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March 5th, 2016
Report by Vince Bottomley
Victrix Armaments, an Italian company, has developed new technology that could be a major “game-changer” in the world of precision rifles in general, and F-Class in particular. Victrix’s leadership group knows all about excellence — and winning. Giuseppe Valtorta, CEO of Victrix Armaments, is a top competitive shooter who won Gold with his F-TR rifle at the 2015 European F-Class Championships.
A New Breed of F-Class Rifle
Turn back the clock half a century — George Farquharson is happily shooting a modified military rifle with iron sights and sling. He hasn’t even dreamt of F Class…
Benchrest however is beginning to gather momentum. Accuracy seekers are demanding the ultimate in precision engineering. They will go to their favorite gunsmith and, if they’re very lucky, procure one of the new custom actions from Hart or Shilen.
In the last 50 years, what’s changed? Benchrest is still with us but F-Class has emerged as a world discipline and, to some extent, brought new challenges to our accuracy rifle builders. But, whilst the rest of the planet has reveled in the speed and precision of CNC machining, we still love to place our faith in the gunsmith and his trusty old lathe!
But, of course, there is a reason for this. CNC equipment is expensive and geared towards the rapid multiple production of precision parts, whereas the custom gunsmith is dedicated to the ‘one-off’ build.
Also, even with a limited run, CNC does not readily lend itself to chambering our cut- or button-rifled barrels. Good as our barrels are, there are issues that have made CNC machine problematic. Each barrel demands loving care at the hands of our chosen gunsmith – if it is to perform to our expectations.
5-Axis CNC vs Manual Barrel Chambering
What if — What if the whole barrel-fitting and chambering process could be made “CNC compliant” and produce a rifle which would equal (or even exceed) the accepted standard. And do it every time, time after time! Cost could be reduced and also waiting times.
Good as our custom barrels are, they still need to be scrupulously checked — for uniformity of the bore, the lands, the grooves — for straightness, consistency of diameter, and concentricity. This could be achieved, using some pretty sophisticated measuring equipment — but that would be outside the realms of the custom gunsmith.
Even then, how could the barrel be easily accommodated in a CNC five-axis machining center to ensure a set-up for the best possible chamber and threading? Remember, bores are rarely concentric to the outside diameter and seldom straight, so the set-up would need to ensure that any deviation would be in the vertical plane when the barrel is screwed in the action and the chamber-section would need to be exactly aligned.
These are of course the issues faced every day by the custom gunsmith but currently, there are few CNC machines which could easily accommodate this requirement. But yes, there are a few….
Let me introduce you to Victrix, an Italian engineering company with an impressive multi-million euro factory crammed with the very latest in CNC machinery and a state of the art measuring laboratory. They already have a well-established background in the firearms manufacturing industry, at both military and sporting level. Never heard of Victrix? You soon will, for Victrix has chosen the prestigious 2016 IWA Show (Hall 9 – 423) to launch its new range of high-end rifles.
Victrix manufacturing facility in Italy is ‘crammed with the very latest in CNC machinery':
Whilst Victrix initially developed a range of tactical/military firearms — some of which will also be of interest to the sport shooter — the company has now turned its attention to the F-Class discipline. By working with those competing at the highest level of F-Class competition, Victrix has developed a range of “off the shelf” F-Class rifles that are “competition-ready” right out of the box. Incidentally, Victrix have chosen American barrel-maker Benchmark as its exclusive barrel supplier. Victrix has already perfected a way of accurately assessing barrels to adapt them to CNC working, and this is the key to the new project.
Victrix Target Trigger — Adjustable down to an Ounce
Victrix F-Class rifles will feature an advanced, new target trigger engineered by Victrix. This four-lever target trigger boasts an adjustment range of 1 to 2.5 ounces (30 – 70 grams). Another trigger (8 to 21 ounces pull weight), is used for the Victrix tactical rifles.
Victrix Action
For its new line of rifles, Victrix have developed its own proprietary actions. These actions employ some interesting ideas. The bolt is three-lug with a 60-degree lift and 105/105/150 degree lug-geometry. Testing verified that this arrangement provided a greater resistance to flexing in the locked position over the more traditional 120/120/120 geometry. This geometry also aids the pick-up and feeding of rounds from a magazine when used in a tactical configuration.
