What Is a 3-Gun Competition?
In case you live under a rock and only stumbled upon this How-to Guide by accident, let me give you a quick rundown of what a 3-gun competition is. 3-gun is a shooting competition that requires the shooter to use 3 guns (imagine that!) to complete a set course of fire in the fastest possible time. Competitors shoot rifles, pistols, and shotguns at a multitude of target types from point-blank range out to several hundred yards. One of the cool things about 3 gun matches, unlike almost every other shooting sport, is that each course of fire is unique. You never get fatigued from repetitively shooting the same old thing every time!
If you're interested in competing in a 3-gun match, keep reading to learn how to prepare for a match, which division to shoot, what 3-gun pistols, rifles, and shotguns are allowed for each division, and how 3-gun competitions are scored.
How to Start Competing in 3-Gun Shooting Matches
Joining your first 3-gun competition can be intimidating. It's a fast-paced, challenging event that differs greatly from benchrest competitions. And of course, almost everyone else there will be much more experienced than you. Despite the competitive nature of three gun competitions, the community is incredibly supportive of newcomers as long as they practice proper firearm safety and take losses in stride. Prepping for your first 3 gun isn't easy, but there are steps you can take that will help you make the most out of your experience.
Research, Research, Research
Now that I have your attention, I suggest you do like you do with everything these days and scour the web for information. Heck, that may be why you ended up at this guide in the first place. The sport of 3-gun is exploding right before us. The web is full of information about this super exciting competition. While guides like this are a great starting point, it's helpful to check out other people's unique perspectives and experiences. YouTube is chock full of videos of guys and gals playing the game from the club levels all the way to the 3 Gun Nation Pro Series that Kalani Laker and I shoot on. I guarantee that once you watch some of the cool 3-gun videos out there, you will be dying to give it a shot as well.
There are also a bunch of good firearms forums out there that have a ton of information. Several of them have pro shooters just like us that frequent the boards ready to help out any way we can. That's one of the coolest things about not only 3-gun but really all shooting sports. Just about everyone you meet is willing to lend you a hand to make sure you have a good time.
Find a 3-Gun Competition Near You
3-Gun matches are more prevalent than ever before. The first step to getting started is to find a match near you. Four years ago. I saw 3-gun for the first time on YouTube. I had just started shooting USPSA, (United States Practical Shooting Association) pistol matches a few months earlier and was really enjoying it, but I knew I had to step into the octagon and go toe-to-toe with some 3-gun professionals. So I checked my local club's calendar and there was nothing. I scoured the web and looked up every gun club in a 200-mile radius of my hometown, and there was notta, zilch, zero. Talk about a buzz kill!
I was knocked down, but I wasn't knocked out. I kept searching and finally found a match three hours away in Ft. Smith, AR. It was the Arkansas State Championship, which sounded terrifying, but I was ready for anything at this point. Unfortunately for me, I was going to have to wait 6 months to get my first dose of 3-gun meds.
Today, things are drastically different. Most clubs that shoot USPSA, IPDA, Steel Challenge, SASS, or any of the action-shooting sports now have some sort of monthly, quarterly, or annual 3-gun match. The best way to find a 3 gun competition near you is to check your local gun clubs. There is also a big match listing on the 3 Gun Nation website and the 3 Gun Nation forum on AR15.com. You may not have a match right down the street, but chances are, you're not going to have to drive three hours and wait six months to get your first taste of action like I did!
Once you find your first match, check out the club's website or Facebook page. There, you will likely find some more answers to your questions. While you are browsing, make sure you read the club's safety rules and match rules. It will take you a few months of 3 gun shooting matches to learn all the rules and how the scoring works.
Wait to Buy 3-Gun Gear
I know what you're thinking. This guy is writing a How-To guide for one of the largest online retailers of shooting gear, and he's telling me not to buy anything? Yep, you heard me right. Don't buy anything right now. Well, anything other than ammo - always buy ammo! To say this sport is gear intensive would be a bit of an understatement. There will be plenty of opportunities to quench the gear thirst we all have hidden deep inside of us
Once new shooters find a local match and decide to give the game a try, the first thing they do is decide that they have found a new reason to go buy a bunch of cool new guns and gear. We are all guilty of this, aren't we? All we need is a reason to justify a new gun or gear purchase, and BOOM - out comes the credit card, and we are on Optics Planet looking for the newest and best shooting gear available. Trust me when I say to resist the urge. You will have plenty of time and plenty of reasons to buy all kinds of cool gear once you learn exactly which accessories and guns actually have a place in the game. What you don't want to do is what I did.
