F-Class Equipment? Where to Shoot?

[Slowshot]

Slowshot,

I have retired all my 6x47's. There is one HV still in the safe, but I haven't shot it in years. They were pretty off and on, one day great, the next ho hum.

Hope to see you in April at TR&R

Regards,
Steve Kostanich

Steve,

Yes, I will be there. As you can guess, Russ Haydon told me to say what I said about your rifle(s) in 6X47. He also told me that you have won matches with a rifle in 6X47. Your reply was so serious, I fear you did not get that my statement was intended to be "in joke humor."

Don

 

[Steve Kostanich]

Slowshot.

I didn't mean to come off serious! Yep I had some moments of brilliance with the 6x47 many years back. Shot my first screamer with one. The rifle had a Hart barrel that cost $175.00 in 1979. I guess that really dates me!

Regards,
Steve K.

 

[Slowshot]

Slowshot.

I didn't mean to come off serious! Yep I had some moments of brilliance with the 6x47 many years back. Shot my first screamer with one. The rifle had a Hart barrel that cost $175.00 in 1979. I guess that really dates me!

Regards,
Steve K.

That's OK, My wife and I bought our first home in Seattle, on the west slope of Phinney Ridge, with an unobstructed view of the Olympic Mountains for $20,000. My mortgage payments were $200 a month. I guess that ages me. I also remember my first 80 hour paychecks, when right out of High School, I had a job in the business office at Swedish Hospital. Every two weeks, I took home the princely sum of $107.40. You don't forget something like that.

 

[Jammer Six]

My first home was in Kent, on East Hill, $31,500, with the back breaking payments of $231.50.

Many, many times, we talked about selling, because the payments were almost two weeks my take-home as an apprentice carpenter.

I guess that makes me younger than you guys. You have no idea how it pleases me to be the young guy. For once.

 

[steve_podleski]

Monte,
Thanks for the information. I shoot at TRRC here in Tacoma.

I shoot at several ranges in WA. The best in terms of access is the Cascade Shooting Facility ( http://www.cascadeshootingfacilities.org/index.html ). It has a great 600yd ranges with a covered 600yd line and monthly 600yd matches during the spring and summer. If you are interested, I can ask one of the range officers to get you qualified for 600yd practice.

 

[Jammer Six]

I shoot at several ranges in WA. The best in terms of access is the Cascade Shooting Facility ( http://www.cascadeshootingfacilities.org/index.html ). It has a great 600yd ranges with a covered 600yd line and monthly 600yd matches during the spring and summer. If you are interested, I can ask one of the range officers to get you qualified for 600yd practice.

If he's not, I am.

How can you get us qualified when there's a waiting list?

 

[steve_podleski]

If he's not, I am.

How can you get us qualified when there's a waiting list?

No waiting list for qualifying to shoot 600yd during practice but there is a long waiting list to be a member. When qualified, you can shoot 600yd practice as a guest of a member.

 

[Slowshot]

I shoot at several ranges in WA. The best in terms of access is the Cascade Shooting Facility ( http://www.cascadeshootingfacilities.org/index.html ). It has a great 600yd ranges with a covered 600yd line and monthly 600yd matches during the spring and summer. If you are interested, I can ask one of the range officers to get you qualified for 600yd practice.

I must confess that having Steve K. call me out for not showing up last year at the short range matches at TRRC has me planning to start shooting those matches starting in April. I cannot do worse than last, so there is nothing to worry about.

Still, I would like to shoot 600 yards, just to see what it is like. Ravensdale is not too far away for a drive. So who do I contact about this?

I also must confess I am not interested in shooting in the current cold, rain and wind but I will be interested in early spring when mornings get back up to tolerable, or if we get a break in the weather before then. I cannot believe what a wimp I have become since retirement. I used to commute to work by motorcycle 12 months out of the year.

 

[Jammer Six]

No waiting list for qualifying to shoot 600yd during practice but there is a long waiting list to be a member. When qualified, you can shoot 600yd practice as a guest of a member.

Ah, I see.

How often do you guys shoot 600 yard matches?

How long is the waiting list at the moment, do you have any idea?

At the moment, I'm in Renton F&G, and the short list for the next club is Kenmore, (300 yards) Ravensdale (600 yards) and you guys.

 

[steve_podleski]

Ah, I see.

How often do you guys shoot 600 yard matches?

How long is the waiting list at the moment, do you have any idea?

At the moment, I'm in Renton F&G, and the short list for the next club is Kenmore, (300 yards) Ravensdale (600 yards) and you guys.

Jammer,

The Cascade Shooting Facility (CSF) is the club near Ravensdale and the wait list is about 2 years.

 

[steve_podleski]

I must confess that having Steve K. call me out for not showing up last year at the short range matches at TRRC has me planning to start shooting those matches starting in April. I cannot do worse than last, so there is nothing to worry about.

Still, I would like to shoot 600 yards, just to see what it is like. Ravensdale is not too far away for a drive. So who do I contact about this?

I also must confess I am not interested in shooting in the current cold, rain and wind but I will be interested in early spring when mornings get back up to tolerable, or if we get a break in the weather before then. I cannot believe what a wimp I have become since retirement. I used to commute to work by motorcycle 12 months out of the year.

Send email to me and I will contact the range officer and we can meet at the range gate. The range officer is more available during the practices; or you can shoot a match and get qualified that way; or do you have a NRA classification for highpower/FClass?

