F-Class Question....
F-Class, the newest addition to Long Range shooting, is the fastest growing long-range shooting sport in the world, and it is sure to continue growing as more and more people become familiar with its unique advantages and challenges.
F-Class was started in Canada by George "Farky" Farquharson. It was started as a fun class. In the beginning, it was mostly old time shooters, who put a scope and bipod on their rifle and shot along with the rest of the TR shooters. Mr. Farquharson came up with the idea of F-Class to enable he and other older long-range shooters to continue shooting along side of the people they had been competing with for most of their lives.
Farquharson was a Canadian who shot what in most of the world is known as Fullbore Rifle. Fullbore (known as long-range or Palma shooting here in the States) is shot prone with a sling and iron sights, using a .308 Winchester and a bullet weight of no more than 156 grains.
Farquharson figured, that older shooters would be able to continue long-range shooting longer if their eyesight and bodies could be augmented by allowing them to use a scope and a rest to shoot. He convinced the Canadian NRA (the DCRA) to approve his idea and F-Class was named after him. F-Class migrated to the rest of the British Commonwealth and also to Germany, France, the Netherlands and the USA.
It’s first appearance I could find was in 2000 at the 118th DCRA CANADIAN FULLBORE RIFLE CHAMPIONSHIPS matches in Ottawa were a handful shot this new style. A few even shot F-T/R as well.
I also found a reference that J.J. Conway,” the "old geezer" had a cataract in his right eye removed and the first match I could find was in 1996 at the 10th Annual Rocky Mountain Palma matches at the NRA Whittington Center, at Raton, New Mexico, were JJ used a scope. In this match they allowed "two additional categories of rifles". Class "O" ( a Palma rifle with optical sights), and Class "F" (any rifle, any sights, .33 caliber oe less and rests permitted). JJ fired in "F" class using a Harris bipod and sand bag rear rest with a Bill Wylde built .22-250 post Model 70, 27" Krieger 8.8 twist barrel, 80 grain Sierra moly-coated bullets, WW primers and turned neck cases. The scope was a Mark IV Leupold 16X with 1/4 dot. His load was 36.5/H4350, 3240 fps ave. (from PS, Oct 1996, pg 94)
My question is what year did the DCRA approve the class and what year was the first FClass competition and were was it held? I'm trying to come up with some history for the newest long range class.
I talked to Paul R. and he said...
"Sitting at Franny Moore’s place, George and a group of shooters, including myself, talked about the concept some 20 years ago. The first time F-Class was fired was 17 years ago at Victoria B.C. in 1989 or so. George and one other older gent fired it along side the TR shooters."
He figured it was in 1990-1991 that George convinced the DCRA of the addition of the new class, the FarquharsonClass or F-Class.
I hope Jim Thompson or someone local that knew George can confirm these dates...
Thanks
Keith Skjerdal