Above is Victrix’s new action. It’s impressive. Multiple configurations are offered: Right Bolt/Left Port, Right Bolt/Right Port and other variations. The action can be fitted with Victrix Target or Tactical trigger.
The action and bolt are machined from 17.4PH stainless steel and then hardened (body 48 Rockwell, bolt 45 Rockwell) and treated with PVD (physical vapor deposition). Finally the actions are coated with chromium nitride and nobium for wear-resistance and smooth operation. Tenon thread is M27x1.5 and of course, tolerances are ‘benchrest’ standard. Picatinny rails are screwed and pinned to the action.
Victrix has certainly done its homework. The company will offer rifles for both F-Open and F-TR classes. Stocks will be offered in a variety of materials: wood, wood-laminate, aluminum, and carbon-fiber. The stocks share a no-nonsense, straight-forward design, specifically for shooting a rested rifle.
Whilst we are focusing on their F-Class rifles, we shouldn’t forget the Victrix tactical range. Although designed with military and police use, they will appeal to anyone who enjoys tactical-style shooting. There is no compromise on quality or accuracy so, expect the same build standard but with stocks CNC’d from 7075 mil-spec aluminum with a hard-anodized coating. The Victrix three-lever tactical trigger adjusts from 8 to 21 ounces (250 – 600 grams).
Victrix has chosen March Scopes UK (IWA Hall 3A – 110) as its business partner in launching the new Victrix F-Class rifles. This was a wise choice, as March Scopes UK proprietor Gary Costello is a former World F-Class Champion. Gary, well-known to F-Class competitors, continues to shoot with the Great Britain Team.
We look forward to taking a closer look at the Victrix F-Class rifles and hope to provide an in-depth range report in the not-too-distant future. Check out the Victrix website at www.Victrixarmaments.com.
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February 15th, 2016
After the giant SHOT Show extravaganza in Las Vegas each year, Great Britain hosts its own firearms trade show. This is a much smaller affair of course, but the British Shooting Show (aka BRITSHOT) still draws many thousands of shooting and hunting enthusiasts. This year our friend Vince Bottomley visited the trade show and reported for Target Shooter Magazine. CLICK HERE for full report.
Vince noted that big names in the shooting industry had products on display. Leading vendors included: Blaser, Browning, GMK, Ruag, Vortex, Schmidt & Bender, Zeiss, and Swarovski.
Among the new optics at BRITSHOT, Vince was quite impressed with Vortex’s new “Golden Eagle” 15-60x52mm competition scope (as we were when we saw this new optic in Vegas last month).
“Vortex had their new F Class 15-60 scope on display. This was one of the products I’d come to see and I wasn’t disappointed…. The turrets look and feel great – big and very positive. The reticle is a nice, simple, fine crosshair. Drastically undercutting Nightforce, Leupold, and March equivalents, this could be a very popular F-Class scope. Target Shooter hopes to have one for testing very soon so keep checking our Facebook page.”
The British Shooting Show also featured an airgun range. We feel these kind of indoor ranges provide a great opportunity to increase interest in recreational shooting. Vince agrees: “The excellent airgun ranges, where anyone can have a go at reactive targets [is] a great way for kids to shoot their first gun… this is a valuable part of the SHOW.”
Read full British Shooting Show Report in Target Shooter Magazine.
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February 12th, 2016
Our friend Vince Bottomley in the UK has written an excellent article for Target Shooter Magazine. Vince offers “solid-gold” advice for new F-TR and F-Open shooters. Vince reviews the cartridge options, and offers suggestions for a shooter’s first (and hopefully affordable) F-Class rifle. Vince also reviews various bipod choices for F-TR and discusses optics options (from $300 to $3000).
Here’s a short sample from the Target Shooter Magazine article:
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January 19th, 2016
Lyman’s digital BoreCam is one of the hottest rifle/gunsmithing accessories on the market right now. The product sells out quickly whenever a vendor gets a few in stock. Make no mistake, this is a good product that works well, and, at around $300.00, is it affordable for most shooters. The BoreCam provides vital information about your bore and chamber, and has the ability to save images to an SD card.