The day I found my first match, I rushed out and proceeded to spend several thousands of dollars on a new 3-gun kit that I thought looked extremely cool, only to find out after shooting a few matches that most of it really didn't serve any good purpose in 3-Gun competitions - or anywhere, for that matter!
Do You Need to Practice Before a 3-Gun Competition?
The biggest excuse I hear as to why someone hasn't shot their first match yet is, "I need to practice first." It always makes me shake my head. It is the silliest excuse there is! A new 3-gun shooter won't have the slightest clue what skills they need to practice to fully prepare for their first 3-gun match until they actually go shoot one. Now, I am not saying that you shouldn't be familiar and comfortable with handling and shooting a firearm. If you're not comfortable and confident that you can properly handle your firearms safely, by all means - go get some training! The last thing I would do is advocate anyone do anything unsafe. What I am saying is that new shooters need to realize that every 3-gun competitor, from beginner to expert, has had a first match.
None of us showed up on day one and won the match. It just doesn't happen. Heck - even the fact that 3-gun events are all called matches scares a lot of newbies off simply because they don't want to be judged by their peers. Don't be that guy! Leave your ego at the door. I can't guarantee that you will eventually win your local match. But what I can guarantee is that if you keep going to your local match, you will get better, and a lot better. Not only will you improve your three gun skills, but you'll sharpen your marksmanship and gun-handling skills simply by learning from other shooters. So drop the excuses and get to the range.
Shoot Your First 3-Gun Match
Did you notice the title of this section? It doesn't say find a match and go watch. It says shoot a match! I have seen so many guys show up at a match scared to play because they didn't have the guns or gear they thought they needed. Once you start watching the match unfold, you'll deeply regret not being able to join in on the fun. So take whatever guns and gear you have in the safe, along with ammunition for those guns, and get out to a match!
If you don't have all the guns or gear you think you need, don't fret. Buy some 9mm ammo, 12 gauge shells, and 223 Remington rounds and show up. Chances are that if you are lacking a key piece of gear, someone has an extra one, or they will simply let you share a piece of their gear. If you don't have all 3 guns, same deal. Take what you do have with you.
Then, during the safety briefing when they ask if anyone has any questions, raise your hand and let everyone know that this is your first match and that you don't have the proper 3-gun pistol, rifle, or shotgun. Explain to everyone that you read on OpticsPlanet that it was better to come out ready to shoot and to see what everyone else was using rather than rush out and buy the wrong gun. Don't forget to inform them that you have your own ammunition. Everyone loves the guy with extra ammo, trust me.
At this point, you will have earned the respect of every shooter at the match simply for showing up and speaking up. It will then be very likely that you will have a multitude of firearms offered up to you to use by your fellow competitors. I know what you're thinking. No way can 3-gunners be that cool. Listen here Jack, they are! 3-gun firearms aren't my dad's favorite Belgium-made Browning A5 that he would never let me shoot. They are tools with a purpose, and that purpose is for shooting 3-gun competitions. They get beat up. They get broken. There is no good reason why anyone wouldn't let you shoot their stuff. In fact, most guys would be proud to show you their babies and even give you some of their ammunition to try 'em out.
I have had more first-time shooters than I can count use every one of my three guns. It's really that simple. And hey - if you don't want to ask questions in front of the crowd, that's ok too. Simply talk to the guys handling the match sign-up. They see new guys like you every match and know exactly what you are thinking. Just don't be shy.
Choose a 3-Gun Division
Now that you've found the match, it's time to figure out what division your guns and gear fit in, and where you are going to have the most fun. The sport has five different divisions, and those divisions vary depending on what rules your club is following. This definitely isn't going to be an all-encompassing breakdown of every match you might attend because rules and divisions vary from match to match. However, it will get you pointed in the right direction. Always read the rules for the match you plan to attend so you are not confused when you get to sign up.
Tactical Optics, aka Tac Ops, aka TO
This is the most popular division in 3Gun. Roughly 80% of the shooters at any given match will be shooting in this division. The reason that most people compete in Tac Ops 3-gun is that most shooters have the right guns and gear already in their safe at home.
Pistol - You are allowed to shoot a pistol in 9mm or larger caliber. The pistol must have iron sights. A red dot on the pistol is only allowed in the Open Division. Magazine capacity is limited by magazine length, which is roughly 140mm. That means you can use extended base pads for your magazines to bump the capacity of your 9mm up to 22 or so rounds.
