3-Gun at Talon Range

[razzman1]

On Saturday January 4th, we will hod our regular monthly USPSA match. Then on Sunday January 5th, Talon Range will hold its first 3-gun match. We aim to hold a 3-gun or 2-gun match quarterly, and we're going to try as hard as we can to not conflict with other clubs within 150 miles or so.


The Jan 5th match will consist of 6 stages. All stages will require the use of at least two guns, with many stages requiring all three. We have never really shot 3-gun in this area before, so my first match will be new shooter-friendly. Rifle targets will be no farther than about 185 yards, and everything will be doable with a basic carbine and iron sights.


I'll have more information shortly, but expect the round count to be somewhere in the area of 80 rounds each for rifle, shotgun and pistol (that's probably higher than what will actually be). I may throw in a few slugs too, once I get the stages nailed down.


Our facility is located just west of Tallahassee at 550 Commerce Blvd, Midway, FL 32343. We are right at the I-10 / US90 interchange. Our facility has a pro shop stocked with ammo, snacks, drinks gear, etc, and we have a lounge with couches and a big screen TV, in case you bring a spectator who doesn't want to spectate.


http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w307/razzman1/DSCF0555_zps8d77c3ec.jpg (http://s179.photobucket.com/user/razzman1/media/DSCF0555_zps8d77c3ec.jpg.html)


We will be using USPSA multigun rules, with one exception--I'm a cop, and I'm trying to encourage more LEO participation. So I am adding an additional division, which will be law enforcement division. Only open to active or retired LEOs, and your equipment will be limited to duty gear. No magnifiers or variable optics on rifles--iron sights or red dot sights only, duty shotguns, duty handguns, duty gear only (you can however add stuff like shotgun shell holders to your duty gear).

USPSA Multi-gun rules can be found here: http://uspsa.org/RifleShotgunMultigun%20Rules%201-1-2013final.pdf

For those who have never shot 3-gun before, and you are a little apprehensive about jumping right in, sometime between now and January, I will hold a small mini class on 3-gun. It will cover rules and procedures--the things you need to know to safely get you through a 3-gun match.

I will post more as the match gets closer and I have a few more things nailed down. The match will start at 9:30 AM Eastern time. If you have any questions, feel free to post them here, or e-mail me at: razzman1@hotmail.com

[TargetShooting]

In general division, is magnifying scope allowed?

Aaaaaand, I need to get that M4 this month...

[razzman1]

The divisions that USPSA multi-gun recognizes are: Open, Limited, Tactical and Heavy Metal Tactical and Heavy Metal Limited. Tactical is the most popular, and it allows for one optic, magnified or not, on the rifle. Limited Division allows one NON-magnified optic and / or iron sights on the rifle.

[NJC]

Razz,
Will the range be open for other shooters or is the 3 gun going to take up the entire facility on Sunday ?

[Rumbler]

Razz,
Will the range be open for other shooters or is the 3 gun going to take up the entire facility on Sunday ?

I would kind of like to know the answer to that one myself.

[razzman1]

Like any other match day, any bay we are not using will be open to members. We will be occupying the rifle range, and bays 10 through 16 (most likely) till probably 2ish.

[razzman1]

Greetings!

I know this is kind of last minute, but I had some free time on my schedule and I figured I'd make use of it.


At 2 PM this Sunday (the 15th) I will be giving a 3-gun clinic for those interested in competing in our upcoming 3-gun matches at Talon (or anywhere else that holds 3-gun). This class will be free of charge. It will be strictly classroom discussion of rules and procedures--the things you need to know to get you safely through a match without getting DQed. We'll talk about safety rules, division requirements, how to safely ditch firearms, and equipment discussion. It should only last an hour or so.


If you have firearms that you want me to look at for 3-gun feasibility, feel free to bring them, but please leave them in your vehicle until I ask for them. Meet in the classroom at Talon.


If you can't make this one, I plan to hold another class before the January 5th 3-gun match, so watch your e-mail.


See you at the range!


John Rasmussen


Director of Competitive Marksmanship, Talon Range

[RudySightsOnWheels]

is a shield acceptable in 3gun w/ night sights and apex trigger ? If so I may need to pick up a saiga 12,

[razzman1]

is a shield acceptable in 3gun w/ night sights and apex trigger ? If so I may need to pick up a saiga 12,

It won't be ideal, but a Shield would work. How many magazines do you have?

3-gun is a gun game, and there are a few things that will help you be more competitive (or simply get through the match easier). Having a longer sight radius and larger magazine will help. Something like a G17, Beretta 92, Sig226 etc, would serve perfectly for a 3-gun match.

[Dale Gribble]

I've never shot slugs out of my mossy 500. Should be different.

[razzman1]

Definitely make sure you know where your shotgun prints with slugs out to about 75 yards, but I'm not going to have any slug targets for our first match. After the first match, slugs will be fair game, but I wanted to keep the first match simple.


