod competitor needs is a cushion for his or her posterior. (NRA rules will allow competitors to use cushions or camp chairs).
Favored by PRS competitors (and military snipers), tripods will soon be seen at F-Class matches as well. In the video below, the 6.5 Guys review various F-TRipod options.
Both current F-Class disciplines, F-Open and F-TR, are shot from the ground. Though rifle supports are permitted, this is essentially prone shooting (on your belly), and for many shooters, this is uncomfortable. Below, AccurateShooter’s Jason Baney demonstrates a modern rifle tripod system with a double cradle upper.
NRA F-Class Rifle Rules
3. EQUIPMENT AND AMMUNITION
3.4 F-Class Rifle
(c) F-Class Tripod Rifle (F-TRipod) – A rifle restricted to the chambers of unmodified .308 Winchester/7.62mm NATO or unmodified .223 Remington/5.56mm x 45 NATO cartridge cases. The rifle must be fired off a tripod, on which the rifle rests, or to which the rifle is attached. Any three-legged support, meeting the definition of a tripod, may be used but the tripod may not weigh more than 10 kilograms (approximately 22 pounds) and it may not contain any powered adjustment mechanisms or leveling systems. The tripod support may employ rigid or sliding mounts or cradles and manually-adjustable tilting heads are allowed. Any safe, manually-operated trigger is permitted. Any sighting system is permitted, but it must be included in the rifle’s overall weight.
(1) The rifle’s overall weight, including all attachments such as sights, sling, and rail(s), must not exceed 8.25 kilograms (approximately 18 pounds). The tripod and any mount or cradle permanently affixed to the tripod are not considered “attachments” if they can be separated from the rifle after the shooting sequence.
(2) The rifle must be fired in the seated or kneeling position from the shoulder of the competitor using rifle as defined in 3.4.1(b).
Camera Land’s One-Penny Tripod Promo Camera Land is offering a Vortex $129.99 Ball-head Tripod for just one penny ($0.01) if you purchase a Vortex spotting scope from the product list below. Cameraland’s marketing team states: “We thought it would be a nice thing to offer a special deal to all those forum members who support us so we came up with a wonderful offer. If you buy any new Vortex Viper Spotter from the list below, for an extra $.01 we’ll include a Vortex Dakota Tripod (PN#-DKA) with a Ball Head.”
Get a Tripod for a Penny More
If you purchase a Vortex Viper or Vortex Razor Spotting scope from the about list, Camera Land will include a Vortex Dakota Tripod (PN#-DKA) with a Ball Head for just one penny more. The Dakota ball-head tripod currently sells for $129.99.
Sale tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
It’s Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. That means there are some spectacular deals available out there on name brand electronics and optics. You can fight the crowds at the malls, or shop online from the comfort of your home. Here are some great deals we found on Amazon.com.
Canon SX20-IS Digital Camera, $349.00
The Canon SX20-IS is an amazing still and video camera for the price. It takes still images up to 12.1 megapixels, using a 20X optical zoom. As you’d expect from Canon, it offers built-in image stabilization and outstanding color and contrast. But here’s what makes this camera special — it shoots HD movies in 16:9 (wide) format, plus SD movies in standard 4:3 format. And the movies are stored to an SDHC memory card, which you can easily transfer to your computer. Heck of a camera for $349.00 with FREE Shipping on Amazon.com.
Samsung 10″ Netbook computer, $339.99 (Windows XP)
This is the netbook used by your Editor. It has a very sharp screen and a battery rated for 9 hours. I’ve been able to get about 7.5 hours run-time from the battery. I really like this unit because it has a great keyboard (probably the best in class) and a rubberized shell that adds to durability. The built-in networking is excellent (it automatically logs on to nearby Wi-Fi hubs), and this computer isn’t stuffed with useless “bloatware” you have to remove. Note, if you want/need Windows 7, look for another brand, such as the latest Toshiba.
Manfrotto 410 Geared Head, $196.99
If you have an expensive spotting scope, this geared head is well worth the money. It permits you to make precise elevation or tracking (horizontal) adjustments without getting way off target. With most tripod heads you have to fiddle with a bunch of controls to move the scope, but then it usually goes too far and you have to start all over again. With the Manfrotto 410 head you can move the viewing point smoothly, in very small increments. Want to raise your view up 1 MOA at 1000 yards, without touching the horizontal position? No problem. Once you get one of these geared heads you’ll wonder how you lived without it.
The 2009 F-Class Nationals are underway right now at Camp Butner, NC. While riflescopes are allowed in both F-Open and F-TR classes, many competitors use a spotting scope as well. With a low-mounted spotting scope placed near the shooter, you can keep your riflescope trained on the target, then quickly check wind flags or mirage by looking through the spotter.
Here’s a smart product from Ray-Vin.com that lets F-Class and prone shooters mount their spotting scopes in the ideal viewing position. Ray-Vin’s patented MKII F-Stand is solid and sturdy, and “floats” the scope close to the shooter’s head without interfering with the placement of a front pedestal rest or ultra-wide bipod. The base can sit off the shooter’s mat.
How much? The entire F-Stand package costs $310.00, including 8″ bottom for prone, two 24″ extensions, Ray-Vin 360 Head, and Take-Off Knob. But if you don’t need the extensions, you can purchase components separately.
