First F-Class Rifle?

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pilot_dc

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It's probably been done to death. But you're reading CGN on Saturday night, so humour me. :p

I want to dip my toes in F-Class Open.

I have a few options for a first rifle:

1) Buy a Savage F-Class. They retail for $1300. For under $100 I can have the bedding improved a bit, and have a .3 rifle (according to many range reports);

2) Build a rifle from scratch. Jerry Teo of Mystic Precision has a really good article on the ins-and-outs, and I think I could tackle such a project. I'm just not sure I could actually come in under $1300. I'm also not an expert gunsmith by any means, and there's no guarantee that the product would be any better than the Savage.

3) I could buy, or have built, a rifle. I doubt I'd come in under $2000, let alone $1300.

Looking for opinions. I'm leaning toward the Savage. This is after-all, my first F-Class rifle, and if I decide I LOVE the sport, the Savage platform is a good base to upgrade from.
 
Buy the SAv 6.5/284. The factory barrel is a crap shoot, but the rest of the platform is sound. Shoot it, practise, go to matches. Install a custom barrel when ready. Should then be very competitive.

NormB
 
just buy a "starter " rifle and shoot it lots for the first year or 2. Then you can BUILD or get BUILT a real nice custom gun to your specifications. (said specifications may actually change once you have been around the block for a year, and see what is out there and what you REALLY LIKE think on it for a minute Jefferson
 
Factory barrels are a crap shoot. Yes, some can shoot down around 1/2 min. Many will not. You have no way to know until you pull the trigger.

To avoid that, I go with option 2 everytime. The barrel is the heart of performance so you may as well get something that WILL work. As described in that article, you can save a ton of money depending on how much work you can do yourself.

another option is to contact shooters in F open in your area and see if you can "rent' their rifles. All competitive shooters have practise rifles that are nearing the end of the useful life. To claim back some funds to apply to new parts, I am sure they would consider letting you shoot their rig for a fee. I know I would.

Jerry
 
Well, I've found a Savage 12 F-Class for sale with a Tru-Flite barrel in the EE. Within my price range, now I have to hope it doesn't sell while I'm getting cash together.

If it does I'm leaning toward option 2.
 
pilot_dc said:
Well, I've found a Savage 12 F-Class for sale with a Tru-Flite barrel in the EE. Within my price range, now I have to hope it doesn't sell while I'm getting cash together.

If it does I'm leaning toward option 2.
Click to expand...

Tru-Flite make great barrels never seen one that was not a tac driver
You had better contact Jerry for some Redding or forster dies,and a competition bullet seater, reg RCBS Lee Hornady don't cut it for making ammo for f class & lapua brass
and get shooting.
 
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