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Thread: Thinking of trying HFT

  1. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by sandyman1963 View Post
    I have been thinking about it for a while trying to find any where near to me has proved frustrating
    Why not try out Black Cat hft club near swindon, only 45mins away from TIDWORTH but well worth the trip.

    They have a range out to 60yds plus a 30 lane hft course set out in the woods.

    Very friendly bunch and extremely helpful.

    Mark.

  2. #17
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    Thanks for all the comments. The feedback from this article has been really positive, and a lot of people have commented that they had the same doubts and the same great experiences once they finally gave it a go. Hopefully some more people have been encouraged to give it a go now, and I wish them all the bust of luck.

    Laura is currently writing a post about her first experience of shooting the UKAHFT World Championships at Kelmarsh this year. That should be a great read and a lot of what I said about getting into HFT will ring true in that article too

  3. #18
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    I went to the BFTA GP 1 yesterday. This was hosted by Redfearn FTC, easy to find, half a mile from Jcn 38 of the M1. Everyone I met was friendly and helpful, even though this was an Elite Event with several well known shooters present.
    What struck me however was the huge cost of all the equipment in use!
    Top end PCP rifle about £3000
    Top end scope, mounts, side wheel, etc, say £1000
    Ditto adjustable hamster fore end, say £300
    Straitjacket ( as I call them!!) say £250 This intrigued me as many of the wearers did not not have them fastened which I would have thought reduces their advantage anyway.
    Fancy triggers, etc, say £50
    Mats, knee rolls, Bag, say £100
    So, at this level at least it is not cheap. An enjoyable day all the same; I hope to visit a competition where there may be some ordinary mortals in action!
    Thanks to all who explained a few things to me by the way.

  4. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by noz1 View Post
    I went to the BFTA GP 1 yesterday. This was hosted by Redfearn FTC, easy to find, half a mile from Jcn 38 of the M1. Everyone I met was friendly and helpful, even though this was an Elite Event with several well known shooters present.
    What struck me however was the huge cost of all the equipment in use!
    .
    ....and this is the reason HFT came about, for FT you do need to spend a fair wedge just to get on the bottom rung think high mag ranging scope for a start., HFT is a lot cheaper for newcomers. There is a lot of high end stuff being used in HFT but also lower end kit which can still be competitive, think AA 200/400 and 3-9x40 scope and you can be well up the scores if your basically a decent shot.

  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by bezzer View Post
    ....and this is the reason HFT came about, for FT you do need to spend a fair wedge just to get on the bottom rung think high mag ranging scope for a start., HFT is a lot cheaper for newcomers. There is a lot of high end stuff being used in HFT but also lower end kit which can still be competitive, think AA 200/400 and 3-9x40 scope and you can be well up the scores if your basically a decent shot.
    Where I am, there are even less HFT courses than FT which is why I shoot bench rest.
    Also, many of the nearby ( 20 or 30 miles or more) clubs are closed to new members anyway. I hope others are more fortunate in this respect.

  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by noz1 View Post
    Where I am, there are even less HFT courses than FT which is why I shoot bench rest.
    Also, many of the nearby ( 20 or 30 miles or more) clubs are closed to new members anyway. I hope others are more fortunate in this respect.
    Hi Noz, i was at the GP too but not shooting as i mostly do HFT these days. i was servicing 3 Steyrs.

    If you fancy a run to Emley Moor (just around the corner from Redfearns) then please PM me and i'll make sure the HFT course is painted, kettle is on and there'll be some sound blokes to show you the ropes and help you out if you fancy seeing what HFT is about. You never know mate, we might be able to check whether there are any slots available at local clubs
    Chairman Emley Moor F.T.C. 2023 - Misfits champ, HFT extreme champ, NEFTA hunter champ, Midlands Hunter champ, UKAHFT champ.
    https://sites.google.com/site/emleymoorftc/contact-us

  7. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by bezzer View Post
    ....for FT you do need to spend a fair wedge just to get on the bottom rung
    Nope, I don't agree with that.

    Quote Originally Posted by bezzer View Post
    There is a lot of high end stuff being used in HFT but also lower end kit which can still be competitive, think AA 200/400 and 3-9x40 scope and you can be well up the scores if your basically a decent shot.
    Change the 3-9 scope for something with higher mag', and this is just as true for FT as it is for HFT.

  8. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by noz1 View Post
    I went to the BFTA GP 1 yesterday. This was hosted by Redfearn FTC, easy to find, half a mile from Jcn 38 of the M1. Everyone I met was friendly and helpful, even though this was an Elite Event with several well known shooters present.
    What struck me however was the huge cost of all the equipment in use!
    Top end PCP rifle about £3000
    Top end scope, mounts, side wheel, etc, say £1000
    Ditto adjustable hamster fore end, say £300
    Straitjacket ( as I call them!!) say £250 This intrigued me as many of the wearers did not not have them fastened which I would have thought reduces their advantage anyway.
    Fancy triggers, etc, say £50
    Mats, knee rolls, Bag, say £100
    So, at this level at least it is not cheap. An enjoyable day all the same; I hope to visit a competition where there may be some ordinary mortals in action!
    Thanks to all who explained a few things to me by the way.
    Second hand TX200 = £290
    Hawke Vantage Max 4-12x40 = £130
    Shooting glove = £30
    Toddlers play mat from Ikea = £20

    £470 in total. When I started shooting with this setup I could barely manage 40's at HFT. After a year of learning the kit I got joint 6th at worlds recoiling (with food poisoning), and first in HFT class at the Paul James. I expect FT is a similar story. It's probably got very little to do with how much you spend, and everything to do with how much work you are willing to put in learning your kit and setup

  9. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChrisC View Post
    Hi Noz, i was at the GP too but not shooting as i mostly do HFT these days. i was servicing 3 Steyrs.