I've never shot slugs out of my mossy 500. Should be different.

[Dale Gribble]

Cool. Anyone have buying suggestions for slugs?

[razzman1]

I just use whatever I can find at WalMart. The typical slug target is big enough that accuracy isn't a huge concern.

[YankeeFingergasm]

Definitely make sure you know where your shotgun prints with slugs out to about 75 yards, but I'm not going to have any slug targets for our first match. After the first match, slugs will be fair game, but I wanted to keep the first match simple.

Does that mean dove/target loads would be acceptable for this first one?

[Rumbler]

Does that mean dove/target loads would be acceptable for this first one?


ya big little sissy. :nutkick:

[razzman1]

LOL. Mike has to use buckshot for the whole match...


Everyone else: Birdshot is what you will be using. The shot only needs to be powerful enough to take a 6" plate off of a stand. You don't need anything more than the bulk pack Winchester or Federal in # 7 1/2 or 8.

[razzman1]

Greetings!

At 2 PM this Sunday (the 29th) I will be giving a 3-gun clinic for those interested in competing in our upcoming 3-gun matches at Talon (or anywhere else that holds 3-gun). This class will be free of charge. It will be strictly classroom discussion of rules and procedures--the things you need to know to get you safely through a match without getting DQed. We'll talk about about safety rules, division requirements, how to safely ditch firearms, and equipment discussion. It should only last an hour or so.


If you have firearms that you want me to look at for 3-gun feasibility, feel free to bring them, but please leave them in your vehicle until I ask for them. Meet in the classroom at Talon.




See you at the range!


John Rasmussen

[Dale Gribble]

Ok, for this and the regular USPSA matches is the Glock sports/combat holster sufficient?

http://images1.opticsplanet.com/755-405-ffffff/opplanet-glock-combat-holster.jpg

[razzman1]

Sure, that will work just fine.

[Dale Gribble]

Coolio. Thanks.

[YankeeFingergasm]

Coolio. Thanks.

You're not allowed to participate until you apologize for saying "coolio"

[Dale Gribble]

You're not allowed to participate until you apologize for saying "coolio"

Sorry.

http://aux-www.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/1318968197_coolio.jpg

Not really.

[RudySightsOnWheels]

It won't be ideal, but a Shield would work. How many magazines do you have?

3-gun is a gun game, and there are a few things that will help you be more competitive (or simply get through the match easier). Having a longer sight radius and larger magazine will help. Something like a G17, Beretta 92, Sig226 etc, would serve perfectly for a 3-gun match.

Thanks Razz ,

Maybe ill grab a G17L or something like that. All I need is an 870 and I should be gtg right ?

[RudySightsOnWheels]

You're not allowed to participate until you apologize for saying "coolio"
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rNo41ZBVGbg

[RudySightsOnWheels]

I know I prob won't do to well my first match but hey gotta start somewhere right

[Danman]

See you guys there today - I'm a newbie at 3-Gun so I'll be in learning mode.

[razzman1]

This is the right attitude to have. If you wait until you are 'good enough' or until you have 'the right gear,' you'll never get out there. 3-gun is all about having a good time. Call it training, call it a day at the range, call it whatever you want, but it's about having fun. If all you have is your home defense 870, drawing loose rounds out of a trap / skeet carrier, a basic carbine and a simple 9mm handgun, you're set. Come out and have a good time, see what kind of stuff everyone else uses, and you'll learn a lot.

Don't hesitate to e-mail me if you are short on equipment, or not sure if you 'belong' out there--we all had to start somewhere, and I'll help you in any way I can.




I know I prob won't do to well my first match but hey gotta start somewhere right

[Danman]

John, thanks for the informative hour today. It was great. Looking forward to next weekend.

[Dale Gribble]

So the round count is still around 80 for all three guns, and figure double the 80 for handgun and rifle, correct?

[Tack Driver]

So the round count is still around 80 for all three guns, and figure double the 80 for handgun and rifle, correct?

What?

[thedishdoc]

Do you have to be a Talon member to attend? Is there a fee for this class?

[Dale Gribble]

What?

Most folks hit the paper targets twice, because missing a target is a point loser. Per talons seminar on 3 gun.

[razzman1]

Scroll to the bottom for 3-Gun

Saturday January 4th, Talon Range will host the Tallahassee Practical Shooters' monthly USPSA match. Here are the match particulars. E-mail me with any questions.


When: Saturday, January 4th. Stage set up begins at 7:30. Sign up starts at 8:30. Shooters meeting at 9:30, with start of match immediately following. If it looks like we will have heavy / dangerous weather, I will make the go / no-go call as early as possible. We will have access to the range Friday night(s) before the match, and I will be out there around 5:30 setting up stages. If you'd like to come out and help, and it would be appreciated, or want to check out the range, come out and see me!

