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Would like some critiques and ways to improve


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I'm new to three gun but not new to shooting in general. Had my first shoot yesterday and it went well. I'm officially "hooked".

I am looking for ways to improve my technique and reduce wasted movement. Take a look at the video and let me know your thoughts. Thanks

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If that was your first three gun match, good going!

You did not shoot too many extra shots, getting the hits is the first part, anybody can blaze away fast, but you need the hits. You had pretty good splits especially on the last shotgun string.

Just a few small parts that caught my eye;

- When shooting kneeling supported from a barricade or similar surface, I prefer to keep my rear knee up and rest my elbow on it, but what works for me may not work for someone else. If there are closer in targets, sometimes I just keep both knees on the ground.

- When coming into a shooting position, getting the long up up before your even there; faster start of firing at that position, pretty much the same as with a pistol.

- Noticed that you were about to leave a position, but had to get back and shoot a couple of more shots, really goes into calling your shots and knowing if your last one hit or fell the target.

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- Noticed that you were about to leave a position, but had to get back and shoot a couple of more shots, really goes into calling your shots and knowing if your last one hit or fell the target.

You're probably talking about the first stage shotgun. It was strange because I heard the "ding" from the first shot. It also felt on target. Something that made me studder step a few times with the shotgun was the big poppers. They seem to fall slowly. One particular one was split. One side fell faster than the other, making me wait on it before I moved on to the next.

This video I actually started on stage two. As I started geting into "the groove", I moved onto the next tagets after the ding and/or a good feel for the shot.

Being my first shoot, I shot more on instinct rather than proven technique. So everything I can do to get better I am open to. Thanks for the tips.

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Have you tried weak hand reloads on the Shotgun?

I'm a newb but I did a few hundred reps of weak hand reloads this morning....

I did one weak hand reload during the match. I didn't have any shell caddies so I just used the side saddle. The last stage (stage 1) I borred a friends shell caddy. Seemed like it worked fine. I have a feeling I will use both so I can put different ammo on it without getting them mixed up. Grabbing the four shells at one time was new. I managed it but I wasnt very fast.

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My advice should be taken with a 50lb bag of salt....

Stock mounted butt packs seem slower to me.

Side saddle or belt mounted ammo (belt is more natural to me but I haven't tried saddles enough to have an opinion) requires less fidgeting/shifting around.

To reload lower barrel to low ready with stock still in position on shoulder, shooting hand still in position straight trigger finger.

As barrel lowers, weak hand grabs fresh round.

Hold Shell flat in hand across fingers, index it along the front of the Trigger Guard to find loading port and thumb it in.

After last round is loaded your weak hand continues straight into Shooting position and you still have the Stock in position and your Shooting hand is still in position.

This method works well for me on the move too.

And I know that for me, I want ONE WAY to reload.

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While I am new to the sport of 3 gun, my theory may not be the best. But in my head, side saddle PLUS shell caddies on the belt offer a couple advantages. Correct me if I'm worng because I am new.

- Added weight reduces recoil= faster follow up and second shot.

- Less confusion when using slugs and bird shot. Far enough apart to avoid loading wrong ammo.

As with many things, if you only know one way, when that way isn't there, what you gonna do?

Like I said I'm new so this is my current method of thinking. Things may change as I move along.

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I shot this match at Summitt Point, so I think can give you some decent suggestions;

Stage 1. You ran the rifle and pistol with some good speed for a beginner. You could have stabilzed the rifle better by using a reverse kneeling on port 2. I would have avoided kneeling to shoot shotgun throguh the port as it is hard to handle the recoil and slow to change positions. Also, I get a lot of speed by shooting left to right and letting the shotgun recoil carry me to the next target. On the second shotgun position it would have been faster to shoot one shot on the spinner then the two static targets on the left, spinner again, then finish the targets on the right. As said eearlier mount the gun earlier. Of course, keep working on your reloading technique. I try to do 10 minutes or 10 loads about 2-3 weeks every morning before a match if your just starting out you are going to need that practice regument for a couple oof month until you get the fundamental down pat. I have a different reloading method you might like

Stage 2. Once again I would suggest shooting the right slug, then left slug so you could shoot the plates left to right using the recoil to your advantage. On the rifle that table was stable enough and big enough to get both elbows on it and essentially shoot as if you were prone which would have saved you time on those rifle targets as opposed to going prone on the ground(which for people that were not there those were 4" auto poppers at 100 yards). I didn't really think you had to take too many extra shots as those were difficult targets. Your transitions between guns looked smooth.

