RiggerJJ

I would definitely suspect the powder. Espcially since that is the only thing you have changed in your reloading. jj

OK, the website is back up, www.rm3g.com and there is a link there for the scores for this year's match. enjoy... jj

Finally! Here's the final results as an attachment. Sorry they took so long. Steve Hulet is having a problem with the website. He says he will try to get it fixed soon. But, hopefully, these will work for you! Thanks to everyone who sponsored us and came out to shoot! It was a good time! Take care and stayed tuned for info on next year. Denise and JJ

As promised, the sponsor contact list is attached for RM3G 06. If you shot the match, (or even if you didn't) please take the time to thank them by phone or email, especially if you got something from them from the prize table. Don't forget JP Rifles, Sabre Defence, and the Whittington Center! If it were not for sponsors, ALL of our major matches would suffer... Sorry about this taking a while, I just got home Wednesday afternoon from surgery and am recovering at home now... I had to go under twice, seems the doc missed a bleeder the 1st time... I now know the meaning of bruising. Thanks to everyone who came, I hope you had a great time and enjoyed the Whittington Center! Thanks ROs, you were best and made my job easier! I too want the match to thrive and survive, and will do all I can! RM3G is the only major 3 gun match I have worked, and want it to continue. We are looking at dates for next year and will keep everyone up to date on RM3G 07s progress. If you have any comments good or bad, please email or PM me thru this forum. Feedback is welcome and wanted! Also, I hope to get the scores from Steve ASAP and get them posted on the web site. Sorry about the delay... live long and prosper! jj

JJ and I just wanted to say thanks! What a great bunch of shooters! Thanks for all your help, that's one of the things that helps to keep things running on time! Thanks so much for stage resetting, brassing and hull picking, it made our jobs so much easier after the match! We got cleaned up in record time! Thanks for the good words, too! A great big thanks to all our sponsors. I'll give you contact information later. I just got home and need to take a 24 hour nap! ZZZZZZZZ! Thanks to JP Enterprises of course. We all wish your family well. Thanks to Sabre defense, Spec Ops, Trijicon, DPMS, R&R Racing (for both sponsorship and assistance), SPringfield Armory, Tac PRo, Arredondo, Grams Engineering, 3Gun Gear, Redding, Blackhawk, Brownells, Triangle Shooting Sports, MSTN, Nordic, Point Blank,GunSite, Montano Bullet, ACE, Mike Gibson, STI, Viking Tactics, Carroll Targets, Black Hills Ammunition, Hornady, ArmaLite, BarSto, and late entering sponsor Matt Burkett! Please send them a little thank-you to let them know how their sponsorship matters! We couldn't have these matches without them. Their generosity is well appreciated! We also wanted to give special thanks to the RO's, who worked their butts off! Roger Briden, Adam and James Casanova (2nd 3-gun match ever, and they're catching on quick!), Greg Drobny, Bob Mills, Dave Mosier, George Murphy, Chris Petrie, Garrett and Robert Reigan, Steve Shimek, Joe Sledge, Henning Walgren, and George Bridenstine. Also, thanks to Darrel Humphrey and Billy Ricard for their help in stats and tearing down. Thanks Steve Hulet for quick scoring. (We were only an hour late on the awards! We'll do better next year! )You guys are SOOOO AWESOME! We both loved working with all of you! Also, thanks so much to Matt Gengl, Jake Kempton, Brock Hammel and John Gengl for their work the first day! Hang in there guys! Thanks to the Whittington Center, well I'm sure I have more people to thank, but JJ's snoring is distracting me! He only saw one snake, and lived to tell about it! Good shooting, Denise and JJ P.S. Steve Hulet said he would post the results on the RM3G website, but he's beat, too, so I don't know how fast it will get there!

I just thought I'd let you know how it's going since it's hard to get communications out of Raton. By Sunday evening, we had half the stages set up, and I know they're still working on them today. They look really fun! The Ro's and match staff are arriving! Saturday, it poured most of the day, but Sunday was really nice. I saw a snake while I was there, but it wasn't a rattler or a bullsnake. Luckily, I scared it away before JJ saw it! Things should be all ready for all of you in the Coors Event Center at noon on Wednesday! The farthest stage back is near where Hung's stage was last year near the mule barn. So you'll have to travel a little less this year. So far, (in my opinion, and mine only) the hikes to the stages are less than last year, at least at the ones I saw. It doesn't look like you need a Sherpa as much as we did last year! The weather reports change regularly, so it'll either be sunny or rainy; 70's or 80's; and there'll be some snakes or there won't! For those of you like JJ, the RO's will have some snake shot if any of the little hummers are still out there. It looks like a lot of fun! Remember, Coors Event center for registration and to get your shooter's packets. The guys are really excited! I think you all will have a great time! Denise Johnson (JJ's wife - he's working down in Raton with Blane and the rest of the guys getting things set up!)

