3-Gun Nation 2013 January-February E-Magazine

7/29/2019 3-Gun Nation 2013 January-February E-Magazine

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PRO TIP CASSEROLE GETTING ALL CHOKED UPSHOT SHOW 2013 VIDEOS SQUEEZING OFF AC

KEITH GARCIA2012/2013 3-GUN NATION

CHAMPION

IN THIS IS

AIRSOFT TRA

PERFECT PRA

SHOT SHOW


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Warren Becker defeated U.S. AMUs

Joel Turner in the nals of the 3-Gun

Nation Semi-Pro Championship

Shoot-Off here Jan. 16, claiming

the inaugural title of 3GN Semi-Pro

Champion and winning $5,000 fromDoubleStar Corporation.

page56

page62

Entering the 2013 Rumble on the Range, Keith Garciahad proven he was the toughest 3-gun shoot-offcompetitor yet to win a 3GN Championship.

82 103 92 85 105

page8

Mark Wills is a multi-platinum

country music singer with eight

top-10 hits to his name. Hes

played to millions of people across

the globe. And best of all, he

shoots 3-Gun.


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GETTING SPONSORED - PART 2 of 2

These are the things sponsors are

looking for and want out of their

shooters.pa

NNER IS SERVED - Bryce Towsley throws the

st recipies for competition success in a blender

nd after some time in the oven - has made the

mate Pro Tip Casserole for you.

page12

The 3GN Ladies Championship turned out to be a f

affairjust another day on the range like down on

Louisianas famous Shootout Lane.pa

Get the most out of your shotgun game with the right

choke and load combination. pa

Check out the new ARFCOM 3-Gun


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Bad habits are hard to break.

Learn the basics rst, learn to

shoot accurately and speed

will come at a pace that you

will be able to control.

page11

Regardless of whether that comes from

a good nish at a local match or a stage

win at a major. A structured, big picture

approach to your practice sessions will

ensure that you get there faster!page 96

Few contemporary gun writers hav

as prolic, over as wide a spectrum

rearm topics, as our own Bryce To

page106

What is airsoft, and how can it help you

improve your 3-Gun Game. Keith Garcia

consults those who know best, in addition tooering some aordable training options.

page86

So, you couldnt make it to SH

Show? Thats a bummer, but

fear - we brought the best of

found at SHOT to you. Check

video coverage of whats new

interesting for 3-Gun this year

page


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CONTRIBUTION

Editorial: chad@3gunna

Advertising: pete@3gunnat

Production: jpmason@aegCHRIS ANDERSEN

Chris Andersen, a lifelong shooter and sportsman, has been

competing professionally since 2010. Andersen, a 3GN ProSeries competitor with several top major match nishes in

multiple divisions, is also a USPSA Pistol Grand Master.

This Issues Featured Authors

KEITH GARCIA

Keith Garcia is a 20-year veteran law enforcement ocer

from California, with stints as a eld ocer, rearms

instructor and SWAT Team Leader. Garcia has won 3GN

Shoot-Os and one 3GN Pro Series match over the last two

seasons. He is the 2012-2013 3GN Champion

PATRICK KELLEY

As a competitor, instructor, writer and photographer, Patrick

E. Kelleys passion for the shooting sports runs deep. Having

won his rst match in the 1980s he continues to win on the

eld and in promoting 3-Gun.

TRAVIS GIBSON

Travis Gibson is the Vice President of MGM Targets, one

of the leading supporters of juniors and competitions inall of practical shooting. Gibson has become a top 3-gun

competitor in his own right over the last few seasons, picking

up his rst major 3-gun win last season at Ironman.

BRUCE PIATT

Bruce Piatt is a career Police Ocer with the heart and soul

of a full time shooter. He is a seasoned World Champion

competitor with over 30 years of competitive shooting

experience in multiiple disciplines.

BRYCE M. TOWSLEY

Bryce Towsley is an award-winning writer and photographer

whose work covers a wide diversity of subjects,

including hunting and rearms. Towsley is on of the most

accomplished gun writers of his era and actively competes in

3-gun competitions nationwide.

CONTACT 3-GUN NATION MA

National 3-Gun Associa

424 Ridgehill Drive

Lexington, South Carolina 2

United States of Ameri

Executive Editor:

Chad Adams

Executive Producer:

Pete Brown

Publisher

Production

2280 Satellite Boulevard

Duluth, Georgia 3009

United States of Ameri

(678) 644 - 2175

www.aegisatlanta.com

Creative Director:

James P. Mason


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from the editor

Ive never felt the need to attempt tovalidate the Second Amendment byshowing the Sporting Purpose of

specic rearm platforms. In a sense,to follow that logic of argument is butto chase your own tail when ghtingagainst gun control. Yet the debate per-sists, and now more than ever its in allour best interests to show responsiblerearm use in the best light possible.

Well that light shown down brightlyagainst the Las Vegas desert nightrecently at the NRA Sports Rumble onthe Range, presented by Brownells.

From my view, standing just to the leftof the start box at Clark County Range,I witnessed a shining example of lawabiding citizens enjoying their Second

Amendment rights.

On the sports biggest stage, in front ofmore than a thousand spectators fromour industry, uncommon athleticismand skill was commonly displayed timeand again as 3GN competitorsjuniors,ladies, and top proscompeted at the

highest level. Sure, they were battlingeach other for the highest cash prizesin the sport. But it was something morethan that as well. These athletes werecompeting for the moment, a momentthat transcends politics and party lines,one that is purely driven by the spirit ofcompetition and sport.

Of course 3GN cameras were there to

capture those mo-ments, and more,to broadcast to themasses. And if we tellthe story of 3-gun aswell as our compet-itors displayed it inLas Vegas, then whata show well have.

But we need yourhelp. Share yoursport. Forward ourvideos and stories

to spread the word on 3-gun. Postyour own videos to show how muchfun a day on the range can be. And byall means, introduce someone new toshooting.

While much of our coverage this issuecenters on the 3GN Championships,theres much more as well. Weve gotvideos from SHOT Show, highlightingthe latest guns and gear headed tomarket this year.

But this is 3GN Magazine, so againweve enlisted the writing of some ofthe games best to help you improveyour 3-gun skills for the coming sea-son. Bianchi Cup champion Bruce Piatton pistol accuracy; Patrick E. Kelleyon shotgun chokes and loads, Chris

Andersen on ecient practice; 3GNChampion Keith Garcia on airsoft train-ing and much, much more.

So in these troubling times we presson. But remember, whether youre ahunter, a plinker, die-hard competitor, orcarry only for defensea house dividedcannot stand. Join the NRA!

-Semper,

Chad


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Mark Wills is a multi-platinum country music singewith eight top-10 hits to his name. He was once naACMs (Academy of Country Music) top new malevocalist. Hes played to millions of people across tglobe. And best of all, he shoots 3-Gun.I like the people of 3-Gun said Wills. The shooteare all great people, everyone is competitive but itjust about one person. Everyone helps each otherThe camaraderie is unlike any other sports professout there. Whether its Bianchi, or another event, tshooting sports people are always willing to lend aing hand. The music I make is often about helpingfellow man, and thats what draws me to 3-Gun.Wills has also enjoyed a bit of the 3GN spotlight seas host and lead voice over talent for the 3-Gun Ntion television program.The rst two seasons were really a huge learningcurve, not just shooting, but learning about the spand how it works, Wills said. Now I have a muchbetter grip on the sport as a whole. I am a good TVhost, now I have to get my shooting as good! I travmuch, its hard to practice so Im really limited on good I can get. Plus all the matches are on the weends when I work.

Not only does Mark enjoy 3-Gun shooting and hos3-Gun Nation, but he also has recently joined thUSA 3-Gun team.

My role on team FNH USA is to be a face that pecan approach and be an ambassador for the sportthe team, Wills said. People know me for the mufeel like Im a good representative because Im notlevel shooter, Im just an average guy on the range

MARK

WILLSlooking fo

americ


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most people. People can see me shoot andhave fun and they can feel comfortable gettinginvolved. Its intimidating to see the pros tearup the courses, and I can represent the guysthat do it for fun.If you know anything about Wills, you knowthat he is a huge supporter of the U.S. Mili-

tary. With more than 10 trips to Afghanistan,Iraq and other countries, Wills puts his moneywhere his mouth is. Wills has logged hundredsof thousands of miles entertaining the troopsand credits his father for inspiring him.Listening to my dad talk about Viet Nam wasreally what drove me to get involved, Willssaid. He saw a USO show once and alwaystalked about it. I got a call in 2003 and got achance to go and I fell in love with it. The rst

time I went was asked to go, the rest of thetimes I asked them to let me go.

