Went Shooting!

[Griff]

The son talked me into going to a 3-Gun match with him today instead of a cowboy or Wild Bunch match! I was prepared... An AR, pump shotgun and my 1911, and a LOT of ammo!

The switch from simply shooting the count of targets to shooting for hits was a little different. In every competition I've participated in before the competition was based on shooting x number of shots, for either the best score or to hit the same number of targets. In this you shoot till you hit. You may think that takes the challenge out of it... but with the timer running, and fast young guys... us old, fat guys don't stand a chance.

As an example take stage one... a mixture of paper and steel targets. Paper has 3 scoring zones, two "A" zones and the rest of the target. You either get one hit in an "A" zone or two hits anywhere for no penalty. I ran thru 2 mags to take out the 11 pistol targets... And then I had trouble taking out the 8 shotgun... my #8s in the low noise/low recoil I use for cowboy just wouldn't take down the 8" steel targets with the long "foot" they had bolted to the bottom. I probably should've swapped out the 26" skeet barrel for the 28" modified. But the targets that required slugs concerned me with the modified. Something I'll have to look into. I left up 3 shotgun targets... Drat the luck.

Then came the rifle. Since this stage required carrying the rifle slung while shooting the pistol & shotgun, and only my 16" Windam Weaponry AR has swing capability, I was stuck using it. There was only 3 rifle targets. But, they were at 235 yards, 350 yards and 450 yards. And since I've only shot this rifle (ONCE) @ 200 yards... it was rely on my dope time!

It took a few rounds, but, I hit all three! I have witnesses! Otherwise, I wouldn't believe it either!

Every stage involved some movement... running for them young guys... sauntering for us old, fat guys...

All was well until the last stage. I shot it 2nd to last; all rifle, 2 strings on 5 targets... at ranges from about 110 yards to 290 yards, across a small pond, into the setting sun! The first string was kneeling from behind a barricade, then move about 20 feet to a shooting mat and from the prone position. It was a learning experience. I wasn't supposed to... but they let me shoot this stage with a different rifle. So I used my new varmit rifle. The sun was horrendous. The targets were set amongst the mesquite trees... across about a 3-400 spread between extreme left and right targets. I had trouble with the first target from the kneeling position and it took about 10 shots to get on target. After that the other four went smoothly. Then, from the prone position, I had trouble with the eye relief with this 6-24 power scope. Even at 6, it was a chore to keep my eye in the scopes sweet spot. Once I got that figured out on the 1st target, I banged thru the next 4 in four shots.

All in all, I had fun, met some super guys, a couple of whom are sponsored shooters, and were more than willing to share a couple of tips with the old, fat guys!

RKrodle crawled out of his sickbed to come out and see what it was about... and although he didn't bring any guns... I think he would've really liked to shoot... if he felt better. I was pretty tired by the end of the day... but, overall it was satisfying to get some shooting in that was NOT just sitting behind a bench and bangin' away at paper targets.

I ain't about to give up my cowboy action shooting... but this was fun! I mighta been last overall, but it was a battle! Rickey, the challenge is on!!!

[Shasta]

Well I'll be! I've heard of that 3 gun sport, but I thought it must be something designed for poor people that only had 3 guns!

SHASTA

[MrMurphy]

Three gun is definitely challenging. Stage designers range from 'we expected that' to 'hmm, interesting' to 'this guy's psychotic, what was in his coffee?"

I played assistant RO on a national-level 3 gun match stage, basically, patching holes and recording the scores for the 'real' RO, a retired senior FBI agent since my competitive shooting experience is fairly slim.

3-gun has become it's own sport and what I like is that yes, to be 'competitive', you want 3 guns set up specifically for it and gear for it as well, but most military/LE or civilians looking for experience in that can use 3-gun to test-run a lot of their 'serious use' gear. The national level match I was at had guys at every level from 'probabaly going to win' to SWAT members shooting duty weapons in full armor and load bearing gear.

Most of the really competitive guys seem to be using pistol of their choice, an AR with a variable power scope (1-4, 1-6, 2-7) or a red dot+magnifier depending on local rules and prevalence of long shots, shotgun seems to vary by shooter. Super-competitive guys run semiauto Mossbergs or Saigas or Benellis from what i've seen, but a good pump gun guy can keep up quite well, since with shotguns, reloads screw people's times up more than anything else. There's also (in many places) the "Ironman class" which specifies 7.62mm rifles and I think .40 or .45 pistols. Proper stage planning and knowing what ammo you'll need in what order helps.


