McMillan F-Class Rifle Stocks and Team Sponsorships
McMillan F-Class Rifle Stocks and Team Sponsorships
By: Kelly McMillan
When my father founded McMillan Fiberglass Stocks, he wanted to build the best competitive benchrest stocks on the market. Since our inception, we’ve sponsored over 50 shooters from around the world and I currently support around 75 matches annually. At McMillan, we believe that remaining actively involved in the growing world of competitive shooting is key to manufacturing quality products across the board. My personal involvement and the constant feedback I get from real-world competitors allows me to continue developing world-class rifle stocks.
In the world of F-Class shooting, I currently sponsor five teams (one F-Class Open and four F-Target Rifle teams) and several individuals. For those unfamiliar with F-Class, competitions range from 600 – 1,000-yards and are shot from the prone position with bipods and scopes. F-Class open (F-O) allows a bore size up to .35 caliber and a weight limit of 22 pounds. F-Class Target Rifle (F-TR) competitions are either .223 or .308 calibers with a weight limit of 18.18 pounds. Both use standardized NRA F-Class targets (20” at 1,000-yards), and shooters average 20 shots per day over 3-day competitions.
Recently, I worked with Team U.S. F-TR to help develop a custom stock that would carry them to their third World Championship win. In 2014, I made the commitment to become a gold sponsor of their 2017 World Championship run. During a meeting at the 2015 SHOT Show with team captain Ray Gross and team adjutant Paul Phillips, we discussed how to perfect a rifle stock for F-TR competition. A prototype was sent out to shooters in early 2016, and after a few minor adjustments Team U.S. shooter Derek Rodgers had not only won a match but set a new national record with our design. We named the new F-TR stock “XIT” — as the goal of all F-Class shooters is to shoot X’s — and the team went on to take their third World Championship against seven other countries in August 2017.
McMillan XIT Stock
It meant a great deal to me that I was able to travel to Ottawa and Connaught, Canada to watch Team U.S. F-TR take the gold. When we began this three-year journey, I knew my sponsorship would pay off with hard work. There’s nothing I enjoy more than supporting the shooters that help make McMillan the company it is today.
The XIT is based on our Prone rifle stock and was designed specifically for F-TR competition. It features a 4-way butt plate design that is rotatable and adjusts in-out, up-down, and side-to-side. Comfort is key to the many hours spent behind a rifle during practice and competition, the XIT cheek piece is adjustable for height and side-to-side. With these features, trigger guard, and after bedding, the stock weighs in at 5 pounds. Workshopping stock designs for a team of 30 shooters provided me with the information I needed to perfect a concept; I couldn’t be happier with the results, they put the bullets to paper and will continue to prove the success of McMillan stocks.
My experience with Team U.S. F-TR led me to reexamine our standard F-Class Open stock design. Featuring an ultra-low profile that maximizes the center of gravity and reduces torque, I made the forend less angular and ridged, and raised the side walls to a full ¾” in order to counteract the stronger torque of larger calibers used in open division competitions. Dubbed the “Kestros,” many of the Team U.S. Open F-Class shooters compete with this improved F-Class design.
McMillan Kestros Stock
For those interested in competitive shooting, the McMillan XIT and other F-Class stocks are an affordable entry into the sport. Our stocks are compatible with high-end actions, such as Team U.S. sponsor Pierce Engineering, or affordable yet comparable options, such as the Savage Arms Single-Shot Target Action. I collaborated with Savage Arms on the 10 FCP McMillan, a factory F-Class rifle for around $1,500, based on a modified Savage Game Scout Stock, and I currently sponsor Team Savage. Many of our stocks can be utilized in F-Class and are compatible with a variety of accessories, finishes, and modification options — all available on our website, so you can build the right rifle to fit your shooting style.
I’d also like to recognize the Texas Junior Girls Shooters, Team Virginia, Team McMillan F-TR (formerly Team Sinclair), The McSparron brothers Shawn and Collin, Regina and Tim Milkovich, and Jon Geib, among other F-Class shooters that prove our stocks out in the field every year. `
Team F-TR
U-25 Team (juniors)
