Ironman 3 Gun Match

[SinistralRifleman]

ANYONE WHO SHOOTS IRONMAN IN TROOPER CLASS, AND COMPLETES THE MATCH WILL GET A FREE ENTRY TO THE CAVALRY ARMS 3 GUN MATCH.

I'm sure many of you have heard of the MGM Ironman 3 Gun Match http://www.mgmtargets.com/3gun/04match/ironman04.htm

Cavalry Arms will be donating $100 retail value in product per every shooter that shows up.

I've talked with Mike and we will have Trooper Class at Ironman '05. We will have special prizes available to Trooper Class shooters. Here are the rules for those that are interested:

Trooper Class*

The goals of this class are to encourage shooters to use field practical equipment that is reliable in adverse conditions and add an element of physical endurance to the competition not found in other classes.

Rules:

1) The shooter must transport all firearms, ammunition, equipment, and cleaning supplies with them for the duration of the match from the moment they sign in the first day of shooting.

2) The amount of ammunition the shooter begins the match with, is all they are allowed to use for the duration of the match.  The shooter may have as much ammunition in their pack, vest, or ammunition carriers as he/she wishes.

3) Any back up guns the shooter may wish to use should their primary firearm become inoperable during the course of the match must be carried with them for the duration of the match

4) The equipment must be carried via any man portable means and in a safe manner.  No wagons, wheelbarrows, carts, sleds, etc allowed.

5) The shooter does not need to carry all this equipment during the course of fire, they may ground their rucksack and use only the equipment on their person if they wish.

6) Trooper class shooters must start with at least one liter of water on their person or in their rucksack.  Additional Water will be provided at all stages.  The shooter must carry any beverages other than water themselves.

7) Lunch will be provided for all Trooper Class shooters on the range.  Any food a Trooper Class shooter wishes to eat must be carried on them other than the food served at lunchtime.

8) Any time a Trooper class shooter leaves the range, he/she must check his/her gear at the stat house where it will be secured to prevent tampering and/or adding or removing of equipment.

9) The only assistance allowed to a trooper class shooter during a course of fire, is verbal direction from the Range Officer only.

· Failure to follow these rules or voluntarily choosing to drop out of Trooper Class will place the shooter in a class as determined by the firearms and accessories they are using.

· Another individual can give medical assistance without bumping the shooter out of Trooper Class.

· All trooper class shooters will be squaded together to ensure that participating shooters properly follow the rules.

Firearms:

1) Trooper Class shooters may use firearms from any of the other specified classes.  A Trooper class shooter may use all iron-sighted guns, or open class guns, however they must be able to transport any firearms (and spares) without assistance from stage to stage by themselves.

2) There is no limit on magazine capacity, bipods, scopes, etc in Trooper Class.

3) If a shooter decides to carry more than one firearm, spare upper receiver, optics, etc they may elect to use them on a stage as they see fit. Rifle calibers may only be used on rifle targets, shotguns on shot targets, and pistols on pistol targets. Multiple firearms of the same category may only be used at the discretion of the range officer or as prescribed by the course of fire.  For example; a shooter may not begin the stage with a bolt-action rifle and swap out to a semi auto carbine for the rifle targets unless authorized to do so by the range officer or switching guns prescribed by the course of fire.  If a range officer assesses that it is reasonable and safe to allow a trooper class shooter to use multiple guns on a stage, they must do so for all Trooper class shooters.

4) Firearms are the only items the shooter may remove from the range at the end of the day.

*For the MGM Ironman match the shooter will have one ammo can in which they may store extra ammunition, spare parts, spare firearms, food, etc for re-supply during the match.  Identical ammo cans will be provided for the shooters to use, which they may return to re-supply the ammo on their person at any time.

[kellyn]

All Trooper class stages will start with the Trooper tied to a chair undergoing electro-shock interrogation. KyleL will ask the questions.

Instead of a buzzer, the course of fire will be signalled by a knife stab to the upper right leg. If the upper right leg becomes shredded, the RO (not the trooper class competitor) may elect to switch to the upper left leg. If the upper left leg becomes too shredded, the RO may switch to the lower right leg.

Trooper class competitors may not stay at a hotel or even a tent after the shooting is done for the day. They will be hoisted up in trees in bamboo cages. If it does not rain, water will be poured on them all night.

Trooper class competitors may only eat rice with a little bit of rat meat. Any non-rat meat will result in a match DQ. ROs will be equipped with DNA test kits.

[SinistralRifleman]

All Trooper class stages will start with the Trooper tied to a chair undergoing electro-shock interrogation. KyleL will ask the questions.

