Steel Match, USPSA Match and 3-Gun at Talon Range

[razzman1]

Over the next month, Talon Range will be hosting the following competitions:

Steel Challenge / Scholastic Pistol on Saturday February 15th

USPSA on Saturday March 1st

3-Gun on Sunday March 16th

The following is the information for 3-gun. Feel free to e-mail me or IM me with any questions!

3-Gun!



First off, I am looking for three people who are interested in coming up with a stage for our 3-gun match. Same deal as USPSA--if you create it, set it up and stick around to help tear it down, your match entry fee will be waived. I have 3 big bats available, and all of the standard props that you are already familiar with. Let me know if you are interested.



What: Talon range will be hosting a 3-gun match on Sunday, March 16th. The match will consist of 6 stages, and will include rifle shouts out to 200 yards. The following information is a cut and paste from the first match, which covers some of the basic rules of 3-gun. Keep in mind we will be using USPSA Multi-Gun rules. set up will start at 7:00, (we will be doing most of the set up Saturday night, and any help would be greatly appreciated!), registration will open at 8:00 and the shooters briefing will start at 9:00. Pleas arrive on time, as once the shooters meeting starts, I can't accept any more competitors. Match entry fee will be $25.



Round Count: I don't have the stages designed yet, but minimum round count will be less than 75 rounds for each gun. Scoring for 3-gun is a little different than USPSA. Each paper target needs only 1 A hit to neutralize, so that is what my round count will reflect. 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.

Keep your birdshot 7 1/2 or smaller (numerically larger). NO STEEL SHOT--LEAD SHOT ONLY! Be prepared to shoot a few slugs.


Rules

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. I have had a few people ask me why this rule is implemented, so I'll share the reasoning behind it. AP / penetrator, or any rifle ammo with a steel core ammo is A) Hard on our steel targets, and B) A potential safety hazard, due to frag and ricochet. I realize that often times steel core ammo is cheaper than lead core ammo, but I don't want anyone to get injured due to steel core ammo being used.


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 (free), 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, or gun-specific targets, 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/RifleShotgunMultigu...-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

[Jmoorewar]

I hope I'm off for the three gun......

[razzman1]

Just an update on the 3-gun match, with round count.

3-Gun!

First off, I am looking for three people who are interested in helping with match set up Saturday night. I need about a half dozen folks to come out Saturday evening at 5 pm. You don't have to design anything--all you have to do is stick targets in the ground where I tell you to. For helping with set-up, you'll get to shoot the match for $10, instead of the normal $25. Please contact me ASAP if you are interested.



What: Talon range will be hosting a 3-gun match on Sunday, March 16th. The match will consist of 6 stages, and will include rifle shouts out to 200 yards. The following information is a cut and paste from the first match, which covers some of the basic rules of 3-gun. Keep in mind we will be using USPSA Multi-Gun rules. Set up will start at 7:00, (we will be doing most of the set up Saturday night, however, and any help would be greatly appreciated!), registration will open at 8:00 and the shooters briefing will start at 9:00. Pleas arrive on time, as once the shooters meeting starts, I can't accept any more competitors. Match entry fee will be $25.



Round Count: Some targets can be engaged with more than one firearm, so round counts are approximate. Roughly 65 rounds birdshot, 4 slugs, 37 rounds rifle and 47 rounds handgun. Scoring for 3-gun is a little different than USPSA. Each paper target needs only 1 A hit to neutralize, so that is what my round count will reflect. 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.

Keep your birdshot 7 1/2 or smaller (numerically larger). NO STEEL SHOT--LEAD SHOT ONLY! Be prepared to shoot a few slugs.

Rules

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. I have had a few people ask me why this rule is implemented, so I'll share the reasoning behind it. AP / penetrator, or any rifle ammo with a steel core ammo is A) Hard on our steel targets, and B) A potential safety hazard, due to frag and ricochet. I realize that often times steel core ammo is cheaper than lead core ammo, but I don't want anyone to get injured due to steel core ammo being used.

Safety Position: The default safety position on any firearm at the start of any course of fire is 'Safety On.' Unless otherwise specified, and unless the weapon is completely empty of ammo, all firearms will start with the safety engaged. The only exception to this rule is for traditional double action handguns, such as a Beretta 92FS, that has a de-cocker and a manual safety--the handgun only has to be de-cocked, the safety does not also have to be applied.

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 (free), 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, or gun-specific targets, 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/RifleShotgunMultigu...-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

[TargetShooting]

Had fun. Our squad finished last in rain.
I also learned some about competition - sometimes during competition you could be better off taking penalty instead of trying to hit the targets (i.e. 10 seconds for no hit...bur it might take 20 seconds to hit the targets)
It was fun! Especially when got to see Dale panting...

[AB]

Had fun. Our squad finished last in rain.
I also learned some about competition - sometimes during competition you could be better off taking penalty instead of trying to hit the targets (i.e. 10 seconds for no hit...bur it might take 20 seconds to hit the targets)
It was fun! Especially when got to see Dale panting...

As much of a gamer as I am, it's damn difficult for me to leave a target un-shot! The only exception to this is I know better than to do a flat-footed mag change for a single shot to finish the stage. Otherwise, I'm blasting until I get my hits!

Glad you had a good time, and hopefully I can make the next one!

[Dale Gribble]

AB I'm with you.

I don't ever expect to be a good 3 gunner. I have specially NOT bought fancy 3 gun equipment. I'll stick with my DEAD NUTS reliable Mossberg 500 (with only 5 in the tube) and my G17, and my 20" AR.

I use this to get better at my gun handling skills. I know that 3 gun is nothing like real tactics, however the pressure of the clock does make you f'up stuff you would not normally f'up.

And I have to thank you, NJC, and Bob for drilling me on saftey manipulation. During the cleanup after a stage I pulled my AR from the barrel and the safety was on. I don't even remember messing with it. Must be that mezcal memory everyone talks about.

[simmoag]

Big thanks to John, Talon and everyone that set up the 3 gun match today. We shot our first 3 gun comp today and had a blast. Brandy and I are hooked on 3 gun now. Looking forward to meeting more shooters at the next match. Hopefully we will have a loading system for shotgun by then!

[razzman1]

I'm glad you all had a good time. Sorry about the rain--the last squad on stage 1 really had some miserable conditions. It was nice to see all of you, and hope to see you again at the next one!

[Gatorvet]

Thanks for a great match!

[Dale Gribble]

Thanks to the folks who set it up. Are going to tear it down, and to talon. Just because.