Spring has sprung. Get out and shoot your Henry

Ready to compete with the Big Boy

here is a place to discuss anything related to Henry
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ditchparrot
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Ready to compete with the Big Boy

Post by ditchparrot » Sun May 13, 2018 11:37 pm

I'm a longtime competition trapshooter but have never competed in other shooting disciplines – my rifles and handguns have always been implements for hunting, self- or home defense or just plain fun. I'm a little burned out with trap at the moment and thought I'd try some of the other stuff this spring and summer.

A club I belong to is holding a 3-gun steel match next weekend. It says on the website that pistols must by single-action or semi-automatic, rifles of pistol caliber and shotguns either double-barrels or semi-autos.

My rifle entry will be the Big Boy .357. For pistol, could I use a S&W 686 Plus (or other double action revolver) and just shoot it in single-action mode? Does the shotgun have to be a side-by-side, or are over/unders okay, too. I have guns that will cover any scenario listed, but I'd really prefer to use the 686 and a Franchi O/U.

I know I could easily find all of this info online, but I'd really like to get some comments about the format from some people who've experienced it.

Thanks in advance for any help provided.
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Henry Big Boy Rifle .357
Henry Classic .22
Henry Lever-Action .410
Henry Big Boy Revolver .357

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PT7
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Re: Ready to compete with the Big Boy

Post by PT7 » Mon May 14, 2018 8:59 am

Wow, Ditchparrot! Are you ever heading for some fun shooting competition. 3-Gun is a great shooting sport.

Let me provide my disclaimer up front. I've not participated, like you are planning to do, in an actual 3-Gun match in say a local club or competition. Rather, I went through an extensive and intense training course to participate in this competition. Just never did find a match at a close-enough distance to get to from my home.

The questions you asked are hard to answer, because of the very nature of 3-Gun competition. The variables of competition seem to be never-ending! Firearm types, ammo, course design, position requirements, etc., etc., etc., are all different. And some are more restrictive than others, particularly to the type of firearms and ammo used. Where to begin? I find it hard to know, but I'll give it a shot. ;)

FIrst, I think you have the best opportunity ever. I would definitely go to your club's match next weekend, not as a participant, but as an observer. You will learn a lot watching the competition, and chatting with the folk who do shoot. Of course, if you jump in immediately and compete, your choice. Not what I would do however.

Second, web info on 3-Gun is pretty good, and there is a lot of it. For instance, I found a beginner's article from F&S which is an intro to 3-Gun: https://www.fieldandstream.com/articles ... ompetition And I recommend you do look at the competition events, requirements, etc. listed at https://www.3gunnation.com/. This as you probably know is the large national 3-Gun org.... a little like SASS and others.

Third, I'd like to share with you my own training experience with 3-Gun. I "competed" with only two persons: myself and my instructor. What I did was most exciting because my instructor is a former Marine sniper, who is an excellent marksman and qualified to teach firearms, safety and shooting skills. BTW, the instructor is my son-in-law. And boy this former Marine was demanding and tough on me during training. I liked it, and did to some sweating, too!! :lol: Here is what I did a few years ago, and I had a great time.

My son-in-law owns his own range and offers different training classes. A couple of pictures might be helpful to see. Here is the Home Page for his range: https://www.hamiltonhomeontherange.com/home.html The very first picture has components of the 3-Gun range he had set up. You can see a wooden door which was position one for shotgun component -- you had to shoot the door open. To the right at ground level you can see the black steel fall-away targets, again for shotgun take down with 8-shot. Farther down range are variable plywood cut-out positions to shoot handgun and AR through, around, over, and so on. Also there are black steel hanging targets for some of the farther-out AR positions. The total length of this range is between 150-175 yards. The course positions were specifically ordered; any deviation was a deduction of your accumulated points. Also any missed shots were deducted from your score. That might tell you that although speed is important in this timed competition, appropriately slowing down and hitting all the targets is very helpful, too.

Onward on this same page, the picture at the bottom lower right is my son-in-law (holding the shotgun) giving a 3-Gun class. This was taken at the “shotgun take-down door.”