Instead of a buzzer, the course of fire will be signalled by a knife stab to the upper right leg. If the upper right leg becomes shredded, the RO (not the trooper class competitor) may elect to switch to the upper left leg. If the upper left leg becomes too shredded, the RO may switch to the lower right leg.

Trooper class competitors may not stay at a hotel or even a tent after the shooting is done for the day. They will be hoisted up in trees in bamboo cages. If it does not rain, water will be poured on them all night.

Trooper class competitors may only eat rice with a little bit of rat meat. Any non-rat meat will result in a match DQ. ROs will be equipped with DNA test kits.

Kelly if you want to shoot it like that, you will get 100 Man Points per stage.

1,000 man points awarded to anyone who parachutes or rapels from a Helicopter down onto the range, 1,000 more if they do so in front of the firing line while it is hot.

***note man points do not effect your score at all, you just get bragging rights that you are the most hardcore/insane dude around.

[gunny]

Sinistral, do you know when confirmations will be sent? I sent the match application and fees in quite a while back.

[SinistralRifleman]

Sinistral, do you know when confirmations will be sent? I sent the match application and fees in quite a while back.

Not sure....I haven't sent in ours yet. I would e-mail Mike and check to see what your status is.

[Zak Smith]

All the cool kids are shooting Trooper Class.

[AH6IP]

How many bonus Manly points if you roll in with your own helicopter (AH6), engage all steel with mini gun, - flash targets with rockets (That would really test Mike's targets!)---land, exit and engage all close in paper with M4-strap back in and exfil Kyle and Kelly?

[diehli]

How many bonus Manly points if you roll in with your own helicopter (AH6), engage all steel with mini gun, - flash targets with rockets (That would really test Mike's targets!)---land, exit and engage all close in paper with M4-strap back in and exfil Kyle and Kelly?

I'd think you'd get a spot on the news for that one.

[MattBurkett]

Still don't know why anyone would want to shoot trooper class - ESPECIALLY at the MGM. OMFG that is just a lot of ammo! 500 rifle, 500 handgun and 400 shot + 100 slugs. What does that weigh?

[EricW]

Matt,

That is EXACTLY what I thought about it. I've heard of soldiers lugging around 1K of .223, but that was during Gulf I. (It was one of the forward observers that got trapped on top of the roof when the Iraqis showed up.)

Reminds me of a friend who thought she'd drag along a case of beer on a backpacking trip once....

[Zak Smith]

ITRC practice...

[EricW]

ITRC practice...

With a 1K+ ammo load for the duration of the match?

10+ lbs 223

20+ lbs Handgun

40+ lbs Shotgun

=============

70 lbs ammo load

+

9 lb AR

9 lb Shotgun

2.5 lb Handgun

5+ lbs of Mags, holster, backpack, misc. junk

5 lbs of H20

==================

approx. 90 lbs load

Has anybody here actually trucked around with that much guns and ammo before? It will be 90+ degrees in 25% humidity. If I'm reading the rules correctly, you can't put any of it down. Hauling a 50lb load around anywhere on your back is actually pretty challenging unless you do it frequently. They ought to rename it the Sherpa class.

My hat is off to anyone that does it. You're a better Trooper than I.

[SinistralRifleman]

posted by ErikW:

10+ lbs 223

20+ lbs Handgun

40+ lbs Shotgun

=============

70 lbs ammo load

+

9 lb AR

9 lb Shotgun

2.5 lb Handgun

5+ lbs of Mags, holster, backpack, misc. junk

5 lbs of H20

==================

approx. 90 lbs load

You also have one LARGE .50 BMG ammo can to Cache ammo in at the stat house....that can reduce your ammo load considerably

Has anybody here actually trucked around with that much guns and ammo before?  It will be 90+ degrees in 25% humidity.  If I'm reading the rules correctly, you can't put any of it down.  Hauling a 50lb load around anywhere on your back is actually pretty challenging unless you do it frequently.  They ought to rename it the Sherpa class.

My hat is off to anyone that does it.  You're a better Trooper than I.

You can put it down when you get to the stage....you do not have to shoot the stage with all of it on you. The bays are all right next to each other, only two stages are farther away, one by maybe a few hundred yards, and one by about 1/8 a mile if I recally correctly.

Planning ahead for how much ammo, food (other than lunch, we feed you lunch), and spare parts you think you need is the hard part....hiking between stages is not that big of a deal. The advantage you gain is you can use multiple guns better suited for particular types of stages if you wish, you just have to carry them all.

Also like I said we will have special prizes for Trooper Class, I think it will be worth the effort....of course if only 6 of us shoot it, we're more than happy to take home all the cool stuff that we and other companies are donating for this class are kicking in.