Our British friend Vince Bottomley recently obtained a Lyman BoreCam and put it through its paces. Vince came away very impressed. He says it is an easy-to-use and very capable bore inspection tool at a fraction of the cost of a high-end optical borescope (such as the Hawkeye). Vince says serious shooters should definitely acquire one of these tools: “In my opinion, this product is one of the very best to come along in recent years and I predict that the demand for these [Lyman BoreCams] will be very heavy. I would advise you to place an order as quickly as possible if you want one.”
READ Full Review by Vince Bottomley for Target Shooter Magazine
Here are highlights from Vince’s review of the Lyman BoreCam: “If I were to replace my [Hawkeye optical borescope] today with another Hawkeye, it would cost me well over £700 – stick on a video adapter and we are looking at four figures. That’s what makes the new Lyman digital borescope so attractive – at around £250 including a monitor – it’s an absolute steal!
But £250 – with a video attachment and photo-capture facility – can this really be a useable borescope? Trust me it is! But what use is a borescope. Why do you need one? Well, whatever you shoot, the condition of your rifle’s bore is critical. And I’m not just talking about a bore that’s ‘shot-out’ – maybe you just aren’t cleaning it thoroughly. Or maybe some defect within the chamber or rifling is preventing your rifle delivering the kind of performance you expect. Even at £700, a borescope can be cost-effective – if it saves you the cost of just one new barrel.”
Vince explained how the BoreCam can quickly diagnose problems in a barrel: “A customer started to have difficulty chambering rounds in his 308 Target Rifle…. The borescope quickly revealed the problem – a hard ring of copper and carbon had built-up immediately in front of the chamber. When you use a bore-guide (and you always should do) it can sometimes ‘protect’ this first bit of the bore from the cleaning-brush. Although the rest of the bore was spotless, this tiny section was not. Once we knew where the problem was, it was simple matter to carefully clean it up.”
“A borescope will tell you if your cleaning regime is effective, or inspect for throat-erosion and the general condition of the rifling. In addition, it’s very useful to the gunsmith for inspecting newly-cut chambers – making sure they are free from scoring and other machining defects.” Vince also recommends using the BoreCam to inspect barrel crowns: “Tiny burrs can often be present on newly-cut crowns and even the minutest of damage to a crown… can play havoc with accuracy. For the serious shooter, you could say that a borescope is the equivalent of a doctor’s stethoscope.”
CLICK HERE to Read Full Review (with detailed Specs and more photos).
The Ugly Truth Revealed
Here are some inside-the-barrel photos Vince took with the Lyman BoreCam. Vince notes: “This barrel came out of the scrap-bin, but someone had actually been shooting this rifle before he finally gave up and came in for a new barrel. Shooting a barrel in this condition is really throwing good money down range! Buy a borescope and stop shooting long before your barrel gets into this state!”
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January 5th, 2016
Our friend Vince Bottomley of TargetShooter.co.uk recently reviewed the new Phoenix “over-the-top” tactical bipod. The innovative Phoenix bipod fits to a Picatinny-type rail on the TOP of a handguard. A cross-over bridge carries the legs out wide to the sides. This suspends the rifle’s weight BELOW the bipod mount for a lower perceived center of gravity. The “suspension” design really works. With this low COG system, according to Vince, the suspended rifle sort of acts like a “pendulum”, making for a steadier hold. You can rotate (cant) the rifle slightly to match the horizon line without having the rifle flop from side to side as with conventional bottom-mounted or spigot-mounted bipods.
CLICK HERE to Read Full Phoenix Bipod Review by Vince Bottomley
The Phoenix is very stable according to Vince. That comes from the wide wheelbase as well as the oversized, skid-type feet on the Phoenix. Take a look at this photo below. This shows an Atlas bipod mounted on the Lower Pic-rail, with the big Phoenix mounted forward, on the top Pic-rail. Notice the vast difference in span. The legs of the Phoenix extend out much further, for true “wide-track stability”.
