Fullbore Target Rifle

As Dudley Rifle Club is an affiliated member of the NRA, we have access to certain dates at Ministry Of Defence Shooting ranges. So from time to time we hold full-bore competitions, aswell as practice shoots at various ranges around the country, most notably Kingsbury, and Bisley.

Fullbore shooting has its own disciplines, and the main 3 that we as a club take part in are as follows:

Target Rifle

Much like Smallbore Target Rifle, Fullbore Target Rifle (TR) makes use of slings, jackets and iron sights (peep sights), so there are no supporting bipods or optics allowed, and there are a variety of other rules involved.

TR is limited in calibre also, in that only .223(5.56mm) or .308(7.62mm) are allowed, and a projectile weight limit (bullet) of 155gr is imposed.

TR can be shot at any distance, and we most commonly shoot it at between 300-600 yards, although at Bisley it can be shot out to 1200yards, and some of our members do shoot this range!

F/TR

F/TR is very similar to the above, however the introduction of Scopes and Bipods are allowed in this class.

F/TR is an offshoot of F-Class (which we will go through below), where many more imposed limits to keep it as little of an "arms race" as possible.

The calibre limits are as TR in F/TR and only .308 and .223 are permitted. And an all up (Rifle, scope and Bipod) weight limit of 8.25 kgs (approx. 18.18 lbs) or 16 pound weight limit if a front rest is used. A rear rest (sandbag or sock) is also permitted if wanted.

F-Class/F-open

F-Open is essentially the Formula-1 of full-bore rifle shooting, this is where the blistering edge of equipment development happens.

Open to bores no larger than .35 caliber, and an all-up weight limit of 10 KG (approx. 22lbs), including all attachments - sights, bipods etc.

The width of the rifle forend is limited to 3 inches.

Rests are allowed as defined by the rules.

HWRA Affiliation

For more information on the HWRA, who they are what what they do, visit their website at hwra.uk

Starting in 2017, HWRA have re-introduced the "Birmingham Bisley" Yearly competition, where shooters from around the country descend on our local MoD range, Kingsbury and shoot Shoulder to shoulder in multiple competitions over 2 days. unfortunately due to COVID-19, Birmingham Bisley 2020 was cancelled, but we hope to see it return in 2021.

How do you mark full bore targets?

Presentation to learn different types of marking - Understanding Full-Bore Marking

How can I calculate bullet drop?

Using a Ballistic Calculator - Heres one in Excel format

How do I know the Ballistic Coefficiency of my bullet?

Usually the manufacturer of the bullet will publish these figures, but here's a chart of some of the more popular projectiles on the market. Bullet Coefficient List