What Do You Think Is The "best" Big 3 Gun Match?

[Correia]

For those of us with limited vacation time, what would be the premire big 3 gun matches to attend?

I have been to the WC3gun before, but I have not been to Mystery Mountain, Raton, or the Ironman.

For your money, what are your favorite matches?

[FEBA]

Mystery Mountain is alot of fun. Great stage design - multi-gun stages.

Great Prize table.

RM3G at Raton: A close second. The Whittington center is the best place for a 3gun match. The guy's there know what makes for a fun match and they use open terrain - more fun for run and gun.

[Zak Smith]

I've only been to Raton so far. Next year I plan to go to SMM3G, Raton, and ITRC (providing I can find a partner). Those are relatively vacation-friendly. For WC3Gun you have to basically take the entire week off.

-z

[John Dunn]

I've shot the MGM Ironman and the ITRC, there is no shotgun in the ITRC. The Ironman is just wild and totally fun with round counts on a single stage that would probably come close to dwarfing other matches. I recommend it highly.

As for the ITRC, it definitely rocks, but is not traditional 3 gun.

The other matches I have no personal experience with. When I hit the Lotto and retire, I'll put together a comprehensive comparison.

[benny hill]

haveing made most of them for the last 10 yrs, I would say in pure challenge & fun, the RM3G wins hand down. A close second is MM3G. haven't made kyle's match yet, but it is at the top of the list for next yesr.

[George]

I agree with Benny that the RM3Gun takes it hands down because of the quality of course design and the available terrain. IMG scoring, 8 stages, 350+ rounds in 2 days (8am-5pm fri & sat), team shoot & awards on sun, $200 + travel $ (Raton in NE New Mexico). Five Stars for good stage design and high challenge factor, not to mention a great match staff too! Prize table.

*Caveat, I have not been to the SMM 3gun so I can not rate it, but I am going to fix that next year. Same goes for Kyle's match in NC as soon as I can figure out a rationale for driving that far.

The MGM Iron Man will give you more trigger time than you can stand. Stage design takes a back seat to sheer round count here. Most stages involve all three weapons, some need more! IMG scoring, 10 stages, 1000+ rounds in 2 days (8am to almost 9pm on fri & sat), results on sun, $100 + travel $ (Near Boise, Idaho). BTW, ammo costs are large for this match, I took 1700 rounds with me, used 1200ish. Five Stars because there is nothing else like it. Prize table

The Area 1 3Gun has been a very good USPSA type match for the past two years. darn good stages, lotsa bang for the buck here, but this match was on a Monday/Tuesday this year, kinda odd for time off purposes. 9 stages, 300+ rounds in 2 days (9am-6pm day1, 8am-12pm then results day2), $100 + travel $ (Bend, Oregon). LR Rifle sidematch on day 2 while waiting for results. 5 stars for this USPSA style 3 gun match. Trophies & Plaques only.

The USPSA 3Gun Nationals are a good event to attend, just because they are the Nationals. Most stages are single weapon with a couple of combo stages thrown in lately to appease the masses. The stage designs tend to reflect typical USPSA pistol type stage design mentality adapted to rifle & shotgun requirements with some fun stuff now and then (I couldn't make 2003 so this description draws mostly on past experience). You also get a multiple stage long distance rifle match to compete in (Manually Operated Rifle). Typically, 12 stages in 3 days, 350-400 rounds total (8am-5pm fri & sat, 8am-1pm sun then results), $200 + $ travel cost (Las Vegas, NV previously, Barry Illinois in 2003, ? in 2004). 4 Stars just because it costs a little bit more and is a just a little less fun than the others. Prize table

Regards,

[ToddS]

I agree with with the rest, SMM3-G has the most people and great prize table.

NA3-G (Kyle's) has the most prizes and is the most challenging.

RM3-G is the most fun with the best stages and range.

WC3-G has been sucking more every year for the last 5 years or so, (I can't speak for this year, I didn't feel like going to another PPC match with longguns )

Iron Man is in a class of it's own for melting barrels, It is great fun however.

IPSC National 3-G made some big time come back points this year since they moved the match from Vegas.

I would rate them in this order'

RM3-G (only because I love that range so much)

NA3-G

SMM3-G

Iron Man " I got to shoot how many???"

WC3-G

[kellyn]

This is a difficult choice. I'd rank North American Tactical 3 Gun and Rocky Mountain 3 Gun as the best two matches right now.

RM3G has location, location, location. Raton is the ideal place to have a 3 gun match. Those guys came up with fun, entertaining and challenging stages. Plus they have some real rifle shooting, something lacking in many 3 gun events. Lots of multigun action. The proper mix of slugs (which is to say few!) in the shotgun shooting. Lots of movement, running, etc. Plus the rules make sense! And they welcome the open class shooter and they invented HeMan class!

North American Tac 3 gun is just as fun though. It is probably the most physical match with more running and crawling. Plus it's humid which kills sissy asthmatics like myself. Kyle's rules make sense and he recognizes HeMan class. His match challenges a whole bunch of skills: shooting long guns weakhanded, retention, shooting from really contorted positions and sideways. I'd say this match required more accuracy with the pistol than RM3G but it has less long range rifle shooting as Kyle only has one bay which he can shoot past 50 yards. Great props and lots of shooting from vehicles. Plus they have the pig pull. (in my best Homer voice) Mmmmmm, pig pull. Kyle's match is not really iron sight friendly as scopes and irons are scored the same and there is no open class.

I can't say I have a preference between the 2. Both have excellent prize tables and ROs. A tie for first! If I had to pick one, I'd go with RM3G simply because I can drive there but if I lived back east, I'd pick North American.