When Mark Wills isnt busy being a devot-ed family man, military supporter, a 3-Gunshooter or 3GN TV host, Mark certainly hasquit his day job. This past year he releasedheartfelt single, Looking for America, wh

touches on the state of this country we alladore.

Im chasing down a memory

Of the way that things used to be

Kids playing underneath an old street light

Knowing they were safe when they laid dow

at night

Im looking for something I aint seen in a w


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I love that song and its one ofmy favorites to play, Wills said.We didnt have many of theroblems we Americans faceach and every day. It seemso tting for the times we live inoday.

The words of Marks song ringrue. And he seems to be livingroof good Americans are out

here. You just have to look.


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Cooked up aserved byBryce Towsle


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When shooting at long-range rie targets do not getstuck on shooting at the same spot over and over.If you break the shot well and the shot misses, youmight try one more, but if that misses too, dont keepdoing the same thing. You missed high, low, left orright, so adjust your hold. The rst thing I do is gohigh. If that still misses I go to left or right dependingon the wind. I work my way around the clock if nec-essary. That assumes, of course, that you know your

hold for that distance, so the miss has to be bsmall margin. If you are two feet low, you havproblems. But if you use a known hold and myou probably only missed by a little, so hold ahigh for the next shot. The point is, dont get shooting again and again at the same spot. Ifworking, move your aiming point before you dthat you are out of time and out of ammo.

am not a top shooter, but I am trying to be.My tip is simple. Pay attention to what theseshooters have to say. We are lucky here at3-Gun Nation that they would generouslyshare their knowledge with our readers. Theyare the best of the best, and learning fromhem is like getting theology instructions

from the Pope. Its like voice lessons fromElvis, or Babe Ruth teaching you to hit a

baseball. If you are going to learn, why notearn from the best?

I ASKED EACH OF THESE TOP 3-GUN SHOOTERS TO GIVE ONE TIP THAT COULD HELP THE READERS BECOME BETT

3-GUN COMPETITORS.

HERE THEY ARE.


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My advice to women interested in 3-gun is prettymuch the same as I would give to anyone showup and take notes! If you are condent in your safetywith all three platforms, show up with your gear! Take

notes on all the details. The guns, the scopes, thegear, the belts, the ammo, the bags. Ask questions.Three-gunners are a wonderful family and will helpyou out with any way they can. Woman specic, make

sure you get with someone to show you the pfor your long guns. Our faces are smaller andto build up the comb in order for us to get a gto our cheek. If you arent familiar with your lo

game, get with someone and spend the time what ammo your rie likes to eat and your ho(scope). The long game separates the men froboys or girls, in this case!

Every 3-gun stage is different and you need to gureout how to shoot each one according to your own

abilities. A lot of shooters watch somebody else shootand try to do what they did. Or they watch the supersquad and try to emulate them. But, a lot of times,that will not work because you are not them. You needto plan each stage according to your strengths andweaknesses so you shoot the best that you can.

For example, on a run-and-gun stage mostcompetitors will shoot on the run. But if shooting onthe move is not your strength it can lead to misses,dropped points and other problems. So it might be

better to pick places where you can stop andmultiple targets from a stationary position. Th

to the next position and shoot more targets aon. The extra second or two you spend doingmore than paid for by the higher hit factors. Wyou do poorly on a stage, go home and practthing that gave you trouble. As a result, your will change and your strategy will continually

At the beginning of the season you may needone strategy, but as you practice you will adjustrategy with your emerging skills and do somdifferent for matches later in the season.


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Master your guns. With the rie you need tomaster all the positions, including those uniqueto 3-gun shooting like reverse kneeling. No othermarksmanship discipline uses reverse kneeling, butits critical for 3-gun. That is where the fore-end is

supported by a barricade or prop of some kind andyou raise your strong side knee to support the arm onthe trigger-hand side. With the shotgun, you need tomaster the shooting skills, but it is loading that winsmatches. You must master reloading the shotgun

fast. (Note: Loading the shotgun is another onthose topics that came up again and again.) Whandgun, practice fast, precision, distance shIts easy to hose down the close targets, but matches have some pretty small targets at re

long range. You need to be able to hit them fato use the Bianchi Cup plate lay out for practLeatham calls that the test and I think it helon accurate pistol shooting.


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This is simple. Have fun. When you start putting toomuch pressure on yourself you lose all the fun andmess yourself up mentally.

I learned that years ago after I picked up my rst twosponsors. I was trying desperately hard to win the

match and it wasnt going well. I put so much pressureon myself that I was messing it all up, tanking stagesand missing targets that were my forte, like long rieshots. An old-timer looked at me and said, whats thematter with you? I told him, I dont know, I am just

trying so hard, but I am messing everything usaid, You are not having fun. You are not shoyour match. He was absolutely right, I was tso hard I was making myself miserable. Nowgo to the match to have fun and to shoot my By doing that I started winning a lot of big ma

When you go to a match saying I gotta beat tor outshoot that guy, you put too much pressyourself. Just have fun and shoot and you wilsurprised how well you do.

Organize your gear. Of course, all your gear mustbe proven to be 100-percent reliable, but you need tokeep it organized as well. Three-gun shooting involvesa lot of gear and things often happen fast at a match.

You need to be able to nd anything you need with-out wasting time looking. For example, if you are thelast shooter on a stage, you will probably be the rstshooter on the next stage. That means you dont havemuch time to recharge your magazines and switch

out any gear you may need to shoot the next If you are not organized you will not only waslooking for ammo or gear, it will make you fruand stressed out. That will carry over mentallshooting on the next stage and probably costsome points. When everything is organized aruns smoothly, you stay calm, and relaxed ancused on the task at hand, which is shooting stage the best you can.


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For me, its basically, you gotta train the brain. Ill

walk through a stage and I gure out how I am goingto shoot it and Ill formulate a plan. The key is then tostick with the plan. A lot of times guys will try to talkyou into doing something different. The plan is in yourhead, but then one of the guys on your squad will starttalking about doing something different and you starthaving second thoughts.

Second thoughts can kill a good plan. Stick w

plan. There might be a better way to shoot it, dont want to change my game plan once I hacommitted to memory. Also, dont go bonkerssomething goes wrong, like an equipment failhave to prepare mentally for the unpredictabland not let it mess up your game plan.


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Dont get hung up on your gear. You need guns

that are absolutely reliable, but thats it. Back whenI started shooting, if you nished a match and yourgun didnt malfunction, you were automatically in thetop ve. Today, most of this stuff works very well.

You dont need the latest whiz-bang gizmo; use your

money to buy ammo. The match is won with s

gadgets. The shooter that can apply the fundof shooting, on time and at speed will win, nothat dragged his gun through the gadget catayou want to win, immerse your gun in ammo,it in accessories.

Pick a specic skill set you need to work on andbring that to your practice sessions. Dont just shootwhat you are good at; make sure you practice whatyou are not good at. You can take note of what causesproblems at a match without letting them affect yourmental game for the rest of your match, but do allowthem to run your practice regimen.

If you miss a target, thats not the problem, tsymptom. The problem is you didnt prepare or you didnt know your zero for that range, oever. Dont confuse the problem with the symWhen you practice, identify the problem and that.


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Dry Fire.

I highly recommend dry ring with your guns.Anything you do in a match you can practice at home.When I rst joined the AMU 3-gun team I dry red forat least an hour every night while my wife timed me. Infact, I use a timer for much of my dry re drills. I alsouse video tape of my dry re practice to help identifywhat I am doing right or wrong.Some dry re examples would be with a rie, startfrom port arms or low ready and practice acquiring thetarget and getting off the shot. Or use multiple targetsto practice transitions in acquiring the targets. Also,I practice switching the power on my scope. I mightmove from one location to another while practicingswitching the power, making sure I turn it the rightway. You would be surprised how easy it is to messthis up in the heat of a match.

With a shotgun, I do some of the same rapid acquisition skills, but I also practice loading tshotgun using dummy loads. I keep a shotgua bunch of dummy loads by my desk and anytake a break during the day I spend a few secpracticing loading. I also practice doing mag with my pistols and ries. I use the par time fon my timer for many of these drills. Another practice a lot with empty guns is transitions. dumping one gun in a safe area, then runningnext table, pick up another gun, rack the boltyou would in competition and then dry re thshot on the target. This kind of rearms handpractice develops skills that you need in a ma


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A lot of matches are won or lost with the long-rangerie. When I practice, 30-percent of my shooting timegoes into shooting long range, 30-percent into load-ing the shotgun and the remaining time spread outover everything else. Long range is anything past 300yards. You need to know your holds at every distance

and learn to read the wind. You need to learnthis fast. Some shooters like Daniel Horner reshots so well that they are often on to the nexbefore you hear the ding of the bullet hitting tbefore. Thats why he wins and its what you sstrive to accomplish.

