Have You Thought About F-Class?

Read these links:

F-Class Long Range Target Shooting, Part I

F-Class Long Range Target Shooting, Part II

Official US F-Class Open Rifle Team Home Page

Equipment Needed for F-Class Open Shooting

F-Class Info

Zak Smith's Introduction to F-Class 1000 yard Shooting; excerpt:

***
...If you already have a Remington 700, Winchester Model 70, or other rifle that can shoot one MOA or better at 100 yards, you can get it tuned up for 1000-yard F-Class. You'll need a good scope with enough adjustment to get from a 100 or 200-yard zero to 1000 yards. The easiest way to ensure the scope will make it is to use an inclined scope base, which usually have 20 or 30 MOA incline built in. The scope should have external target knobs, and top-end magnification at least 12x. Popular scopes for F-Class include the Leupold Mark 4 and VX-III Long Range models, and the Nightforce NXS models.

Next, you need a load that will stay at supersonic speed to the target. As a general rule, a bullet that has a ballistic coefficient (BC) of 0.50 or higher launched at 2600 fps or faster will make it to 1000 yards. Great long-range loads generally have a BC of 0.60 or higher and are shot at 2850 fps or faster. In .308 Winchester, the Federal or Black Hills 175-grain, or Lapua 155-grain loads will work. In .300 Winchester Magnum, the 190-grain loads from Federal and Black Hills are good choices. Rifles that are built specifically for F-Class often use the long, sleek, and high-BC bullets in 6.5 mm and 7 mm calibers such as .260 Remington, 6.5-284 Norma, 7 mm Remington Magnum or 7 mm Winchester Short Magnum.

Finally, you need to know how much bullet drop compensation is required to move from your short-range zero to the six-foot square target backer at 1000 yards. The easiest way to get "on the paper" is to run one of the ballistic calculator programs which are available online or from Sierra, Pejsa, NECO, RCBS, and Exbal. With the correct data for your load, rifle, and environment plugged in, these calculators will usually be on within a scope "click" or two...
***

And a quick overview of the rule set:

F-Class Open Rule Overview
Rifle ........... Any
Sights .......... Any
Front Support ... Front rest allowed
Rear Support .... Rear bag allowed
Caliber ......... Any up to 0.35 caliber, per local range restrictions
Maximum Weight .. 22 lbs

F/TR Rule Overview
F-Class Open Rule Overview
Rifle ........... Any
Sights .......... Any
Front Support ... Bipod or rucksack
Rear Support .... Rear bag allowed
Caliber ......... .223 Winchester, .308 Winchester
Maximum Weight .. 18.15 lbs

F-Class Target Dimensions

X ring 5.0" diameter
10 ring 10.0"
9 ring 20.0"
8 ring 30"
7 ring 44"
6 ring 60"
5 area 6 foot square

More Information

US F-Class Rifle Team
http://www.usfclass.com/

So what?

No, I am not suggesting you go out and buy some fancy-pants $5000 dedicated rig for exclusively F-class shooting.

What I am suggesting is

1) A lot of readers have sub-MOA .308 bolties with decent glass.

2) With a 175 SMK (factory match or handload), your rifle and round can get to 1000 yards and be on paper.

3) The bags and tripods acceptable under the rules mean that you too can get out to 1000 yards.

4) These matches and sighter days are already being run around the country, so that all you have to do is show up with your gear and match fee, sign up and pay up, and start shooting.

5) In light of 1-4, why not root around and see if there is an F-class clinic/sight-in/match near you?

What better way to learn how you and your precision rifle shoot at full distance, especially with the wind calls inherent in such a challenge?

You do realize that more and more freedom-lovers getting proficient at truly long ranges will make the hoplophobes thoroughly soil themselves, don't you?

Can you say "strategic"?

I knew you could.