3 gun competition. Looking for ideas on equipment...?

Question

Money is tight. I know I need to get into reloading to make this even feasible for me. That's not the issue...I'm looking for input on how to add to what I have to get out to the range and make some noise with the fellas.

Have:

1911 .45acp (iron sights, my old "bullseye" gun)

Leather "minimalist" holster (does cover the trigger, but that's about it) and leather mag pouch (holds 2)

870 express (8 shot tube extention) set up with slug barrell (I like the sights), 30 round shell holder belt, I used this for practical shotgun last year. Even won once.

Have few hunting/trap vests.

Don't have any semi-auto rifle in the gun cabinet at the moment above a .22lr. I had a Ruger mini-14 years ago...and was less than impressed with the accuracy.

Which rifle will get me out there, with a cartridge that's the most reasonable to reload? Is there a magazine handling set-up that's kind of a "go to" set-up?..other than using my pants.

Answer 1

Expensive ammunition can be a downer..... Consider what I do... I use .308 and.223. These are common military cartridges that are quite popular for target shooters, hunters as well as the police and military... .... If you look around enough you can usualy get this stuff in bulk at really decent prices. Sometimes I get it cheap enough that it doesnt make sense to reload..... The average price of centerfie ammunition is $16 to $70 a box!.. Yes some of that steel cased ammo isnt that hot but I have had good results with PMC brass .223 and .308 FMJ brass..... I usualy can get .223 PMC for as little as $7.49 a box - thats .38 cents each... and .308 as low as .38 cents also...

Check out the price of some .308 here....

http://www.the-armory.com/shopsite_sc/st...

.308 at J&G Sales

http://www.jgsales.com/index.php/ammo-fo...

.223 In bulk at J&G Sales.....

http://www.jgsales.com/index.php/ammo-fo...

Answer 2

Don't skimp on the equipment.

Practice practice practice

Answer 3

When I was still shooting competitions, I was using a NATIONAL MATCH CERTIFIED AR-15 that had been custom setup by a gunsmith who had been in the Navy shooting team... he was ALSO my COACH because I was shooting about 100 rounds a day, 2 days a week.

I have $3500 invested in that AR-15... it will shoot a 5 round group of factory loads that you can cover with a half dollar at 100 yards and with hand loads, you can cover the group with a QUARTER.  My target at 500 YARDS was a 9 inch pie plate.

Do you REALLY think you can compete with people like me with some wal-mart special?

Just buy what you can afford and don't get too charged up about what you are buying because if you want to compete on a serious basis... it can get VERY expensive and there are no guarantees.

The main reason for hand loading your own ammunition is to have COMPLETE control of the process rather than the economy of it because shooting competitions can get as expensive as you care to go AND IT TAKES TIME because you have to practice at least 2 times a week when you aren't competing and you will be shooting every day before a competition.

Answer 4

If you are on a budget, the AK platform will serve you pretty well.  While not as accurate out of the box as an AR, they are accurate enough for 3-gun, and at least as accurate, if not more so, as a Mini-14.  AKs are running about half what an AR is these days. I shoot with several guys who use modified Saigas in 3-gun.  They all have red dot sights on a dust cover with a weaver rail.

The good thing about AKs, especially the model 47 is that you can buy Wolf ammo almost as cheap as you can reload in 7.62x39.

An economical alternative for carrying mags is the East German  4-mag pouch, which can be seen here:

http://www.buymilsurp.com/zencart/index....