Where: Talon Range. We are located at the interchange of Interstate 10 and US 90 in Midway, FL at the 192 exit (technically the North East corner).
- From I-10, exit at 192 onto US 90 West. If you are coming from the West on I-10, you will make a left turn onto US 90 and proceed under the interstate to a stop light. If you are coming from the East on I-10, you will immediately come to a stoplight. To the West (left) you will see a Flying J truck stop (cheapest gas in the area, BTW), and to the East (right) will be a service road called Commerce Blvd that winds back towards the interstate. Turn onto Commerce Blvd. and drive .5 miles. Talon Range will be on your right hand side. For those of you with GPS, the coordinates are: N 30* 29.425' by W 84* 25.278'. Our address is 550 Commerce Blvd Midway, FL 32343 (Note the city is Midway FL, not Tallahassee). The road leading into our range is nicely maintained, so for all of you Ferrari owners out there, have no fear of making it down to the range.

What: 6 stage USPSA match. Match entry fee will be $20 ($15 for those under 18). Cash or check are fine—no cards. Our match will consist of 6 challenging courses of fire--five field courses plus one USPSA classifier stage. Total round count will be less than 150 rounds. Our range was designed for competitive shooting, so expect a real USPSA match--179* ranges, steel--everything you ever wanted in a USPSA match!

Instructions: Talon is a COLD RANGE. No bagging or un-bagging of firearms in the parking lot. Safe areas will be provided and clearly marked. Once you make it onto the range property, there will be signs designating parking and the registration / sign up area. For those who have already been shooting USPSA at Tallahassee Rifle and Pistol Club, we are going to keep sign up as similar as possible. One thing that will change, however; EVERYONE must fill out a Talon Range liability waiver. You can find the waiver here: http://www.talontraininggroup.com/Talon-Range/Talon-Range-Membership-Agreement It's a little lengthy, but it's thorough, and you only have to do it once...ever (unless we revise it). I will have copies at registration, but I encourage you to print it off and complete it beforehand to speed up the registration process. For Talon Range members who have already completed the waiver and have it on file, you will not need to fill out another one (but it has to be THIS waiver, which was revised 06/17/2013). Eye and ear protection are mandatory for both competitors and spectators. Spectators are welcome. We will even have an air conditioned lounge with TV to get your 'spectator' out of the sun for a while.

Our pro shop is fully stocked with ammo (no limits on 9mm), snacks, drinks, sunscreen, etc.

We will have a shooters meeting / safety briefing before the start of the match.


New Shooters: If you have never competed in an organized shooting event--what are you waiting for!? We welcome new shooters, and will do everything we can to accommodate you. USPSA is a safe, fun, family friendly sport open to folks of all ages and skill levels (if you have a child younger than 12 that is interested, please contact me before hand so we can chat). You don't need a whole lot of equipment to start off--a safe and functional handgun in 9mm or larger caliber, a safe holster that covers the trigger guard and attaches to the belt, at least 3 functional magazines (more is better) and magazine holders to carry them, eye and ear protection, and a desire to have fun. Note: You will spend the morning and early afternoon outside, so dress appropriately and use plenty of sunscreen.

If you would like a bit of instruction before competing in your first match, I encourage you to visit the Talon Training web page and check out our 'Introduction to USPSA Shooting' class http://www.talontraininggroup.com/. It will more than adequately prepare you for jumping right into a match. If you are a new shooter and plan on attending the match, please come out early so one of our experienced shooters can fill you in on how everything works.

Thanks, and I hope to see you on the range!

John Rasmussen
Director Of Competitive Marksmanship



3-GUN



I have completed all of the stages, and have the final round count for our first 3-gun match to be held on Sunday January 5th.


Rifle: 50
Handgun: 25
Birdshot: 56


Now, keep in mind that this is the MINIMUM round count. Each paper target needs only 1 A hit to neutralize, so that is what my round count reflects. Most people, however, shoot two rounds per target, so your round count will be higher. Also note that some of the targets (steel plates, specifically) can often be engaged with either shotgun or handgun (check the written stage briefing) so you may end up shooting more handgun, and less shotgun than the above round count indicates.


I decided to keep the first match a little basic, since this will be the first time many of us have shot 3-gun, so there will be no slugs or buckshot required. Keep your birdshot 7 1/2 or smaller (numerically larger).


Just in case you are not able to make it one of my '3-gun rules and procedures' clinics, I wanted to briefly cover some of the things you probably want to know before your first match.


Safety: Safety rules are just like USPSA, so all of the same things apply--180, ADs etc.


ABSOLUTELY NO AP, ARMOR PIERCING, PENETRATOR, M855, GREEN TIP, BLACK TIP OR STEEL CORE RIFLE AMMO!! If your bullet attracts a magnet, leave it at home. Shooting any of the above mentioned ammo during the match is a match disqualification.

