Big Boy rules

[2MoreChains]

I've always interpreted it to mean you own your actions.

[pjb45]

In a few 3G matches that i have shot, it means take responsibility for your safety and the safety of others e.g., on deck and in the hole shooters load their shotguns at a table typically 90 from downrange, on safe while the shooter is getting ready or is shooting, putting a loaded gun that is on safe in a bucket or box, dumping a loaded gun in a bucket, barrel, etc on safe while proceeding down range.

Big Boy Rules are a little less relaxed that USPSA rules but with safe gun handling in mind.-IMHO

[pmt]

I've heard it twice. First time, the shooter swept everyone uprange while unslinging his rifle. This was some outlaw 3g match. Everyone said 'big boy rules' so it's all OK. Next time I heard the term was 3GNation. A competitor sent one down range at unload & show clear. No DQ because big boy rules 3GNation (& television). I voted option 3 - no one got shot.

[bret]

I've heard it twice. First time, the shooter swept everyone uprange while unslinging his rifle. This was some outlaw 3g match. Everyone said 'big boy rules' so it's all OK. Next time I heard the term was 3GNation. A competitor sent one down range at unload & show clear. No DQ because big boy rules 3GNation (& television). I voted option 3 - no one got shot.

Both should be DQ.

[wgj3]

I voted for #4. I run a 3GN match and follow that ruleset closely at that match. There are some things in that ruleset that I find somewhat burdensome in certain situations. I also help with and now run other matches that are not USPSA or 3GN matches. We have tried to simplify scoring and safety and such in some situations. As such, if you start a stage with the rifle slung, it was started completely empty. When a rifle is slung and the shooter is moving, it IS going to break the 180. When unslinging a rifle MANY shooters will break the 180. With a completely empty gun, there is no harm in this. It's absolutely disallowed in some rulesets, so this is one where I might claim "big boy rules".

We shot a 2-gun match last weekend. It was NOT run under USPSA rules. I ran it as a "Times+penalties w/ points" match which seems to be fairly unheard of these days. There was NO prize table. There were no trophies. A shooter had a squib with his rifle and the RO stopped him and found that there WAS a bullet lodged in the barrel. Some shooters argued that his stage should have been scored as shot; started with rifle to engage 12-13 targets then transition to pistol for 14 more in an adjacent bay. i made the call for him to clear his gun and shoot the stage. I still think this was the correct call at this particular match. If it succeeds and grows and we start handing out trophies and/or prizes, I think we might have to revisit this topic.

After the match, I was made aware that we had shooters who were running Sig pistols that only had decockers, no safety. The rule was that pistols were to be "dumped" empty and/or "on safe". This group of shooters was just dropping their Sigs with hammers cocked because they didn't have a safety to engage; they were not even decocking them. I think this was not acceptable at all. As I considered it, I realized that even decocking wouldn't meet the "Empty and/or on safe" rule. I will be more clear with the shooters next time.

I made some other calls that I do not agree with as I look back on them, but I learned from them and don't plan to make the same mistake(s) in the future.

As others have noted, I have only used this phrase in multigun matches. There are plenty of established rules for pistol-only matches.

[toothandnail]

wgj3,

I agree 100% with your first paragraph, that's the way we run our matches, slung rifle is a stick, becomes a rifle when the shooter has a the rifle in one hand and a mag in the other. 180/DQ applies when the mag and rifle (in hand) get within 1 foot of each other.

If it's past the 180 when both are in hand , a warning, then if the 1' comes into play, DQ

Curious how USPSA multi-gun handles going prone with a holstered pistol ?

Is that an illegal stage?

Edited May 5, 2016 by toothandnail

[Jim Watson]

I read of one group whose "big boy rules" meant "We are Real Tactical and don't do all that fancy schmancy target shooting stuff that will get you killed On The Street."

[ima45dv8]

[bret]

wgj3,

I agree 100% with your first paragraph, that's the way we run our matches, slung rifle is a stick, becomes a rifle when the shooter has a the rifle in one hand and a mag in the other. 180/DQ applies when the mag and rifle (in hand) get within 1 foot of each other.

If it's past the 180 when both are in hand , a warning, then if the 1' comes into play, DQ

Curious how USPSA multi-gun handles going prone with a holstered pistol ?

Is that an illegal stage?

Holsteed pistol has the trigger 100% covered and not accessible.

Not an illegal stage or DQ with holstered pistol.