We’ve left the world of precision hunting rifles where a 300yrd head shot on a deer is considered impressive. Now were in the realm of competitive target shooting where the demand for accuracy can only be described as fanatical. Competitive target shooters are willing to do absolutely anything and everything necessary to achieve levels of accuracy that average shooters aren’t even aware is possible. The seasoned competition shooter is 100% rifleman, part scientist, part munitions expert and part weathervane. In this world accuracy is measured in tenths, and 100yd half inch groups guarantee you a spot in the losers circle.
While these performance demands may seem daunting or unrealistic, we have a string of National, Regional, and Local award winning competition rifles that prove for Bill’s Custom Automatics, it’s simply doable. Our F-Class competition rifles have set 3 national records in 2013, won 4 Regional Competitions 2011-2012, and 5 State competitions in the last three years.
BCA F-Class rifles are based on the BAT Single Shot MB Multi-Flat or Octagonal actions. Due to the integral lugs and rails, generous shoulder bearing area, flat area for pillar and bedding contact, we believe BAT actions are an integral key to the record breaking performance our rifles are achieving. While BAT is our choice for F-Class we will build on other actions at the customer’s insistence.
By far our most record setting F-Class build is the 6 Dasher based on a 30 in. long 1.250 diameter Krieger barrel with a .243 bore dia., 236 groove dia. and a 1x7.5 twist. This magic combination fires Berger 105 Hybrid’s repeatedly in tiny little groups as small as 1.5in. at 600 yards. (See 2013 F-Class 500 National Record) Why give away the magic recipe? Because having the parts is less than half the battle. How you fit them together is the rest of the game, and we’re keeping that to ourselves. We will say that, tight neck, no turn neck, long and short throat chambering’s are available for your preference.
We have built F-Class rifles on Precision Rifle and Tool “Low Boy” stocks, McMillan F-Class Stocks, Sharp Shooter’s F-Class stocks etc. While all stocks have their pros and cons, as long as the one you choose is rigid, has a flat, straight, plane board, and a true butt stock, it can be the foundation for a winner.
Due to the heavy barrel load of the 1.25 straight cylinder barrel, bedding is more important in an F-Class rifle than ever. Bill’s Custom Automatics uses a Multi Laminate Pillar Bedding technique to establish the ultimate action bed. The foundation of this technique is two aluminum pillars which traverse vertically through the stock to form the vertical limiters for the action. Next the base layer of laminating compound, which has a Shore D Hardness Rating of 90, is poured in covering 75% of the pillars and permanently locking them into the stock. A substance with this extreme Shore D hardness insures absolutely ZERO movement FOREVER! Finally, a special compound with 0.0% thermal expansiveness forms the final bed for the action. That level of thermal stability ensures your action remains in the exact same location as temperatures range from freezing winter to sweat dripping summer. Our Multi Laminate bedding method is the definition of “World Class”, there is no better anywhere, period.
Once the rifle is complete the last detail is getting on the target. Bill’s Custom Automatics is a Nightforce Optics Dealer, and that didn’t happen by accident. Yes they have amazing glass, yes they have a tremendous choice of well-designed reticles, yes they have all the same stuff you would expect of any optic in this high performance category. However, the reason we chose Nightforce is because the one thing all the other scopes in this category don’t have, Ultimate Repeatability. We have not found another scope on the civilian market, at any price, that can compete with Nightforce repeatability or ruggedness. With Nightforce, 1/8 in. is 1/8 in. and zero is zero, every time all the time. With 600 yard F-Class the MINIUM magnification we recommend is the 5.5- 22x. Many competitors feel even higher magnification provides a competitive advantage. Nightforce offers optics with high end magnification ranges of 32x, 42x, and 55x. Outfitting your F-Class rifle with any of these options provides you a completed competition rifle.