Stage 3. On the shotgun you should have done your reload after the targets on the far left instead of waiting to hit the one in the middle which forced you to do a standing reload. If you had reloaded early you could have swung to the far right after shooting the middle target and hit the target on the far right as you moved into postion on the last port. After shooting the targets on the far right then swung back to the last port and finished. This would have allowed you to shoot everything as you were moving into postions and never had to drop the gun. On the rifle I shot the far left target moved up four steps grabbed the wall which allowed me to shoot significantly faster the 1/3 IPSC targets, then ran to the far right to finish out.

Stage 4 and 5. Notice how much faster you shot the shotgun targets in both of these stages when you shot left to right as opposed to how fast you shot in stage 2 with the targets at the same distance.

On your side saddle theory. The added weight doesn't help recoil as much becasue it is in the center on the gun, and weight makes it harder to strt and stop the gun. I have a side saddle but rarely use it. For slugs and bird shot in the same stage simply use bird or slugs that are a significantly different color than the other, or maybe even the slugs in an out of the way caddy. Side saddles are great for emergency rounds, turkey loads, or other speciality ammo.

A final note, I teach an intro to 3 gun(which you don't need) and an intermediate 3gun class at Peacemaker. If your interested just PM or email me at albert@albertpilkington.com

Albert Pilkington

P.S. I went back and looked at the results of this match and you shot 5th overall. I believe if you will work on reloading and learn how to read 3gun stages for efficiency then you will be moving up the ladder quickly. If your not in the FN match, then come out anyways read the stage then watch how the Pro's shoot it.

Edited by ap3
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Thank you for the great critique. Everything you said sounds good when I watch the video and think about what you said. I have heard the reverse knee technique and I plan on hammering that into my head. I have to hammer it in because of the traditional training pounded into me from usmc and leo training.

Stage layout and run: I need to get my head into it early. The 2nd stage I continued to go back and forth on which way to shoot the targets. I worked it in my head without making a decision until it was my time to shoot. Then I just said screw it, shoot it this way (I started on stage 2).

I do like the sound of the intro class for 3 gun. I am signed up for the FNH match in November. I want to do well so I will hit you up with an email.

Thanks.

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Check out Kyle Lamb's book "Green Eyes and Black Rifles". He uses a lot of pages with good pictures showing how to build good positions for shooting with barracades (and also with out barracades). He is a retired Delta shooter, and a very skilled 3gunner, and while this book is geared towards the tactical crowd, so much of it transitions over into our game. Can't say enough good stuff about it. To watch your videos and know that was you first match-that's pretty impressive. Keep up the good work.

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"Check out Kyle Lamb's book "Green Eyes and Black Rifles". He uses a lot of pages with good pictures showing how to build good positions for shooting with barricades (and also with out barricades). He is a retired Delta shooter, and a very skilled 3gunner, and while this book is geared towards the tactical crowd, so much of it transitions over into our game. Can't say enough good stuff about it. To watch your videos and know that was you first match-that's pretty impressive. Keep up the good work."

Great advice! This will save you twice the cost of the book in ammo when trying to figure things out on your on.

Andy

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  • 2 months later...

I am a right handed shooter and I find that when shooting the carbine in the prone position (1:45) I am able to engage and transition between targets quicker by shooting them right to left. I typically prefer to shoot target arrays from left to right, but find that in the prone position I don't fight my body as much. The best way to find out what works for you is to get a timer and practice on some targets, because the timer doesn’t lie. Good shooting by the way, your shotgun cadence was on point, keep up the good work.

JG

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I am a right handed shooter and I find that when shooting the carbine in the prone position (1:45) I am able to engage and transition between targets quicker by shooting them right to left. I typically prefer to shoot target arrays from left to right, but find that in the prone position I don't fight my body as much. The best way to find out what works for you is to get a timer and practice on some targets, because the timer doesn’t lie. Good shooting by the way, your shotgun cadence was on point, keep up the good work.

JG

Thanks. I have been noticing guys shooting prone right to left. I shot FNH and didn't do too bad. At least not for my first big match. Based on FNH, I've been practicing more on my shotgun than anything else. Too often I lost a LOT of time messing with the shotgun. My job has a bunch of steel so I get to use it a few times a quarter. Here is my FNH match. Check it out.

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The reason a right hand shooter shoots faster in the prone shooting right to left is that instead of pushing the gun to transition they are pulling the gun.

Jeremy Parker explained that to me at a match once when I watched him shoot 6 plates at 200 in about 7 seconds I think it was, and that was with a starting position of low ready.

Sent from my PG06100 using Tapatalk

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