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Full Bore Target Shooting - First Timer


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Hi All,

 

I am new to the forum very glad I found it just wanted to introduce myself.

 

I have been Shooting different quarry for quite some time now, I had always wanted to get into target shooting but life took over new born child, marriage etc.

 

I have now found the time to pursue this further and would like to go into full bore competition level target shooting preferably 400 - 1000 yards.

 

The questions I have are as follows:

 

 

1) Where do I start when it comes to choosing the correct discipline that suits me?

 

2) What calibre rifle should I be looking at?

 

3) What make?

 

4) What magnification of scope?

 

5) What other equipment will I need apart from the obvious gun, ammo, scope etc?

 

6) What would be a suitable beginners budget £1000, £2000, £3000 or higher?

 

I would be very grateful for any information and feed back provided on this post it would help a lot and any good knowledge given would be very much appreciated also.

 

Regards

 

John

 

 

 

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John,

 

Welcome to the forum. There are many different disciplines within full bore rifle shooting. To assist in answering your questions it will help to know where you are in the country so you can be directed to a facility/range that offers the right opportunity.

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How long is that bit of string?

 

Good question mate. You can pick up a basic new kit for a grand or something that might not suit you as much for 10+ whatever funds you have available can be sucked away all too easily.

 

2nd hand stuff can be got from less than a couple of hundred upwards.

 

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Then there's reloading.....

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What ever rifle you decide to buy or discipline you decide to shoot. Buy decent Glass, pay once cry once.

The most accurate expensive rifle will not perform as will with cheep glass, on the other hand a cheep rifle will be enhanced by decent glass.

You can allways put your decent scope onto a different rifle if you decide to change it.

Calibre wise depends on what discipline but 6.5 Creedmoor is a great cartrage for most target disciplines out to 1000, just not F-class as that's restricted unless you do F-class open.

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Thanks guys much appreciated for the reply thought I'd get told to sod off.

 

Realistically I was thinking .308 for choice of calibre make no idea and optics don't know where to begin to be fair i could be at 4k before I know it with just rife and scope

 

What is the difference between the F and F open? Is that something someone could tell me.

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F class is restricted to certain things like calibre, .308/.223......don't shoot it my self. Also other things like you can't use brakes, F-open you aren't restricted on those things.

Depending on what discipline you want to do .308 is not the most competitive cartrage about any more. If your doing tactical or other mag fed comps that are out towards 1000 then you can't seat the bullet far enough out to get as much velocity as you would need to be competitive against say 6.5CM or 6.5x47 that can seat the bullet further out and use the case capacity at the same time as mag feeding.

 

Any way first you need to go and try the different disciplines to see what you like really before you go out spending.

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I guess that there are 3 basic options:

 

(1) Buy an off the shelf heavy barrel varmint or tactical rifle and a Japanese scope (e.g. Sightron) and upgrade this as you get more experienced. There's loads of choice these days, but personally I would choose Tikka. If you reload, pick 6.5 Creedmoor or 0.260 Remington. If you dont, pick 0.308 and use GGG or HPS reloads, but accept the longer range limitations of 0.308 from a shorter barrel. Eventualy spend a lot of money to change to what you really want!

 

(2) Buy a custom rifle secondhand from the 'for sale' section. There are really some outstanding bargains on here. The danger is that these will tend to be tailored to a specific discipline or sporting use.

 

(3) Shoot just the club guns until you decide what discipline you really like, then save up and buy the right rifle. There's loads of great custom smiths, but I see loads of people choosing 'custom off the shelf', e.g. Dolphin Gun Company, or 'high end off the shelf', e.g. AI.

 

Most people choose option (1), but (2) and (3) are far more rational choices! Hope this helps.

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Absolutely as Scotch eggs advice....while it's understandable to want to get into Kit and Kaboodle,it's just not like golf,where a middle road set of clubs will do everything. Different disciplines in shooting have quite differnt requirements ( definitely in gear,but also fitness isssues for shooter,and 'temperament'0. Agreed 308 is a bit of a decent jackof alll trades...but......keep a very open mind-some advice is 'discusable' regretable-look to see what the serious shooters in a discipline use....you won't yet need £3000 scopes,but you may want to check cartridges,and magnification etc-the basics parameers,not the specific makes/models neccessarily-which brings in the cost issue-and how long is the string.