It seems like more and more courses are requiringthat you re your rie from very odd positions andfrom strange angles. You need to practice this tolearn how to deal with the positions and to be sureof where the gun will hit. Some of these stages willhave you twist the gun to severe angles, and the gunwill not shoot to the same point of impact if it is tilted

to the left or right. You need to know where toto compensate, and you need to know that hoevery distance. Also, you need to be able to sunder barricades, lying face down with the risideways. Its important to practice these thinrst time you encounter them is not during a


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One thing that costs a lot of matches is the guys whodont have their slug guns sighted in correctly. I dealwith a lot of new shotguns and nd that they are oftenas much as 15-inches off the point of aim at 25 yardswhen shooting slugs.

You cant win a match with a shotgun you neehold off the target to hit anything. Either instaadjustable sights or bend the barrel, but get thitting where you are aiming.

It is absolutely critical to know where your rie hitsat any distance. So many guys zero their gun at 50 or100 yards and think they can rely on a computer pro-gram or ballistic chart or what their buddies tell themfor the rest. But that will not work. You must absolute-ly know where your rie will strike at any distance fromve yards to 500 yards. Its not just the long shots

where this is important. With the offset on thea lot of shooters try head shots at ten yards asurprised to nd they hit the hostage target b

You must shoot your rie at every distance anwith the certainty that only bullet holes in thecan provide, where you will hit at any given d

thatJamesdiditfrst.Itissoimportant.


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AIM SPORTS

ANDERSONMANUFACTURING

SHOT SHOW 201Every aisle was packed full at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada for SHOShow 2013, and 3-Gun Nation was there, navigating through guns and gear to provide you

with 3-gun specic news and product updates.

Enjoy!


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BARRETT FIREARMS

BLACK RAIN0RDNANCE

BLADETECH


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CAMMO BROTHERS

DOUBLESTAR

ERGO GRIPS


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GALATI GEAR

GLOCK

HI VIZ SIGHTS


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MGM TARGETS

NIGHTFORCE OPTIC

PALMETTO STATEARMORY


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RUGER

SAMSON

STAG ARMS


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GETTINGSPONSORED

Written byTravis Gibson

PART 2 OF 2


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What makes a good sponsored shooter? The funny thing about this is you

going to get two COMPLETELY dierent answers from the shooter and the

sponsor. Having been looking for sponsorships for one thing or another sin

was 15 years old, I think I have a pretty good grasp on the situation ... bein

of a company that is constantly bombarded with sponsorship requests give

some good insight too.

When I started to put this article together, I actually hit up a couple of

companies who are huge supporters of 3-gun matches, as well as having

a pretty good sized group of sponsored shooters on their team. I got some

outstanding responses ... honestly it was way more than I gured Id getconsidering who I asked and how busy they all are. I guess that means thi

something thats important to them!


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Scott Carnahan from Safariland could quite possibly be

referred to as the godfather of sponsored shooting

teams. The rst BIG team to hit the action shooting scene

was put together by Scott and Bill Rogers in 1985.

When I asked Scott what he looked for in a sponsored

shooter, this is what he sent back:

Top-level shooter and well respected in his or

local area, someone people look up to and will

help up-and-coming shooters. If they are a trai

especially in Law Enforcement or military, that

a plus and part of our core business. Someone

that can be a part of our R&D team and provid

constructive feedback. Our team is an extens

R&D and test new products and materials for u

Another one of the rst companies to have a fo

shooting team was DPMS. Randy Luth sent m

back some great thoughts on sponsored shoot

and what characteristics he looks for in his tea

members:

A sponsored shooter does not have to be a w

class shooter, but needs to have some connec

to exposure through our industry. A businessowner, a writer, an instructor, etc., a person tha

spectators and shooters will notice what equip

they choose. Character is paramount. Honest

engaging, fair, integrity, not boisterous attrib

that will not embarrass the sponsor or create

negative thoughts about the sponsors brand.

Hornady has come onto the scene in a BIG wa

over the last three or four years. They have a

ton of sponsored shooters in several dierentdisciplines, and continue to support matches i

monstrous capacity. When I asked Neal Emery

characteristics/attributes he liked his shooters

have, he sent me the note below:

They need to be approachable. Of course the

are times right before (and sometimes after) a s

where a shooter needs to concentrate and pla

(or sob). But in general, they need to know that

being sponsored means they are there to work

spite of how their match is going. Even if they D

they need to realize they are there to promote t

sponsors and should continue to do so.

The last three people I asked for insight in rega

to sponsored shooters were Dave Wilcox with

Warne Scope Mounts, May (Lansigan) Schlatte

with Surere, and Matt Foster with Ergo Grips.

INTEGRITY

GOOD ATTITUDE

VISIBILITY

RODUCT KNOWLEDGE

BRAND LOYALTY


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all had very similar answers to all of my questions.

Matt stated that winning was NOT the most important

thing when choosing a sponsored shooter. He stated

that while a shooter needs to be competent (talk the

talk, and walk the walk), being a good ambassador

of the sport and the company were more important.

A good attitude, willing to talk with other competitors

(i.e. potential customers), and a calm temper were

attributes he looks for in potential sponsored shooters.

He also mentioned being active on social media such

as Facebook, was a good quality.

May also noted that being responsible on social media

was important to her. Brand knowledge and loyalty

were also specic items she mentioned. When asked

why she picked the sponsored shooters she currently

has, her answers were very similar to Dave Wilcoxs

from Warne Scope Mounts: product knowledge, goodattitudes, recognizable personalities, and company

history were a few of the top reasons.

Out of all the responses I got, my favorite had to be

from Dave. I asked him, what sorts of attributes or

characteristics do you like your sponsored shooters to

have?

They all have the heart to win but accept their

shortcomings that may keep them from it. ALL mysponsored shooters are well respected in the 3-gun

competition eld. Individualism and personal charisma

attracted them to me; uniqueness and the ability and

willingness to be dierent. For instance, someone

who does the absolute worst attempt at a cartwheel

because they made it to the Shoot-O. Thats money

baby! (Editors Note: That would be one Travis Gibson!)

So, does your list line up with what some of the

biggest names in 3-gun sponsorship think? I took the

liberty of condensing and prioritizing their answers.

1. Integrity

2. Good attitude/Outgoing

3. Top level competitor/visibility

4. Product knowledge/brand loyalty


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Is that the same list you came up with? How about the

order? Did you think having a shooter that won every

match he went to would be more or less important

than a guy with a good personality and an outgoing

demeanor? Dont feel bad. Most shooters didnt

prioritize them like the sponsors did either.

Something shooters have to get through their heads is

that companies sponsor people for one reason and one

reason only, and it isnt because youre a good shooter.

ITS TO SELL PRODUCT!

A shooter that nishes well is a good thing, dont

get me wrong. Heres why. Spectators see that guy

nishing well and they want to know what gear hes

using because everyone knows shooting well has

EVERYTHING to do with the gear and very little to do

with practice right? For those of you that dont get my

sarcastic humor, that was a joke.

So at this point, the guy who nished well needs to be

able to talk to the spectators. THE SHOOTER NEEDS

TO START THE CONVERSATION. Something I often

forget is people that have seen 3GN on television view

the shooters in the Pro Series just like Tony Stewar

LeBron James or James Bubba Stewart or any o

professional athlete. They dont expect you to com

and talk with them. When you do, they feel like the

met someone famous, and theyll remember that w

it comes time to buy the gear you spoke with them

about.

The long and short of it is being a top competitor is

obviously a good thing, but it isnt the most import

Getting logos on national television is going to get

companies more exposure, but as new as our spor

is, we (pro shooters) should take the time to talk w

new shooters and spectators to help grow the spo

Consider this a grass roots eort. When were all

making tens of thousands of dollars for our wins at

the Pro Series matches, then we can start acting li

a bunch of divas. Until then, introduce people to th

sport. Talk with a spectator. Help a new shooter. Tajunior shooter under your wing. Give back a little.

These are the things sponsors want out of their

shooters.

mark 6 3-18x44m

FIGHT TO WINSmaller, lIGHTer, FaSTer... mOre POWer

[email protected] | www.LEUPOLD.COM | POrTLAnD, OrEgOn, U.S.A.MODErn DAy MArInE #1535 | AUSA AnnUAL COnfErEnCE #3803


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The 3-Gun shotgun is where most people would agree

you either make it or break it in our sport. There is more

disparity between the fastest and the slowest shooters

in shotgun than rie or pistol, and in general most people

practice and train with their shotgun less than any otherrearm they own.

