kellyn

Cmon, you just close yer eyes and slap the trigger, FAST.

A rifle zero.

I am not particularly enamored with the name "Tactical" but I can't really think of a better name for the division. We have to call it something but as soon as we call it "Patrol," "Action," "Practical," or "Wannabe Operator" division, people will be bitching about that title. In any event "Tactical" division will never match up to the real world. The real world is just too big and dynamic. The advent of micro red dots on duty pistols and as short range sights on rifles has shown that gamerland Open division has come to the real world. I remember floating the idea of some open class mods (freefloat handguards, secondary red dot sights, decent trigger)to real deal operators that jjw is so fond of back at the North American Tactical match only to be told that that gamer sh!t won't fly in the real world. Now they all have that stuff on their duty guns! I guess bumblebees and pigs can fly. It will always be inherently difficult to establish a set of consistent equipment rules for a competition game which is so closely aligned with a real world activity, and a deadly serious one at that but I think that our current "Tactical" division does a pretty decent job of it. It is certainly better than the old SOF rules limiting one to which scope they can use because those are the only scopes used in the "real world." But just because the real tactical community starts to adopt some open class gear (which was TOTALLY developed in the competitive shooting community), I don't think that we should instantly change the equipment rules of our sport. But I recognize at some point those rules will be affected by the give and take between the competitive community and the tactical community. Once red dots are on the majority of duty/CCW pistols, it will be hard to argue that they should not be allowed in the "Tactical" division of our sport. I just don't think that we are there yet. I do think that it is important that we have a division that is accessible to the mythical shooter who has an M4ish rifle with a red dot and a Glock 19. And let's have a little less of the "you don't know what it is like in the real world." There are plenty of other forums for that. But I'm with MarkCo when the urban riots, red dawn remake, zombie apocalypse, arrival of the Visigoths/Vandals/Vikings/Huns/Mongols/Alien Overlords hits, I would not mind being with any of the RM3G divisional winners either. Real deal operators scare me, they are ALWAYS pointing their guns at each other!

I'm not opposed to drums in Tactical or Limited. I'm opposed to stage design which makes them relevant.

I will take "gaudy" with more sight radius every day of the week.

I don't see the 1-4X scope dying off anytime soon. Is the 1-6X or 1-8X an advantage? Maybe ever so slightly so. Of course, I still use an archaic 1.5-5X MR/T. But people will perceive the 1-6X as TOTALLY better and NECESSARY to improve their scores when they'd be way better off building up their zeroes and working on trigger control. I know that I LIKE to engage 300 yards targets more at 6X than 4X but I also KNOW my scores are the same. Taking your Burris 1-4X scope off and mounting a Leupold Mark 6 is not going to propel you from 50th place to 10th place. It probably won't propel you from 50th to 49th. But it will be good for Leupold! One thing I do know, the sport needs to be geared around the average shooter and his 16 inch M4 copy with an Aimpoint, particularly at the local level. The 4 MOA rule is a good one as is requiring that targets be visible so iron sight and 1X optic guys can engage them. People struggle mightily at local and even major matches on Larues at 300, I don't think we need to make it harder on them. If stages are so difficult that you need a JP CTR 02 with a Swaro 1-6X it will severly limit the sport's growth. Now for major matches, I'm a little more willing to accept difficult target presentations (in terms of target size NOT visibility) but I still think 4 MOA is a pretty good standard.

Fantastic match guys! It was well balanced and very well organized. Keep it up.

Having shot in Europe, I can say that the AR rules the Old World as much as the New.

Back in the day (we are talking the last millenium) the AUG was competitive at the SOF match as it had a halfway decent optic. But even there, the AR with an ACOG quickly put an end to any chance of AUG dominance. The AUG is pretty much the same gun as it was back then (except you can put better sights on it) whereas the AR's development has hardly slowed down. AUGs did see some use in Tucson's practical shooting community and I even got to shoot a couple of matches with amigo's AUGs. Could you shoot an AUG or other bullpup in 3 gun or practical rifle? Sure. Will you beat a shooter of the same skill level shooting an AR with a trigger kit? Not likely. That same shooter shooting a full on raced up JP/Lancer/Larue etc etc? Even less likely. Can you manuever an AUG out of a car faster? Sure. Can you shoot a series of IPSC targets at 50 yards and then drop and hit a plate at 300 faster? I don't think so.

I beleive that the only steel case ammo that JP recommends using in their rifles is Hornady Steel match. Don't run crap fuel in your Ferrari. You would be an idiot to shoot .22 LRs through your JP .223 Wylde upper. It is twisted way too fast for .22LR. Get a dedicated .22LR upper.

http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-resource/ballistics-calculator

You can win any 3 gun match in the county (or world for that matter) with your current gear. What is a DDV5 going to get you over the Noveske (or vice versa)?

One day Alaskapopo will win a major 3 gun match and everyone will have to buy mag fed shotguns and Swarovski 1-6Xs. Until then, tubers and even lowly Burris scopes are ok. Look these are 3 gun matches, so you have to be good with all 3 guns. If you want to do well at a major or even minor 3 gun match, you will have to master both shooting and loading the shotgun, no matter what division you shoot in. I find that a lot of 3 gunners who come from SOLELY a USPSA pistol background struggle with shotgun loading and LR rifle shooting. Many who come from a tactical background struggle with the same things, plus they can't shoot their pistols fast. so if you want to be good then practice, then practice some more. Since most 3 gunners don't start out with shotguns as their favored weapon, it is often the most unfamiliar and hence their weakest of the 3. One similarity between most good 3 gunners is that they all like the variation and like to compete in a wide range of events.