Compare the Wide-Track Phoenix with the Atlas Bipod — Quite a Difference!:
Vince was impressed with the Phoenix Bipod in use: “It’s just so solid…The large feet swivel to conform with the ground you’re shooting off and the two-part sliding legs will add another three inches to the height and a further four inches to the span, making 16 inches in total. At the lowest height, with the bi-pod mounted on my AX chassis top Pic-rail, the barrel is a mere six inches off the ground – lower than my Atlas, though of course I can swivel the legs forward on the Atlas to make it a similar height. The sliding leg arrangement is nicely done, offering very positive push-button ‘lock-steps’ every half an inch or so.” The Phoenix Bipod costs £220 (about $293.00 USD) including the adapter. For more information, visit PhoenixTactical.co.uk.
Vince Compares Phoenix with with Four Other Bipod Types
Vince’s review is well worth reading because he compares the Phoenix with a variety of other tactical bipods including the Atlas bipod, LRA bipod, Mystic Precision bipod, and the SAKO TRG-rifle accessory bipod. Vince identifies the key features a field bipod should provide and then explains how the Phoenix stacks up compared to these other designs.
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September 26th, 2015
Benchrest legend Tony Boyer finished fifth overall in the individual standings.
Congratulations to USA Team 2, which won the “battle of the nations” at the World Benchrest Championship. Team 2 members are: Lester Bruno, Wayne Campbell, Larry Costa, and Billy Stevens. Wayne Campbell also won the individual Championship, earning him the title of 2015 World Benchrest Champion. Wayne is now officially the best point-blank benchrester on the planet! We wish to acknowledge all the many competitors, from 24 nations, who attended this prestigious event.
Penalties and DQs
Other USA Teams might have finished in the top five, but there were some major mishaps at this event. USA Team 1 suffered a big penalty because of a 5-shot cross-fire at 200 yards. USA Team 3 was disqualified from the event due to a late shot after the “Cease Fire” command (DQ details below).
Here’s how the Teams Match ended up. USA Team 2 finished first, followed by three Australian squads, with Canada Team 1 finishing fifth:
 1. USA Team 2 – 0.2230 MOA
2. Australia Team 1 – 0.2441
3. Australia Team 3 – 0.2463
4. Australia Team 2 – 0.2635
5. Canada Team 1 – 0.2678
Wayne Campbell Wins WBC with 0.1866 Agg
But who is the individual World Benchrest Champion? That would be American Team member Wayne Campbell — a very popular result. Wayne shot a remarkable 0.1866 MOA Agg over the four-day event, combining 100- and 200-yard LV and HV matches. That shows you how accurate today’s Benchrest rifles can be (and the skill of the top shooters). Here are the top five individuals, all of whom Agg’d under 0.2100:
1. Wayne Campbell (USA) – 0.1866 MOA
2. Gene Bukys (USA) – 0.1973
3. Murray Hicks (Australia) – 0.2062
4. Larry Costa (USA) – 0.2087
5. Tony Boyer (USA) – 0.2095
The USA took four out of the Top Five individual spots. Living legend Tony Boyer proved he’s still got his stuff. Tony finished just .0033 off the podium, which saw Boyer protege Wayne Campbell in 1st place, Gene Bukys in second, and Australian Murray Hicks in third. The best of the two Great Britain Teams finished in 13th spot (out of 24 teams) with a 0.2998 MOA Agg. Top individual Brit was Bruce Lenton in 31st place with a very creditable 0.2666 MOA Agg.
Shooters from 24 nations competed at the 2015 World Benchrest Championship. Here Alexander Skuratov from Russia prepares ammo for a match.
DAY Four (Friday) Match Report
The fabulous St Louis weather was with us again for the last day and this is the first World Championship I can remember that didn’t have rain! Facilities at this fabulous Benchrest range are second to none and the event has run like the proverbial clockwork. That is a credit to the Club and its helpers and officials who have worked tirelessly for two weeks, as of course the NBRSA Nationals preceded the 2015 WBC.