A description of the training class is listed on his web "Pricing List" page. This is what he does:
Training for 3-Gun Shooting Competition
$175 plus ammo
This class is designed for novice to intermediate shooters who are interested in entering a 3-Gun Shoot. Students will handle a rifle, pistol, and shotgun, all semi-automatic weapons. You will learn about what to expect at a competition, and get prepared for some of the challenges that will come your way. Door entry, multiple steel targets, IPSC paper targets with scoring rings, and hostage targets will all be used in training. Students should bring their own (if they have them) semi-auto rifle, shotgun (pump allowed), and/or semi-auto pistol. Home on the Range will provide use of semi-auto pistol, .22 and .223 rifle, and shotgun as needed. Permitted pistol calibers: 38 Super, 9mm, 10mm, .40 and .45.
Class will last eight hours, with a break for lunch from Subway ($10 gift card provided). There can be up to 4 students per class. Bring 100 rounds of rifle ammo, 100 rounds of pistol ammo, and 50 rounds of shotgun ammo. You will be instructed which calibers to bring when you make your reservation and tell us what weapons you have (so we can determine if they will be appropriate for this training or you should use Range guns). See Ammo Requirements on Info page for further information.
What I trained with was a Benelli 12-ga semi-auto using #8 shot. Either a 9MM AR or a Ruger .22LR AR (my choice), and a Ruger Mark III .22LR semi-auto pistol. Cheap ammo is a key element because you go through a lot of ammo in the competitions, and especially in your own practice times.

Depending on the position design of your course, and what weapons you need to use at each one, a real challenge of 3-Gun is reloading the firearms, on-the-run, during the timed competition. I practiced reloading shotshells until my fingers couldn’t take anymore pain! :x But I got pretty good at it. Reloading during competition was easy for the AR or semi-auto pistol. Pop in the next magazine. But remember, you have to have the capability of carrying all this ammo with you through the course, and the tools to help you reload your firearm. A fun challenge was shotshell ammo holders for the 12-ga. Although the Benelli had an 8-round extended magazine, I had to reload two times.

I like the firearms choices you’ve made. A Henry .357 rifle is cool. Again remember, depending on the course/position requirements, I can see that reloading the Henry would be a significant and fun challenge. For my handgun choice, I would have liked to use my SP101 in .357 magnum caliber. But being a five-shot capacity, that would have also been a challenge to keep in ammo. Quick use of speedloaders was really the only way to handle that challenge.

To be honest, I could ramble on more and more about this sport. Lots of factors and variables. Bottom line, I say go for it because I know you will enjoy it. But it takes much work and determination to be really good. It’s definitely worth it, and very much fun. That’s the best part for me...the fun of it. I’m also certain you will not be bored at all!

Hope this might give you a glimmer of answers to your Qs. I'm not an expert by any means. But I'd recommend the sport to you for sure.

Be safe, and the best in your new competition venture! Let us know how you like it and how you perform.
PT7
ditchparrot wrote:I'm a longtime competition trapshooter but have never competed in other shooting disciplines – my rifles and handguns have always been implements for hunting, self- or home defense or just plain fun. I'm a little burned out with trap at the moment and thought I'd try some of the other stuff this spring and summer.

A club I belong to is holding a 3-gun steel match next weekend. It says on the website that pistols must by single-action or semi-automatic, rifles of pistol caliber and shotguns either double-barrels or semi-autos.

My rifle entry will be the Big Boy .357. For pistol, could I use a S&W 686 Plus (or other double action revolver) and just shoot it in single-action mode? Does the shotgun have to be a side-by-side, or are over/unders okay, too. I have guns that will cover any scenario listed, but I'd really prefer to use the 686 and a Franchi O/U.

I know I could easily find all of this info online, but I'd really like to get some comments about the format from some people who've experienced it.

Thanks in advance for any help provided.
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ditchparrot
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Re: Ready to compete with the Big Boy

Post by ditchparrot » Mon May 14, 2018 1:35 pm

Many thanks for going through the trouble to post that excellent primer, PT. I'll definitely just go and watch this one and see if I can get a grip on how it all works. I'll talk to as many people as I can.

My enthusiasm for trying it is even higher since reading what you wrote here.
2 x
Henry Big Boy Rifle .357
Henry Classic .22
Henry Lever-Action .410
Henry Big Boy Revolver .357

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PT7
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Re: Ready to compete with the Big Boy

Post by PT7 » Mon May 14, 2018 2:38 pm

You're quite welcome. I didn't know it would be considered a "primer." :) It was just fun to recall my experiences and then write about them. Most of all, I'm glad to hear of your increased enthusiasm. I must admit, I'm a little envious, too. Even watching a 3-Gun competition will be fun. There are quite a few internet videos of these events, and I've enjoyed those as well.

I'd really be interested if you get any info about using your Henry .357 magnum BB. That would be something if 3-Gun accommodates position-shooting for that firearm! :D Definitely am looking forward to hearing about your upcoming weekend....hope it turns out well for you.

Enjoy! PT7
ditchparrot wrote:Many thanks for going through the trouble to post that excellent primer, PT. I'll definitely just go and watch this one and see if I can get a grip on how it all works. I'll talk to as many people as I can.

My enthusiasm for trying it is even higher since reading what you wrote here.
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~Пока~

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