OzFclass

Okay, just for your amusement over the coming colder months, I will be running some polls for our F-Open shooters. This will hopefully be of use to anyone thinking of joining the F-Open ranks, or to existing shooters considering changing or adding a calibre to their arsenal.

There will be 3 polls, each asking what you consider to be the best F-Open calibre. One will be for shorter ranges (up to say 600yd), one for longer ranges (600m and longer), and one for all round use. It won't be asking for the most economical, the best theoretical performance, the easiest to load for, the easiest to get components for, or even the best recent performances. Its more of an assessment of all aspects, and what you would recommend for an F-Open shooter on an average budget with a reasonable amount of time on their hands who wants to be competitive at Queens level. It does need to be a proven calibre in Australia, and needs to take into account the rules, particularly the current situation with ME limits.

We can have up to 10 calibres to choose from in each of the 3 categories, and there is no problem with a calibre being in more than one category. I've started the lists off with a few common calibres which are fairly obvious.

Short Ranges (up to 600yd)

223 Rem
6mmBR
6 Dasher
6-6.5x47
6.5x47
6.5-308AI (various)

Long Ranges (over 600yd)

7 RSAUM
7 WSM
284 Win
7 Shehane
280AI
300 WSM

All Round

6.5x47
6.5-308AI (various)
6.5x55
6.5-284
7-08AI
284 Win
308 Win

Can I have some suggestions for more please?

Maybe we can add the .260 Rem for the shorts, and the Longs if 1000yds/mtrs is the limit.

My vote:

Short: .260Rem (only cos I've got one)
Long: 7mm RSAUM
Both: 7mm RSAUM

Alan

Alan,

Thanks for the suggestions.

Yes maybe the 260 for the shorts, and 260AI for both? If either was to be in the longs list, then the 6.5-284 would need to also. Re: the 7 RSAUM for All Round, very few use any 7mm or 30cal short mag throughout a Queens, but if its accurate, why not I suppose.

I'm going to wait a bit to get all suggestions before adding to the lists.

Alan F

284 for the shorts as well Alan. I don't bother getting the little guns out anymore.
- I also use the SAUM all the way nowadays - shooting once a year is unlikely to burn the barrel out in a hurry!!:)

Dave,

Sounds like anybody who's anybody will be at the Queensland "Teams & Queens", so I trust you will make it? We could get the biggest Australian Queens F-Class fields ever, particularly if we don't get too many deserters after the teams.

Alan

They are all good!

new shooter 6br, 6.5x47, 284..Easy to find load data and people to help them along, accurate, long barrel life and ease of finding components.

I like my 7saums and when tuned rite I don't think they give up much accuracy to the smaller calibers BUT they require a lot more concentration to shoot well and I find that I need to be working harder with barrel and load management to make sure they are working at their best when they are needed. bit of a juggling act most of the time!

There may be a bit better balance of ballistics and longevity closer to the the 284 / 284 shehane area

The 6.5x47 just seems to shoot! any half baked load and sloppy technique and they still.seem to shoot 60s!

I can think of 2 scenarios.
If the shooter is fairly new and not too technically minded and not keen on forming brass, then a 6BR/284 Combination would cover all bases. The 6BR is a tack driver, simple to load for, economical to use in a lot of club shoots to get some trigger time, while the 284 is just such a good all rounder, only needing a slight neck up.

If the new shooter is more technically minded and keen to form and then fire form cases, then a 6 Dasher and 284 Shehane would make a top combination.
Both use regular bolt faces, allowing a more economical switch barrel option.

For a one gun, do it all, I would think the 284 would be hard to beat.

6.5mm Creedmoor
6XC
6.5 LR
have a few here in SA

6 Dasher (For the shorts = A bit more performance than a 6mmBR)

7-08ai (All rounder = Easy to get components, Less wind drift than a 6.5x47, Less recoil than a big 7mm).

.284win (Longs = Others won't think that you may be cheating with the energy limit)

This thread has gone a little off the rails. All comments are welcome, but the reason for this thread was just to ask for more calibres to put in the polls. I'm going to make up the polls now - will start a new topic for it.