How it came about - We have all been shooting Benelli

M1 Super 90s for the last few years, and in doing so

have done all of the mandatory 3-Gun modications.

These are the modications that take what was designed

as a hunting rearm to a competition-ready instrument,

and these modied Benellis rule the sport.

Traditionally though, most of the M1S90s out there had

the longer hunting barrels in 26 inches or more, or thetactical 18-inch, neither of which are ideal for 3-gun.

When it came time to upgrade our teams guns, the

Benelli M2 was the logical step. There are a number of

excellent gunsmiths out there that will help you take your

M1/M2 to 3-gun-ready status, and certainly enough info

out there to do it yourself as many competitors have

done.

Goals - What we wanted to do was sell a race-ready

M2 out of the box with all of the modications a shooter

might need, and most importantly to do so at a price

that most could aord.

For this task, we explored all of the options and came up

with what we think is the perfect 3-gun shotgun, whether

youre just starting out or already an experienced

competitor.

We selected Nordic Components for most of the add-on

parts, as their products are well tested and they provide

a large variety so that no matter what you shoot and how

you want to upgrade, they probably have all the go-fast

parts you need.

FEATURES

Base Guns - First let me say that we are targeting

the practical or tactical (Limited) divisions- where a

shotgun is typically 12-gauge and features no porting,

comps, optics or speed loaders.

There is a compromise between barrel length and

magazine capacity, and 21 and 24 are about the

ideal lengths when paired with ush-tting magaz

extensions. These allow for 8 and 9 rounds in themagazine respectively while maintaining maneuve

around barricades and obstacles, so we start all o

builds on new 21 and 24 M2 eld guns.

Bolt Features - Bolts are modied to enable both g

and out-of-battery loading. While these are not mu

have modications, they are nice to have and do n

in any way negatively aect your gun if you do not

them.

A ghost load allows you to have a round on the liftand under the bolt in addition to a fully loaded ma

so rather than an 8+1 capacity, you have an 8+1+

matches where its allowed, this gives you an extra

ready to go.

The out-of-battery loading mod prevents the situa

where you have a handful of shells and the bolt ha

locked all the way forward, preventing you from lo

the magazine.

Other than adding a Nordic Components extended

charging handle, we chose not to lighten or otherw

reshape or renish the bolts. Many folks do this, b

other than looking cool we didnt feel it was a need

modication as we build and test all our guns to c

1-ounce loads already.

Loading Port - Machining the receiver to open up

loading port is perhaps the most critical operation

these conversions. Some like a funnel versus open

access to the magazine as much as possible.

We chose to do a bit of bothwe open the mag w

high and as long as we can as well as put in a 45-

taper to the sides to funnel rounds in. Combined w

the shell catch and lifter mods below, the result is

thats much easier to ll than stock.

Shell Catch / Lifter - Whether learning from others

personal experience, every 3-gunner knows that t

change you need to make to your shotgun is exte

Written by Edward AvARFCOM 3-GUN SHOTGUN


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the lifter and getting rid of the nasty prongs at the end.

Also, the shell catch which is extremely sti on a new

M2 needs to be polished, modied, and tuned to makeyour gun easier to feed. The catch, the lifter, and the new

follower/magazine spring all work together to make sure

rounds go in quickly and easily, and stay in the magazine.

Drilling and tapping to add an extended bolt release

button from Nordic Components is the nal step in its

modication.

Magazine - The 5- or 6-round magazine extensions from

Nordic Components ensure that you minimize the need to

reload. They provide 8 and 9 rounds as mentioned above

with a ush t, and are tted with a new NC follower aswell as a new and trimmed magazine spring.

Barrel - Adding a Nordic Components barrel clamp as

well as a Hi-Viz Tri-Comp sight completes the front-end

additions to the gun. We supply all of the optional (8 total)

replacement ber-optic elements so a user can customize

their front sight.

Finishing - Finally, actions are further smoothed and

polished, all guns receive laser engraving on the side,

and a grip-tape on the fore-end for improved grip. We feltthis was a better looking alternative to the stippling that

some folks asked for, and was replaceable or removable if

desired.

All guns are test-red at the range using the 1-ounce

loads, and then packaged back up in the original hard

case along with all the original parts. These guns already

come with 5 interchangeable chokes, a choke tool, oil,

shims for tting the stock, and all the parts we ta

are included.

AvailabilityThe rst batch of guns was sold before they were

ready, and with this rst batch having gone out t

we are currently working on getting additional pr

underway in order to ll the backorders and have

guns in stock.

For more information and availab

check out the AR15.com store at

http://store.ar15.com.


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The 3-Gun shotgun is a versatile beast. Stationary steel

and ying clays are no match for this Power Tool with

the right load and choke. Distant targets can be bested

with slugs. Given a good understanding of choke and

pattern, birdshot can be used with precision on closely

spaced shoot/no-shoot targets. Unfortunately much ofwhat makes the shotgun so exible leads to one of the

reasons we fail to knock down targets we actually hit! I

am talking about interchangeable choke tubes!

You will generally nd me running a Light Modied

choke unless I see an advantage to something else.

Similarly my ARs optic is on one power until there

need for a change. But much like my optics, the be

of variable chokes is in changing them to t the tar

The ability to instantly change your pellet spreader

shot pattern has been around for better than 40 yeScrew-in choke tubes are now factory standard on

but the most basic models of shotgun. The fact tha

have them, however, doesnt equate to knowing ho

to use them. Read along and we will discuss how t

harness the versatility and avoid the pitfalls of chok

selection.

get the most outof your shotgun game

with the right choke andload combination

Written by

Patrick E. Kelley

ALL UPCHOKED


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Lets start with the most open choke pattern and move to the least or tightest pattern. Well cover the common

and some specialty chokes at the end. Youll nd the designations are for the most part self-explanatory.

Cylinder Bore (CYL)

This choke is just a continuation of the barrels nominal

bore diameter and is bored as a straight tube with

parallel walls for the entire length. Makes sense right?

From Cylinder Bore each successive choke tube

restricts the barrels exit diameter to some degree.

While each choke can be expressed numerically as

.010-inch or .020-inch or .030-inch restriction fromCylinder Bore, those numbers are verbalized as 10-,

20- and 30-point chokes. I actually like using the Point

System as it is an accurate description of what the

heck you are screwing into the end of your shotgun.

The English might use terms such as 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4

choke, but generally we former colonists use names.

CAUTION: RESTRICTED AREA

Skeet (SK)

The rst step in from Cylinder Bore at .005-inch

restriction.

Improved Cylinder (IC)A 10-point choke or .010-inch tighter than Cylinder

This is one of the most widely used chokes in 3-Gun

Light Modied (LM)Adds another .005-inch of restriction for a total of

.015-inch from the straight walled Cylinder Bore. If y

arent sure what choke to use, or you dont want to

bothered to change chokes, Lt. Mod is a great def

choke. It works well in most any application.


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Modied (Mod)This choke will have your pellets owing though an exit

hole .020-inch smaller in diameter than Cylinder Bore.

Improved Modied (IM)

I bet you are seeing a pattern (gun pun intended) here.

Yup, I-Mod will close the muzzle I.D. down another

.005-inch for a total of .025-inch restriction.

Full (F)

Is the tightest constriction among the standard chokesand is a full .035-inch narrower than Cylinder Bore.

This is one I have yet to use at any 3-Gun event and

hope to never feel the need to. If the target is that far

away or that tough to put down, somebody hand me a

carbine!

Beyond these, some aftermarket manufacturers have

created chokes more open than Cylinder Bore, sucDiusers and Spreader chokes; and chokes that are

than Full, with names like XtraFull, Turkey Full and Su

Full (sounds like me after Thanksgiving dinner). With

possible exception of a Diuser, we dont have any re

need for most of the other speciality chokes within

sport of 3-Gun, so Ill not go into them.


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CYLINDER BORE (CYL)

CHOKE

IMPROVED CYLINDER (IC)

LIGHT MODIFIED (LM)

MODIFIED (M)

IMPROVED MODIFIED (IM)

25 YARDS

FIOCCHI 7.5 SHOT1 1/8 OZ @ 1200 FPS (3 DRAM)

25 YARDS

27 YARDS

30 YARDS

35 YARDS

MGM STEEL POPPER TARGETCHOKE / LOAD COMPARISON SPECS

25 YARDS

WINCHESTER #5 SHOT1 1/4 OZ @ 1250 FPS (3.75 DRAM)

25 YARDS

27 YARDS

35 YARDS

35 YARDS

20 YARDS

FEDERAL #7.5 S1 1/8 OZ @ 900 FPS (

20 YARDS

25 YARDS

30 YARDS

35 YARDS


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While you can nd some nice choke selection

information for shooting clays, it does not translate very

well when the target is made of steel. So lets create our

own.