You can voluntarily drop out of trooper class at any time if you choose and be placed in the class that your firearms would otherwise place you in.

BTW I hiked with 66 pounds of gear over a 6 mile field course at the Pecos Biathalon last September....I finished second to last, but I also had the second heaviest load. in 120 degrees and humidity it was probably the most unpleasant thing I have ever decided to do for "fun"...but I was glad I did it none the less. Trooper class at Ironman should be easy in comparison.

[EricW]

You can put it down when you get to the stage....you do not have to shoot the stage with all of it on you.

Oh, well that changes everything. There's about 1% as much hardship as I thought. Oops.

[George]

Heck, I don’t even put loaded mags on my belt until I’m on deck. Trooper at the MGM sounds like a weekend in purgatory! But it is a cool thing anyway!

--

Regards,

[Jim Norman]

At the NC recon, you carry your rifle or Shotgun as well as your handgun and all ammo and food. There was allowable resupply of ammo since you could have a reshoot. You were allowed water resupply.

You carried your ruck and your weapon all day, shooting and even scoring targets. There was a standdown area where you waited between stages.

Jim

[SinistralRifleman]

At the NC recon, you carry your rifle or Shotgun as well as your handgun and all ammo and food. There was allowable resupply of ammo since you could have a reshoot. You were allowed water resupply.

You carried your ruck and your weapon all day, shooting and even scoring targets. There was a standdown area where you waited between stages.

Jim

I'd like to make it to that one someday, hard for us to get over to the east coast though.

[Garryowen]

Still don't know why anyone would want to shoot trooper class - ESPECIALLY at the MGM. OMFG that is just a lot of ammo! 500 rifle, 500 handgun and 400 shot + 100 slugs. What does that weigh?

Man up Sally.... Chicks dig scars and pain is only weakness leaving your body...

[MattBurkett]

Hahaha, right. Sorry but I just have to post this. I think it is way to funny.

[kurtm]

Matt:

That is probably the FUNNIEST thang I ever read!!! I am still bustin over this one!!! KURTM

[SinistralRifleman]

Shawn does like to be a bit abrassive doesn't he Matt?...I think his meaning was "just do it, it isn't that hard"

I tend to think most people shoot competition for recreation, not neccessarily to win. If they're shooting to win, they will most likely end up frustrated, as the same several people win matches all the time because they're born with better innate abilities (eyesight, hand/eye coordination), are better funded, and/or have more time to practice than the average shooter.

Everyone in practical action shooting is constantly looking for ways to keep it fresh and interesting so it doesn't stagnate and die. We see this in stage design, new types of targets, and a couple years ago He-Man class came out. Trooper class is our idea of fun and trying something that is different.

You won Open at MGM the past couple years, if anyone would want to try something different/more challenging I think it'd be you. Worst case if you decide to drop out of Trooper, you'll just be shooting in Open (or whatever other class your guns would put you in).

[Garryowen]

So if a fella's USPSA card has a letter on it that isn't "G" or "M" and he's been doing it for more then a year, he’s an "Idiot"?

Besides Matt, I actually do win in Trooper class (well 2nd place anyways)

[kurtm]

Hey Shawn I think Trooper class would be cool at the Rocky Mountain 3-Gun match. Carry all your gear and water for the day. Last year the stages were only 3.5 miles apart from start to finish and getting to the shotgun stage half way to the mine was just a little up hill . This would be the place to do it, it would really mean something there!! KURTM

[George]

Kind of a harsh thing you posted there Matt.

For us hobbyists that have real careers away from this recreational game we play for fun and relaxation, it’s a pretty darn smart a$$ comment. JMHO anyway, but I‘m thinking I am not very alone here.

I’m in it for fun and that’s it. This ain’t a professional sport like major league baseball, football, hockey, golf, NASCAR and “Tennis”, but you can pretend it’s anything you want because that is your right.

That post has lowered my opinion of you a little bit (I still mightily respect your shooting prowess). Now it’s up to you to raise it back up again ;-)

BTW, did you hear the one about the Polish IPSC shooter? He was in it for the money!! :-)

--

Regards,

[SinistralRifleman]

Hey Shawn I think Trooper class would be cool at the Rocky Mountain 3-Gun match. Carry all your gear and water for the day. Last year the stages were only 3.5 miles apart from start to finish and getting to the shotgun stage half way to the mine was just a little up hill . This would be the place to do it, it would really mean something there!! KURTM

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I want to incorporate it into Rocky Mountain, the distances involved might make it impractical from a time perspective rather than a physical endurance perspective. We might do something like have a "transport" that drops off the Trooper class squad a half mile to a mile out from the stage. I'll need to get with the match directors and get a map of how far apart the stages are to see how doable it is this year.