CJW

Awesome, thanks!

I need to fiddle with springs on my SCS, but I don't know which one I will end up needing. What I'd like to do is test a few out at the range until I get reliable bolt-lock, but I can only do that if it is safe to shoot a few test rounds through the gun without reapplying Loctite to the main hex screw on the SCS during tests. Anybody done that? Is it possible to shoot 5 or 10 rounds through a non-Loctited SCS without destroying anything important?

Thanks for the detailed review. This is great info.

I just went with an SLR Solo Ultralite 14" MLOK for a new build, and I think I will be very happy with it.

50yds. For my ammo and scope height, this works out to be within an inch at 200yds and I find that having everything from 75 to 175yds be +1–2 inches aligns nicely with many MDs' favorite offhand rifle shooting distances; it's basically point-and-click from 25–225yds that way. I could zero at 200 and get basically the same results, but I just find that zeroing at 50 is easier in terms of (1) seeing the groups when I am zeroing and (2) minimizing wind effects when I zero. Also, I have more options for where to zero (including a couple of indoor places) when I need to check or re-establish zero. This is for Tac/Ops. If I shot Limited, I would zero at 300yds, most likely, and deal with hold-unders up close.

Let me clarify. First, time-plus means that, unless all your stages take about the same amount of time to complete, a short fast stage will not mean as much to your overall match performance as a longer stage. Second point, I feel the penalty values in the 3GN rules are too little *period*. When a total match score is 500+ seconds (at the very top and more like 800+ seconds for the big middle of the bell curve), a 2.5 sec penalty is pretty minimal. If the stages were normalized to point values, then I would *still* think the penalties are too small because on long stages they would not make that big of a difference and would really only have a major impact on the short, fast stages. I think the 3GN penalty values were chosen exclusively for—and work well for—short, fast Pro Series stages where the only thing they needed to do is add some separation at the very top of the standings for competitors who are all turning in similar performances and where that small penalty can make a huge difference. For what it is worth, I think FNH has the best scoring system out there, with Andy Horner's scoring for Blue Ridge a very close second (for a match of all relatively long stages). mr50mag, I will give you one real world example of where I consider time-plus scoring to have been problematic. I shot a major match last year under 3GN rules that included three different stages with 200+ yard rifle; it also included two 3GN classifier stages. Now, you think it is just fine that an unhit target on the classifier stage and an unhit (less than 40yd) target on the long-range stages both add the same 5 seconds to your overall match score. That's your opinion and you are welcome to it. My opinion is that, with the fastest times on the classifier stages being about 7.5 seconds and (for ease of the math) the times on the long range stages being about 75 seconds, it should affect the bottom line more to give away 40% on the classifier stage than 7% on the long range stage. Otherwise, there is absolutely no reason to push it on the classifier stage to gain a fraction of a second on the field. So, yes, I absolutely believe that the value of 1 second should vary according to the stage, because not all stages are created equally.

Oh, the one weekend in December I couldn't do a match this year. *sigh* Let's hope the timing works out better next year, because this is a match I really want to try! I have to say that the 3GN ruleset has made some nice improvements in reducing DQs (recognizing the difference between a gun grounded improperly vs. one grounded unsafely is great!). I still prefer that matches not be scored overall time-plus (makes it hard to mix short and long stages without the short stages getting lost in the shuffle) and the penalty values are definitely scaled towards Pro-series fast run-and-gun stages rather than longer stages—that is, a 2.5sec FTN is a painful penalty on a 20 sec stage, not quite so much on a 60+ sec stage.

My current build in progress is a Gibbz side-charging upper and an Aero Precision ambi lower. I have a billet set that will never see 3-Gun. It's going to get my 20" Krieger HBAR and a bipod.

What a great idea! If I didn't already have an M3000 to trick out as a backup gun, I would totally take you up on that generous offer.

Well, this is the Enos forum, so somebody has to say this… I don't point shoot, ever. I just see what I need to see. (Well, that's the plan, at least; doesn't always work out that way! )

Yeah, I just go with right angle myself, though you did make me go back and look at the math. So, the extra length of a barrel nut wrench can only serve to increase applied torque. Given that for most barrel nuts, a range of something like 30–80lb.ft. is good, does this really turn into an issue on AR barrels? I mean, the worst you are going to do with a couple inches of extension is overtorque by 5–10lb.ft., which hardly seems like a problem. On the SLR, my written instructions said 45lb.ft., though I just went back to their web site and their new instructional video says 35. Huh. Well, I guess my barrel nut won't fall off, at least!

Mark, what are the specs on the pipe you ended up using for those targets?

Nope, I am just taking a leap of faith on this one. I squadded with somebody at FNH who had shot both a Titan and a Gas Hog, and he thought the CAGH was very comparable to the Titan in performance. If that's true, I will be very happy... I am one step closer to having a new upper. I finally got the socket driver adapter I needed to fit my 3/8" torque wrench on the 1/2" drive SLR barrel nut wrench, so I now have a Stretch-16 attached to an upper! Next comes the gas block, and it should all be smooth sailing after that. I am hoping to have it assembled for zeroing this weekend.

It's a very tempting scope. The weight is comparable to a lot of other popular 3-gun scopes, so unless I decide specifically to go for lighter weight on my next piece of glass, this could definitely be in the running. I have the ACSS reticle on the PA 1–6x, so I know that I would have no problems with this reticle at full zoom on a FFP incarnation, and zoomed out it seems very similar to the horseshoe on the Bushnell 1–6.5x, which certainly isn't bad at 1x... If I got this I might still be tempted to go for the mil reticle, though.

Mine is getting an SLR Solo Ultralite 14" handguard and a Carbon Arms Gas Hog comp.

I'd never looked all that closely at the Leupolds before, but as I, too, am building a light upper, that VX6 is looking tempting... Anyone have a favorite reticle on the VX6? The CM-R2 and the FireDot-SPR both look good.

A bit of a non sequitur, but is there any conceivable way to fit a hinged latch (M3000 or Vinci type) to a Benelli M2?

I have had my Stretch 16 sitting at home for way too long now without having time to get the upper put together and zeroed. I will do that right after FNH and hope to be able to bust this thing out at Starlight!

Interestingly enough, FNH this year is pushing the match to 10 stages, rather than 9, while keeping the shooting to 3 half-day zones. I am all in favor; the only other 10 stage major match I have done was this years Texas 3-Gun, which gerritm mentioned above. This almost assuredly does not meet your definition of driving distance, but I really want to make Rocky Mountain 3-Gun my "destination" match for next year.

Outstanding! I have a chrono'ed, zeroed set up for both my bolt gun and my 3-Gun AR, and I have used Strelok+ to get accurate hits out to 600yds. It's a very nice piece of software.

If somebody figures out a way to put Invictus Practical quads on the Chameleon belt, I will be very interested.

I have never shipped to a hotel, but I have frequently shipped direct to matches that provided an official recipient. Indeed, to avoid paying for shipping twice, I usually just place a match order with a manufacturer/retailer to go right to the range. For easier to get stuff (shotgun ammo, for example) I place orders for pickup at local retailers (Cabelas, Gander…).

Cool.

Interesting. I tried out Spreader shells on my M2 several years back. I was shooting doughnuts (pattern with a hole in the middle) as close as 7 yards. Never used them after that. Right now I use LM about 85% of the time, and the rest of the time split between Skeet (close poppers and clays) or Light Full (why did they put targets out there???).

Say, would the IPSC rules require the shotgun to be shouldered when engaging targets? I have really been wondering whether I could have just hip-shot that first big buckshot plate from the ready position on Stage 4...