The standard load in 3-Gunning is a 1 1/8-ounce of shot

at 1,200 feet-per-second (f.p.s.) (3 dram). I used thosemade by Fiocchi loaded with 7.5 shot on three types of

MGM steel targets: full size Poppers, 6-inch rounds and

a Whirly Gig. In each case a perfect center shot was

made and repeated several times to conrm the data.

Other loads were tested and will be discussed later.

Cylinder choke was reliable to 25 yards on the Popper,

and to 20 yards on the 6-inch plate. The Whirly Gig

shortened the eective distance even further to just 15

yards.

Improved Cylinder was not able to improve the resu

those shown by Cylinder.

Light Modied was able to improve the distance on

Popper to 27 yards and the 6-inch plate to 25 yards

Whirlys plates gave up at 20 yards.

Modied put the Popper and the 6-inch plate down

to 30 yards. While the Whirly Gig gave up its targets

to 25 yards, it did so reluctantly.

Improved Modied was able to stretch out the Pop

35 yards. The 6-inch plate found the dirt at 30 yard

the Whirly held fast at that distance. Twenty-ve ya

is as far as one should go on the Whirly Gig to get s

drops.

HIT AND MISS


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CYLINDER BORE (CYL)

CHOKE


LIGHT MODIFIED (LM)

MODIFIED (M)


20 YARDS


20 YARDS

25 YARDS

25 YARDS

30 YARDS

MGM 6 STEEL PLATE TARGETCHOKE / LOAD COMPARISON SPECS

20 YARDS


20 YARDS

25 YARDS

25 YARDS

25 YARDS

20 YARDS

FEDERAL #7.5 S1 1/8 OZ @ 900 FPS (1

20 YARDS

25 YARDS

25 YARDS

30 YARDS


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I know a number of competitors that bring a box or

handful of High Brass loads in case stubborn ordistant targets are encountered. Do they work? Does

the increase in recoil and the resultant increase in

recovery time pay o? I got a surprise for you. Not only

did I test some Heavy Field ammo, but I also got some

great results with loads on the opposite end of the

power curve! The short of it isyou are welcome to go

heavy, I will just change chokes.

In testing, the heavy loads duplicated the results with

the standard 3-gun load to about 25 yards. Modied

choke was necessary to see any real dierence

beyond that. So thats where we will start.

The Heavy Field load was a Winchester 1 -ounceshot at 1,250 f.p.s. (3 3/4 dram).

Modied popped Poppers at 30 and 35 yards, but

wouldnt drop the little 6-inch plate beyond 25 yard

and the Whirly Gig was not always compliant at 25

yards.

Improved Modied did the same with the Popper a

but still could not drop the 6-inch plate past 25. I d

a reliable release of the Whirlys plates out to 25 ya

HEAVY LOADS


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CYLINDER BORE (CYL)

CHOKE


LIGHT MODIFIED (LM)

MODIFIED (M)


15 YARDS


15 YARDS

20 YARDS

25 YARDS

25 YARDS

MGM WHIRLY GIG TARGETCHOKE / LOAD COMPARISON SPECS

15 YARDS


15 YARDS

20 YARDS

25 YARDS

25 YARDS

15 YARDS

FEDERAL #7.5 S1 1/8 OZ @ 900 FPS (

15 YARDS

20 YARDS

20 YARDS

25 YARDS


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After abusing my shoulder with the heavy stu, I did

some testing with some uber-light loads. I found some

Federal subsonic 1 1/8-ounce #7.5 shot 900 fps loads

and ran the full test again.

Cylinder had the Popper and 6-inch plate falling to 20

yards and the Whirly at 15 yards.

Improved Cylinder provided no improvement.

Light Modied sacked the Popper and Plate out to 25

yards and was OK but not great on the Whirly at 20.

Modied showed the Popper the way down to 30 yards,

and the 6-inch plate at 25 yards, and was solid on the

Whirly at 20.

Improved Modied put the Popper away at 35 yard

the 6-inch plate fell well at 30 and the Whirly gave u

plates, albeit reluctantly, to 25.

There is a lot to like about these subsonic loads. Th

are easy on the shoulder, create less muzzle rise an

very close in performance to the 3-Gun standard

1/8 @ 1,200) loads. While I dont think many self-lo

shotguns will run them reliably, the pumpgunner in

loves them!

LIGHT IS RIGHT

NICE SPREAD

With rie and pistol we are ring a single projectile no

larger than half an inch in diameter. Our aiming error is

limited to the size of the target plus half the diameter

of the bullet. It works the same way for shotgun but

our projectile is much bigger! These power tools are

eectively sending a 10- to 20-inch ying Lead Net

downrange. The idea is to select a choke and a load

that will eectively put the target down with something

less than the center of the pattern. This greater marginof error allows you to shoot faster, knocking down steel

and breaking clays with your sights o the target! The

reason we use a pellet-spreader is to use that pelle

spread!

You know I love to shoot fast. I mean who doesnt

the feeling (and the sound) of blowing steel into the

weeds. Or nishing up a strang run across a set

of stationary clays, each one giving up in a cloud o

smoke! So go ahead, let-the-choke-out and you ju

might nd that the shotgun is the most fun gun in tgame!


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Written by Chad Ada


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LAS VEGAS The 3GN Ladies Championship turned out

to be a family aairjust another day on the range likedown on Louisianas famous Shootout Lane.

Lena Miculek defeated Kay Miculek in the nals of the

3GN Lady Shoot-O, the daughter topping her mother,

and defending champ, to become the 2012-2013 3GN

Lady Champion, winning $5,000 from Hornady. The

event was part of the NRA Sports Rumble on the Range,

presented by Brownells.

The Miculeks are, of course, the rst family of competitiveshooting. Jerry, the most famous, is arguably the greatest

all around shooter to ever live. His wife, Kay, has been

equally as dominant over her career in practical pistol and

3-gun. Kay, a Clark by birth, is of the Jim Clark shooting

tree. Her father, Jim, Sr., was a Bullseye champion and

gunsmith, while Jim, Jr., is one of the original 3-gunners,

a ve-time winner of the famed Soldier of Fortune Match.

Clark sons Logan and Jec are champion shooters in their

own right. So on this night, it was the newest prodigy

versus the matriarch, the continuing legacy of the Clark-

Miculek competitive shooting dynasty.

The 17-year-old Lena, in only her rst year of competitive

3-gun, qualied for the Shoot-O as the number four

seed, drawing the fastest rising female in the sport over

the last two years, fellow junior shooter Katie Harris. In

a competitive bout, Lena was solid with the rie and

outlasted Harris to the stop plate, pulling o the upset.

It was awesome, Lena said. Katie is an amazing

shooter, and I was excited to even be in the Shoot-O,

much less beat the current (USPSA) Nationals 3-Gun

Champion. The win is only as good as the person you

beatin this case I beat the best.

Once Lena got past Katie, I couldnt lose no matter what

the outcome of my bout with Di!, Kay said. Lena was

shooting some phenomenal times in practice, especially

with the long guns. I knew going into the Shoot-O that


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she was perfectly capable of hanging with Katie. This

time around Lena came out on top. I look forward to

watching many more battles between these two young

ladies for years to come.

Kay, meanwhile, entering the tournament as the number

two seed, drew third-seeded Dianna Liedor from Team

FNH USA, who Kay beat in the nals last season to

claim the inaugural 3GN Lady Championship. And just

like last season, it was Kay that was able to capital

on a Liedor mistake in order to pick up the win.

Di keeps coming up with and new and inventive

ways to let me beat her, Kay said. Last year she w

winning the bout, but faulted by downing the stop

plate with one handgun target still standing. This y

she loaded her tube but failed to chamber a round

her shotgun. Once she got her shotgun loaded she


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shot a beautiful run and very nearly caught up to me. Di will be a force t

reckoned with next year, as Im sure she will be back with a vengeance

As Kay knocked down the stop plate and advanced to the nal, Lena,

who only moments before rode the wave of emotion of her own win, no

celebrated her moms victory over Liedor.

Very! (excited), said Lena, of her reaction to Kays win. Because that

meant that it would be an all-Miculek nal. And also it was really relaxin

me because it also meant that it would be just like it was at home. It reachanged the whole mood of the Shoot-O from being pretty stressful to

having fun!

With the nals set, the two Miculek women staged their guns, targets w

readied, and they were all smiles as they shared a hug at the start box.

predictably, each lady turned serious. At the start the younger Lena wa

touch quicker to the shotgun, as each competitor ran their array in shor

order. Then the game changed dramatically when Lena picked up her r

and rattled o one of the most impressive plate racks of the nightwom

men.

I knew all I needed to do to beat her was to have a good run like the o

I was having in practice, Lena said. And also make sure I got to hand

before her!

Lena enjoyed a big lead going into pistol, one she would need against K

who desperately tried to run Lena down with the pistol. But ultimately L

had built a lead she would not give up, as she held o her mom, nishe

pistol array and was rst to the stop plate.


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Youre darn right I wanted to beat her, Kay said. I knew Lena was going to have

the lead after the long guns. My plan was to shoot clean with the shotgun and

rie so that I wouldnt be drastically behind, then run her down on the handgun.Evidently Lenas plan was to thrash her mom with all three guns. Lenas plan worked

far better than mine. Her run was beautiful. Ive been beaten by some of the best

shooters in the world. Im very proud to add my daughter to that list.

Also added to the list, another championship that will now reside alongside so many

others back home in Louisianathe latest, by the youngest of the famous shooting

clan. One that probably wont be the last title to fall to the hands of the young Lena

Miculek.


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Written by Chad Adams


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LAS VEGASIts the little things that get ya. On three consecutive runs, s

problemsthe supposed easiest of the three arrays in this Shoot-Opla

deciding role in each match-up, and in the end, the winner was the compe

who shot the cleanest of them all.

Warren Becker defeated U.S. AMUs Joel Turner in the nals of the 3-Gun

Semi-Pro Championship Shoot-O here Jan. 16, claiming the inaugural tit

3GN Semi-Pro Champion and winning $5,000 from DoubleStar Corporatio

event was part of the NRA Sports Rumble on the Range, presented by Bro

the second annual 3GN Championship event held during SHOT Show.

I had said to myself beforehand that all I had to do is my best, Becker sa

had put in training time and was condent with my skill set, but no matter

much training you put in, you need to mentally keep it together on the day

that was going through my mind was that I was going to call every shot an

get beaten by a better shooter on the day, I would be perfectly happy with

performance.

Becker entered the Shoot-O as the division overall points leader, earning

south african nativwins $5,000 fromDoublestar Corporatio


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the number one seed and winning a Stag Arms 3G

Competition rie for his eorts which were highlighted

by a win at MGM Ironman and Northwest Multigun. His

rst-round opponent, Detroit native Rick Birdsall, was

the Indiana Multigun Limited Champion and his second

place nish in Tactical Iron at Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun

helped earn him the number four seed in the tournament.

At the start, the two reached the shotgun positions in

step; however, Birdsall faltered rst when a couple of

shotgun misses required him to execute a port load,

costing precious time. That miscue helped Becker build

a strong lead out of the shotgun array, one he increased

with strong rie shooting, building a four-plate lead

heading into the nal pistol array.

But Birdsall hung tough, and when Becker struggled

to nd the stop plate on successive shots, the gap did

shrink considerably. But Beckers lead proved too large

as he was rst to the stop plate to advance to the nals.

In the opposing rst round match-up, Kyle OGlee, who

earned a Tactical Iron victory at Midwest 3-Gun on his

way to a number two seed, squared o against U.S

AMUs Joel Turner, the newest AMU team member

a four-time combat deployment veteran as an Arm

Ranger. Turner earned the three seed in his rst se

of competitive 3-gun.

At the horn, the two competitors reached the shotg

arrays in step, but the bout turned when after his th

shot, Kyle OGlees shotgun jammed, costing him r

3.5 seconds to clear it. The malfunction translated

a four-plate lead for Turner on the rie rack by the t

OGlee reached the second position. From there, T

remained smooth and cruised through his pistol ar

the stop plate to advance to the nals.

With a massive crowd and in front of television camit was clear some of the competitors were ghting

nerves. A very fast course of re left little room for

for those hoping to advance.

I am glad that I was not the only one that felt like a

deer in the headlights, Becker said. It was a very

overwhelming experience, and I would be lying if I


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said that I was not a bit nervous. Itried to go with the ow and take in

as much of it as I could.

At this point, taking it in meant

feeling the eyes and hearing the

cheers of a crowd of more than

a thousand spectators. Add

in television cameras in every

direction, not to mention several

photographers from the rearm

industry press, and the Rumble onthe Range was a scene very dierent

from the average 3-gun match.

But with the stage reset Becker and

Turner stepped to the line for their title

run. Yet it would be the shotgun, once

again, that turned the bout. At the horn,

the competitors reached the shotgun arrays

evenly, but Turner had a major problem getting

his shotgun to function, attempting to re before

racking out what appeared to be a live round.

When he nally broke his rst shot, Becker was

already well on his way to the rie position.

Then Becker laid down a measured, accurate

rie run, and though Turner gave good chase,

the lead was now too much to overcome.

Becker cruised through the pistol, was rst to


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the stop plate, and claimed the inaugural 3GN Semi-

Pro Division Championship.

This is denitely the highlight of my shooting

accomplishments, said Becker, who shot IPSC

production pistol in his native South Africa before

moving to the U.S. It has been a dream of mine to be

able to compete on the 3-gun circuit and to be able to

get to the nal Shoot-Os and win is the icing on the

cake.

As such, Becker becomes 3-Gun Nations rst

international champion, and his route to a 3GN title is

obviously dierent than most. Formally of the South

African State Conservation Agency, where he worked

in the Law Enforcement rearms training division,

Becker met his future wife on a game reserve while

she was nishing her PHD there. They now reside in

Washington, where Becker is a resident and applying

for U.S. citizenship. He does seasonal work as a

biologist for the Washington State Department of G

& Fish, where his wife is a research scientist.

In Washington, among others, Becker found a cou

shooting buddies in 3GN Pro Series competitors P

Kelley and Carl Carbonboth of which qualied fo

this years Rumble on the Range! And like all shoot

the entire story completes itself in Beckers take on

the moment, competing with the other top Semi-P

competitors at this years Championship, alongsidePro Series best.

Winning the nal run will denitely be a memorabl

moment, but that was a bonus, Becker said. The

thing that I will remember the most was meeting an

shooting amongst the best 3-gun shooters in the

worldit was a very humbling experience. The thre

other Semi-Pro shootersRick, Joel and Kyleare

great guys and we got along really well. Rick said

before the Shoot-O one of us is going to be smilithis evening, and I am very fortunate that it was m


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SHOWT


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Written by Chad Ada

ME!

3-GUN PROS DELIVER SPORTS BIGGEST STAG

GARCIA WINS 3GN TITAND $50,0


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Entering the 2013 Rumble onthe Range, Keith Garcia hadproven he was the toughest3-gun shoot-o competitor yetto win a 3GN Championship.The statistics just dont lie.

Aside from Daniel Horner, noother competitor had the typeof winning percentage as did

Garcia. If he gets in a 3GNShoot-O, he wins itas he didin 2010 and 2011 at 3GN Tourevents.

The 3GN Championship hasbeen a dierent story though.

And to win 3-guns biggestcrown this year would provemore dicult than ever beforeGarcia would have to navigatea mineeld of top 3-gunners, as

the 28 best the Pro Series had tooer all converged on Vegas withone goal in their sightsa 3-GunNation Championship.

But thats just what Garcia

would do.

Garcia defeated SureFiresBarry Dueck two bouts to nonein a nals showdown to claim

the 2012-2013 3-Gun NationChampionship, winning $50from Leupold Tactical OpticsNRA Sports. Before a crowdmore than a thousand spectfrom the rearm industrys SShow, on the sports biggesstage, Garcia was simply onre throughout two sessions

of competitiona full day ofnail-biting, gut-wrenching 3GShoot-O madness.

I was on a mission to get tothe nals this year, Garcia sIt was a very talented eld.Im proud of the eort. It tooeverything I had to beat thesguys.

While Garcia excels in the

format, the 3GN Championshas not been so kind the patwo seasons. Last year, 16competitors qualied for theShoot-O bracket at the 3GChampionship in West Virginbut Garcia missed the cut. In2010, Garcia suered a tougrst-round defeat in the inau3GN Championship Shoot-O


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In 2010 we shot the four-stage match in the heat andwind, and it was a long day, Garcia said. By the timewe got around to the Shoot-O I was very tired andmentally I did not have my normal focus. I was beat by

Barry DueckI swore that day to have my revenge!

This years Rumble on the Range upped the anteconsiderably, as 28 Pro Series competitors entered theseeded, bracketed tournament. The rst two roundssaw best-out-of-three match-ups; four competitorsDaniel Horner, Taran Butler, Keith Garcia, and GregJordanearned rst-round byes with their Pro SeriesScore.