Find a club/clubs-see just what different target shooting options entails-you may/not like them all...there will still be gear available to be bought once you have a clearer idea-most clubs have a limited choice of 'club rifle' which will tell you about recoil etc...also Google/you tube options like Bench Rest,CSR,Fclass.Some clubs have 'only' fixed distance range shooting into sand backstops;a few have more open range options. Competition shooting will be much more organised,usually limited shot count,in relays-and of course your gear will have to conform to various rules.

Enjoy doing all this-as said,there will be no shortage of gear once you know what you prefer...it's not running out anytime soon! :-)

 

gbal

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If you're interested, myself and a few of us travel down from​ the Glasgow area a month to castle Douglas for 1000 yards bench rest shooting.

I would pop down for the day and see if it tickles you as a discipline, see what rifles are used etc.

 

Look up Onslow52 (Darrell) and contact him for details on the club etc

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John, others have given you some options, Fife and Kinross, Castle Douglas, etc.

 

I'll add Clyde Valley Pistol Club to the mix, we shoot 25m indoors smallbore/gallery rifle, aswell as pistols/long barrel pistol. We also shoot 200 and 500 yard Fullbore competitively over in Fife, so one club gives you plenty to play with.

 

A friendly club, plenty of banter to go around.

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Hi Guys,

 

Thanks for the information it really is appreciated, I would like to stick to full bore and be able to go into british and possible international competition level, preferably prone position shooting due to an issue with my leg but this doesn't hold me back on a daily basis.

 

Really I need to find a discipline that suits full bore target shooting with optics, find a club close to home that's suitable that facilitates this with the an avenue that would allow me to represent country etc. If I got good and had the correct help and advice from said club that is. So a club that has access to push you and has doors that can open into serious competition level shoots.

 

John

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I'd say that narrows it down to Match Rifle or F Class

Then I suppose it depends on what clubs you have locally and what ranges they have access too.

 

There will be a fair amount of travelling required, unless you move.....

Surrey might be a good option and Bisley has it all :lol:

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As Bradders has said, there can be a LOT of travelling, so you need to be committed, (In both senses of the word! :lol:)

I live a fair way from most clubs/shoots, as you do.....

Kingsbury was my only option. Shooting from 300 to 600..... I was using a .223 Rem for that.... And didn't do to bad really...

As for a .308, i was persuaded to go for that, and it's currently on my ticket. However, stretching it out to 1000 yards is feasible, from my limited knowledge, i would say, it's at it's limit. Is it subsonic at that range folks?? I suppose it depends on your "load"?

From my very limited research, if you want to get out to 1000 yards without too much difficulty, i would, and will be going for a variation from .308 to a 6.5 Creedmoor.... If i were in your shoes, and to a degree i am i suppose....I would go for something like a 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x47, or a .260.....

But i'm sure there are loads more qualified people on here to advise you.... As in all honesty i don't really know about "Classes"...

I currently use a 6-24x50 Sightron S111 on my .223, which is very good for the money. Around £900 new. And it would/will go very nicely mounted on a Tikka T3x TAC A1 in 6.5 Creedmoor, with a 24" barrel. :D Although i need to sell on a few rifles to help with funds, and make room in the cabinet...

Good Luck!

Chaz.

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Hi Guys,

 

Thanks for the information it really is appreciated, I would like to stick to full bore and be able to go into british and possible international competition level, preferably prone position shooting due to an issue with my leg but this doesn't hold me back on a daily basis.

 

Really I need to find a discipline that suits full bore target shooting with optics, find a club close to home that's suitable that facilitates this with the an avenue that would allow me to represent country etc. If I got good and had the correct help and advice from said club that is. So a club that has access to push you and has doors that can open into serious competition level shoots.

 

John

 

 

John,

 

In which case I'd suggest West Athol or Fife and Kinross.

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timestamp="1503504075"]As Bradders has said, there can be a LOT of travelling, so you need to be committed, (In both senses of the word! :lol:)

I live a fair way from most clubs/shoots, as you do.....

Kingsbury was my only option. Shooting from 300 to 600..... I was using a .223 Rem for that.... And didn't do to bad really...

