Building a rifle for F-class T/R need some help

[Magoo541]

So my dad gave me a Savage 111,chambered in 270-long action, he ran over (bent barrel/jacked up stock) and I want to build a rifle that will let me shoot F class Tactical Rifle and hunt a couple of times with my dad.  If it isn't possible to compromise on that I'll just build a competition rifle.  I need help from those who have shot long distance in picking a caliber.  I want to stay in the long action calibers and am leaning towards the 280 Remington, a 30-06 necked down to 7mm, because of the variety of projectiles available.  I am leaning toward a Kreiger barrel that I want to thread/chamber/crown myself but if there is something cheaper/better for the price I'm all ears. 

I don't really have a budget for this, it'll be a long build if it gets too expensive though which increases the chances of being "shelved" like my old '47 Willy's CJ2A (the son came down and did some work over the 4th of July though  ).  Stock wise I am leanign towards a McMillan, this is the M40 clone/look-a-like I spoke of before so that just makes sense, Optics will be the last thing I buy for it but I am leaning towards Leopold Mk 4.  Throw in a Timney trigger, Harris Bi-pod or I might make one, and what else?

Thanks in advance,
Bryan

[1Buckshot]

I'm going to point you to the 280 Rem. I have been shooting mine for about 15 years now. I have quit a few rifles in the safe and this seems to be the one that I take about 95% of the time. I  Shoot a Browning A bolt and the 280 is very accurate with hand loads. .70" with Barnes 140gr. Bullets. As for power I killed an Elk with it two years ago and it seamed to die about a quick as the ones I have shot with my 300 Win Mag. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Monty,

[PegLeg45]

I thought F-Class Tactical was limited to .308 and .223??
Someone else can clarify.


*Edit:
Found it:

http://usfclass.com/what_is_f-class.aspx


Here are some of the basic equipment rules:

F-Class has two categories: F-T/R & F-Open. Both are fired from the prone position.
Briefly, the rules are as follows:

F-T/R
Caliber limited to .223 or .308 (unmodified).
Sling and/or bipod allowed.
Rifle weight limit of 8.25 kgs (approx. 18.18 lbs).
Rear bag allowed


For more information on FTR rules and shooting, please visit the U.S. FTR Team's website at http://www.usftrclass.com/home.htm

F-Open
Caliber limit of .35 and under.
Rifle weight of 10 kgs (approx. 22 lbs.).
Adjustable front rest allowed.
Rear bag allowed.
Rail guns not allowed.
76mm wide forend.
Rifle must be shouldered when fired.
Tables are prohibited.


For precise F-class rules, please visit the NRA website at:
http://www.nrahq.org/compete/RuleBooks/HPR/hpr-w22.pdf

The best shooting rifle I've shot, in the area you described, was a custom F-Class Open in .30-06.
It was a heavy barreled (and I do mean heavy) Surgeon action. I think the muzzle diameter was right at 1.250" and 32" long.
The guy that owned it liked the '06 because he could maximize the extra case length (over the .308) and tailor his powder burn rate to push heavier bullets because they buck the wind better. He could sit there and ring the 1000 yd gong all day.

On a different note, another guy that used to frequent my friends private range took a Savage 110LA like you have and installed a Shaw .308 heavy barrel from a kit (cost about $300 all together- tools came in the kit) and had no problems at all shooting the short .308 in the long action in competition. He super glued a block onto the magazine follower to limit the rearward position of the rounds, although he usually just fired single rounds at the time.


Sounds like an interesting project.

My younger son aquired a Savage 110 LA in a trade a few years ago and if I can get him to go for it I would like to build a project rifle along the same order.

Good luck and keep us updated.

[Magoo541]

See I told you I needs help 
I have a Marine buddy at my gun club that suggested F T/R so I figured that's where I'd start. I had a coworker that shot tactical long range competition that told me to get a 7MM WSM because of the bullet selection and short action. 18lbs is a bit heavier than I want to go, or maybe I just need to get stronger (13th Warrior) 

[PegLeg45]

All the guys at my local range shoot F-Class Tactical.
They shoot in the individual matches, but also compete as a team for the aggregate score. They mostly shoot over at Ft. Benning and at a national match held in NC. Last year they went to Camp Perry for the first time as a team. One of the members is a regular at Camp Perry....you may have heard of him, John Whidden (I think he's won a few matches  ) and he talked the rest into going. These are all good guys and are always willing to share info. They have tried to talk me into getting into the game, but alas, I just don't have the $$ to build a truly custom rifle (although they keep telling me that a lot of guys start with factory Remington 700's and Savage target rifles).

I think you have a solid rifle to build on. The Savage platform is very accurate and over the last few years there has become more after-market and custom parts to upgrade them. They are also easier for the DIY gunsmiths to work on, as far as things like barrel changes and such.







http://www.accurateshooter.com/shooting-skills/john-whidden-shares-championship-secrets/

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