3 Gun gear set up - To vest or not to vest?

Melnibonean

Melnibonean

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
177   0   0
Location
The Orion Arm
Evening all,

I'm going to my first 3 gun and am looking to see how others who have done it before wear their load out. Some people use harnesses, others vests, others hang everything off their belt.

I am most used to a vest, but that's because I was always wearing one when I was in the field with all the weight and discomfort that went with it. I can set up all my gear on one, but then movement/agility suffers (not to mention I have to hump all that weight around too :(). However, when I do IPSC, because I don't need to carry all my ammo and more than 1 weapon with me at a time, I can move around more freely.

Which is most common for this type of competition? Why would you need a vest, if not to carry lots of ammo/equipment with you every stage, versus, say, a belt that's loaded out for one stage at a time?
 
May I suggest posting in http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=777956 ? Simply since it'd be nice to get a definitive 3-gun gear thread going - there doesn't seem to be much on 3-gun and the unique Canadian requirements.

I went full belt since I was able to. I don't need the extra capacity of a vest (and the heat) but hate drop leg stuff. So I managed to find a way to get 26 shells on my belt (10+1 in my Benelli and 4 on side saddle), 4 pistol mags and 3 AR mags (coupled mags in gun)

I also have a MAR-CIRAS with full pouches and body armour, but that's for the trooper division we have here :)
 
Lots of variables to take into account. A lot is personal preference. That aside, it can depend on who's 3 gun you shoot. If its sanctioned by some governing body then the round counts can be limited. If its a local match then the round counts can be insane. Such high round counts means you need to carry a lot more ammo. The method of scoring is another issue. If its straight hits over time then more ammo is always a good idea. If its limited round count then its not such an issue. Your skill level also plays in.

For a beginner, start with ample amounts of ammo in secure pouches/holders and run it. Your time/score likely won't break any records but it will give you a much better idea what type of rig you like/dislike and what needs to be changed. Some new competitors come to a match with a lot of new and expensive gear only to find out it doesn't work well. Money is always tight and gear is tough to dump.

TDC
 
I wore a vest for 2 or 3, 3 gun matches. The are to bulky and cumbersome for me, and also, they are slow to reload from, compared to a belt.

I have everything on a 2 piece belt now, starting with 3 shotgun shell caddies at the front, then 2 pistol mag pouches, then a bladetech double mag pouch. I have extra shell caddies I can add, as well as an addidional ar mag pouch.

If I were to start over now, I would buy the Safariland ELS Belt and clips. It let's you easily mix and match equipment, as well as removing excess equipment not needed on specific stage!

w ww.safariland.com/DutyGear/product.aspx?pid=ELS%20KIT
 
I'm a n00b so don't take any of this as elite 3-gunner advice, but I want to echo what the others said above... it depends on the ruleset you're competing under, your personal preference, and how much you'd like to spend.

Myself, I was already an IPSC pistol competitor so I am using my existing IPSC setup for pistol. Shotgun reloads seem to generally be fastest from the belt so I went with belt mounted strippers for the shotgun shells.

I am a big guy so belt mounting AR mags was pretty much a non-starter for me. I already have a hard enough time with shotgun strippers digging into my ample gut if I try to bend over. Plus, my belt was already pretty much full between pistol mags and shotgun strippers. So, I'm using a MOLLE vest for my AR mags. I had extra space on the upper part of the vest so I also mounted some shotgun panels on it, but I only use those for loading the tube at the start of the stage.

I compete in multiple different 3-gun matches with different rulesets so I've gone with gear that will work in all of them. That way I have a consistent muscle memory from match to match and don't have to think about where my gear is. In our club level league I'm competing in a division that only allows 5-round mags, so I can't really get away with just a few LAR mags on a belt. When I go to other matches I use the same pouches with LAR mags instead of my pinned PMAGs.

When I did the 3-Gun match in Guelph earlier this year I found out just how much I suck, so I was glad that I had a lot of ammo on my rig. Damned auto-poppers at distance are hard to hit!

I would definitely like to have some modular shotgun strippers so that I could put those on and off my belt more easily.
 
Tried it all, I run it all on a belt now. The stage will decide for you what to put on or take off the belt.

Ar mag holder with two LAR mags coupled together.
2 pistol mags.
One 6 round shell caddie.

Then add the ammo in the firearm(s) at the start of the stage. You'll have time to top up your mags between stages.
 
I took the 3 gun course at EESA this year. During the course the istructors advised putting everything on a belt. The reason being that during a competition the vest may hinder you in prone shooting positions.

I use a VZ58 (much to their amusement) and have my 30rd mags jungle clipped together so I cannot wear them in a belt. I use a vest for that reason.
 
I will be popping my 3gun cherry this September as well and looking finalize an ideal gear set-up for the match. I already shoot IPSC and love the speed that a belt offers although I have not tested it with shotgun shell caddies mounted on the front -- I'm thinking these may impede during a prone position.

I've also shot ORA-CQB as well and have dedicated molle belt rig that works very well, I use 3 HSGI pistol taco pouches and a Tuff 5-inline AR pouch at my left with a molle-mounted Uncle Mike's kydex holster mounted at my right. I don't use a drop-leg holster.

I am thinking of somehow combining all these elements to make an efficient, belt-centered rig.

And no chest rigs / tactical vests for me. If I can avoid the weight, I will.
 
6gm6 said:
Tried it all, I run it all on a belt now. The stage will decide for you what to put on or take off the belt.

Ar mag holder with two LAR mags coupled together.
2 pistol mags.
One 6 round shell caddie.

Then add the ammo in the firearm(s) at the start of the stage. You'll have time to top up your mags between stages.
Click to expand...

Too funny I just read this after messing around with my IPSC belt changing it up for Saturday's multigun. Almost exactly to a T what I had on the belt....

MultigunBelt.jpg
 
cbabes said:
Too funny I just read this after messing around with my IPSC belt changing it up for Saturday's multigun. Almost exactly to a T what I had on the belt....

MultigunBelt.jpg
Click to expand...

Can you break down your mag pouches? Brand and where you got them would be helpful as well.
 
Unregistered_ said:
The AR mag pouches look like California Competition Works shell caddies. They fit AR mags quite well. Brownells has them.
Click to expand...

You are correct the AR pouches are California Competition 12 gauge shell caddies which I bought from S&J Hardware years ago but Brownells does sell them. I prefer the AP Custom 4x4 shell caddies so I gutted the California Comps to be even more AR mag friendly. The pistol mag pouches are Ghost which I bought off the Black Badge instructor who taught my course years ago. The shotgun shell caddy is an AP Custom 4x4. I bought one from SFRC and two directly from Brownells. The belt is a CR IPSC belt I bought recently from the IPSC store in Barrie.

Look at an earlier post from 7.62mm because if you are buying from scratch the Safariland system is awesome.
 
The ALS Safariland system would be nice. I have not found it easy to get their products in Canada.

My PPC and 1911 IPSC rig are Safariland that I bought used.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom