3-Gun

One of the fastest growing shooting sports in the country right now is the action-packed multi-gun competition commonly known as “3-gun.”

The reason for the name is somewhat obvious; competitors use three different firearms — a modern sporting rifle (MSR), that is, a rifle built on an AR-platform; a pistol; and a shotgun. Matches generally involve courses where the shooter must move through different stages and engage targets in a variety of different positions. Each stage will generally require the use of different firearms and require the shooter to transition between them.

The targets might include clay pigeons, cardboard silhouettes, steel targets of varying sizes and anything else the match organizer designates as a target. Distances of the targets might vary from 1 yard to 500 yards or anything in between. The shooter who hits the most targets — and avoids certain “no shoot” ones — in the least amount of time is the winner.

Although local ranges might opt to alter the rules somewhat, most abide closely by those set up by the International Multi-Gun Association (IMGA) or the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA), which regulates some matches. Each of these organizations has guidelines and rules, but the ability to adapt them for specific matches is what makes 3-gun competition dynamic and exciting.

Just as it is with the practical pistol matches, 3-gun simulates combat or self-defense situations. A stage provides a certain scenario for using one or more of the guns in a specific sequence. Each stage is each match will usually be different than any you’ve shot before.