As for a .308, i was persuaded to go for that, and it's currently on my ticket. However, stretching it out to 1000 yards is feasible, from my limited knowledge, i would say, it's at it's limit. Is it subsonic at that range folks?? I suppose it depends on your "load"?

From my very limited research, if you want to get out to 1000 yards without too much difficulty, i would, and will be going for a variation from .308 to a 6.5 Creedmoor.... If i were in your shoes, and to a degree i am i suppose....I would go for something like a 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x47, or a .260.....

But i'm sure there are loads more qualified people on here to advise you.... As in all honesty i don't really know about "Classes"...

I currently use a 6-24x50 Sightron S111 on my .223, which is very good for the money. Around £900 new. And it would/will go very nicely mounted on a Tikka T3x TAC A1 in 6.5 Creedmoor, with a 24" barrel. :D Although i need to sell on a few rifles to help with funds, and make room in the cabinet...

Good Luck!

Chaz.

 

Travelling isn't an issue I am used to that with work and life has taken me all over.

 

I currently have a Tikka. 223 synthetic 1-8 twist at the moment purely for fox control which will be converted to a night set up with thermal scope. I have also got .270 on my ticket to but again this is for deer control.

 

So when it comes to target shooting I am trying to establish and I think I'm correct in saying are most british and international comps not around about the 300 meters range? In which case if so I won't need to push out to 1000 yards?

 

What sort of money was Involved in your travelling and competition expenses etc? Even a rough idea would be good just so I know what level of funding I would need to put into this which isn't really to much of an issue.

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As Bradders has said, there can be a LOT of travelling, so you need to be committed, (In both senses of the word! :lol:)

I live a fair way from most clubs/shoots, as you do.....

Kingsbury was my only option. Shooting from 300 to 600..... I was using a .223 Rem for that.... And didn't do to bad really...

As for a .308, i was persuaded to go for that, and it's currently on my ticket. However, stretching it out to 1000 yards is feasible, from my limited knowledge, i would say, it's at it's limit. Is it subsonic at that range folks?? I suppose it depends on your "load"?

From my very limited research, if you want to get out to 1000 yards without too much difficulty, i would, and will be going for a variation from .308 to a 6.5 Creedmoor.... If i were in your shoes, and to a degree i am i suppose....I would go for something like a 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x47, or a .260.....

But i'm sure there are loads more qualified people on here to advise you.... As in all honesty i don't really know about "Classes"...

I currently use a 6-24x50 Sightron S111 on my .223, which is very good for the money. Around £900 new. And it would/will go very nicely mounted on a Tikka T3x TAC A1 in 6.5 Creedmoor, with a 24" barrel. :D Although i need to sell on a few rifles to help with funds, and make room in the cabinet...

Good Luck!

Chaz.

 

 

Travelling isn't an issue I am used to that with work and life has taken me all over.

 

I currently have a Tikka. 223 synthetic 1-8 twist at the moment purely for fox control which will be converted to a night set up with thermal scope. I have also got .270 on my ticket to but again this is for deer control.

 

So when it comes to target shooting I am trying to establish and I think I'm correct in saying are most british and international comps not around about the 300 meters range? In which case if so I won't need to push out to 1000 yards?

 

What sort of money was Involved in your travelling and competition expenses etc? Even a rough idea would be good just so I know what level of funding I would need to put into this which isn't really to much of an issue.

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John,

 

European competition and that's generally Scandinavia/Germany/Switzerland/Eastern Europe revolves around 300m, but in the UK and most of the commonwealth, USA etc it's a mix of distances from 300 yards to 1000 and beyond, in the case of Match Rifle, which is shot at Blair Atholl and Bisley. I'd recommend looking at the GB NRA website and especially the Social Media Facebook posts (you don't need to have a facebook account to access them) which has hundreds if not thousands of photos and a few short videos which illustrate perfectly the type of shooting that takes place on ranges up and down the UK every weekend. 300m shooting is more akin to smallbore but just a bigger cartridge and is very much a minority shooting sport in the UK, but there are plenty of vids on youtube if you wanted to see what was involved.

