Chambering choice for newbie

[RDavies]

.308 and shoot FTR. .308 is easy to tune and easy to get consumables for. You can use any bullet in FTR and any trigger weight. Barrels last a long time so plenty of time to enjoy your shooting before running in and developing a new one. FTR is fairly portable and you don't need a $2000 front rest to be competitive. It's challenging to shoot and being an internationally recognised discipline so you can shoot it rite from club to world championship level.

What he said. You are already set up for 308. Barrels last a long time. More components available. More portable for travelling. Cheaper to get into.

edit. BUT, I see you mentioning you will be going a lot of 200y benchrest type shooting, so this changes things as the f/tr gun would not be ideal.
6mms and 6.5s such as 6BR, 6BRA , 6 Dasher, or medium sized 6.5s such as 6.5x47, 6.5 Creedmoor are nice to shoot off a bench for an afternoon of playing at the range, but are also coming back into favour more in Australia for F class. If you went for a 6BR, recoil will be light, very accurate, cheap to run and good out to 600y with no fire forming or extensive case mods. The 6.5x47 or 6.5 Creedmoor will be a little more recoil and cost, but better ballistics at longer ranges, no case forming.
Realistically, what distances do you think you will get out to? Most OPMs now only go out to 600Y

The 7MMs do have good ballistics but not as nice to shoot off a bench if that is your primary use.

[CBH Australia]

.308 and shoot FTR. .308 is easy to tune and easy to get consumables for. You can use any bullet in FTR and any trigger weight. Barrels last a long time so plenty of time to enjoy your shooting before running in and developing a new one. FTR is fairly portable and you don't need a $2000 front rest to be competitive. It's challenging to shoot and being an internationally recognised discipline so you can shoot it rite from club to world championship level.

What he said. You are already set up for 308. Barrels last a long time. More components available. More portable for travelling. Cheaper to get into.

edit. BUT, I see you mentioning you will be going a lot of 200y benchrest type shooting, so this changes things as the f/tr gun would not be ideal.
6mms and 6.5s such as 6BR, 6BRA , 6 Dasher, or medium sized 6.5s such as 6.5x47, 6.5 Creedmoor are nice to shoot off a bench for an afternoon of playing at the range, but are also coming back into favour more in Australia for F class. If you went for a 6BR, recoil will be light, very accurate, cheap to run and good out to 600y with no fire forming or extensive case mods. The 6.5x47 or 6.5 Creedmoor will be a little more recoil and cost, but better ballistics at longer ranges, no case forming.
Realistically, what distances do you think you will get out to? Most OPMs now only go out to 600Y

The 7MMs do have good ballistics but not as nice to shoot off a bench if that is your primary use.

There is a local club with a 900m range where I can participate in F class. Im hoping to get comfortable with 700 at least.

So the .308 won't be comfortable off the bench. I already use my Tikka CTR on the bench and hope to sight the Nielsen this week. Knowing it's a heavier calibre for the bench I'm considering options.

I'm hoping to learn some long range skills to learn and challenge myself.

Im not likely to choose 6.5cm because I've always bagged it. Unfortunately this is probably because of the nonsense promoted around it's ability and it's suitability for hunting. All things being equal I'm sure it can do it's thing well in the right situation.

My Rem 700 .223 varmint has negligible recoil but it wears an 8x56 for spotlighting . The .22-250 goes ok over the bench. Last time I loaned it the other shooter beat me for the match but neither were last.

Just wanting to place respectable scores at club level and any matches I shoot as a visitor. I'm not going to try compete at a level that requires high end equipment. But I might buy one more.

Short term I'm working with the Nielsen and will add decent glass for my old eyes but Im also researching a suitable rifle to step up a little.


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[AlanF]

CBH,

From everything you've now told us, I believe a 6BR would be a great option. Super accurate, super cheap to run, virtually zero recoil, extremely capable out to 600, and I've seen them win ranges at Queens level much further out. And due to their popularity, no problem with availability of accessories, and plenty of knowledge about how to get the best out of them.

[RDavies]

Im not likely to choose 6.5cm because I've always bagged it. Unfortunately this is probably because of the nonsense promoted around it's ability and it's suitability for hunting. All things being equal I'm sure it can do it's thing well in the right situation.

.

I think most of us here know what you mean there. But like you say the 6.5 Creedmoor is a good allrounder, but you will have to put up with the stigma that goes along with it. Plenty of other mid-sized 6.5s available though but as Alan says, a 6BR would be a great start. If you find you are doing more long range work than shooting off a bench, you can rebarrel it later to something bigger.

[CBH Australia]

I will look into the 6BR,

I think there someone is running one at the club I've just always steered toward standard chambering s read Common) previously although reading about many others. Building a .280a.i. was my first time outside of common cartridges.

[AlanF]

I will look into the 6BR,

I think there someone is running one at the club I've just always steered toward standard chambering s read Common) previously although reading about many others. Building a .280a.i. was my first time outside of common cartridges.

There's a lot of common chamberings that you rarely see in F-Open of course. To name a few 30/06, 7mm Rem Mag, 270, 243, 22/250 etc. There is usually a good reason e.g. target bullet selection is virtually non-existent in 270, 7 RM packs too much energy, 243, 22/250 are barrel burners when you're shooting 10 or 20 shots in as little as a couple of minutes. 30/06 has more going for it, but 7mms have a better BC to recoil ratio. Cartidges like 6BR, 6.5x47, 284 and 308 seem to be a good compromise between barrel life and performance.

[BATattack]

I think most of us here know what you mean there. But like you say the 6.5 Creedmoor is a good allrounder, but you will have to put up with the stigma that goes along with it. Plenty of other mid-sized 6.5s available though but as Alan says, a 6BR would be a great start. If you find you are doing more long range work than shooting off a bench, you can rebarrel it later to something bigger.

Not sure how you managed this one Rod but but this was CBH's quote not mine!? Haha

[BD28]

Lets face it, we are all here to have fun, but we dont turn up to lose and thats the truth. If youre going F open 284 will be fine but its more so the money invested in things like a quality rest, and if youre going to go all in, dont make it a 284, go a SAUM.

If i were starting out again id do exactly as i did the first time, Build an FTR rifle, youre not restricted by projectiles in this climate where finding components can be hard, 308 supplies are everywhere. Plus you can use a relatively cheap FTR bipod. Besides... a 185 jugg goes just fine in the wind.