It completely depends on how the match is setup. Some have little long range rifle, some have a lot. Some have little pistol shooting, some have a lot. Some have easy pistol shooting, some have hard pistol shooting. Some have big shotgun stages with lots of loading. Some have hard slug shots. Some have lots of aerial targets. Matches are not won by any one skill but they can be lost by being a weak shotgun loader or poor long range rifle shooter. Whatever you are weak at will eventually come to haunt you.

Any of those scopes will do. But I must say that is an odd selection out of all of the scopes available out there. Out of your proposed choices, I would choose the Meopta. I would NOT roll with a higher magnification scope and using side irons for close range shots. Does any big dawg 3 gunner even use side irons? If you can spend the money, get the Swaro 1-6X, the Bushnell or the hopefully available Leupold 1-6X. If not my lowly Leupold 1.5-X still scoffs at every other scope having won a short range stage at the ProAm, Spartan Tactical, and the long range stage at Texas Multigun.

That sounds like a statement Gollum would make! My precioussssssss Swarovski. I hadn't realized Sauron moved to Austria and starting making scopes. FYI I believe I also saw one on Mike Voigt's rifle at Texas Multigun.

Is that a real photo of Eric Miller???

Once I got it zeroed, I did have it pinned so henceforth it shall not move. Never had an issue with the sight. I think it is actually more durable than the less protected skinny front posts just protected by ears.

Yes. I think the post is the best all around front sight. Front apertures are good for circular targets a la bullseyes or round plates but suck for everything else.

+1. When shooting irons, I ran a JP detachable front sight with the post insert. I like the protection that the ring provides for skinny front sights as well as the ease of changing sight inserts out. Plus for coarse close range shots, I just used the front ring as a big front sight.

Every January I replace the extractor springs, gas rings, and buffer springs on rifles that I've relied on the previous year. I'm sure it is prior to them really needing to be replaced BUT I hardly ever have trouble with my rifles.

I just use the scope.

Great match. Thanks to the VERY hard working staff and sponsors. It is an impressive feat to get that many shooters through 12 stages in 2.5 days. The stages were challenging yet well designed so that shooters got moved through them quickly. Very different match from SMM3G. Texas placed far more importance on pistol shooting than SMM3G (which treats the pistol as the red headed step child - funny since it is Rio Salado). Rio on the other hand designs stages that typically require more strategery. Texas stages are pretty much shot nearly the same way by everybody. Dislikes? I hate the 3 gun nation pc target. Uggh. I understand why it was being used but still. I also did not care for the foot faults on Stage 11. They served no purpose and the shooter was not provided with a raised fault line that they could feel it with their foot. Observations? Ty Gentry (Otto Products Vest) and James Casonova (Carbon Arms) - among others - are fantastically impressive with the new Load 2/Quad load/whatever it is called shotgun loading style. And look out Daniel and Taran, Nils is getting stronger! If he'd had a real scope, he might have been able to do it.

My lowly Leupold 1.5-5X scoffs at the Z6i and you can have 2 for the price! No doubt, it is a great scope but you don't need one to be successful. There are plenty of good scopes there.

Well I can tell you my training regime before Texas State Multigun: 1)4-1 Pistol Practice with TGO himself. Lots of transition drills at 10 and then 20 yards. Followed up with man on man bouts and then team dueling tree battles. About 300 rounds. He remains a better pistol shooter than me! 2) 4-4 Shotgun match at Rio Salado about 90 rounds. 3) 4-5 Rob Leatham Drill Masters match. About 100 rounds. 4) 4-7 Switch optic from Tac Limited (Leupold Prismatic off, Leupold 1.5-5X on)and rough zero at 50. Short Range rifle practice out to 75 yards. Offhand snaps on lollipops at 75. Sideways rifle practice. About 125 rounds. 5) 4-8 Tac Carbine and pistol match. We shot off VTAC barricades out to 200 (including the sideways ports!!!) and did a lot of VTAC drills at the match. About 125 rounds. Also did some pistol practice and zeroing, about 50 rounds. 6) 4-11 Rifle zeroing and LR practice. Made sure optic was zeroed out to 400. Then did rifle and pistol transition Virginia count drills. MGM lollipops at 200 meters: engage with rifle from prone, standing supported, reverse kneeling, and rested positions (3-4 shots) followed by pistol array (MGM lollipops and BC zone) at 25 yards. About 300 rounds. 7) 4-13 .22 Rifle practice. Offhand snaps out 100. About 200 rounds 8) 4-14 Az Police Games 3 gun match. About 200 rounds. 9) 4-15 Sporting clays or more rifle work. 10 4-17 Tuesday Night Steel (pistol) about 100 rounds. 11) Shotgun loading every other night. I think practice independent of matches is very important BUT I also think attending matches is also necessary to prepare yourself for bigger matches.