new rifle or???

[jarhead143]

I have been out to the range and talking to some people andsome of them do F/TR and F-open say I could compete better with a 6.5 instead of my rem 700 aac-sd 1 in 10 twist 308...... Now should I build off my platform i have or just buy a new rifle?

thanks for your responses
Craig

 

[PatMcD]

F/TR I think requires a .308 or .223. F-Open is where you are going to see more using 6.5 (actually probably more using 6mm) for the better BC. 6.5x284, 6XC, 6BR, 6Lapua, etc.. There are dozens of fancy calibers those guys are using.
I don't think a good Rem 700 in .308 is going to handicap someone new to F/TR.

 

[Gman021]

Many switch to something in the 6.5, x47, or .260 because they mimic the 300 win mag in trajectory. They shoot faster and flatter than a .308. They will burn up the barrel faster, however.


.308 will still be fine out to 1000, but a 6.5 or .260 will do it better. Past 1000, they can be much more useful to you.

 

[bpm990d]

If you want to be competitive in F-TR or F-Open I would build a new rifle. You could probably build what you have into a significantly better rifle for F-TR, but I'm thinking the 700 action isn't quite up to the task for an F-Open gun.

The action is ok if you true it up. But other than that I'd pitch everything. It's probably better to sell what you have and build new with a custom action.

B

 

[PatMcD]

I just had to endure a 2-hr Rifle Committee meeting at scarborough Fish & Game with about a 1/2 dozen rabid F-Open shooters. To listen to these guys sweat the details of their rifle builds is agonizing. I learned the hot set-up is a hopped-up 6BR. But which 6BR you ask? There are 5 different reamers being used in that caliber and these guys almost get into fist-fights over which reamer gets better results.
I asked them "Why don't you make it easy and just use a .308, or if you have to be exotic, go to 6.5-08? Would your scores suffer?" They pretty much all agreed that they'd probably not see much difference. Keep in mind that these are all older guys with more disposable income than I do. This is their fun and showing up at a Match with a new rifle build is as good as it gets.

 

[jarhead143]

i a with you pat i am on a budget and blew my wad on rifles but then when i went to VA a guy told me about F-class so now i have the bug and i have been told my set up right now is good to start with.... i just need to get some more rigger time and a coach

 

[Woodstock]

Hope I'm not hijacking here, but I have a different rifle question: I know of an older Remington 700 in .280 Rem. that may be for sale. Anybody have any opinions on this as a hunting piece for open country? Second question is about getting the chamber reamed to .280 Ackley Improved, which will add a few FPS to the velocity. Wonder about cost/benefit ratio and whether anybody has experience with .280 AI. It has recently been standardized as a SAAMI cartridge, and factory brass and ammo are available, although it'd easy enough to form from .280 and .30-06. Thanks.

 

[davemata]

Hope I'm not hijacking here, but I have a different rifle question: I know of an older Remington 700 in .280 Rem. that may be for sale. Anybody have any opinions on this as a hunting piece for open country?

They're great rifles, and that's a good enough cartridge for anything in north america short of buffalo and brown bear. Moose might be dicey, but how often do you hunt moose, and how accurate are you, if you're highly competent, it could probably work.