Thread: New F Class setup and advice

Yeh, it's easy (if you have the dosh) to cut loose on a custom gun but equipment alone won't buy you results. Wind reading for a start can't be taught by others. Another aspect is that custom guns have a -serious- depreciation issue when you decide to flick them. As has been suggested, do a season at least on basic/ second-hand gear before deciding on building anything custom.

I have done that journey Gibs. Listen to EBF and Cyclops, go down to Trentham on a Saturday afternoon and ask for me (Daryl). For the time being I have put down the FTR gun and the custom build Barnard and have picked up a Bergara HMR which shoots just as well as the other two. While we don’t do the gung ho styles at Trentham you will at least be able to prove your shooting out to 1000 yds and learn about wind. You won’t need to drop $15k on a rig, but if you drop that much on reloading components you should get fairly competitive! The gem in the advice above was to buy the best scope you can, it doesn’t matter so much what you put it on.

Word of caution, I started out to do exactly what you have in mind. Turned up at the local range where F class and TR class shooters hang out.
Fronted with my bog stangdard CTR T3X 6.5 CM in a carbon stock. Every intention of learning to read the wind. Started out fine and got good hits week after week.
Some bastard conned me into shooting a Target Rifle "just give it a try"
To the demise of my start into PRS I fell into the belly flopping game and love it. The thing I like most after having been involved in "the arms race" with IPSC is the very level playing field this discipline has.

Sorry ran out of time to finish that post.

To start out in PRS

I would look at a T3X CTR add Atlas bottom metal so you can use ASIC's mags and it comes with an extended lever for quick changes. Put it in a better shaped stock for your style of shooting, An adjustable comb is good, get it with V block bedding system.

A 20 MOA rail and the scope of your choice If you like Mils use that, if you are used to MOA stay with that as converting and rethinking will do your head in during competition stress.

CTR's come pre threaded so get a suppressor that can handle volume shooting, A bipod that meets the rules is important and of course all the bags and bits to hang off posts and squeeze when you need to align in difficult places.
All of this gear is easily traded on when you decide to delve deeper.

With the extra currency buy a lot of reloading gear and practice, practice, practice

Thanks guys, appreciate all the advice!

Sounds like going for the high end scope is the priority and look for a half decent second hand rifle for a season or two.

However, you want the ultimate factory out of the box PRS competition rifle:
No gunsmiths required.



Still won’t do anything much different to a two thousand odd dollar TAC-A1, CTR or HMR can do. Been there and got beat.

i was getting into the long range stuff, but finances and health have now screwed me over
i have a rem 700 bull barrel, 7mmRM (i was a 308 nut till i went to this calibre)
20moa weaver base, burris rings. 5-25x56mm (30mm tube)
fired maybe 60 rounds from new . comes with ammo if picked up from canterbury
worth 4.5K to replace, asking 3.5
it will need re-sighting as i wasnt happy with the previous base fit. but i did manage to turn a hare into a red vapour at jut under 1km ( ok it was on shot #3 not a single bullet strike)

@Gibs, dont forget, any skill you learn, you grow into. go through a few cycles of gear over a few of years & it'll give you a really good base of knowledge of what you need (or not) to suit you.

Originally Posted by Stump

@Gibs, dont forget, any skill you learn, you grow into. go through a few cycles of gear over a few of years & it'll give you a really good base of knowledge of what you need (or not) to suit you.

Or you'll just come to realize that each discipline is pretty gear specific, and end up with multiple rifles and optics:

FTR
Service
Field / Hunting Comps
PRS

oops, did I just say that out loud....

I never said it'll be cheap! but he'll be a knowledgeable fool with all the tools and not with all the gear but no idea!

Originally Posted by ebf

Or you'll just come to realize that each discipline is pretty gear specific, and end up with multiple rifles and optics:

FTR
Service
Field / Hunting Comps
PRS

oops, did I just say that out loud....

I started my F-PR shooting with a Desert Tech SRS A1 rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor with Schmidt Bender PM2 scope last year. It really helped developing the shooting fundamentals.

Most of gears you will use for F-PR can be used for PRS matches as well.