3 Gun Tips and Tricks

To all you 3 Gun match organizers & directors, I would like to hear from you on what tips you have for making a match run smoothly and efficiently?
 
bluesclues said:
To all you 3 Gun match organizers & directors, I would like to hear from you on what tips you have for making a match run smoothly and efficiently?
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For me the key to having a match run smoothly and efficiently can be boiled down to one word: Organization. Your volunteers and your shooters count on it. If you've volunteered before you know how much it sucks if the person in charge is disorganized....if you've shot enough matches you know how much it sucks when you show up for your squad only to learn that things are running an hour behind or that you may not get to shoot all of the stages because they are so far behind.

I like to sit down and go over each stage piece by piece, making sure we have everything needed to set up and maintain a stage. Redundant targets to put in place should one malfunction, patches, staples, tape, screws, tools, clamps, clays, you name it. Things will go wrong on a stage so take a good look at what will likely go down and what your crew will need to do to get it back up and running quickly.

Think about what you would do if a scoring tablet goes down or a timer dies or someone gets injured. Plan for the things that could really create a speed bump for your match.

Be realistic with the complexity of the stage, the size of the squads, and the time allotted per squad. Striking a balance of these three things is tough and erring on the wrong side of any one will lead to big problems that are tough to recover from.

Delegate tasks. I'm still working on this one...the people I work with are more than willing and capable, I just struggle with delegating stuff but am getting better.
 
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i handle registration.... getting people in and registered is important as is getting the scoring added up for the after match beers, we usually have scores added and on display within 30 minutes of the last shooter being done.

organization as stated above BUT the biggest thing to do is share the responsibility with others, if your the match director year after year.... your doing something wrong. it is frustrating to organize a match and you can only bang your head against the wall so much before you burn out.

matches are 90% organization and behind the scenes stuff... and shooters only see the 4-6hrs of the match.

another tip, make sure to get your lunch planned early, designate a volunteer from outside the 3gun shooters to handle it..... match director can blow his whole day screwing around with lunch, get a wife, a friend... hell even the local volunteer fire dept.

delegate, delegate, delagate
 
Thank you guys for the input, all great points.

Yeah, I hear ya on the delegation part. It is sometimes hard to let others do what you have always done....
 
bluesclues said:
Thank you guys for the input, all great points.

Yeah, I hear ya on the delegation part. It is sometimes hard to let others do what you have always done....
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And it's often extremely hard to find other do those things. So you keep doing it yourself because you want to shoot, until one day you say "#### it", and walk away from organizing.
 
Stevo said:
And it's often extremely hard to find other do those things. So you keep doing it yourself because you want to shoot, until one day you say "#### it", and walk away from organizing.
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Truer words have not been spoken. We need leaders but they need a strong core of volunteers also. Delegation is key. If not, the leader will burn out and everyone loses. Doesn't matter if it's 3G, IPSC, IDPA or TAC rifle. The process is similar.
 
Match organization is applicable to all sports and could be a stickied topic all on its own.
Perhaps a new thread on match do's and don't from match director viewpoints could be started?
I know I have a chapter or two I could add, and not all of it negative, lol...
 
wasrupzuk said:
Match organization is applicable to all sports and could be a stickied topic all on its own.
Perhaps a new thread on match do's and don't from match director viewpoints could be started?
I know I have a chapter or two I could add, and not all of it negative, lol...
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No need for a new thread... feel free to post your thoughts here.
This thread is all about 3 gun, tips and tricks and do and don'ts and even what gear/guns work etc.

I am always interested in reading stuff from the die hards to the newbies in the sport.
Everything from personal opinions to questions... if its 3 Gun related, feel free to post it here.
 
wasrupzuk said:
Match organization is applicable to all sports and could be a stickied topic all on its own.
Perhaps a new thread on match do's and don't from match director viewpoints could be started?
I know I have a chapter or two I could add, and not all of it negative, lol...
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I think a new thread focusing on the admin side of match organization would be great as I usually look at this thread as more of tips to competing. The mods don't seem interested in making any stickies in this sub-forum though.
 
grimreefer said:
Is there an action pistol competition tips thread?
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Unless it is specific to a particular pistol sport, just ask it here. A lot of 3 gunners either came from pistol sports or still compete in them. Not to mention the pistol portion of 3 gun is often quite skill intensive.
 
bluesclues said:
Unless it is specific to a particular pistol sport, just ask it here. A lot of 3 gunners either came from pistol sports or still compete in them. Not to mention the pistol portion of 3 gun is often quite skill intensive.
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I didn't really have any particular question. Other than maybe, "Do you have any tips for action pistol competition?" :d
 
grimreefer said:
I didn't really have any particular question. Other than maybe, "Do you have any tips for action pistol competition?" :d
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I have only one:
The key is to focus on accuracy. Speed will come! Do not swing to the next target until your second shot is called. Speed will come very quickly with practice, however accuracy must never be sacrificed!
 
grimreefer said:
I didn't really have any particular question. Other than maybe, "Do you have any tips for action pistol competition?" :d
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"Shoot fast and don't miss!"

Lol....

Having just watched a lot of video from matches last year, pistol seems to be what a lot of people struggle to shoot fast and accurately. More so than rifle or shotgun. Dry fire practice would be my advice. Quickly acquiring a sight picture and a consistent trigger pull.

One of the best tips I ever got was to always practice and squad with people that are currently better than me. This caused me to learn more efficient techniques but also renewed the competitive spirit.

I know others will chime in as well, IPSC, IDPA, PPC etc.... a lot of talented and skilled shooters here.
 
abb1 said:
I have only one:
The key is to focus on accuracy. Speed will come! Do not swing to the next target until your second shot is called. Speed will come very quickly with practice, however accuracy must never be sacrificed!
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Well... Not always.
sometimes it's better to take the miss and move on.
Sitting there plinking away at a target, missing again and a gain while the clock runs just brings you closer to timing out without finishing the CoF.
Action shooting is as much about strategy and planning as it is about speed and accuracy.
 
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