dt1

Very well put Jeff. Most folks just can't imagine everything that goes into organizing and executing a match of this size and scope. Thanks to Lea and DPMS for their support of 3-gun and for their efforts to put on a quality multigun match under trying circumstances.

Hey, did any of you guys happen to get any pics of the match? If so, I could use a few for my AAR to the sponsors. Kind of helps to include pictures of previous matches when asking them to support us and after match follow up. If so, just send me an e-mail or PM and I'll make arrangements to get 'em from you. Thanks! David

Thanks Randal. I was missing a couple of score sheets but that's all squared away. I'll give everyone another day or so to check for any scoring mistakes, then the finals will be posted on the Steel City website. Thanks so much for all the nice comments. I'm GLAD it looks like most folks had a good time! David

Great to see everyone at the match this weekend! I'm waiting on confirmation on a few missing score sheets and should have the preliminary results out sometime later today. Tentative congratulations to the category winners: Tac Optics: 1st - Frank Proctor 2nd - Tod Litt 3rd - Rob Romero Tac Irons: 1st - Ryan Nowell Heavy Metal Optics: 1st - Jason Wong Heavy Metal Irons 1st - Will Jones Update: Preliminary scores have been e-mailed to the shooters.

The rain forcast for this weekend is be the same as it will be every day until late September. Sunny, hot and a chance of scattered/isolated thunderstorms. We'll be prepared for heat and/or rain. PS: everyone should bring 100 pistol rounds just in case...... (Just Kidding)

I enjoyed this match more than most any other last year! It is a "must attend" for me! Kurt, in case you're not feelin' the love, it's great to know that you and Trapr will be helping again this year! Mike, you are correct, who cares what the scoring system is, it'll be a hoot! Sam, if you need any flash targets, rifle steel etc, please let me know. Looking forward to this match! I'll see most of you hardheads in Birmingham this coming weekend and we'll talk up this match for sure! David

Don't worry, there are just some stages where you'll need to look at your reticle, dot, or front sight before you let it rip. If you can't hit a 5" plate at 100-150yds sandbagged in prone you might have a little trouble on one of the stages.... That's all for now.

Directions to the range may be found on the Steel City website, specifically on this page: http://www.scssa.org/club_profile.htm Regarding target engagement, most people shooting "tactcial division" (223) shoot twice at the paper targets and heavy metal (308) folks shoot once. If you shoot once (accurately) at each target you can negotiate any of the stages with one 20rnd magazine with any rifle. Not many 223 shooters opt to do that. The stages will have a nice balance of both wide open and challenging shots. Longest shots will be out to around 280-300yds. It will be helpful to know exactly where your rifle hits from up close to 150yds. There'll be lots of stuff you're use to seeing at the match plus a few new twists.

Shots at 400-450yds are cool as long as the pre-registered competitors know what to expect and have the opportunity to prepare. These distances not only challenge shot placement, but require the shooter to read conditions (wind etc) at the range as well. That said, you certainly don't have to place 2-4moa steel targets at those type distances to challenge a competitor's rifle shooting ability. Much shorter shots can be made challenging by adjusting shooter position and target size. Think about the rifle shots at Ft. Benning (arguably the most popular 3-gun match on the planet). There's one stage with a flash target or two at 380-400yds. There are also a couple of other stages with shots from 100-150yds that are tougher and more fun (IMHO) due to the stage design.

Don't give up Sam! Lots of factors working against you, most notably the weather! It's tough when you have to keep changing the dates. See you later this month at Steel City. Definitely looking forward to the MS 3-gun shoot later this year! David

Retumbo and H1000 are both good powders to use for the 338LM. There is a lot of good load data to be found on Sniper's Hide in the forum referenced by the poster above as well as other places on that site. What type rifle does your friend have? the 300gr SMK's or 300gr Scenars are generally considered best for long range shooting depending on the barrel twist.

I've got 'em both and just looked through them. There's not a lot of difference between the two at low power, a slight amount of magnification but not too much. The image is clearer on the VXIII which is to be expected with the higher price of the scope. I bought these scopes years ago when the low power Leupolds were one of the few options for low power variables for 3-gun and carbine match shooting. Many other (and arguably better) options are available today. I'd look into it a bit more before buying. That said, there've been plenty of 3-gun matches won over the years with Leupold low power variables.

Everyone OK over there Sam?? Rough weather for sure!