Today, on the final day, Heavy Varmint rifles shot at 200 yards. Winds were again light, except for the odd relay but the top shooters again banged in those itty-bitty groups that the rest of us can only dream about. Just one non-American managed to sneak into the top five:
Friday Results, 200-Yard Heavy Varmint
1. Wayne Campbell (USA) – 0.1866 MOA
2. Gene Bukys (USA) – 0.1973
3. Murray Hicks (Australia) 0.2062
4. Larry Costa (USA) – 0.2087
5. Tony Boyer (USA) – 0.2095
Thursday DQ Drama — Disqualification and Penalty for American Teams
On Thursday, we had drama when one of the three USA Teams suffered a ten-inch penalty but such is the strength of American Benchrest that USA Team 1 members fought themselves back into contention. The ten-inch penalty was given when a USA Team 1 shooter fired all five shots on the wrong target at 200 yards. But, just as things were looking possible for an American 1, 2, 3 sweep, yet more drama occurred with the disqualification of USA Team 3! That’s right, the entire team was DQ’d as the result of a safety breach. Apparently, a USA Team 3 shooter fired AFTER the “Cease fire” command. That serious rule violation caused the disqualification.
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September 23rd, 2015
Report by Vince Bottomley, Target Shooter Magazine
The 2015 World Benchrest Championships (WBC) kicked off yesterday at the St. Louis Benchrest Club Range (located in Wright City, northwest of St. Louis). The World Benchrest Championships, the premier event in the short-range Benchrest universe, is held every two years on a different continent. This is the third time that the USA has hosted the event.
Competitors from 24 Countries Vie for Benchrest Honors
This is a true “World Championship” — teams from 24 nations are competing at the WBC this week. Although America can claim to have invented the sport of Benchrest shooting it is perhaps the most ‘worldly’ of centerfire shooting disciplines with 30 countries now affiliated to the World Benchrest Shooting Federation.
Countries may enter more than one Team and the ‘big’ Benchrest nations such the USA and Australia will send three teams (of four shooters). Although a team event, there is no wind coaching and members shoot as individuals. As well as team medals there are individual awards — the World Benchrest Shooting Champion will be crowned.
Light Varmint and Heavy Varmint Rifles
The WBC is a group-shooting competition contested over two yardages: 100 and 200 yards and with two weights of rifle – the Light Varmint weighing 10.5 pounds and the Heavy Varmint at 13.5 pounds. Years ago, the heavy guns were the more accurate but now there is little if any difference and many competitors will just use a Light Gun for both Classes, though some will switch to a heavy barrel.
Day One Results — An Aussie Leads with 0.1597 Agg
The St Louis range is impressive to say the least but two days of practice have confirmed that wind and mirage are waiting to catch the unwary.
After an 8:00 am start on Day One for the 100-yard Light Varmint (LV) class, veteran Aussie shooter Paul Sullivan took the individual win with a fantastic 0.1597 Aggregate (the average of five, 5-shot groups). Nipping at Sullivan’s heels were two American Hall-of-Famers, Tony Boyer and Gene Bukys. Here are the Top Five so far:
1. Paul Sullivan (Australia): 0.1597
2. Tony Boyer (USA): 0.1748
3. Gene Bukys (USA): 0.1765
4. Murray Hicks (Australia): 0.1811
5. Alain Beaumont (France): 0.1887
Next up, on September 23, the Heavy Varmint guns come out – still at 100 yards. The WBC continues through Saturday, September 26, with team events Wednesday through Friday and the Individual World Championship on Saturday, followed by award presentations.
With so many competitors, the Loading Room was crowded…
Map to St. Louis Benchrest Club Range in Wright City, MO.
Bench Rest Rifle Club of St. Louis
2280 Kohn Rd.
Wright City, MO 63390
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July 12th, 2015
Bench Barrels for Sound Attenuation
There’s something unusual about this range. Competitors are required to shoot through hoops. Vince Bottomley explains: “Competitors have to shoot with the rifle barrel inside a foam-lined plastic barrel, in an attempt to cut down on noise. This was a condition imposed by the local police but in practice, you don’t notice it as you are looking through a scope.” That looks pretty strange to us. Hopefully we won’t see these kind of restrictions imposed in the USA.
Here’s good news to report from the United Kingdom. The UK’s second 1000-yard benchrest facility just opened up in Scotland, near the town of Castle Douglas in the south of Scotland. Until now, Diggle was the only range running 1000-yard benchrest matches in all of the UK. With interest in long-range benchrest competition growing in the UK, it’s good to see a new 1K venue opening for business.
