Best F-class cartridge ?

[memilanuk]

Recoil management on 6mm BR / BRX / Dasher in a 22 lb rifle is pretty much nil...

[XL105]

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[XL105]

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[memilanuk]

Also the BC on these calibers rival the 300WM.

Actually... at a recent event (Northern Rockies F-Class Tournament outside Missoula, MT) there was a gaggle of Army Guard shooters running the new(ish) XM2010 sniper rifles - .300WM, suppressed, with a big Leupold scope (3-18x?) as the match director provided a dedicated class just for them to compete in (MT vs. All-Guard, mostly out of Arkansas, if I understood correctly). Anywho, what was surprising was when I looked up the numbers for the Mk248 Mod 0 ammo they were running... a Sierra 190gn MatchKing @ ~2950fps. I think they had a shorter barrel (22") than that velocity was cited for, but I've heard the can sometimes adds some back, so it

The relevant bit is their .300WM sniper load is barely equal, or slightly behind the wind drift performance of current F/TR .308 Win loads in common use: a Berger 185gn Juggernaut @ 2750fps or a Berger 200gn Hybrid @ 2660fps. My, how times have changed... ;)

[LoneWolf]

If they were running 30" barrels they'd be slightly ahead for F-Class distances. 30" barrels don't work in urban terrain though.

[XL105]

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[XL105]

Yobuck is a f in idiot

[memilanuk]

Sounds like a world of hurt both on shoulder

I agree, an un-braked .300WM would be fairly miserable to shoot, unless you had it set up to run right up to the F-Open weight limit. In this case (special class), they were running cans, which functioned as reasonably effective muzzle brakes.

[Iowa Fox]

Watched a guy put 6 out of 10rds on a 2 foot by 3 foot silhouette at a mile with a 7 SAUM slinging 180gr bergers.

I imagine it would hold great at 1000.


I watched about the same thing. 8 out of 12 shots on a 2x3 steel at 2018 yards, he was shooting an XP pistol in 7mm Dakota. Got the pictures with about 10 of us watching.

[JASmith]

I hope the original poster was able to go with heavy bullets in .223 and learn the basics of F-Class.

He would then have a better feel for whether a .243 with heavy bullets, a Creedmoor, or one the portable cannons would work for him.

[Hammer]

Would a fast twist 22/250 be better than the 223 ?

[LoneWolf]

If you decide on that, then have it throated for the 80-90gr VLDs. On the other hand if you're going to go that route then you might as well go to a 6mm variant.

[Robinhood]

6mm-250 AI

[LoneWolf]

I'd go 6XC which was based of the 250 case, but has Norma Brass readily available.

[memilanuk]

Would a fast twist 22/250 be better than the 223 ?

It will catapult you out of F-TR and into F-Open.

A .223 running 80s (or 90s)is at a performance disadvantage in the wind. Whether a .22-250 running the same bullet a few hundred fps faster is going to be @ any less of a disadvantage against a 6.5 or 7mm...

[Robinhood]

He asked about an F-class cartridge not F/TR. The XC was the cartridge I was talking about but the dasher is where its at for me. Or 6SLR

[JASmith]

The heavy-bullet 22-250 would indeed do somewhat better than the .223 but the reason for considering the caliber is that the .223 produces little recoil and muzzle blast. Further, very accurate off-the shelf AR and bolt action rifles are available at reasonable costs.

That, combined with a vast array of ammunition choices, some of which yield trajectories close to that of the now-classic .308 Winchester, means that one can start in the competition and learn enough of the basics to have a better chance of selecting a caliber that is right for him or her.

If one is to build a custom rifle for F-Class as a starter rifle, then it should be at least 6mm or 6.5 mm. Even then, the rifle may soon be shelved for one closer to a fit to that person' interests.

[earl39]

F-Class or F-TR it really doesn't matter as long as you pick a caliber that is legal in whatever type of competition you want to try to undertake. What really matters is can you shoot it consistently. Most calibers mentioned will work and there are others also but if you can't read the wind or a little recoil causes you to flinch then the caliber choice is very important and very individual. You also need to reload to take full advantage of what the rifle is capable of. If you don't reload the caliber choice diminishes dramatically. Distances you wish to shoot also play a part in the choice. So the best caliber for F-Class is the one you can shoot the best that is legal in a gun that stays inside the weight requirements for the sport.