How many magazines do you need for 3gun?

[rl4930]

Hi there, new to shooting sports. I'm hoping to get into 3gun. I have an old Remington 870 express and I just bought a glock 22 and a dpms oracle. Each come with one magazine. How many ar/lar mags and pistol mags should I have?

On a side note, I will be putting an old Bushnell scope chief 1.5-4 on the ar untill I save up enough for a Bushnell 1-4 pcl illuminated throw down. Hopefully that will be ok to start. After mags, I'm likely going to get a mag extension for my 870, I'm not too quick at reloading the shotty, so I think I'll stay away from upgrading to a semi for a little while.

Anyway, I'll try not to hijack my own thread, how many mags should I have? And what type do you recommend ??

 

[Blastattack]

Depending on the type of shoots you attend, an absolute minimum of 30 rounds is necessary. having 50 on hand is better. However it again depends on the length and complexity of the courses that are being run. AR Pistol magazines of all types work very well. I run 5 RRA LAR-15 Grey Body/Follower Magazines and they work flawlessly. I even have a 5/30 round OKAY magazine too.

 

[alpining]

As blastie says, it depends on the matches you go to. Some have long courses of fire, and some do not. I guess it also depends on how much you miss

I'm IPSC-minded, so I generally like to have 6x function-tested 10-rd mags for both pistol and rifle. But you can probably get started with 2 or 3 for each, and borrow if you need more.

I've generally heard that the LAR mags of all types (flat and angled bottom) work well in ARs. But you simply have to test yours in your rifle. My grey (flat bottom) LAR mags benefited from installing Magpul followers. PMAGS are generally noted for their reliability in ARs of all types, but then you're limited to five rounds. Beowulf mags usually seem to work in terms of feeding, though they may cause issues with your bolt not holding open on the last round, and fitting too tightly in your mag well when fully loaded (slow to insert and won't drop free).

You'll have to come up with an efficient method of carrying your shotgun shells, too, remember. Loose in a pocket or pouch becomes frustrating pretty quickly.

 

[Garand]

Most stages require up to 35 Pistol, up to 30-35 Rifle and generally a dozen shotgun. Mind you it generally depends on the match directors design. I ran a match last weekend where 1 stage required 21 shotgun rds. It was funny watching the various competitors trying to find places to place additional shotgun ammo.

 

[667]

Most stages require up to 35 Pistol, up to 30-35 Rifle and generally a dozen shotgun. Mind you it generally depends on the match directors design. I ran a match last weekend where 1 stage required 21 shotgun rds. It was funny watching the various competitors trying to find places to place additional shotgun ammo.

Shot a stage at the RM3G World shoot where the shotshell round count was 40+.... One hot gun by the end of it!

 

[KePet]

I think 4 for your handgun and 4 LAR's for the AR would be a minimum. That gives you 40 rounds of each. In a perfect world that's all you'd need. I always try to carry 2 extras for each. A jam or fail to eject can have you dumping your mag early, and it's good to have a spare to grab.
I've run both semi's and pumps at 3 gun and there's nothing wrong with a good pump. Semi's aren't always the greatest, and many perceived advantages really aren't that big in the real world. In the states with unregulated mags there is a definite advantage, but up here it gets negated by fiendish course designers. It always seems that you're only firing one or two rounds at a time so the pump isn't a lot slower, and anytime that you are shooting a string of targets, it's more than 5, so the speed you gain with a semi is lost reloading to get those last couple targets. Evens up the playing field really quick. (I've never learned how to do that fancy ghost loading thing) Also semi's can be a little finicky with ammo. One failure to feed or fail to eject with a semi and you're screwed. Not saying it never happens with a pump, but it's a lot less likely. And I have nothing against semi's, I own a 930 and love it.
It doesn't matter what you run-be comfortable with what you have. Shoot lots. Practice reloading until the controls are second nature. It you're running a vest with pouches or a belt, wear them when you're practicing or at the range. Get to know where your mags are by instinct. Look at the possible courses of fire, and talk to guys about what works. Having your AR mags in front sounds really good until you have to shoot from the prone and not only are you laying on them to shoot, but you have to shift to even reach them to reload. Military pouches look really cool and they work great-in the military. A closed mag pouch keeps you from losing mags, but in 3 gun it slows your reload. Look at Kydex mag carriers. Oh, and most important, HAVE FUN!!!