Jesse Tischauser, Adam Popplewell, Patrick Kelley,Rustin Bernskoetter, Michael Voigt, Tyler Payne, James

Casanova, West Chandler, Clint Upchurch and BurtonThompson all defended their seeding and picked uprst-round wins. Tony Holmes, a 21 seed, knockedo 12th-seeded Matt Burkett. But the shocker of therst round, which went to a tie-breaking third bout,was undoubtedly ninth-seeded Barry Dueck over JerryMiculek, the ninth seed in the tournament.

The Shoot-O started and I didnt get word that theorder had changed until I was staging my guns and

looked over and saw the legend himself, Jerry Micon the other end, Dueck said. We ran our rst runI tried to shoot fastI was shooting against Miculeafter all. I lost the rst run. When I restaged my gun

run two I told myself to focus on the fundamentalsre when I see what I need to see to make the shotForget about speed; just do what you train to do. I the next two runs. I was in my zone. I had no thouggoing through my mind other than my performancedidnt matter who I was shooting against, I was onthinking about what I was doing. The other competwas not a factor.

Second-round action featured wins by Horner, JordBernskoetter, Butler, Garcia and Thompson, top seall advancing; meanwhile tenth-seeded Payne kno

o seventh-seeded Casanova. In all, the rst two rnearly four hours to completea stressful and tenuday for the competitors.

Arriving at the range on Wednesday, the atmosphwas intense, Jordan said. This was the Big Monethe day we have all trained so hard all year to get tFor me the early round was the worst. I had watchethe entire rst round, seeing good runs and bad. Tpressure was building as we neared the second ro


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and I knew I was going to face Pat Kelley. Pat is a ercecompetitor and I knew that he was now warmed upafter three tough runs against Travis. Walking to the lineagainst Pat I felt the most pressure I have ever felt in amatch! All the hours of training had come down to thismoment. I had to win to move on. The fact that Shoot-Os are so unforgiving, you can never guarantee anoutcome.

For Garcia, the last of the four shooters with a rst-round bye to see action, the second-round match-upwas long overdue.

I waited four hours for my rst match and was reashoot, Garcia said. I had certain things I wanted done and moving to the top eight was rst on my lOnce I beat West and knew I was in the nal, it totarelaxed me. I left the range and ate some dinner. Mwife and I discussed how things would happen in tnals. When I got back to the range I felt no stress I knew I would not make any mistakes. If someonegoing to beat me they would have to shoot very we

While Garcia was expected to advance, the talk of rst session of competition centered on Barry Due

After his upset of Miculek, Dueck remained a giantas the 24-seed took down Popplewell, an 8 seed, tadvance to the quarternals.

After a break, the second session commenced theocial start of the NRA Sports Rumble on the Ranpresented by Brownells, featuring the 3GN LadyChampionship, 3GN Semi-Pro Championship, a coby 3GNs own Mark Wills, including a rousing rendof the National Anthem, and then nally a special

appearance by retired Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North,spoke on the importance of shooting and the Seco

Amendment. With that, the stage was set.


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When Oliver North took the microphone and addressedthe crowd I started feeling like it was a special night,Garcia said. Most of the top seeds had made it to thetop eight and it looked like a great match with a bigcrowd building. I told my wife that everyone in the nalshad a chance to win. Everyone was shooting well and itwould come down to who blinked rst.

With the crowd now swelled beyond capacity, anabsolute stacked Final 8 assembled to settle thematter. Seeds 1-6Horner, Butler, Garcia, Jordan,Bernskoetter, and Thompsonwere all still alive. The10th seeded Tyler Payne was clearly as good as anyonestill playing. And who could argue that Barry Dueck wasnot laying down re in the early session, besting Miculek

and Popplewell through three bouts each.

But in the round of eight Dueck would face the ultitest in the sports most dominant competitor and atime 3GN money leader, the top-seeded Horner. Athorn, the two were fairly even through shotgun arraand Dueck kept it close through rie. Horner mainta slight lead through the pistol plates, transitioned

the stop plate and missed. As Horner struggled tond the stop plate, Dueck hit his last two pistol platransitioned to the stop plate, hitting it just beforeHorners for a dramatic upset win.

The next match-up featured two of the young gunsmany had penciled on their watch list for this year

title. The fourth-seeded Greg Jordan, who won his rst3GN Shoot-O earlier this year following the ARFCOM-Rockcastle Pro-Am, versus Rustin Bernskoetter, whowon his rst major match this season. In a tight bout,Jordan pulled ahead on the rife, maintained the slightlead through pistol, and was rst to the stop plate toadvance.

Even though I was in the Final 8 Shoot-O last year, this

year was truly surreal, Bernskoetter said. All of us hadbattled it out just a few hours earlier that day to earn ourexclusive spots. From Mark Wills singing to Col. OliverNorth giving an intro, it was an experience I will alwaysremember.

Midway through the round of eight, one fact wasbecoming clearthese competitors were on theirgame. The match-up between Butler and Payne furtherreinforced that point as each competitor went shot-for-

shot, plate-for-plate through the arrays. Butler was to the stop plate to advance, while Payne turned inthat would have beaten nearly every other in the easession. The bar had been ocially raised.

And nowhere was that more evident in the nal maup of the quarternal round, Garcia versus ThompsShot-for-shot through shotgun, on to the rie, plateplate again they went. Finally, on the last plate of th

rie rack, Thompson inched rst, and hung up for extra shot, as Garcia pulled a slight one-plate lead.that was all the cushion he would need. The competore through the pistol plates, as Garcia just outlastThompson to the stop plate to advance. The crowderupted in sound at the tight nish.

Shooting under the lights and in front of the crowdunlike anything I have ever experienced in competitThompson said. You could feel the energy and


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anticipation in the air. The whole seasohad nally come down to this one incremoment.

Having a crowd gets my adrenalinepumping and makes me focus even mothan normal, Garcia said. I like the forand challenge of facing o against anot

shooterit brings out the best in me.The nal four were set: Dueck vs. JordaGarcia vs. Butlerwinners guaranteed cash payoutsthe intensity level was ato ratchet up once again.

In the rst semi-nal match-up Dueck aJordan burst out of the start box at theThe younger Jordan was quicker, pullinslight lead heading into rie. There Duecontinued his red-hot rie shooting, as pace from both shooters was intense. N

even going into the nal pistol array, thwould come down to the nal shots, thmost exciting nish of the night.

As I nished shooting my array and swback to the left to engage the stop platI remember the sights being blurry andbroke the shot anyway, Jordan said. Tresulted in a miss and a follow-up shot hit the plate the exact same time as Bashot. I remember watching the plates fatogether and turning to ask the R.O. wh

won. Once the smoke cleared it was evthat Barrys plate was on the bottom.Yet another remarkable nish on Dueckwild ride through the 3GN TournamentDuecks run included wins over a nine,eight, one and four seed, before squariagainst the three seed in the nals.

Even more impressive were their namesMiculek, Popplewell, Horner, Jordan anGarcia.Every shooter invited to the 3-Gun Na


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Rumble at the Range has the skill to walk away with theprize, Dueck said. But the list of shooters I pulled forthe night was like the list of everyone you want on yourteam in a team event, but the toughest shooters youllever be matched up against one-on-one.

With Dueck now in the nals, the opposing semi-nalmatch-up loomed largeGarcia versus Butler, the

winner, like Dueck, assured of at least a $10,000 prfrom SureFire, and a shot at the title. It was Butler twas one shot faster through the shotgun array, whiGarcia was cleaner through the rie, making it a deheat going into the pistol position. Both competitorercely hammered through the pistol array, until Buhung up on his last plate, and Garcia didnt. With Bone plate standing, Garcia knocked over his stop p


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to advance to the nals.

Burton and Taran both took me to the wire, Garciasaid. Each was shooting very well, and I needed toperform well. Taran and I got to the pistol at the sametime and I had a make-up shot on the third target. I didmy best shooting of the match for the last eight targets,hitting the stop plate just before Taran.

Before the nals, Butler and Jordan stepped to the lineonce more for the honor of third place. Jordanwas solid throughout and was rst to the stopplate, taking third place for the tournamentand winning $5,000 from Timney Triggers.

After such a close loss, I now had to faceTaran

for the battle for third place, Jordan said. This reqa shooter to immediately forget the prior round andmove on. If you let the last round haunt you then yoare doomed. Again, I felt no pressure stepping to tline. I just concentrated on being smooth and nishstrong.

Ultimately though, the night belonged to Garcia, wshowed erce determination and focus, especially

the nal round when the competitors switched oveto sponsor gear, an FN SCAR 16, tted with LeupoTactical Optics scope and SureFire suppressor, SLshotgun and FNS-9 pistol.