Shotgun - You are allowed to use a 20-gauge or larger semi-automatic shotgun. 12 gauge is the most common choice. Shotguns must be traditional tube-fed guns. Magazine capacity is limited to 9 rounds at the start. After the start signal, you can load more rounds into your gun. The magazine-fed guns are only allowed in Open Division matches. As with the pistol, you can only use iron sights or the typical fiber optic sights found on shotguns. No electronic red dot sighting systems are allowed.
Rifle - You are allowed to use a .223 Remington or larger caliber semi-automatic rifle. The AR15 is the most popular rifle for TO events. You are allowed one magnified optic. Most shooters run a variable power 1-4x or 1-6x AR scope. You can use iron sights or a red dot as well, but it may put you at a slight disadvantage on long-range targets. You are allowed to run offset iron sights with your magnified optic. Most shooters use a compensator on their rifle. The compensators are limited by size which is typically 1in diameter and 3in length. You cannot use bipods in this division - those are limited to the Open Division. Magazine capacity is typically not limited, but a few matches do limit you to a 30-round magazine to encourage more mag changes during the match.
Tactical Irons, aka Tac Irons, aka TI
Tactical Irons, aka Tac Irons, aka TI This division is exactly the same as Tactical Optics, except you are not allowed to use a magnified optic on your rifle. You can only use iron sights or a red dot sight as your sighting system. The shotgun and pistol rules are the exact same as the Tactical Optics division.
Open Division aka O
This is the race gun division. You will see pistols with compensators and red dots that look like ray guns, box-fed shotguns with compensators and red dots, and rifles with multiple optics, bipods, and huge compensators. Pretty much anything you can think of to go faster is allowed within reason. This division is also one of the most expensive and truly is an equipment race to see who can find the most ammo capacity and speed possible with their weapon build.
Heavy Optics aka Heavy Metal aka HO
This division sees the most variance in rules of all of the matches out there. The basic premise is that you are shooting the Tactical Optics division with your 12ga semi-auto tube-fed shotgun, 9mm high-capacity pistol, and a .308 rifle with 20-round magazines. Some matches require you to use a pump shotgun in place of the semi-auto, while others will require you to use a .40 or even a .45 caliber handgun. Furthermore, some matches will limit your pistol magazine capacity to only 10 rounds so that single stack-style pistols are competitive in the division, as well. If you plan to shoot this three-gun division, make sure you read the match rules not just once, but more like four or five times, as they vary a lot around the country.
Heavy Irons aka He-Man aka HI
Pistol - .45 ACP is the king of calibers here. Magazines are limited to 10 rounds, so stock up on those spare mags and mag pouches. Only iron sights are allowed on this 3-gun pistol.
Shotgun - Most matches require you to run a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun. Some matches even put a restriction on low-recoil ammunition like slugs and buckshot. They don't want the He-Men getting soft!
Rifle - This division is called Heavy for a reason. You are only allowed to run a .308 caliber rifle with iron sights. Since you're only shooting irons, chances are you're going to use up a lot of ammo. The good news is that you can only use 20-round rifle mags, so plan on carrying a bunch of them!
Buy Some 3-Gun Ammo
Ammunition in general can be pretty confusing to the average shooter. HP, JHP, CMJ, 00, 7 1/2, 8, Lead, Steel, what? Exactly! 3-gun ammunition is no different. In 3-gun, you will shoot a lot of steel targets with all three guns. What you want to avoid is shooting any ammunition that will damage the steel targets or ricochet back at you and your fellow competitors. (And if you're still learning the basics of ammo, check out this glossary of ammunition terms.)
From a pistol and rifle perspective, you should avoid the military surplus steel core or armor-piercing stuff you see for sale in those green Spam cans. That stuff will whiz right through, severally dent, or worse, bounce back from even the most expensive steel targets. A good rule of thumb with your rifle and pistol ammo is if a magnet sticks to it, it's a no-go. Yes, there are some steel-jacketed copper-washed bullets that are ok to shoot at steel targets, but you are better safe than sorry here as safety is paramount with any shooting sport.
If you're not sure, ask. Asking questions is a lot better than having to buy the club an expensive new steel target, and it's way better than losing an eye due to a ricochet. Most of us use inexpensive blaster ammo for the pistol and rifle. This means 55gr .223 and 115, 124 or 147 gr FMJ in the pistol. If your club does some longer-range shooting over 200 yards, you may want to look into more expensive match-grade rifle ammo with 69 or 77 gr.
