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Ok, here is the question. Long term, I aim to have two full bore rifles, one for up to 3/400 yds and another for 400 - 1200 yds. Each will be in a calibre best suited to the ranges they are required to shoot over and in real world conditions ie exposed ranges like Barry Buddon, Diggle and Blair Atholl where wind etc could be a problem. They would most likely be shot off a bipod and the shorter range one would most likely be mag fed, the longer range one will be wont be mag fed.

I am probably not going to get involved in GB F Class shooting as the cost is going to be prohibitive so these rifles can be any calibre but, I don't want to have to fire form cases so high quality off the shelf brass has to be available.

What does everybody think would be the optimum calibres???

A question that will have so many answers!
For short range id go with a 6-6.5x47 lap with an 8 twist, shoot 105 vld's or 88 grain flatbase bergers on calmer days for sheer onehole accuracy!
Then hey you dont want to fireform so id go with 6.5x47, I shoot both the 6mm and 6.5 versions and they are superb calibres, little recoil, powder consumption with excellent accuracy.
For the long stuff go 7mm of some sort, 7-270 wsm or 284. I know little of the 7mm stuff but going by the f class winners the big 7's seem to rule long range. Just depends how much recoil you want.

Garry

Yep, there may be a lot of answers to this one!!

I have to rifles currently for exactly what you are looking at to. An RPA Interceptor in 7mm-08 and a Ruger Mini 14BAO!

They do the job for me, but whether It'll still be the same next remains to be seen ...... I do tend to swap out a bit!

Mike357 wrote:Ok, here is the question. Long term, I aim to have two full bore rifles, one for up to 3/400 yds and another for 400 - 1200 yds. Each will be in a calibre best suited to the ranges they are required to shoot over and in real world conditions ie exposed ranges like Barry Buddon, Diggle and Blair Atholl where wind etc could be a problem. They would most likely be shot off a bipod and the shorter range one would most likely be mag fed, the longer range one will be wont be mag fed.

I am probably not going to get involved in GB F Class shooting as the cost is going to be prohibitive so these rifles can be any calibre but, I don't want to have to fire form cases so high quality off the shelf brass has to be available.

What does everybody think would be the optimum calibres???

The rifle ranges you'll be shooting on: do they maximum mv/energy limits?

Both MOD and private ranges, not sure about energy limits, anyone help.

Also meant to say that barrel life is a consideration.

6mmBR and 30BR ....just to be a bit different

I shot next to two 300Winmags at 1200 yards Saturday in gusty damp conditions, they were hurling 210 grain bullets down the range with me using 139 grain bullets and I reckon we were evenly matched the majority of the time, we need 20Series to comment on this as he was in the butts so should have seen the difference in hole size between mine and theirs and shot placement.

6,5-284.

As RCO I watched the straight .284 and Shehane .284 shooters and they were not seeing much if any increase in accuracy so I am impressed, in fact I am tempted to shoot the Phoenix F Class comp with it later this year, off a Harris bipod and a bean bag to see how I can get on (Do they have a Sporter/Hunting class in F Class? LOL)

As far as barrel life, I am on a middle of the road load so maybe 2000 rounds, not as good as a 'normal' .308 but a lot better than some rifles I own and ammunition is easy to build and available off the shelf if needed.

Scotsgun wrote:6mmBR and 30BR ....just to be a bit different

I like your thinking!

How about:
.223 for short range. Common as muck, lots of cool guns (ARs, AUGs etc) in this calibre.
.243/.260/.308 for long range. .243 and .260 have the ballistic edge but .308 is the most 'normal'. The .243 or .260 will match the super-whizbang-wildcats (within the confines of a fair usage policy) and good brass is available.

Now I was thinking 6BR and 260 REM.