Ditching of weapons: There are two conditions you can ditch your weapons in.
1) Completely empty--nothing in the magazine, nothing in the chamber, nothing in the magazine tube--empty. In this condition, the position of the safety does not matter.
2) Safety engaged. With the safety engaged, you are allowed to ditch weapons with or without ammo in the gun.
Striker fired, or safe action pistols such as GLOCKs, M&Ps, and XDs are considered 'safe' simply by ditching them--nothing further is needed. If you have a pistol with a de-cocker, simply de-cocking the pistol renders it safe for ditching. Single action guns such as a 1911 must be ditched either completely empty, or safety engaged.


Score-keepers and target pasters will not be allowed to proceed downrange past a ditched firearm, until the shooter and / or RO comes back and safely clears the weapon.


Open Bolt Indicators: OBIs are REQUIRED to transport a long gun around the range. A spent shotgun shell, stick etc. are not acceptable. OBIs are cheap, and I'll have some at the match that I will sell for my cost, if you don't have one already. Once you have an OBI inserted into your completely unloaded long gun, you can transport it around the range un-cased.


Pre-loading of shotguns: On any stage where the shotgun is utilized, competitors will be asked to pre-load their shotguns. There will be a table set up next to a berm for this process. When pre-loading a shotgun, the competitor is allowed to fill the magazine tube to their division capacity, and ground it on the table (magazine tube ONLY, NOT loading a round into the chamber on onto the carrier / lifter) with the safety on and OBI inserted. Once your shotgun is pre-loaded, you are prohibited from handling it again until it is your turn to shoot.


Written Stage Briefing: Pay close attention to the WSB. It's very common for 3-gun matches to have unusual gun-ready conditions, that will change from stage to stage. Empty gun starts, or empty chamber starts are just as common as loaded gun / chamber starts.


Divisions: I won't go into a great deal of depth covering all of the equipment rules for the different divisions, as they are available at: http://uspsa.org/RifleShotgunMultigun%20Rules%201-1-2013final.pdf


But I will cover some basic stuff.
-Shotgun capacity: Except for Open (which has no limit) all divisions are limited to 9 rounds in the gun AT THE START SIGNAL. Which means 8 in the tube, and one in the chamber for 9 total, unless otherwise specified. If you so desire, you can add more rounds to your gun after the start signal.
-Optics: Having an optical sight of any kind on your shotgun or handgun automatically puts you in Open Division. Having more than 1 optic on your rifle also puts you in Open Division. For Limited Division, you are allowed 1 non-magnified optic (red dot sight) and / or iron sights on your rifle. For Tactical Division, you are allowed to have 1 magnified optic on your rifle, as well as iron sights.
-Magazine length restrictions: Open handgun-170mm. All other divisions, 140mm. No magazine restrictions for rifles (except for my Law Enforcement Division).
-Slings are only allowed in Open Division.


Scoring: We will be using 'time-plus' scoring, which means your time is your score--any penalties or misses are counted as time added to your score. So if you complete a course of fire and have no penalties or misses, that's your score for that stage.
Target scoring: Targets are not scored like a USPSA match. A paper target requires 1 A hit (the A zone, or anywhere in the head) OR 2 hits anywhere on the target to neutralize. So 1 A, or 2 D hits are the same thing. Steel must fall to score.


See the rules linked above for a complete rules breakdown.


If you have any questions, or are on the fence about shooting the match, contact me for more information (and I'll do my best to push you over the edge).


See you on the range!


John Rasmussen


Director Of Competitive Marksmanship, Talon Range

[razzman1]

Dale, see my above post for round count. The actual minimum round count is 50 rifle, 25 handgun and 56 birdshot, but as you noted, you might as well figure twice that for both rifle and handgun, as that's the way most people shoot it.

Thedishdoc: You don't have to be a member to compete in the 3-gun match, or any other competition at Talon--you just have to fill out the waiver that everyone must complete (see above post). The clinic was free of charge, and if there is enough interest, I will hold another one in the future.

[thedishdoc]

If the weather isn't bad I'm gonna come out and watch to see how it works. Then I will be ready to participate in the next one. I think my neighbor wants to come with me.

[Danman]

John - thanks for setting up such a great day, I had a lot of fun. Looking forward to continued 3 Gun matches.

[BR549]

Sorry I missed it. Any photos?

[razzman1]

Here are some pictures taken by one of our competitors, Ken C. Thanks to him as always for taking the time out of his match to snap pictures of everyone else.

http://s190.photobucket.com/user/losrobles/slideshow/Talon%203-Gun%20-%20Jan2014?sort=9

[BR549]

Great shots, I recognize a few folks. Good to see some hunting shotguns out there. gives me hope. Mine only holds 3!!

[Danman]

Great pictures. Thanks to Ken for them...