After an initial sighting in period with Federal PremAmmunition products, Garcia cruised to the win instraight bouts, winning his rst 3GN Championship


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This game is all mental, Garcia said. The shootingnot very hard, shooters place stress on themselves acause it to be much harder than it really is. I dont tryget in anyones head, I just try to keep loose, relax anenjoy the ride.

For his second place nish, Barry Dueck earned acheck for $10,000 from SureFire. Butler, Horner and

Bernskoetter each picked up a Colt Competition Riwhile Payne and Thompson each won a DoubleStar

All 3GN Championship competitors took home a 3GPrize Bag, featuring gift certicates from Brownells aWarne, as well as products from Hogue and SeekinsPrecision.

But the big prize, of course, went to the 2012-20133-Gun Nation Champion, Keith Garcia$50,000 frLeupold Tactical Optics and NRA Sports. Garcia aclaimed the Vertx Contingency Award for the highplacing active duty military or law enforcementa

check for $5,000.

This season was by far my best to date, Gasaid. Winning the 3GN Championship realcapped o the year in style. The best part the whole deal is that for the rst time evetwo daughters think Im cool!


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17 J. TISCHAUSER

9 A. POPPLEWELL

25 B. DUECK

4 G. JORDAN

29 B. RAY

13 M. BURKETT

21 T. GIBSON

1 D. HORNER

2013 3-

18 B. PIATT

10 J. MICULEK

26 C. CARBON

14 P. KELLEY

22 T. HOLMES

6 R. BERNSKOETTER

J. TISCHAUSER

D. HORNER

B. DUECK

A. POPPLEWELL

P. KELLEY

R. BERNSKOETTER

T. HOLMESR. BERNSKOETTER

G. JORDAN

B. DUECK

G. JORDAN

B. DUECK

B. DUECK

KEIT


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M. HANISH 16

A. DAUN 24

J. CASANOVA 8

C. ANDERSEN 2

C. UPCHURCH 1

J. PARKER 28

n champion

W. CHANDLER 1

T. BUTLER 2

J. TIELKE 23

B. THOMPSON 7

K. GARCIA 3

M. VOIGT 19

T. PAYNE 11

S. WIGGINS 27

K. GARCIA

K. GARCIA

K. GARCIA

ARCIA

M. VOIGT

T. BUTLER

T. BUTLER

T. PAYNE

T. PAYNE

J. CASANOVA

W. CHANDLER

C. UPCHURCH

B. THOMPSON

B. THOMPSON


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TO THE VOLUNTEERS THAT MADE RUMBLE ON THE RANGE PO

Nikki BrownTennille Gibson-ChidesterJoe DebergalisMike Harris

YT LechnerValerie McCauleyTrue PearceEJ Redding

Pete RensingDave SeelyCharles SoleLisa SupernaughSarah WoodNicholas ZachmanMark Ziebart


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Cheaper Than Dirt Resumes Online Firearm Sales

FORT WORTH, TexasConsumer reaction to thepolitical rhetoric after the shooting in Connecticutcaused a rush of online orders at Cheaper Than Dirt!,which led to the largest backlog in the companyshistory.

Cheaper Than Dirt! management had no choice but tosuspend rearm sales while examining ways to meetcustomer demand and maintain the careful andlawful processes established.

Firearm sales require a signicant amount of individualattention compared to the automated system fornon-rearm products. Firearm orders were beingplaced faster than the inventory system could update,potentially leading to an overselling situation andcancellation of orders on a very large scale.

Ammunition and shooting accessories orders more thantripled, resulting in week-long shipping delays. Sincerearms sales are a much smaller portion of its sales

and require more resources, the decision was madeto utilize personnel in areas that would make the mimpact servicing customers.

The past three weeks have been spent catching up

the tremendous backlog of orders, training additionsta and increasing inventory back to acceptable le

Firearm sales resumed on a limited basis beginningTuesday, January 8, based on available inventory.The selection will increase as more rearms becomavailable. Specically, rearms that are in high demare not currently available from manufacturers dueto the lack of inventory. This includes most modernsporting ries.

Cheaper Than Dirt!s goal is to maintain the level of

service customers have come to expect.


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Kuan Watson cruised to division wins in four 3GN partner matches in 2012, running

away with the 2012 3GN Heavy Metal Division Championship. This year marked

Watsons rst season of shooting an expanded national 3-gun schedule of matches.

Winning the 3GN Heavy Metal Championship is a milestone achievement to me;

2012 is the rst year that I have been able to travel and compete in more than a

couple of matches, Watson said. I have had the opportunity to chase after the

undeniable King of Heavy Metal, Patrick Kelley, but he was absent from the division

this season. My division championship tells me that I can be competitive and hold

my own at any match that I attend.


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Jerry Miculek, who has won every title imaginable in practical shooting, claimed his

rst 3-Gun Nation award this year by winning the 3GN Open Division, with a prizeof $5,000 from Hornady. Miculek nished third in the division last season, a tightly

fought three-way race between Miculek, Mike Voigt and eventual champion Clint

Upchurch. But this year the race turned out to be all Miculek, as he posted four

major 3GN Open wins in 2012.

Im shooting better than I ever have, Miculek said. Im starting to get the feel for

the tempo it takes to run a good match. Its a pretty good feeling.


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OUT OF YOUR 3-GUN PISTOL

SQUEEZINGACCURACY

Written by

Bruce Piatt


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From the very beginning of my shooting career, pistol

accuracy has been my strong point. In the 80s and 90s

I was active in IPSC/USPSA shooting. The combination

of nishing many of the Nationals clean, without

penalties, combined with either winning or placing in the

top three in the 50-yard standards, usually guaranteed

my place in the Top 16 Shoot-o every year. The Masters

International Pistol Championship held at PASA Park

each year had us shooting 4 targets at 50 meters, onehanded. Many of the SOF World 3-Gun Tactical Matches

had tight pistol shots with severe penalties for misses

or no-shoot hits. After winning ve Bianchi Cups, a

World Bianchi Cup and almost every Bianchi Cup Open/

Metallic Aggregate title, it makes sense that people

come to me for pistol shooting tips.

Reecting on how I shoot my pistol accurately, Ive

to learn that my success lies primarily in my ability t

have good trigger control. How many times can yo

hear, from countless articles, videos, and coaches,

repetitive Squeeze the trigger smoothly, straight to

back until the gun goes o? As much as I want to

you something you havent heard, this is the golden

of accurate shooting that cant be broken. Pistol or

the facts dont change. If you want to shoot accurayou have to squeeze the trigger correctly.

While I can show you rst hand and allow you to fee

my trigger press during my one on one lessons, Ill t

to describe in this article how its done and some o

other factors that you can work on at home to impr

your pistol accuracy.

ToP

Sque

To put it in a nut

these three words describe the process

through when Im shooting as accurate

possible.

Touch the trigger. The trigger nger touches

the trigger in a comfortable position that allowsthe trigger to be pressed straight to the rear, witho

disturbing the guns alignment. Dont get stuck on


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idea that you have to use the tip of the nger or the

middle of the rst pad. The exact placement depends

entirely on your hand size, gun size, and trigger length.

Prep the trigger. This is where you put pressure on

the trigger so that any slack or freeplay in the trigger is

removed. If you have a good quality trigger where there

is little to no movement, then the Prep phase should be

placing pressure on the trigger about of the weightneeded to make the gun re.

Squeeze the trigger. This phase is the actual

movement of the trigger just before it res. Every

trigger will have movement and it is your goal to

feel every bit of that movement. Some people say my

trigger breaks like a glass rod, implying that you cant

feel any movement. The laws of physics apply to every

gun and every nger, if you cant feel the sear tripping,

then you should be focusing on the crushing of yournger on the face of the trigger. Either way, the nger

will feel movement.

Besides the Touch Prep Squeeze process, there

are many other factors that are at play when working on

your accuracy. Lets just name a few,

shall we?

First we have movement:

Sight moveGun move

Your body moveTarget move

Then we have:

Wind condLighting cond

And there is the ever present.

Nervous shakes and

loud Tic Toc Tic

in your head of that d

timer someone is holdingyour shou

Each and every

one of these fac

comes into play

time you squeeze t

trigger. Lets address

movement factors rst


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Unless youre shooting Benchrest, its safe to say

that NOBODY holds a gun perfectly still. You may

see eeting glimpse of a perfect sight picture but Ill

guarantee thats all youre going to see a glimpse.

Now if you try to press that trigger at the same time you

see a perfect sight picture you are going to loose. I

have a neat little demonstration during my classes I do

with a laser attached to

Documents

3-Gun Nation 2013 January-February E-Magazine