 

[Jammer Six]

Oh. Here I thought I'd found another club to consider...

 

[Slowshot]

Probbly Not For Me

I truly appreciate all of the advice and offers from BRC members on the questions I had regarding F-Class shooting and the availability of long range shooting in Western Washington. I have been thinking hard on what has been posted in replies.

Upon further considerations of what has been said, I am doubting my ability to enjoy getting up and down from the ground in warm mild weather, much less cold damp spring weather, such as normal here. I am a 68 year old disabled guy who has some difficulty just moving my gear from the van to the bench at TRRC. Having broken nine different bones over the years gives me, not just a weather knee, but an entire weather body. Having only one functioning hand to use carrying gear also limits the enjoyment of some activities. When I first started shooting, about ten years ago, these were minor annoyances. As I have moved up to higher quality and heavier gear and continued aging, they have become more than annoying.

While I have appreciated the helpful advice I have received on many different questions I have posed here, I occasionally hear an accusing tone from some members implying that I am some kind of a troll or poser because I ask questions and sometimes decide to not do that which is suggested. I am neither a troll or a poser, I am an old disabled guy looking for new projects and adventures. I have met many competition shooters older than me. I even met a successful competition shooter confined to a wheelchair. That is why I looked into BR shooting, with the hope that it would level the playing field for me, if I chose to compete. I do not really care all that much about winning. I have already won in so many ways in this life that those who know me well think of me as a winner and so do I. Heck, I was supposed to either die at age two or spend my life drooling on myself in a wheelchair but that did not happen. In spite of paralysis that affects me entire right side, I play Dobro guitars, ride motorcycles, and maintain a fine vegetable garden in my back yard as well as shoot.

I tell all of this, not for sympathy. I don't need that. I just suggest members might consider they do not know who they are talking to when they talk down to, or criticize someone who does not take their advice, or share their passion for a specific activity.

Now, after all of that, I am taking up the challenge to use my rifle for its intended purpose and will be attending short range BR matches at TRRC this coming Spring. Long range shooting will just have to wait.

 

[Jammer Six]

Hell with 'em.

It's the internet. It puts people in touch with their inner teenager, and most people say things they'd never say to your face. It takes conscious effort to behave the same way on the internet as one would in person, and most people don't make the effort.

Ignore them.

 

[Slowshot]

Hell with 'em.

It's the internet. It puts people in touch with their inner teenager, and most people say things they'd never say to your face. It takes conscious effort to behave the same way on the internet as one would in person, and most people don't make the effort.

Ignore them.

Thanks, I accidently hit the submit button in the middle of writing this reply. The complete text is now there.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Hey slowshot a lot of f class matches have a bench class not sure about in your area. Its always a big class so they ought to have more for folks that dont like being on the ground. You can always get a nice wagon to carry your stuff in and i know if you go to a short range match there will be help for you and there will be at most f class matches from what ive seen. Everybody there will want to see you shoot and enjoy yourself so load your stuff up and go! If your local f class matches dont have a bench class they should cause theres more that want to shoot on a bench than the ground i assure you.

 

[Slowshot]

Hey slowshot a lot of f class matches have a bench class not sure about in your area. Its always a big class so they ought to have more for folks that dont like being on the ground. You can always get a nice wagon to carry your stuff in and i know if you go to a short range match there will be help for you and there will be at most f class matches from what ive seen. Everybody there will want to see you shoot and enjoy yourself so load your stuff up and go! If your local f class matches dont have a bench class they should cause theres more that want to shoot on a bench than the ground i assure you.

Thanks for the suggestion. A few years ago, I was selling a Hart varmint top to a rather colorful old guy who was a member at Upper Nisqually Sportsmen's Club near Eatonville Washington, which had a 550 yard range. We met at the range and he let me shoot his rifle. I believe I remember it was in 6.5X?. I could be wrong. It was a hoot. I had never fired at such a distance before. I cannot say I set any records but I enjoyed hitting the target with all five of the shots let me shoot with his rifle. It was also my first experience with serious heat mirage. As mentioned, there are several local clubs, within a reasonable drive from Tacoma, such as Paul Bunyan near Graham, that have long range shooting.

The information I have read here has me deciding to shoot short range BR with my BAT gun (as is) this spring and summer. Then I will decide what to do next year. I spoke with the guys at BAT Machine and learned converting my BAT rifle to a long range gun would be no more than a barrel and a bolt, so that option is still open to me at a later date.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Well i know for a fact theyll welcome you and help you at a short range match. Be sure to attend the sniper king match.

 

[milanuk]

Hey slowshot a lot of f class matches have a bench class not sure about in your area.

Actually, outside of certain clubs they're not all that common. That format is not covered by the NRA, so the scores wouldn't count towards anything. Technically you can get a medical waiver from a doctor and submit it to the NRA, but that's the only legit way. I've never seen or heard of any sort of "class" for it anywhere in the PNW.

I've seen a person with a wheel chair get down and shoot, I've seen a vet who shouldn't have been able to *walk* get up there & shoot (from a bench). The bigger problem most 'older' persons seem to have is pulling targets when paid pullers aren't available. Not much that can be done about that... e-targets are just now starting to make inroads into the USA for long range events.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Yall should consider a bench class even if unofficial. Its a big hit in st louis with usually more on the bench than the ground. Gets a lot of people out to shoot long range. But youre right about the targets. In st louis you can run em with one finger nudge. The electronic targets are a gamechanger for target shooting.