Read Full Report in Target Shooter Magazine
The new Ingleston Range in Castle Douglas is operated by the Galloway Small Arms Club. This club is affiliated with the United Kingdom Bench Rest Association (UKBRA), so any records established will be recognized by the UK governing body for benchrest shooting. Light Gun and Heavy Gun Classes are run according to American IBS rules. And, per UKBRA standards, there is also a third, Factory Rifle Class. Vince Bottomley reports: “The Range is located on a working farm and the GSAC members have worked tremendously hard to create a 1000-yard range from what is basically open countryside.”
Here’s the view looking downrange. What a beautiful place to shoot…
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May 18th, 2015
Here’s a cleverly-designed convertible F-Class stock that can be used for either F-TR competition (with bipod) or for F-Open shooting (with front sled). Designed by Brian Fox of Fox Fireams UK, this all-new design features a barrel block, allowing a variety of actions to be used. The “Fox Stock” weighs just 5.7 pounds. This allows the F-TR version to easily make weight with competition bipod and a large scope. Our friend Vince Bottomley from the UK offers this report.
Fox F-Class Stock for F-TR and F-Open
by Vince Bottomley
Brian Fox’s new stock can be used for either F-TR with bipod (EVO bipod shown in photos) or for F-Open with front bag-rider attached via the full-length accessory rail on the underside. The bag-rider is machined from high-grade plastic and is three inches wide to suit most front rests.
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September 16th, 2014
Report by Vince Bottomley
For this year, the European F-Class Championships moved from its traditional November date to mid-September. England can be smitten with some dreadful weather in November and previous Championships have suffered everything from rain and mist, to sub-zero temperatures. It proved to be a wise decision and competitors enjoyed balmy, sunny weather for the whole week, with matches on September 12-14, 2014. The event was well attended with 206 individual entries and over 20 teams. With competitors from a dozen nations, this is one of the biggest F-Class events in the world.
Congratulations to Scotland’s Des Parr, the new F-Open champion (on V-count over James Finn), and congrats to Giulio Arrigucci of Italy, who won the F-TR title. Both Parr and Finn dropped only five points over the entire two-day individual competition. For more information (and full listing of match results) visit www.GBFclass.co.uk.
| F-Open Individual Results |
F-TR Individual Results |
1. Des Parr (Scotland): 470.48V (possible 475)
2. James Finn (Ireland): 470.41V
3. Marco Been (Holland): 467.49V
4. Mik Maksimovic (GB): 465.38V
5. Daniel McKenna (Ireland): 464.40V
6. Dave Lloyd (GB): 463.36V |
1. Giulio Arrigucci (Italy): 455.30V
2. Francisco Franco Mosquera (Spain): 454.30V
3. Sergii Gorbon (Ukraine): 452.36V
4. Tom Bond (GB): 449.29V
5. Valentin Pomomarenko (Ukraine): 449.29V
6. Russell Simmonds (GB): 449.29V |
Over the past few years, numbers have increased steadily and this year, over 200 shooters assembled on Bisley’s famous Stickledown range on the Friday morning for the first of two days of individual competition, followed by Team Matches on the Sunday. The four days preceding the Championships were available for practice and informal competitions.
With near-perfect conditions for the first 800-yard stage, some excellent scores were recorded. Scotsman Paul Crosbie’s F-TR score of 75.12V not only took the stage win but also set a new GB record and equaled the top F-Open score (by Italian Gian Antonio Quaglino). Maximums were also recorded at 900 yards by both classes but at 1000 yards, Scotsman Des Parr’s 74.11V was a clear winner, with Italy’s Andrea Ceron’s recording a 72.6V in F-TR.
The Famous Stickledown Range at Bisley
At the end of Day One, Des Parr was leading Open Class by a single point and Spain’s Francisco Franco Mosquera had a two point lead in F-TR. The following day, competitors tackled the same course of fire to decide the title of European Champion.
Although a little overcast for the start of Day Two, the sun soon broke through and the fact that the top 36 Open shooters didn’t drop a single point at 800 yards gives an indication of conditions. Even the top 15 F-TR shooters ‘cleaned’ the target but, some relays experienced less favorable conditions.