For shotgun ammunition, you will shoot mostly 2 3/4in lead birdshot in the 7, 7 1/2, or 8 shot size. Do not bring steel shot, as it will come back to see you when you shoot the steel targets. You may also need some buckshot and/or slugs. There are lots of options out there for slugs and buck. Most of us will use a low-recoil version of both. Low-recoil ammo isn't as easy to find on your local shelves, but thankfully, OpticsPlanet has tons of shotgun ammo for sale. If you have ever shot a bunch of full-power slugs and buckshot, your shoulder and cheek will be thankful that you planned ahead and ordered the softer stuff.
The average slug we use is a 2 3/4in, 1oz, 1150-1300 fps type. The buckshot is 2 3/4in, 8-9 pellet, 1150-1300 fps variety. Chances are you won't need slugs or buckshot for your first match, or maybe ever, so don't rush out and buy some until you know what your club typically shoots. If you get to a match and they are shooting some slug or buckshot targets, chances are it will be less than five rounds and someone at the match will have extra ammunition you can buy from them. And with that, it's time to ventilate some tangos - aka put holes in cardboard!
How Are 3-Gun Competitions Scored?
Now that you have your ammunition, you are ready to make some holes and break some clays, so let's talk about scoring. The scoring for 3-gun is pretty simple. You more than likely won't have to count up points or deduct seconds. What you will hear is the term "neutralize' when it comes to 3-gun targets. What that means is you need to hit each target with the required number of shots to "neutralize" the target and not receive any penalties. It isn't always simple, however, as the penalties you will be assessed when you don't hit all of the targets change from match-to-match and club-to-club. You can expect to shoot knockdown, gong, and flasher-type steel targets, clay pigeons, and various shapes and sizes of cardboard.
Clay Pigeon Targets
The clay pigeons are the easiest targets to neutralize. You simply break or chip them and you're good to go.
Cardboard Targets
The cardboard targets will require you to either hit one well-placed shot or multiple shots anywhere on the target to "neutralize" it. Make sure you read the scoring rules at your club and then ask your fellow shooters to make sure you understand exactly how many times you need to shoot all of the targets to avoid penalties. There are not too many things more frustrating than shooting well and still receiving a bunch of penalties because you didn't listen to or read the match rules.
Steel Targets
Steel targets will do one of three things: fall over, make a loud ringing sound, or react/flash. When you shoot gong-type targets that make a loud ringing sound, you will usually be alerted by the range officer or scorekeeper with a very audible "hit" letting you know that your bullet hit its mark and the target is neutralized. The reactive or flash-type targets will have a scoring zone and an indicator that appears, reacts, or moves when your bullet hits its mark. Typically these are long-range targets. Just like the gong targets, you will usually be alerted by the range officer or scorekeeper with a very audible "hit" letting you know that your bullet hit its mark when they see the target "flash" at that time the target is neutralized.
3-Gun Scoring Explained
Each match will have multiple courses of fire or stages. The match can be scored one of two ways: cumulative time or stage points. The easiest scoring to understand is cumulative time.
When a match is scored using cumulative time, you simply add up the times from each 3-gun competitor on each stage and get a total time for each competitor. The shooter with the lowest time wins the match.
The alternative and most popular 3-gun scoring is to assess a point value to each stage. The value assessed to each stage is typically 100 points. In a five-stage match, there will be a total of 500 possible points. The way to earn stage points is to be the shooter with the lowest overall time on a given stage. When you have the fastest time on a stage, you will be given 100 stage points. The subsequent shooters with slower overall times are given a percentage of the fastest time. That percentage is then multiplied by 100 to receive the points for each shooter on each stage. Once all the stage points are calculated, you simply add up each shooter's total stage points, and you arrive at a winner with the highest total match points.
Rinse and Repeat
Once you shoot that first 3-gun match, you will be hooked. About 2-3 days post match, the smile on your face will go away, and you will stop looking at the match scores every few hours trying to figure out how to improve your scores next month. You are also likely to become a 3-gun junkie on the gun forums and Facebook, asking anyone who will listen when the next match is and what guns and gear everyone else is using and why. These are all good things! If you talk to enough people and handle enough of other shooters' guns, you will be ready to jump on OpticsPlanet and start buying all that cool new 3-gun gear you've been wanting. Remember to exercise firearm safety, ask questions, and of course, have fun. Good Luck!
