Tactical 3-Gun Match

This event attracts many shooters so be sure and sign up early.

Tac Pro Shooting Center 3 Gun Match Q & A

Cold range rules:
All weapons are to be unloaded prior to the commencement of the match. Loading/Unloading of weapons will be performed only under the direction of a Range Officer. All handguns must be unloaded, hammer down and holstered at ALL TIMES, except when directed to load and shoot a stage by a range officer. Long guns must be unloaded and cased, or unloaded with action open and carried muzzle up or down, except when directed to load and shoot a stage by a range officer. Safe areas for gun handling will be provided on each range. A safe area is expressly provided for the unsupervised handling of firearms and may be used by anyone at any time. No ammunition will be allowed at any time in a safe area.

Can you give me a description of the match?
This is a three gun tactical match. It will utilize rifle, shotgun, and handgun. The stages will not be published prior to the match. These stages will strive to present realistic use of the firearms involved, as needed in a tactical environment. Some may refer to this as a "Combat" match. The stages will attempt to portray a defensive or offensive situation in which use of firearms is an appropriate solution.

How many stages of fire?
There will be five to six stages. There may be stages where more than one firearm is used.

What kind of handgun, rifle and shotgun will I need?
HANDGUN: Any safe and serviceable handgun of a minimum caliber of 9mm/.38 Special. The following are expressly not allowed on handguns: compensators, optical or electronic sights, ported barrels.
RIFLE: Any serviceable and safe rifle, in a minimum caliber of .223. Semi-autos, bolt actions, lever actions etc. will compete evenly. Slings may be used, but must remain on the rifle at all times. Bipods will NOT be allowed. Iron sights and optical or electronic sights may be used. There will be two categories for rifle competition. Shooters using open, iron-sighted rifles will compete in a separate category from those using optical sights. (Anything with glass is an optical sight, whether battery powered, tritium powered, magnified or not) We will attempt to set up a course of fire that tests the operator more than the equipment. But realistically, semi-autos will usually be easier to use in any action scenario. Ranges will be from as close as 10 yards to as far as 300 yards.
SHOTGUN: Any serviceable and safe shotgun, a minimum of 20 gauge, may be used. Optical or electronic sights are NOT ALLOWED. The shotgun MAY NOT be loaded with more than 8 rounds at any time.
Swapping of guns or accessories during the match:
No swapping of firearms will be allowed. You may only use one handgun, one shotgun, and one rifle during the match. The configuration of each (sights, slings, holsters, etc.) may not be changed between stages. The only exception is changing chokes in the shotgun. If a firearm breaks or otherwise becomes unserviceable, you may change to another of a similar configuration and identical action type after informing the match director.

What is a power factor?
Power factor is a number derived by multiplying the weight of the bullet in grains by the velocity in feet per second and dividing the result by 1,000. For example, a 9mm 115 grain bullet at a velocity of 1,150 feet per second works out thus: 115 x 1,150 = 132,250 132,250 / 1,000 = 132.25 power factor A minimum power factor requirement of 125 means that any handgun ammunition that does not meet the minimum of 125 will not be allowed to shoot for score.

What are IDPA-type holster requirements?
The exact description of IDPA requirements for holsters are posted on the IDPA Website at http://www.idpa.com/ Under the heading "EQUIPMENT". It states: All equipment used in Defensive Pistol matches must meet the following simple guidelines; equipment must be practical for self-defense use, concealable, suitable for all day continuous wear and must be worn in a manner that would be appropriate for all day continuous wear. The match director will be REQUIRED to disallow any equipment that does not meet these simple criteria. If you wouldn't carry it to defend yourself, you can't shoot or use it in Defensive Pistol competition. If you are caught using equipment that is not in the guidelines set forth and not in the spirit of Defensive Pistol "PURPOSE", and the Match Director is convinced you did so to gain competitive advantage, you will be disqualified from the entire match. For the purposes of this match, we are a bit more lenient. Any belt holster that is not designed specifically as a competition holster is allowed. No shoulder holsters or cross-draw holsters that require the pistol to point to the rear will be allowed. Be aware that the handgun MUST be worn during all stages.

What kind of ammo will I need?
Handgun: Serviceable and safe ammunition that at least meets the minimum power factor requirement. Most bullet types (FMJ, JHP, SWC, etc.) are fine. Please, no armor piercing ammo as much shooting will be done on steel targets.
Rifle: Most bullet types (FMJ, JHP, JSP, etc.) are fine. Please, no armor piercing ammo as much shooting will be done on steel targets.
Shotgun: Birdshot slugs and buckshot may be used. No steel shot as it may bounce back at the competitor. Most of the shotgun targets will be reactive steel.

What type of targets will be used?
Cardboard targets and reactive steel targets in several shapes and sizes. The steel targets must fall to score.

How will the match be scored?
A modified version of IDPA's run-time plus penalty time. For each stage, each target must be engaged to solve a shooting problem. Steel targets must fall to be considered neutralized. Cardboard targets: Each target must have a designated number and placement of hits to be considered neutralized. Targets not neutralized will incur a penalty. If the target is not hit a stiffer penalty is added to the total run time. If a target is not engaged an even stiffer penalty is added to the total run time.

If a competitor engages in what the range officer identifies as "blatant gamey or unsportsmanlike conduct" a Failure To Do Right penalty may be levied, which will be an extreme time penalty.

Safety and range officer rulings:
Each stage will have a designated range officer who will be primarily responsible for the conduct of the stage. The range officer's rulings on safety violations are final and not subject to arbitration. Any issues of proper scoring may be protested to the match director for a final decision.