There is NOT a bolt gun side match! As Steve said back in February, not enough people shot it last year to warrant having it this year! See ya' soon! Some of us are heading down tomorrow to start setting up! Looks fun from the descriptions we've gotten! jj

Ya never know, I have been known to wear military boots from time to time... Blane said (this evening while we were finishing the match book) that HE didn't see any snakes, and that Jack (NRAWC guy) said he hadn't seen any all year... but I know better! (Did I say I hate rattle snakes???) He also saw a bear footprint in the mud, right on one of the stages for this year... Blane's been there several times this month and saw no snakes, but saw lots last year... I suspect that there was a break in the rainy weather, and the little suckers decided to come out for the sunshine, and there was Kurt! guess you just got lucky Kurt. I'm sure they are waiting for me too... I hate rattle snakes. jj

Gee Kurt, thanks for the SNAKE report! Now for RM3G I'll be bringing my snake bit kit, snake shot for my carry pistol, anti-venom, heavy boots, leather pants, etc... I HATE rattle snakes... jj

Good luck over there guys, kick some booty! jj

things are getting exciting! And funny! Someone emailed Steve and asked how he was going to shoot the match with only 10 slugs? We thought we would help him out... There IS A SLUG STAGE with at least 18 slugs! So if you only bring 10, you will get 8 FTEs... Unless you get some more dude! I'm way willing to sell them to you at the match for $2 each! (And I don't mean per box!) Again, round counts are; Also for any questions you may have about squadding, etc, email Steve at; shulet@hwacpas.com The email address on the website may not work for some reason! Steve says he MAY have the squads posted on the website by monday... Better get your last minute questions up either here or email Steve directly by the latter part of next week. Next Saturday 19 August we will be in Raton setting things up and will NOT have internet access after that. Stages look fun!... see ya there! jj

Golf carts? HA! I'd like to see that... Leave your baby stroller at home. Maybe an ATV... but I wouldn't. Too much distance to travel. A car/truck is a perfect gun cart in this situation. For those of you that haven't been to RM3G before, the stages are all in natural terrain, in a mountainous, wilderness area called the NRA Whittington Center. Thousands of acres owned by the NRA. they have many bermed ranges, from short pistol berms out to at least a thousand yards, and many acres of wilderness. You can even book a guided hunt there for prong horn, mule deer, elk, etc. And, yes, there are ranges available for sight-in and function testing. RM3G is spread out over the more civilized area. The distance from stage 1 all the way through to stage 8 is about 2 miles along a dirt road that runs east/west (roughly). The stages are off this road on either side, from right next to it to a short hike from the road. (Blane promises the stages are closer to the road this year... ) Everyone drives to the stage parking area, (sometimes just on the road) and carries the gear they need for the stage into the stage area. The elevation is around 6-7 THOUSAND feet. Weather is normal for this area and altitude, downright cold in the mornings, hot during the day, and rainy in the afternoon. Blane tells me that it has been raining quite a bit, so be prepared. As PacMan says, good hiking boots are probably best! Mosquitos are heavy right at sundown too. In the past stages have been in gullys, stream beds, meadows, old building foundations, mines, just about anything you can think of and that could be found. Conventional props are generally very sparce, we use what nature has provided for shooting platforms and for complicating the shooting solutions. You will run and shoot uphill, flat, and downhill, over or on rocks, trees, gravel, etc. Your schedule will be such to provide plenty of time to locate your next stage, grab your gear, and meet your squad at the stage you are shooting next. for example; if you shoot stage 1 at 0800 and there is an hour on the schedule for that stage, you will finish at about 0900. You will shoot stage 2 at 1000, leaving an hour inbetween stages. Plan on having a GREAT time! jj

Blane went to NRAWC in Raton NM this past weekend and finalized some things! Eight VERRRY interesting stages. Here is a little refining of round count. There IS a slug stage. I would bring 40-50 slugs in case of reshoot etc. Blane says bring 125 pistol, 125 shotgun, 150 rifle. It gives you a little wiggle room if you have to reshoot something. (Knowing Blane, I would bring a bit more, probaby about 150 each like I said earlier...) The other thing he said which is of interest is...No Bears, No SNAKES (yea right!), but...lot's of rain. It's been raining some (afternoon storms) every day, so he says..."bring raingear!" Water resistant gun bags, pistol covers, etc would be a good idea... Also consider good footwear for the hilly, rocky, sandy, gravely, possibly muddy terrain. hopefully none of the prone positions will be in a low spot... There are NO STAGES on a regular "berm" as you know it. They are ALL in natural terrain. Maybe it'll be less wet in two weeks, but be prepared! Hope this helps, Tom! It should be a Fun match! jj

I have a 26 comp'd barrel on my Open M1, lightened bolt carrier and light recoil spring. I have to run at least 1 1/8 oz to get the reliability, and same as Eric, I seem to be able to stop it on demand as well... the interesting thing is my Benelli seems to have less recoil than my wife's with her 1 oz light target loads! It's a M1 with 18.5 in barrel (no comp) and pistol grip, the entire shotgun is stock... go figure... jj