The F-Stand is shown with Ray-Vin’s $85.00 Scope Head. This head allows the shooter to adjust scope height, rotation (around the stand shaft), scope angular elevation, and eyepiece orientation, all with one control. Some other scope heads, though more expensive, require you to use multiple knobs or friction adjusters. Conveniently, most of the adjustments can be done easily with one hand, using the black adjusting handle. Smart engineering we’d say.
You can see that the F-Stand places the spotting scope right where the shooter wants it, yet the legs do not interfere with the shooting position. A heavy-duty milled metal bracket clamps the base stud and scope rod securely. The F-stand will hold even heavy 80mm spotting scopes without flexing.
Here’s a clever, innovative product from Good Shooting Sales & Service, a shop operated by National Smallbore Silhouette Champion Cathy Winstead-Severin and her husband Jim Severin. The Shooting Skirt, available in either Nylon mesh or Cordura for $32.00, is a cone-shaped, fabric gear-holder that fits around the top of a tripod. The Shooting Skirt has various pockets that can store score cards, timers, Walkie-Talkies, spotting boards, and other accessories. The Shooting Skirt even has a water bottle holder.
We think the Shooting Skirt is a really clever product that can benefit varmint hunters as well as those who are scoring/spotting in shooting matches. For anyone who spends a lot of time working with a tripod in the field or at a range, the Shooting Skirt can be a very handy accessory.
Craft Your Own Custom Shooting Skirt — With High-Tech Options
What’s neat about this basic design is that it could be easily modified to suit your needs. If you (or the significant other) can run a sewing machine, you could make something similar, customized for the particular gear you use. You might add a pocket for a windmeter, or a special section to hold the lens caps for your spotting scope. Or, if you’re really clever, you could add a flexible solar panel to provide back-up power for your PDA, cell phone, or cameras.
We had a chance to check out the SPEC-REST from Lone Star Field Products at the NRA Meeting in Phoenix. This is one solid, well-built piece of kit, we can assure you. The SPEC-REST is finely engineered, and very smooth in operation (both elevating and traversing). To be honest, the spec-rest makes some other stamped metal portable shooting platforms look like kids’ toys. The main beam is solid metal and all the adjustment controls are well-placed and sturdy. A SPEC-REST is not going to bend or break under hard use. This rig was designed from the ground up to work with even the heaviest-recoiling calibers, such as 338 Lapua Magnum and 50 BMG. The unique design of the SPEC-REST even helps it dissipate recoil when shooting the “big boomers”.
Our Assistant Editor, Jason Baney, currently has a SPEC-REST plus low-profile Lone Star Quad base for testing and evaluation. The photo above shows the SPEC-REST on the Quad base which can be adjusted low enough to allow use on a bench. To view Lone-Star’s SPEC-REST in action, watch the video below. Lone Star President Robert Black puts a tripod-mounted SPEC-REST through its paces. I think you’ll be impressed… this Editor was.
MTM Case-Gard, makers of ammo boxes, range boxes, gun cases, and plastic shooting rests, has come up with a handy new product for hunters and tactical shooters. MTM’s new Spot & Shoot Tripod Adapter combines a front rifle rest with a secure attachment for a spotting scope. Made of polypropylene, MTM’s Spot & Shoot adaptor adds the convenience of a “quick release” scope or camera mount plus a non-marring shooting pad to a typical tripod. Just spot your target, and use the pad to steady your rifle. The Spot & Shoot tripod adaptor costs just $14.92 at Midsouth Shooters Supply.
Adaptor Fits a Variety of Optics
The Spot & Shoot can be used with still cameras, video cameras, and laser-rangefinders as well as spotting scopes — so long as the mounted gear’s base has a standard threaded mounting socket. The Spot & Shoot will adapt to most tripod heads, but unless you have a beefy, pro-grade tripod head, we would not advise using the Spot & Shoot with very large, heavy spotting scopes or video cameras with long telephoto lenses that hang way out in the front. This MTM product works best with compact optics.
Among the highlights of Media Day were the impressive portable field rests showcased by Lone Star Field Products. Designed primarily for law enforcement and military applications, these rests would also work very well in the varmint fields. The rests are very sturdy yet relatively lightweight. There is a low-profile “Quad Base” version, as well as a “tall” Spec-Rest that sits on top of a tripod. Jason got a chance to try the Spec-Rest with an Accuracy International .308 Win Rifle.
Testing the New Spec-Rest (Tripod and Quad-Base)
Positioned on a tripod, the Spec-Rest swivels 360° and allows a huge range of elevation. The set-up will hold nearly any rifle with its front and rear V-Mounts. According to the FBI, when a gun is firmly mounted, the Spec-Rest will absorb up to 60% of felt recoil with big calibers. The Spec-Rest can be deployed in under a minute without tools. The Spec-Rest is offered in two configurations. With a standing-height tripod and mil-spec carry bag, the Spec-Rest costs $660.00. With a lower quad base, suitable for bench shooting or sitting/kneeling, the Spec-Rest is priced at $575.00.
Camera Land’s One-Penny Tripod Promo
The F-Stand is shown with Ray-Vin’s $85.00 Scope Head. This head allows the shooter to adjust scope height, rotation (around the stand shaft), scope angular elevation, and eyepiece orientation, all with one control. Some other scope heads, though more expensive, require you to use multiple knobs or friction adjusters. Conveniently, most of the adjustments can be done easily with one hand, using the black adjusting handle. Smart engineering we’d say.
Adaptor Fits a Variety of Optics
Among the highlights of Media Day were the impressive portable field rests showcased by 