Nope. And I don't even think about starting a squad list until the Monday or Tuesday before the match. If you made a specific squad request and sent it to me on the original application or by email, I will honor it. Period. If your requests are sent by PM or Facebook messages, they will be ignored. Linda Chico (L-2035) 2010 LaRue Tactical 3 Gun Statistician Greg, you are very fortunate to have Linda helping you with the match sir! (I'm sure you know that already...) Good Luck! Dave

You can bolt lots of stuff, optics and accessories, onto your rifle. The main thing is to be comfortable and efficient with your rig. Sounds like you might be a bit new to the game (please forgive me if I'm wrong). If you're new, you might consider a more simple set up until you have a few matches under your belt. Your primary optic with a 200yd/50yd zero will be perfect for most carbine or 3-gun matches. The only other accessory I'd suggest is one of the "cat tail" devices to enable you to quickly change the magnification of your scope mid-stage if needed. Someone hinted in an earlier post about the definition of "tactical" division. Be sure to check the rules of your match. I have no idea what event you're planning to shoot, but usually "tactical" division means one optic and back up irons. Might be worth a double check. Good luck!

It's been awhile since I shot the SG match at Knob Creek, don't know if it's changed. Here's what I remember: The match consists of a few scenario based short strings and you'll need 20-30 rounds of buck shot to do 'em all. They sprinkle paper no-shoots amongst the poppers so know your pattern. Don't use too tight a choke, you'll get flyers that'll end up in the no shoots. Practice some off your weak shoulder as they usually had something off the left/right shoulders. Loading on the clock was something they like also. Keep an open mind, it'll be different from what you usually see at most 3-gun matches.

The match is now full on both Saturday and Sunday. A waiting list is in place both days for those still wanting to shoot. Please send in your application and match fee. I won't process your check until your spot clears. Details regarding the prize table etc will be e-mailed out to the registered shooters soon. Thanks to everyone for your interest in the match, it will be a fun time! Looking forward to seeing everyone in May! David

JP vs Geissele is kind of an apples to oranges comparison. Yes, they're both AR triggers (very good ones) but the JP is a single stage trigger and the Geissele is a 2 stage trigger. If you like a single stage trigger, a properly installed/tuned JP is about the best there is (IMHO). For a 2-stage, Geissele is the best (again, IMHO). I love the Geissele and have gone to it in just about all my AR-15's and AR-10's. I've tried just about all the 2-stage AR triggers including Knights, Jewell, RRA, Armalite and the Geissele is outstanding by comparison. I like to have the option to prep the trigger for a precision shot and don't even notice the 2-stage feature when hosing up close.

I met Eddie and Vicki at my first 3-gun nationals in Shreveport, LA in 1997 where I had the pleasure of squadding and shooting with them. At the time, I'd never known anything but open class and was amazed that someone could thumb load a shotgun and shoot a rifle with irons sights as well as Eddie. It was always nice to catch up and visit with Eddie at 3-gun matches around the country each year. The shooting community has lost a tremendous competitor and a great man. Prayers and sincerest condolences to Vickie and Eddie's family. David

Sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks for the information!

Does anyone know if there is a shot timer on the market that has an adjustable start delay of 20-30 seconds? The ones I've seen have a max of 10 seconds. Thank you for any suggestions! David

I was one of the RO's on the stage and can hopefully shed some light on the questions and comments noted above: 1) There were 4 poppers on the stage, none of which were visible to the shooter at the end of the COF. 2) It was very breezy the day of the match and the ground was soggy where the poppers were located. This combination of conditions made it necessary to constantly tweak the poppers. This was to prevent them from falling over inadvertently due to the wind (which happened on a few occasions making a re-shoot necessary) and to adjust for the base sinking into the mud making them out of spec on the heavy side. 3) The RO's were "nice guys" to everyone who came through. If a popper was hit and didn't fall, it was called to the affected shooter's attention and a calibration was offered. 4) The reason the popper in question was painted was because one of the shooters in the squad picked up a can of spray paint and, in an attempt to help reset the stage, painted the popper. Whenever shooters are encouraged to help paste and reset a stage, this type of thing can happen regardless of the level of the match. I'm not sure of the specific rules in play in this circumstance, but everyone working that stage did their best to assure that the stage was run safely and fairly for all the shooters given the conditions we were operating under.

Saturday is now full. I will start a waiting list if you want to shoot the match on Saturday. There is still availability on Sunday. Thanks, David

Dan, It'll be great to have you down to shoot with us! Looking forward to it. See you in May. David

Quick update on registration etc. There are about 20ish spots still available for Saturday. I got a bunch of applications this past week and suspect Sat will fill up shortly. If you want to shoot Saturday, don't wait too much longer to get your apps in. Sunday is looking a little better with slightly more than 30 spots still available. Lots of sponsors are sending nice things for us to give away and we are VERY appreciative of their support. Details will be communicated to registered shooters. It will be a great weekend of carbine shooting! DT