Under FAQ's on RMg-3un website (RM3G.com) there are phone numbers for the NRA Whittington Center. They also give some numbers for the Chamber of Commerce in Raton for hotel rooms there. It's about 15 minutes to the range if you stay in Raton! The Whittington Center is really nice if you can get a room in competitor housing, and they have a large campground with hookups and showers. Trinidad Colorado is about 45 minutes away, and there are hotels there too. As far as registration...it starts at noon Wednesday. You will be able to sign in and get your match book and stuff then. The Shooter's meeting is scheduled for 7:00am Thursday. This may be moved later just a tad, but that's straight from the Match Director's mouth as of this afternoon! Blane's finalizing the stages this weekend. They sound really cool so far! Bring enough slugs for a full slug stage... there are other out of date things on the FAQs besides the slug count, if you have a question, leave a post here. I would still plan on around 150 rifle, 100 shotgun (plus slugs), and 150 pistol rounds. See ya'll there, jj

Scott, You need to READ the rules. 6.8.9. says Tactical cannot start with more than 9 total loaded in the shotgun... All that was done was remove the old SOF stuff about barrel and mag tube length restrictions. 14 round tube in Tactical? Sure, but you can only start with 9. jj

here's some more info; official rule change: 6.8.2 should read; Barrel length and/or magazine tube length may not be changed for the duration of the match. 6.8.3 is completly deleted. for full rules, see rm3g.com. going to Raton this next weekend to finalize stuff with the range, and work out the details on stages. And all the rumors that the match was off, etc, are all greatly exagerated... jj

According to the rules (see RM3G.com), thigh holsters are not restricted. Unusual holsters (cross draw, etc) are at the call of the MD. Also according to the rules, slugs and shot are to be LEAD only. To me that means no jacketed or solid copper slugs, or steel shot. Working up a approximate round count, but preliminary guess is around 100-150 rounds of each. Best to plan on maybe one stage of mostly slugs as well, just to be safe. Stages will run the gammet; short and long range rifle, standard pistol stuff, as well as shotgun, but expect the usual Rocky Mountain 3Gun flair in stage difficulty! jj

Just a little FYI; for the past three years, the long range stage at SMM3G in Mesa has had those knock-down Larue targets at around 300 yards, and they have thrown out the stage ALL THREE YEARS because of problems with those targets... jj

More news: as of right now the '05 rules are in effect. Rules WILL NOT change for this year, including the discussion about carrying your pistol on all stages. So business as usual on that. You can carry your pistol as much as you want, as long as it is empty on stages that don't require pistol AND between stages. Competitors are not allowed to carry hot on the Whittington Center. ROs will carry hot as usual for snakes and whiners. Last year the rule about shotgun barrel length in tactical was "ignored" as well as the mag tube length, as long as tactical shooters start with a max of 9 rounds. I suspect this will be the case again this year, MTF... ROs are needed (real jobs and military service are getting in the way, What's up with that?), if you are interested contact Steve Hulet, shulet@hwacpas.com The last few years, there has been excellent food for the RO's. You also get a room and can shoot most of the match on Wednesday. Also, you get to park near your stage, (a big plus) and get to walk the prize table in your finishing order. Blane tells me the match is full, but there is nobody on the waiting list, so if you are interested in shooting the match, get your app in now! (there MAY be 2-3 open slots...) I'll post more as soon as its available... jj

I talked to Blane West today at our local monthly 3gun match. He says the match is on track and looking good. The stages are looking good, the prize table is building and is going to be a great one. The match is full at this time. If you wish to be on the waiting list, send your entry form and fee in. We could use a couple more good 3gun ROs as well. If you are interested in ROing, send an email to Steve Hulet, rm3gun@yahoo.com, or snail mail to the address on the website, www.rm3g.com. see yall in Raton! jj

There are 2 main scoring systems; IMGA does not crono or score based on major or minor guns. Scores are usually time plus penalties (similar to IDPA), with each stage figured to 100% (the stage winner gets 100%) and using the percentages as match points. USPSA does do the major/minor thing and standard USPSA socring, but each firearm is scored separately depending on if it is major or minor. A good match will figure out the major/minor discrepancies in the stats shack. A better match will give the competitor the choice on which gun to use on most (if not all) paper targets and some steel. Back to your original question. Probably close to 99% of 3gun competitors use a .223 AR style for rifle, a major pistol and 12 guage shotgun... You just choose a division (open, Tactical, He-Man) build your guns up to meet the division requirements, and go shootin! so dust off your AR and attend a local 3gun match, you won't regret it. jj

Maybe the mag spring is too long/strong? jj

jbull, Try Eddie Rhodes, PPPSRifle@msn.com He's a Pueblo cop and is something important for the cop match they have there. jj

Anybody got confirmations? My check hasn't even been cashed yet... I thought Fred was spending it all like a drunk train robber??? jj