I'd say Mystery Mountain 3 Gun is the next best. They have good stages with lots of multigun action. I don't feel that they use the facility enough to set up some real rifles stages but then again, I like "longrange" rifle shooting (200-350 yards stuff) and I realize that many struggle with it. Great prize table, Dan Furbee really puts a lot of time and effort into generating a prize table where everybody gets something nice. It's a bit more of a hoser match than the aformentioned matches. It recognizes open class and I understand HeMan class will appear in 2004. I think the tactical scope rule used by MM3G is dumb (requiring shooters to pick from an approved list), the scope rule of North American (any one scope) and Rm3G (any one scope under 4X) make much more sense.

USPSA 3 Gun Nationals are all right but it always seems like a 3 gun match designed by pistol shooters. There is less multigun action and USPSA scoring really turns shotgun shooting into a loadfest. I liked the Texas State 3 Gun as much as any Nationals I've shot in. This year I had to pick between 3 Gun nationals and North American 3 Gun. I was off to North Carolina! But they do have the MOR match which is pretty cool.

I have not shot in the MGM Ironman but it certainly sounds like a hoot. Everybody that I know who has gone to this match loves it. You won't be seeing me with a match barrel on my rifle up there though! Another match I want to try is the Tennesse Tac 3 Gun which looks like fun.

WC3Gun is the most expensive and requires the most time off. They do put together some challenging stages with some real rifle action. This organization is the fount for many of the tactically oriented 3 gun matches we have now but I feel they've been passed by. It is the most "IDPAesque" of the 3 gun matches with more subjective ROing. I don't care for the approved list of scopes rule. I did not go this year so I can't comment on their new facility.

[Correia]

Thanks everybody. Lots of great information here. I'll just need to figure out when the matches are and try to make a few of them. I'm in Utah, so I can drive to Arizona, Idaho, or New Mexico pretty easy.

[ChandlerSniper158]

Just an FYI for everyone. The powers that be at the WC3gun have decided to call it quits. They made the announcement at the banquet that they will not be putting a match on anymore.

Rich Lucibella from SWAT magazine did say they will support anyone that wants to continue a match in the traditions of the SOF/WC3gun configuration. There was already a buzz that someone is going to step up and run the match.. so we`ll have to see what happens.

CS#158

[rifleguy]

I did not stay for the WC3Gun banquet due to prior commitments, but I am glad to hear that they are calling it quits. The match was a disapointment all around. The facility was absolutely primitive, no provision for shade and the roads were undrivable requiring long, long walks to some of the stages carrying all of your equipment. The heat was oppressive ( 105 with 40 - 505 humidity) with little or no support by the match people. Of course, they did offer to sell water at each stage instead of offering it to prevent sun stroke. The stages were very bare bone with little in the way of props.

All in all a wise decision to hang it up, the match had been passed by and it was no longer worth the cost in time or money.

[MattBurkett]

"All in all a wise decision to hang it up, the match had been passed by and it was no longer worth the cost in time or money. "

wow, wish I could have shot the old SOF match when it was being held. Glad I went to the IDPA Nat's instead. Sorry to hear of its passing, but, sounds like it was time.

[Jim Norman]

Due to time and money constraints, I have not been out west, but inthe east there is Kyle's Match, now known as the North American 3-gun Championship. I have shot this at least 4 times, THer are a couple ohte one day matches in the east that are or have the potential to be good. NC 3-Gun this year was a new match held in Albermarle, NC generally good stages including a surprise dark house. You can check out the NC Recon as well, I have not been there, but all reports have been that I should have. USPSA 3-gun was more like three one gun matches. Stages were good, I hate to say, that I was not up to them this year, but I wasn't. There were some very interesting stages. Many of the stages are quite similar to IPSC pistol, just opened up, but they are a challenge and if it is in the east, I will likely attend again. For us in the NE North Carolina seems to be the place, problem is its takes Friday and sometimes Monday to do a twoday match. 7 hours each way is a long drive if you leave for home at 8 'o'clock at night.

[rifleguy]

I went to 4 3 gun matches this year: the MGM Iron Man, SMM3Gun, RM3Gun and the WC3Gun.

IMO, the best was the RM3gun, the stage made best use of the natural terrain at Raton, there were realistic, common sense rules about scope usage and there was some REAL rifle stages (no hosing at 10 yards targets). Cabins were cheap to rent and the on site restaurant was cheap and food was decent. One downside that comes to mind: there was a group of people and several individuals who were allowed to "shoot through" the match for some reason. This causes some delays to regularly scheduled squads who were trying to stick to the time schedule as these shoot throughs would show up and try to bypasss those who were waiting.

Next, I enjoyed the MGM Iron Man, really for different reasons. The stages were the ultimate test of man and equipment. Where else do you have a 10 minute maximum time on a stage? Are you and your equipment in good enough shape to get through? The rifle stages had good long distance targets also. Lunch was provided each day and the match fee was incredibly cheap. On the downside, some of the stages had endless repetition of targets to get to the 1000 round match goal, which was unnecessary to me, anyway. Mike can do away with the 1000 round goal and have a better match.

SMM3Gun had the best prize table, lunch was available on site (for a price). There was some decent long range rifle shots as well as multi gun stages On the downside, the list of scopes for rifle is limited to what Furbee feels is correct and is not being kept up to date with current technology. He is way behind the power curve on scopes. He needs to open the rules up similiar to what others have done.

WC3gun I have mentioned earlier. Poor range preparation in combination with higher than normal temperatures ruined the match for most there.