Thread: What caliber are you shooting F-Open with?

Originally Posted by The Claw

I have a 6mm Creedmoor barrel for my Bighorn switch barrel rifle. Running the 110gr SMK's with hardly any recoil and pretty impressive ballistics. It's set up as a PRS style rig rather than F Class

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Thanks The Claw.

What is the main difference between a F Class and PRS rig?

How big is PRS in NZ if you want to get into it competitively?


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Originally Posted by janleroux

Thanks The Claw.

What is the main difference between a F Class and PRS rig?

How big is PRS in NZ if you want to get into it competitively?


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They are totally different beasts.
F class is basically fullbore NRA shooting but with a scoped rifle and any calibre other than 308 or 223, they both have their own class (F-TR). You shoot a big paper target from prone, one shot at a time for 10 shots at a set distance, highest score wins.

PRS is a totally different ball game.
It's practical shooting, mostly steel targets shot from a variety of positions (stand, sitting etc), with a lot of different barricades or obstacles to shoot from/through, set out isn a series of stages with different targets at different ranges from the same or different positions.

PRS is huge in the USA with a national series with big sponsors, here it's a matter of finding some local people who run events.
Some NZ events are shoots that have been going on a long time and have sorta just been wrapped up under the PRS umbrella.

F class has clubs throughout the country who belong to Target shooting NZ and operate club days and regional competitions, with a NZ competition held at Trentham each year. It's a much more regimented affair with strict rules, but a lot of club days are pretty casual and friendly to new comers, obviously dependant on the club.

@Beetroot
F Class is run by NRANZ, under ICFRA rules now - UK based organisation.
Strict weight rules and trigger release weights in TR and F/TR.
Unsure if trigger release weight is free in F-Open, but must pass three slow closing tests and not release the firing pin.
As I only shoot F/TR for shits and giggles at Trentham, have run foul of some of the 'sticklers for rules', but otherwise they're a good, helpful bunch.

Originally Posted by Beetroot

They are totally different beasts.
F class is basically fullbore NRA shooting but with a scoped rifle and any calibre other than 308 or 223, they both have their own class (F-TR). You shoot a big paper target from prone, one shot at a time for 10 shots at a set distance, highest score wins.

PRS is a totally different ball game.
It's practical shooting, mostly steel targets shot from a variety of positions (stand, sitting etc), with a lot of different barricades or obstacles to shoot from/through, set out isn a series of stages with different targets at different ranges from the same or different positions.

Thanks Beetroot,

Is it possible to get rifle setup that will good for both F-Open and PRS style shooting? If so, can you describe it?

In my very limited understanding I would think that for F-Open you would go for heavier and longest barrel with a very sturdy stock. Not a rig you want to move around with.

For PRS - probably something that is more mobile. Long barrel but not ad heavy.

Or do I have a miss-conception of how the two differ?




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i have been using my 260rem tikka t3 lite 22 inch standard barrell with dpt can at a few f open matches, prs, long range matches and a elr match the other weekend. just recently put it in a mdt chassis. goes well even with 10 round strings.

Originally Posted by blair993

i have been using my 260rem tikka t3 lite 22 inch standard barrell with dpt can at a few f open matches, prs, long range matches and a elr match the other weekend. just recently put it in a mdt chassis. goes well even with 10 round strings.

Thanks for this feedback @blair993. Glad to hear that 22” barrel is working. Is it a heavy barrel?

Which MDT chassis did you go for, and how big a difference did it make?


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Originally Posted by janleroux

Thanks Beetroot,

Is it possible to get rifle setup that will good for both F-Open and PRS style shooting? If so, can you describe it?

In my very limited understanding I would think that for F-Open you would go for heavier and longest barrel with a very sturdy stock. Not a rig you want to move around with.

For PRS - probably something that is more mobile. Long barrel but not ad heavy.

Or do I have a miss-conception of how the two differ?




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I just like blair shoot a 260rem Tikka, factory 22" sporter barrel with a ASE utra can. Have only used it on club F class shoots, but for what is basically a hunting rifle you can still be very competitive. Also used it for a PRS style matches and the light weight barrel has never been an issue.

You're pretty much spot on with your assessment, it's possible to shoot a PRS rifle well in a F class environment, but not so good a F class rifle in PRS, a dedicated F class rifle being single shot being the first main hurdle.
With F class most folk shoot a 28" barrel or longer and as much weight as possible, whilst PRS/tactical rifle doesn't necessarily suffer from excess weight a barrel under 26" is what most go for. There is a heap of information out there in regards to PRS shooting in the US, best you do some Googling rather than me do a half arsed job at repeating it here.

Basically all you want is a heavy barrel around 22"- 26" long and magazine fed, there is a crap load of rifles out there that'll fit the bill.
If it were me I'd go for a Tikka CTR/varmint or Bergara B14 hmr, put a decent scope on a start shooting.
There are loads of chassis and aftermarket stocks that are great, but until you've started shooting and tried a few other rifles you wont know what it is you like.

@janleroux, a number of us here have Howa Varmints. You can get a barrelled action for $800-900 and various stocks/chassis. Cheap and effective way to start, they are very very accurate rifles and good value. Mine is 24" in 6.5 Creedmoor, will shorten it in time. Its not a rifle to shoot off-hand in the current config. 20" barrelled Howa Varmints in 6.5CM go very well.

Reading about your wish to have one rifle for both disciplines, you'll be a bit buggered by the weight of a long heavy barrel in PRS. My cuzzies in the US have competed very successfully with shortened medium contour barrels on their Savage rifles, .308s at 18-20". No accuracy penalty downrange, portable, reasonable weight.

That said, as @Beetroot said it would be hard to look past a T3 CTR as an all rounder.

yeap standard 22inch lite profile barrel. used a mdt HS3 chassis (as it came up cheap) with luthar but stock. The chassis improved average group sizing but i dont think it really changed its best groups much. Being able to adjust every thing is the main difference. the factory stock still shot well.