Brian Payne

Also, could the shotgun rules be made easier. 9 loaded rounds at the start, then load as you go after the beep. A lot of the competitors have 9 round tubes on their guns. Otherwise I will make a plug to limit the tube to 8 rounds.

Kurt and Trapr. Thanks for the reply. Yes CurtM was the guy. Sure can shoot. Kurt - hope the back is ok and that you can make it to CMMG. Trapr - If you are shooting HM at CMMG, I have a thigh pouch for .308 mags made by 3gungear you can have if you want it. I need some "good karma" coming my way.

I am in.

I normally shoot a TA-11, my choice based on numerous suggestions on this forum. I love the scope. Put together a backup rifle and wanted a scope on it so thought I would give the TA-33 a shot. A little less expensive and smaller, so I thought it would be a good choice for a backup rifle. I have had this set up for two days now, got it sighted in and shot my first competition with it yesterday, then took it to the range again today to play with it some more. I have to say this little scope is nice. I had to move it farther down the rail because the eye relief was better than I expected. The FOV is smaller than that of the TA-11 but the scope is also smaller making close range target transitions just as fast, if not faster that the TA-11. The chevron reticle took a little getting used to versus the donut on the TA-11. The FOV doesn't seem to hinder targets at longer range as long as you shoot with both eyes open. The TA-11 is 3.5 power and the TA-33 is 3 power. Both have great glass and the fiber optic BAC works great for my eyes. I shot it today on an MGM flash target out to 400 yrds. and the BDC was just right when sighted in using 55 grn FMJ Hornady Training ammo. I didn't shoot any longer range than that, but was happy to see it work as well it did. I have only seen this scope on one other rifle while shooting 3-gun. Curt (sorry I can't remember the last name), a Rep for Trijicon shot one at the '07 RM3G. He shot that match extremely well, even though he had to take 300-450 yrd. shots from sitting positions rather than prone because of an injury. I guess I just threw this out there as another option for a good 3-gun scope. It is at least worth taking a look at.

But then comes the problem of who is going to keep count of the rounds. Some matches say a max. of 9 rounds in the gun - ever (for tactical). If your tube allows 9 in the tube and you lose count, you could be bumped to open for having more than 9 in the gun. Seems it would be much easier on eveyone to just say "9 rounds at the start - after the beep load as many as you want". All the RO would have to do is have the squad pre-load the mag tube with 8 rds. prior to the start of the COF. At the "load and make ready", each shooter just load one in the chamber. Faster, easier, and no one needs to keep count of any rounds during the COF. The '07 RM3G is a perfect example.

Kurt, Just saw this thread. Sorry to hear the pain you are going through. I hope all goes well. Hopefully will see you at CMMG/FNH shoot.

Tim, You can put my name on the list. Last years class was great. Payne

Opinions only. 1. Go .308 so you can shoot Heavy Metal division if you want. Throw on some irons and you would be good to go. 2. I like the 18" barrel and would go with a light one if possible. 3. Cryo is nice but not needed in my opinion. Spend the money on a trigger upgrade. 4. This will sound weird - Mueller Tac II scope. I have had one since I was sent one just past the prototype stage. Very nice scope for the money. Not saying it is as nice as the Leupold, but if it can be seen and hit with a Leupold, this scope will do it also. I have mine mounted on an Armalite one piece mount. Take it off for Heavy Metal division, slap it on for hunting season. With good ammo. (Fed. 168 match) this setup will stick with, or outshoot, most factory bolt rifles out to 500 yrds. (that is the farthest I have shot mine). YMMV

Amsoil 20w - 50w (except during the winter cold).

Bruce, Thanks for the info. I wound up getting rooms at a small hotel in Fayette.

I have a DPMS LR308 and use the Rolling Thunder from Benny Hill. I noticed reduced recoil but the biggest difference was the rifle stayed on target much better, very little muzzle movement.

A friend with a mill took the squeeze out of the loading port for my big thumb. As for more lead - maybe someone can help me with this honest question, because this is one of the reasons I went with the 20 ga. 20 ga. shells that have 1oz of shot (sporting clays type shells) and 12 ga. shells that have 1oz of shot (trap loads) have the same amount of shot right? I do normally shoot the 7/8 oz. shot loads but also use the heavier loads.

A lot of 12 ga. with IC choke and trap loads left them standing also.

The 20 ga. worked perfect at this weekends shoot. Steel poppers, texas stars, flying clays, etc.. Also 100yrd. slugs on paper with no shoot targets partially blocking it. These had to be engage standing with no support. Great fun! I don't think the 20 ga offers any advantage to shooters that load by handling one shell at a time. If you shoot a 12 ga and can hold three 12 ga shells in your hand when you reload, you should easily be able to hold four 20 ga shells. If you can handle four 12 ga shells at a time you should easily be able to handle five 20 ga. shells. Does this offer an advantage to you? Only you can make that call. I was using a Briley extended SKEET choke for all of the stages. Even with Win. AA 9 shot 1oz loads I was easily able to take out the texas stars and poppers at 15 - 20 yrds. This out of a 24" barrel.

That is what I use. I don't use it for felt recoil reduction because I don't think it is there. I use if for the same reaason people shoot the .40 S&W in limited rather than the .45, ammo capacity. The recoil may be a little less, but it is much snappier (if that is a word). Plus, I load weak hand. Using CCW four round 12 ga. holders, you can put five 20ga. shells . I then load five at a time rather than four. Also in the six round 12 ga. carriers you can put in seven 20 ga. I can load seven at a time if I really concentrate. If you use the Progressive 12 ga. six round carriers you can put in eight 20 ga. shells, allowing you to load four and four. I haven't seen a match yet where the 20 ga. has not taken down the same targets as the 12 ga. You just need to experiment more with the chokes. The 20 ga. is less forgiving I think. Last weekend I had a stage that had bowling pins on stakes at 50 and 60 yrds. and I was using high base 1oz shot, 6 shot and was not able to take those pins down. I don't think that would happen at a normal match as the targets need to be calibrated for minimum of 20 ga.