 At 900 yards, again the top nine Open competitors shot ‘possibles’ but, in F-TR, Ukraine’s Sergii Gorban’s excellent 74.9V was the top score. For the final 1000-yard shoot – a 2 and 20 this time, Ireland’s Kevin Clancy’s 95.5V was a great F-TR score but Dave Lloyd’s winning Open score of 99.6V was absolutely stunning.
In the end, Scotland’s Des Parr and Ireland’s James Finn tied on points with 470 of 475 possible, but Parr took the 2014 European F-Open title based on V-bull count: 48 for Parr vs. 41 for Finn. Italy’s Giulio Arrigucci won the F-TR Championship by one point over Francisco Franco Mosquera.
We were delighted to have American shooter Francis ‘Biff’ Conlon join us – shooting a borrowed rifle in F-TR (second from left in the above photograph). Biff shot as part of one of the F-TR Teams in the pre-Championship competitions and picked up a gold medal – note the unusual trophy! Maybe a few more Americans might think it worthwhile making the trip to shoot in next year’s Europeans.
TEAM Matches
The Championships end with the Teams Matches on the Sunday. These matches are for eight-man teams so, not all countries are able to field a team but four Open Teams and five FTR teams were fielded. Ranges are 900 and 1000 yards with 15 shots at each distance. Wind coaches are permitted.
| F-Open Team Results |
F-TR Team Results |
1. Great Britain – 1161.120V
2. Italy – 1145.74V
3. Germany (BDMP) – 1129.91V |
1. Germany (BDMP) – 1106.57V
2. Italy – 1104.68V
3. Ukraine – 1101.69V |
Report from David Lloyd, current Great Britain F-Open Team Captain
I’ve just got back from the F-Class European Championships. The minor 4-man teams match was held last Thursday afternoon and was shot over 1000 yards with 2 + 20 to count. I was part of the victorious Team March (388.26V). In second place was the Midland Precision Guns Team with 383.26V.
The conditions were good and the level of competition was very high. Team March was captained by Gary Costello the UK and European importer of March scopes. The coach was Tony Marsh and he did a superb job of coaching the team to victory (he coached me to a score of 100-6Vs). The shooters were: Gary Costello, David Lloyd, Ian Boxall, Darren Stewart. Peter Walker was reserve shooter and register keeper.
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March 11th, 2014
The March edition of Target Shooter Magazine is now available. Content is free — you don’t have to purchase a subscription. This month there are many interesting featured articles, including a lengthy report from SHOT Show, and an article on tuning the 6 PPC by noted gun writer James Mock.
Here’s one of the many new products featured in Target Shooter’s SHOT Show Report — a new kind of chronograph. You haven’t seen anything like it before, because it is the first Doppler Radar chronograph for general (civilian) use. Produced in Canada, the new MyLabradar chronograph can be positioned off to the side — the bullet does NOT have to be fired directly over a set of sensors. That’s a big deal — no more risk of killing your chrono when testing ammo. You just aim at the target, with the chrono placed a few yards to the left or right.
IWA Report Coming Soon from Target Shooter
The editors of Target Shooter note that new articles are added throughout the month, so visit www.TargetShooter.co.uk frequently to see new content. The big IWA trade show (the European version of SHOT Show) took place March 7-10 in Nuremberg, Germany. Target Shooter will provide a report: “Coming soon will be all the latest news from IWA — where our Editor spent four days searching around the exhibition for new and exciting products.”
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November 14th, 2013
 The November 2013 Edition of Target Shooter Magazine is now available. The “cover boy” on this edition is Irish shooter Joe Melia, winner of the 2013 European F-Class Championships held at England’s Bisley Ranges. This month’s Target Shooter Magazine features an in-depth report on the Euro F-Class event, a review of the CZ Sporter rifle by Dick Wright, a feature on Benchrest Shooting by our friend Vince Bottomley, and a variety of other interesting articles.
Download in PDF or iPad Formats
Target Shooter magazine is offered at a reasonable cost of just £0.83 (about $1.33 US) per issue. Target Shooter is currently available in two digital formats: 1) Downloadable PDF file; and 2) Apple iPad eZine available from the App Store.
NOTE: Past editions (prior to July 2013) are available to download for FREE from Target Shooter’s website. GO TO Free Download Page.
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