Thinking of trying HFT

[sandyman1963]

I have been thinking about it for a while trying to find any where near to me has proved frustrating

[Brian.Samson]

I have been thinking about it for a while trying to find any where near to me has proved frustrating

http://www.csfta.co.uk/index.php/clubfinder

[markyboy]

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.

[cooper_dan]

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

[noz1]

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.

[bezzer]

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.

[noz1]

....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.

[ChrisC]

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

[Rickenbacker]

....for FT you do need to spend a fair wedge just to get on the bottom rung

Nope, I don't agree with that.

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.

[bezzer]

.

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.

[cooper_dan]

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

[noz1]

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.

[bezzer]

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.

[Brian.Samson]

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.

[cooper_dan]

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.