    If you fancy a run to Emley Moor (just around the corner from Redfearns) then please PM me and i'll make sure the HFT course is painted, kettle is on and there'll be some sound blokes to show you the ropes and help you out if you fancy seeing what HFT is about. You never know mate, we might be able to check whether there are any slots available at local clubs
    Many thanks, Sir. May take you up on it but at the moment, I am really struggling with mobility; even the bench rest is a pain at the moment; Cheers, Noz.

  10. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by cooper_dan View Post
    Second hand TX200 = £290
    Hawke Vantage Max 4-12x40 = £130
    Shooting glove = £30
    Toddlers play mat from Ikea = £20

    £470 in total. When I started shooting with this setup I could barely manage 40's at HFT. After a year of learning the kit I got joint 6th at worlds recoiling (with food poisoning), and first in HFT class at the Paul James. I expect FT is a similar story. It's probably got very little to do with how much you spend, and everything to do with how much work you are willing to put in learning your kit and setup
    I take your point, Sir, BUT, those Gentlemen at the GP would not have spent all that money if they did not have to, I think. Perhaps if any of them read this, I and many others would be interested to hear from them. I realise that ability counts for a lot, but the best gear must help as well, I'm sure.

  11. #26
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    Yebbut you're both talking different disciplines FT and HFT, as I said there is world of difference as to what kit will get you a decent way forward.

  12. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rickenbacker View Post
    .

    Change the 3-9 scope for something with higher mag', and this is just as true for FT as it is for HFT.
    Apart from the fact that a decent high mag scope that snaps in and out correctly costs a fair bit, cheaper ones aren't worth having as you soon lose heart with their lack of consistency.

  13. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by noz1 View Post
    Many thanks, Sir. May take you up on it but at the moment, I am really struggling with mobility; even the bench rest is a pain at the moment; Cheers, Noz.
    No worries Noz, Are you struggling with driving?

    Just to clarify the costs involved in FT and HFT. I'm covering PCP's here.

    For HFT the lower end would be the S400 and a SH scope, something along the lines of the 10x44 MTC Viper with SCB ret. You could compete for approx £350....maybe £500 if there's a bottle too. the upper end can be the Target rifles (or custom made jobbies) with something like a March, Nighforce or leup. You're looking at 2-3k (at least). My HFT rig is a Steyr with a 10x42 Sightron....probably around £1400 for the rig so pretty much in the middle.

    For FT the lower end can be the same rifle, it's the scope that going to cost as the better the glass then (normally) the better the range finding also better turret tracking and mag adjuster. You can compete with some of the older 8-32x40 bushnells (£250-£350 SH)but would struggle to compete with the FT sightron and top of the tree March, it all depends on what level you want to compete at. When walking around the GP you'll see a lot of the top kit as a GP is pretty much top level and the shooters would have been littered with World, Euro , British and regional champs. When shooting these comps you get to meet some sound people who you wouldn't realise had been a world champ.....only by the fact that they had a blinding score

    Edit - just wanted to say that top end kit doesn't equate to top end scores.
    Chairman Emley Moor F.T.C. 2023 - Misfits champ, HFT extreme champ, NEFTA hunter champ, Midlands Hunter champ, UKAHFT champ.
    https://sites.google.com/site/emleymoorftc/contact-us

  14. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by noz1 View Post
    I went to the BFTA GP 1 yesterday. This was hosted by Redfearn FTC, easy to find, half a mile from Jcn 38 of the M1. Everyone I met was friendly and helpful, even though this was an Elite Event with several well known shooters present.
    What struck me however was the huge cost of all the equipment in use!
    Top end PCP rifle about £3000
    Top end scope, mounts, side wheel, etc, say £1000
    Ditto adjustable hamster fore end, say £300
    Straitjacket ( as I call them!!) say £250 This intrigued me as many of the wearers did not not have them fastened which I would have thought reduces their advantage anyway.
    Fancy triggers, etc, say £50
    Mats, knee rolls, Bag, say £100
    So, at this level at least it is not cheap. An enjoyable day all the same; I hope to visit a competition where there may be some ordinary mortals in action!
    Thanks to all who explained a few things to me by the way.
    Your figures are vastly over inflated and you don't need a top end PCP and scope, you don't need an adjustable hamster (we managed without them just fine for 30 years) and you don't need a shooting jacket although I wouldn't recommend shooting naked and whatever you wear will cost something. My shooting jacket cost £140, and I wouldn't balk at paying £140 for a coat - shooting or otherwise.


    Bench Rest can be just as expensive.

    You'll pay just as much for a BR rifle as you will for a FT rifle - popular BR rifles tend to be the same makes and models as popular FT rifles - EV2's, FTP's, HFT500's etc etc.

    My beanbag cost me £30 (it's italian leather so I paid a bit more), my kneeling roll cost me £4.
    A Seb Neo rest for BR will set you back around £800.

    A decent BR scope can set you back as much as a decent FT scope.

    You can use an FT rifle / scope for Bench Rest too.. an HFT rifle/scope is less suited to bench rest because of the low mag scope.

    Are you using cost as an excuse not to take part? - get yourself out there and give it a go. I guarantee you won't regret it.

  15. #30
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    There is another option that I am considering trying sometime this year or next, which is SFT. I know it isn't as popular but there are a few clubs that do it. As far as I can tell its FT rules but limited to a maximum of 12x magnification, and you can't adjust your scope between the two targets in any one lane (i.e you can't use your scope to range find). Maybe try this first with a lower end scope as the other SFT shooters will be in the same boat.

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