Thread: Help explain competition shooting

Just out of curiosity
Can someone explain what all the classes and grades are? I thought it was more open sight shooting, but i see 'Target rifle', 'F class'
and 'F open'
Now i have been looking at the site 6MMBR and was reading about some of the rifles on there, is this the same, and could one compete with there .243 or .223?

Watching with interest

Copied from another site, easier than typing it out myself:
WHAT IS F-CLASS?

F-Class shooting was the brainchild of Canadian George Farquharson and the "F" was derived from his last name.
Mr. Farquharson came up with the idea of F-Class to enable he and other older shooters to continue competing alongside "iron sight" shooters who used a sling. Basically, he replaced the iron sights with a scope and replaced the sling hold with the option of using either a front bi-pod or a rest. F-Class is shot from the prone position where the shooters lay on a mat.
He convinced the Canadian NRA (DCRA) to approve his idea and F-Class was begun as an official shooting sport in Canada in the 90's.
This idea caught on fire and very quickly spread to the British Commonwealth, Germany, France, Netherlands and to the United States.
As the sport grew in the United States, NRA officially accepted it and today F-Class has tens of thousands of shooters in the United States and the rest of the World and is, by far, the fastest growing shooting discipline in the United States.
Currently, F-Class shooters shoot on targets that are half the size of the targets used by iron sight shooters, which raises the bar for shooters dramatically and increases the level of skill required to reach the top. This sport is enjoyed by young and old alike. The number of women shooters and family participation has also increased in F-Class shooting.
The first World Championship was held in Ottawa, Canada in 2002. The United States won the gold medal. The second World Championship was held in South Africa in 2005 and the United States won a silver medal. Thereafter, it was decided by all the countries' NRAs that this event had grown in stature and should be held every four years. The next World F-Class Championship will be held in Bisley, England in July 2009. The United States Team hopes to bring home the gold medal.

Here are some of the basic equipment rules:

F-Class has two categories: F-T/R & F-Open. Both are fired from the prone position.
Briefly, the rules are as follows:

F-T/R
Caliber limited to .223 or .308 (unmodified).
Sling and/or bipod allowed.
Rifle weight limit of 8.25 kgs (approx. 18.18 lbs).
Rear bag allowed


F-Open
Caliber limit of .35 and under.
Rifle weight of 10 kgs (approx. 22 lbs.).
Adjustable front rest allowed.
Rear bag allowed.
Rail guns not allowed.
76mm wide forend.
Rifle must be shouldered when fired.
Tables are prohibited.


Target Rifle is the traditional prone (lying down) shooting position with no rest, using micrometer iron sights and usually a sling attached to a shooting jacket to assist with holding and aiming.

Target Rifle competitors are graded from Tyro, C, B and A grade. Tyro is the beginner level, usually for the first year of shooting, where the new shooter is allowed the assistance of a wind coach. In outdoor shooting the wind is of course a major factor on the flight of the projectile, which means a large part of the skill of the sport is to adjust the sights to allow for this.

We run slightly different rules here. Mainly cal limit but in essence the same.

I have been shooting f class for a couple of years now. Im shooting a savage f class in 6mmBR with a 6-24x50 scope, using a front rest and a rear sandbag.

our local club shoots 300,400,500,600,700,800 yards, and others in the area go out to 1000.

its bloody good fun, if you have a local club in your area, it's well worth going to have a look at it.

To answer your question Moonhunt, yes you could compete with the .223 using a bipod in F/TR Class, or the .243 off a bipod or rest in F/Open. Im not sure if there are any ranges closer to your area, but there is the Clevedon Rifle Club, and the Akarana/City ( Kawakawa Bay), and the Franklin Rifle Clubs down this way

Originally Posted by Duck Gunner

To answer your question Moonhunt, yes you could compete with the .223 using a bipod in F/TR Class, or the .243 off a bipod or rest in F/Open. Im not sure if there are any ranges closer to your area, but there is the Clevedon Rifle Club, and the Akarana/City ( Kawakawa Bay), and the Franklin Rifle Clubs down this way

Whangarei has a NRA range out Kauri Mountain Rd. 3,5,6,8,900 yards.

Interesting guys... thanks for your insight
Spanners what range do you shoot at? And are the ranges you guys mention not NZDA ranges or are they...
We do have a range just north of Warkworth but pretty sure its pistol only, i have managed to make a 80m and 175m for my own use to have a plink now and then, but to be honest the most fun we have is with a .22 competing between our selves with numbered targets

I shoot at Trentham, however this last year in Auckland I have done no competition as its all been too hard basket, only shot pistol and practiced LR.
There is a property we regularly shoot at out to over 800, it gets the Westerly pretty hard.
I've had situations with my 308 there there with 9MOA of elevation and 9 MOA of windage!

There are no NZDA ranges up here (anywhere??) past 200 as far as I know - anything longer is NRA

My step brother of sorts( if the oldys ever get married) went to Trentham last week or so, weather was shit i believe.
He shoots his grandfathers old rifle and built one himself i believe, also lives in Aucks
I should have chin wag with him at some stage

Originally Posted by moonhunt

My step brother of sorts( if the oldys ever get married) went to Trentham last week or so, weather was shit i believe.

If you can shoot well at Trentham, you will shoot VERY well everywhere else lol
Windflags that go left, right, left, right up the range makes things really interesting

Don't think his new rifle went that well... i must find his no and ring him

So, F-class.


I believe I can't officially use a suppressor. Surely a local club wouldn't be super-anal about that, right?

Supressors are legal for F Class in NZ

Originally Posted by Duck Gunner

Supressors are legal for F Class in NZ

Awesome. Thanks.