I'm currently shotgunless again so have not competed locally, but my local range was specifically set up for 3-gun and competitive matches (IDPA, etc) as well as 1k yard stuff so they can have some real interesting setups. One of the better match stages I've seen on video was from a few years ago simulating escaping a middle eastern prison, you started hooded in a chair with zipties on, there was something to the side you could snap the ziptie loose on (which you knew was there). Rip the hood off, grab the AK-47 sitting there, move down a 'hallway' shooting a couple targets and clearing 'rooms', recover your own rifle at one point, shoot some bad guys out a window (100m or so), recover your pistol I think? Shoot one or two more, then run 'outside the building' which led up on top of the berm to shoot down into a valley I think? At 2-3 long range targets and then proceed up a bit which ended the state. A ton of movement, shooting from either offhand or unconventional positions with guns not always yours, it made a lot of people think apparently..... wish I could have shot it myself!

[RKrodle]

Thanks Griff for inviting me along! Had a great time and y'all don't let Griff fool you, he still moves pretty good and almost broke out into a lope a couple of times. I did take a liking to it and may or may not have stopped by the Academy Sports in Mesquite on the way home and picked up a new Glock 17 Gen 4 and I may have then eased over to Grander Mountain and picked up 700 rnds of ammo for it. My first Hi Cap handgun. I need to rig me up a cinch to go around my waist to carry stuff and I will be ready for next month. I liked that rig your son was wearing but due to the lack of a posterior I may need something with suspenders .

[SJPrice]

Thanks Griff for inviting me along! Had a great time and y'all don't let Griff fool you, he still moves pretty good and almost broke out into a lope a couple of times. I did take a liking to it and may or may not have stopped by the Academy Sports in Mesquite on the way home and picked up a new Glock 17 Gen 4 and I may have then eased over to Grander Mountain and picked up 700 rnds of ammo for it. My first Hi Cap handgun. I need to rig me up a cinch to go around my waist to carry stuff and I will be ready for next month. I liked that rig your son was wearing but due to the lack of a posterior I may need something with suspenders .

I see a "Sam Brown" rig in your future sir!

[Griff]

Rickey, the rig my son was wearing has a velcro pants belt, and the outer belt has the corresponding stickiies on the inside... works very well.. I'd have used it myself, but misplaced my pants belt to go with it! It's around someplace! One of the best parts was spending the day with my son! Even if he beat me! A little practice and he'd be good. He got a 3rd on one stage, but ran outta ammo on two others. We both need to get a job "in-town"! And, hey I was using a 1911 w/8 rnd mags... who needs a hi-cap?

Mrmurphy, that sounds like a good stage. We "usta" do stuff like that in cowboy action, but the last 10-15 years it's drifted away from much physical stuff as the median age of competitors has risen.

[MrMurphy]

That's a standard inner/outer police duty belt. Inner belt runs about $20, outer belt is a bit more. Use at least four or six keepers, one in front, one behind the gun, two in back and one or two on your offside. Even with the velcro, things migrate around a little when you get physical.

You can add a couple kydex rifle mag carriers to that and shotshell holders, or go the other route and use a 'warbelt' which is a MOLLE compatible outer belt using an inner police belt or similar, and then use the (cheaper and more available) military MOLLE equipment yet keep it to a belt rig.

I have my duty belt as well as a chest rig and various other options, if I was setting up a pure 3-gun rig, I'd probably go with the warbelt setup.

[Dave]

Sounds like a large time was had by all!

[Pete44ru]

with fast young guys... us old, fat guys don't stand a chance.

OH, Yeah ! ....................


.

[Sixgun]

That sounds like fun. I just hope the crybaby whiners don't screw it up like they did cowboy action and to a lesser extent , levergun silhouette.

I have not heard of any club around here doing it, but Im sure it will happen and I'll be ready!

BTW Griff, 63 ain't old. I call it "late middle age"------------6

[crs]

Griff,
It was a bit cool out at the Top Gun rifle range yesterday, what with the wind and all. They were also finishing up a two day competition on the cowboy action range and looked to have a good turnout of 20-30 cars.
At which area range were you shooting?

[samb]

Way to go Griff! Thanks for sharing. A buddy at work has been doing three gun for a couple years, and has asked me yo come out. Your write up has me wanting to check it out.
Happy New Year!

[Griff]

BTW Griff, 63 ain't old. I call it "late middle age"------------6

I tell everyone my b-day is Feb 29th, so... while I've only had 15 birthdays, the body has experienced a bit more wear & tear!

Griff,
It was a bit cool out at the Top Gun rifle range yesterday, what with the wind and all. They were also finishing up a two day competition on the cowboy action range and looked to have a good turnout of 20-30 cars.
At which area range were you shooting?

This match was held outside Waxahachie at a new range. http://www.extremetacticsandtrainingsol ... tions.html Nice facility, except when wet! Sat. was prettty nice, my son sid Sun., not so much!

with fast young guys... us old, fat guys don't stand a chance.

OH, Yeah ! ....................
.

Yeah! Those 20-30-somethings have a little advantage over us 60-somethings on those 50 yards dashs between shooting positions... but sometimes give up some in the actual shooting.