I would stick with the M2 Field with 24" barrel and no pistol grip. Pistol grips are the work of the devil and will give you bad karma at every match you take it to. If you do a search I think you will get a couple of hours worth of reading over this same subject. Good luck. I guess I only answered question #5. I don't know the answers to the rest.

I have been to a couple of Shotgun only matches that had stages where you used buckshot to engage paper targets with a white no-shoot in front of it. Tended to teach you about patterning your shotgun using buckshot at different distances. I thought it was a lot of fun and since it didn't happen on many stages per year the taping wasn't that much of a problem.

Make sure to call the Police. In my city, if this sort of thing happens the dog is classified by the Chief of Police as a potentially dangerous dog, and the owner is made to pay all medical bills. It must get microchipped and those records are held by the Police Department. If the dog does the same thing a second time, the owner must meet very strict guidlines for kenneling, control of the animal and must get a $200,000.00 bond on the animal for liability reasons. The animal might even be ordered to be destroyed depending on the circumstances. As far as carrying a firearm for protection, I hate to say it but if were in Minnesota you could legally only protect yourself or another "person". Granted your "Lucy" is every bit as important as any other "person" but it would not be looked at the same way by a Judge. Sucks. I agree with the previous poster that suggested pepper spray. Odd thing about this law is that if a stray dog shows up in one of my horse pastures and goes after my horses (livestock), I could legally shoot it. If it attacked one of my dogs (pet) I couldn't. Go figure. I hope your dog recovers quickly. I also hope this was/is a one time incident for the other dog as well. I would hate to be the owner of a dog that attacked another dog or person unprovoked. I would hate even more the thought of having to put my own dog down because it attacked someone or another animal without provocation. Losing situation for everyone involved. If your dog is healthy enough for the trip I recommend going to the shoot you had planned. Just bring her along. She will enjoy all of the attention.

Three applications from Minnesota enroute. Will information be posted on Match Hotels etc..?

Walangkatapat. To hopefully answer your question. (you should have picked up the 24" barrel Benelli by the way). I have two Benelli's. An M1 field w/26" barrel. Never a malfunction, box stock with Nordic component tube and clamp. I traded for this because I had purchased a new M2 Tactical (it said "tactical" so it had to be good, right?) w/pistol grip. Numerous malfunctions with that bad boy, Benny Hill explained the reasons for that so I traded for the M1 field. I shoot the cheap Federals found on special at Walmart and have no problems with it. I then took a shotgun class from TRUBL (THE Nordic Components TRUBL) and got a chance to shoot his 20ga. Benelli. Needless to say, I now compete using a 24" 20ga. M2 w/Nordic Component tube (9 rounder comes even with the end of the barrel). The loading port has been hogged out so my fat thumb fits in there better, Tom Knapp Fiber Optic sight, and some Briley extended choke tubes, other than that it is stock. Not one malfunction since new. I shoot the cheapest 20ga shells I can find and it still fires every time. I normally shoot Winchester Shells because the plastic of the shells is very smooth and makes it easier for me to load weak hand without fumbling. For some reason the little ribs on the Federal hulls makes me drop more shells. YMMV. My Remington 1100 has been passed down to my son to use in competition. He likes it better because it doesn't kick as hard as my Benelli 12ga. It has cost him several stages at different shoots due to malfunctions but it does have less recoil.

+1 on the 24" barrel. You will never know the difference and the 9rd. tube matches the length of the barrel. Just make sure to make a plug to limit the tube to 8rds in case you shoot USPSA rules.

Awesome feeling isn't it? I hope to meet your son at a match in the near future.

Progressive 6 rounders. Holds 8 rounds of 20 ga. . Load 4 and 4. Or to avoid the tight fit you can put 7 rounds of 20 ga in there and load all seven at once. choices-choices.

Benny, Glad to see you "got my back". Just don't get too close, I'm not into that "Brokeback" stuff. On a more serious note, I saw the short video clip of you shooting that shotgun side match at the fund raising shoot, awesome - 6.1 seconds if I remember correctly. I would hate for many LEO's to see that, they would never come out and play. Payne

I also think that part of the problem is that as an officer, our entire career is based on the "Held to a Higher Standard" rule. Everything in our life (on duty or off) is this way. If an officer is caught doing drugs, abusing his wife, drunk driving, etc.. it makes the news and is on everyones lips for days. If that same person were a car mechanic, no one other than immediate family and friends would every know about it. (nothing against car mechanics, just using an example) Now this same officer, who is under the impression that all civilians think he/she is a shooting expert, goes out in public and is shown to be a poor shooter, it tends to tarnish the image both about what he/she thinks about themselves as well as what other shooters might think of them. Not many officers I can think of would like for people to look at them and say "you suck" when it comes to shooting, so they think it is easier to just avoid the chance of that happening. I was lucky, I didn't really care what anyone thought about me or my shooting. I learned right away that this was a very enjoyable way to increase my shooting ability, with the added bonus that the people are great. Hopefully with this sort of competition getting started, enough civilian volunteers can be a shining light. The RO's these officers get to shoot with and become friends with, will open doors for more officers to come out and play with the civilian population. It could be a win-win situation for everyone involved.