Niki's first 3-Gun match, now she's hooked!

Niki competing in her first 3-Gun match with the Austin Sure Shots & Austin Police Department Marksmanship Team at the Texas Multigun Club Match in February 2015. (Photo by Dieterich Photography)

When the guys from the Austin Police Department Marksmanship Team contacted me with a proposal to come to Sure Shots practice and acquaint the ladies with the world of 3-Gun, I was super-excited. I had shot a bunch of IDPA and Steel Challenge matches over the years, and always enjoyed them. 3-Gun had come onto my radar recently—it seemed to be everywhere, and with many women as competitors. I was ready to learn more! So, this past December, APD Officers Mike Metz, Joe Swann and Will Moore came to Sure Shots practice armed with some very exciting 3-Gun videos, and their enthusiasm for the sport was infectious. So infectious that the guys decided on the spot to invite the ladies of the Sure Shots to come train with them and then compete alongside them at the local 3-Gun match in February. We were in! 


Training day was a frigid 32-degree day at windy Best of the West. 12 Sure Shots braved the conditions and spent the day running through the 3-Gun stages the guys set up and getting tips and instruction. Despite the cold, we had a blast and couldn't wait for the match. 

Working out my gear setup was an interesting endeavor. I have a favorite belt that High Speed Gear had given me over a year ago: It is a SureGrip that I love for competition (read the review in Sure Shots Magazine -Issue 5). When I wore it to our training day, one of the guys suggested I turn it around so it buckles in the back,  that allows me to utilize more "real estate" in front. What a great idea! I was able to add a few more HSGI pistol and rifle tacos, and attached my brand new UM Tactical UMH3 Universal Holster.

Prior to training day, I had assembled a lightweight rifle, complete with a Dragon muzzle brake Lantac had given me, and I already loved shooting it, so for rifle I was set. I had long ago sold my Glock 19 to a fellow Sure Shot, and had been using a Sig P229 for IDPA matches, but I wanted to go back to a Glock for competition. To work with the UM holster I needed one that was railed, so a friend loaned me a Glock 17, and it was as reliable and easy as I had remembered my 19 being. As far as shotguns, I decided to borrow Carrin's MKA 1919XN Firebird Precision Conversion, purely for the fact that it is mag-fed and I hate (and am terrible at) loading standard shotguns.  

The day of the match, 18 Sure Shots showed up to compete! Texas Multigun, the hosts of the match, were so excited the Sure Shots were starting in 3-Gun they had drawings for Cerakoting of a pistol, an AR lower, AND a CZ P09 pistol, which one of our Sure Shot ladies won!

After the drawings, it was time to squad up and get moving. The turnout was SO huge for this match they had to add a stage and squad, and even with all that there were still 14 people on our squad. To keep the duration of the match within a reasonable time, they put a "par time" on each stage. It was 60 seconds, which means at the 60-second mark the timer stops and you get a penalty. While I completely understand the reasoning behind the par time, in my opinion it was a bit unrealistic, as a few of these stages were extensive and hard for even the most seasoned veterans to complete in under 60 seconds. Add any malfunction (which is a given, as we were usually running three different guns per stage as well as working out our gear setup) and there goes the time.

The six stages in this match were creative and fun, and definitely unlike any stages I'd ever gone through in IDPA. There was even a shoot house where we had to run into and shoot out the window to the steel targets out back. One stage had steel targets out to 500 yards!

Here is something that happened on the first stage I shot: I did not breathe the entire stage. Not one breath! Thank god for that par time. As soon as the stage finished and I realized I hadn't taken a breath the whole time, I vowed to myself I wouldn't do THAT again, and I didn't.

While it is terrific that so many people turned out for this match, the sheer number of participants made the match drag a bit. Watching your fellow squad members shoot their stage is definitely entertaining and educational, but to watch 13 people go through 6 stages—that's a lot of standing around. But, there are definitely worse things than being out on the range on a beautiful Texas day!

As I write this, I am four days away from our next 3-Gun match this coming weekend (if it doesn't get rained out!). Since last month's match, I've made some adjustments to my gear setup. For one, I have bought a Glock 34, and bought and installed new sights: Trijicon HD Night Sights in orange. I switched out my SureGrip belt with a lower-profile, lighter version: High Speed Gear's new SlimGrip belt. I'm still figuring out which shotgun will work best for me going forward, so for this match I will be borrowing Will Moore's Winchester Super X (and hoping my thumb survives the reloads!). 

All in all, I'm thrilled with the world of 3-Gun and everything that goes into it. There are so many things to consider, so many options, which I find very interesting. I love that it "forces" you to practice on all three firearms platforms (pistol, rifle, shotgun). I'm hooked, so stay tuned for more as I write about my experiences and progress in this new shooting endeavor!