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mackie wrote:My eyesight is OK (I wear glasses but my prescription is only -1 in each eye) but I seem to be drawn more to using a scope and bipod. I think the club I've gone with will give me a good way into the sport, especially since they have a suitable rifle I can borrow. I get the impression some people spend a LOT of money on F-class setups but there's no reason you can't just turn up with any .308 and have fun.

I just looked at the price of .338 Lapua ammo - ouch!

Last time I shot .338 LM it was with the Danish Army and they said itwas over GBP6/round, I notice they picked the empty cases up pretty quickly as well. These days despite having a variety of rifles in the cabinets I seem to have as much fun with 7,62x51 Milsurp at 600-1000 yards and .303 with open sights or a low power 'scope.

..and yes, you can spend a huge amount of money on F Class if you want to.

What makes the 338 so expensive? Is there anything stopping someone else from cloning it? How much do good quality .50 BMG rounds cost?

.338 LM factory ammunition is built for a quite specific purpose, Lapua ammunition is pricey anyway so add the mass of brass, powder, larger bullet and reduced production numbers into the equation and you have an expensive bullet. RUAG also produce .338 LM factory ammunition and it is certainly used by the Danish Frømandskorpset (Frogman corp) I have not had a chance to use it so have no idea how it shoots but I would expect it to be good given who uses it.

.50BMG *can* be a lot cheaper as milsurp is readily available which can give you usable brass (Cases) for reloading, you should be able to pick .50BMG up for GBP.2.50/round or less.

Thanks :)

Welcome!

Welcome Mackie.

Shooting is a drug that will turn into a black hole for all your sweety money if you let it. On top of the good advice already posted, apply for as many guns as you can when the time comes but get one at a time and get it the way you want it before buying another or you'll end up with half a dozen half assed guns. :lol:

Welcome to the forum Mackie :cheers:

A reasonable .308 would be an excellent place to start - Classics are great - And don't rule out Gallery rifle...plenty of cheap shooting in .22 or .357

Well I finally had my first outing to Bisley yesterday. It was a guest day with Welwyn Phoenix Rifle Club and I enjoyed it immensely. I even managed to hit the target with reasonable consistency - including 3 v-bulls at 600 yards. We even had good weather right up until 5pm. I will be back!

Was that with the club Rangemaster?

Absolutely fab you had a good time at Bisley

What did you shoot with?