 

Target rifle (TR) shot with iron sights and a sling, and F class, either Open or FTR, would be the easiest to get into with more opportunities, ie ranges and clubs involved with advice on equipment and technique.

 

You could spend as little as £400.00 on a very second hand target rifle and pick up the various other bits like spotting scope, jacket, sling and glove for another hundred quid or so for TR, whereas F class maybe £1500 would get you a second hand rifle and scope with bipod or rest for a few hundred quid more.

 

Competition costs depends on how far you want to take it, many only ever shoot at their local club, if you wanted to shoot national competitions at Bisley figure on about £1000 for the once a year major event and regional shoots can be entered for fifty quid plus ammo and travelling. Ammo cost around a £1 a round unless you shoot F open with a big 7mm Cartridge which would be nearer £1.50 a round. A typical F class League shoot weekend will be 90 rounds. Have a look at the GB Fclass website which has all the details you would need.

 

Richard.

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Personally, I would take on board the advice Scotch_egg and Shuggy provide on page 1.

 

Spend a good deal of time at your chosen club(s), speak to as many people as you can, ask them about their equipment and setup choices, borrow the club guns and take up any offer to shoot a fellow members gun - get as many comparisons as you can, including experience of different calibers if possible.

 

Read up on as many forum as you can (this one, Accurateshooter etc), try to immerse yourself in the lingo and compare experiences of equipment, reloading, shooting, techniques etc from other well established and experienced shooters - ideally who shoot the same discipline that you've decided is right for you (e.g. Tactical, F Open, Benchrest etc...).

 

With a good level of theoretical AND practical experience (shooting club and members guns), I'd either trawl the for sale forum and get yourself a bargain or spec the ideal build you want, ask for experienced shooter input and then start saving. Buy once and don't regret it.

I've always been told to buy cheap, and just upgrade over time. I've found you'll always upgrade at some point (usually sooner than later) and you spend way more doing this then buying right the first time.

 

Just my opinion. Good luck and have fun!!

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John,

 

European competition and that's generally Scandinavia/Germany/Switzerland/Eastern Europe revolves around 300m, but in the UK and most of the commonwealth, USA etc it's a mix of distances from 300 yards to 1000 and beyond, in the case of Match Rifle, which is shot at Blair Atholl and Bisley. I'd recommend looking at the GB NRA website and especially the Social Media Facebook posts (you don't need to have a facebook account to access them) which has hundreds if not thousands of photos and a few short videos which illustrate perfectly the type of shooting that takes place on ranges up and down the UK every weekend. 300m shooting is more akin to smallbore but just a bigger cartridge and is very much a minority shooting sport in the UK, but there are plenty of vids on youtube if you wanted to see what was involved.

 

Target rifle (TR) shot with iron sights and a sling, and F class, either Open or FTR, would be the easiest to get into with more opportunities, ie ranges and clubs involved with advice on equipment and technique.

 

You could spend as little as £400.00 on a very second hand target rifle and pick up the various other bits like spotting scope, jacket, sling and glove for another hundred quid or so for TR, whereas F class maybe £1500 would get you a second hand rifle and scope with bipod or rest for a few hundred quid more.

 

Competition costs depends on how far you want to take it, many only ever shoot at their local club, if you wanted to shoot national competitions at Bisley figure on about £1000 for the once a year major event and regional shoots can be entered for fifty quid plus ammo and travelling. Ammo cost around a £1 a round unless you shoot F open with a big 7mm Cartridge which would be nearer £1.50 a round. A typical F class League shoot weekend will be 90 rounds. Have a look at the GB Fclass website which has all the details you would need.

 

Richard.

 

Richard,

 

That's very informative and a good bundle of information, yes that's exactly the type of discipline that I would like to do (Open class or FTR) and level to get to also, with a lot of effort and good equipment. I have been studying it and watching it online and Iron sights etc that's not for me prone and optics is better suited to the style of shooting I carryout on a weekly basis would rather not have to learn something new from scratch etc and I think I would not enjoy it as much.

 

Competition level cost isn't as I high as I had first assumed at all very surprised, don't have any problem with that kind of money being spent I would say that was fair.

 

300 to 1000 yards suits, that sounds like a good variation of trials and skills etc.

 

 

Thanks for the info that's been very helpful.

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