Assorted Mysteries of Competitive Shooting

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I haven't shot in a match before, but at least with some of the sports I sort of know what is up. Here is a compendium of my unanswered questions:

In what sort of sport would you shoot an AR-15 race gun? At first I thought "race gun" just meant something more or less like an M4, and it would be good for 3-gun Practical shooting, but I don't think anyone would want a 16-pound gun for that. And it's can't possibly be CMP legal! So there must be some sport I've never heard of.

Are there any sports that .223 Rem pistols are good for? Or even allowed in? I was thinking maybe silhouette, but that's a guess. How about IPSC Unlimited? (If not match shooting, I guess .223-caliber pistols are mainly varmint hunting rigs...?)

What sport are those wonderful Unique autoloaders in .32 S&W Long intended for? Same one the old S&W autoloaders in .38 Special competed in?

What sort of .410-caliber shotgun would one use in a three-gauge skeet match? I gather that skeet guns are almost always semi-automatic or double-barrelled because of the time two clay pigeons are in the air at the same time, but I don't see too many .410s in those configurations and I don't think I've ever seen one with Skeet in the model name.

Is there any sport that accommodates defensive-style pistols in less than 9x19mm? Like Practical with a Very Minor power factor? :)
 
In what sort of sport would you shoot an AR-15 race gun? At first I thought "race gun" just meant something more or less like an M4, and it would be good for 3-gun Practical shooting, but I don't think anyone would want a 16-pound gun for that. And it's can't possibly be CMP legal! So there must be some sport I've never heard of.
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USPSA 3-Gun Competition


Are there any sports that .223 Rem pistols are good for? Or even allowed in? I was thinking maybe silhouette, but that's a guess. How about IPSC Unlimited? (If not match shooting, I guess .223-caliber pistols are mainly varmint hunting rigs...?)
Click to expand...

Not that I'm aware of.


Is there any sport that accommodates defensive-style pistols in less than 9x19mm? Like Practical with a Very Minor power factor?
Click to expand...

Probably not.
 
In my OPINION:

A 16 lb AR derivative would be of most use in a midrange wannabe sniper match. More than I want to hump around the usual 3-gun or multi-gun stage. You could shoot it in NRA any-any (any rifle, any sight) matches.

A .223 pistol made up as a sawn off AR is a toy of no competition application I know of. I guess you could shoot a .223 single shot at IHMSA silhouette, but the knockdown is weak.

The Unique and other .32 wadcutter guns are made for ISU-ISSF centerfire 25 metre bullseye shooting. People have tried them for NRA Centerfire but usually go back to .38 or .45.

Regulation skeet is a 4- gauge game; 12, 20, 28, .410. Probably 90% is shot with a 12 gauge O/U with insert tubes for the smaller gauges, including .410. Probably the next 9% is shot with an O/U with barrel pairs in each gauge. There might be 1% left shooting separate guns, mostly Rem 1100 autos.

IDPA has a BUG (Back Up Gun) category that allows .32s and .380s, but it is written so as to never be anything but a side match after the main event with 9mm P and larger. Not done very often, I haven't shot more than a half dozen in the 12 years I have been competing in IDPA.
 
A 12-14 lb AR is very common in the High Power discipline. My AR is about 13#.

I kind of resent the 'midrange wannabe sniper' term. We shoot at 200, 300 and 600 yds with iron sights, from standing, sitting and unsupported prone. No bipods, benches or sandbags. Just the shooter, a mat and a sling.
 
I assure you, Mr White, that I know the difference between an NRA "conventional" competitor, and a wannabe sniper crawling around in his ghillie suit.
I don't know anybody who favors a 16 lb three position rifle (plus scope for any-any), do you? On the other hand, some of the pure prone rifles are that heavy. Not to mention the F-class guns, but then we get to use bipods... on a target half the size of yours.
 
If you can't find a game to match the guns that you have, do what these guys (ACTS) did.

I think that they just made up their own game. It worked for them and it's a blast to shoot their matches.
 
Thanks for all the replies. The ACTS sites is really interesting. Plus it has a discussion of the gun I forgot to ask about - the scout rifle. Someone needs to make up a sport where the true Cooper-style scout rifle is king! (Or maybe they already have.) I like to think that would light a fire under the companies to make some more varieties.

I'd love it if you'd tell us more about ACTS, SIRVEYR666. Is this about as intense as IPSC/USPSA? Or more so? By "intense" I mean, expecting participants to be serious and well-trained at their first match? It looks like it's mainly Michigan and Arizona, so the question doesn't apply to me too much for the next few years (I'm all New England), so I'm idly curious.

(I'm planning to take some shooting classes over the next several months, and I'm starting to wonder how many are necessary/recommended before I start competing ... but I know it varies from sport to sport. I'm interested in almost every shooting sport I've seen, but my main interests are IDPA, rifle silhouette, and maybe USPSA.)
 
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I've seen the race gun you linked used in NRA Highpower Rifle competition. Open Class. With iron sights it's very adjustable to an individual shooter. If you want to see a higher end example google the Tubbs 2000
 
There is no such thing as an "Open Class" in NRA Highpower Rifle competition.
That rifle would be concidered a "match rifle".
 
I'd love it if you'd tell us more about ACTS, SIRVEYR666. Is this about as intense as IPSC/USPSA? Or more so? By "intense" I mean, expecting participants to be serious and well-trained at their first match? It looks like it's mainly Michigan and Arizona, so the question doesn't apply to me too much for the next few years (I'm all New England), so I'm idly curious.
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I've only shot a few of their matches, but many of my friends shoot with them on a regular basis. As for the "intensity" of ACTS or any shooting sport, they can be as intense as you want them to be. All of the ACTS guys that I met were great. They have a lot of fun with their stages. I think one stage involved zombies that required 10 shot to the body and 1 to the head.:evil: It was defiantly fun.

Everyone starts out as a "noob", but the existing shooters of these groups will welcome you with open arms. The only thing required is safe gun handling. I shot my first IDPA match with borrowed equipment. I was just there to watch.:rolleyes:
 
Thanks SIRVERYR666. Their website made them seem a little intimidating so I'm glad you replied. Down the road from Appleseed and some other basic training type stuff I'm on a sharp lookout for something like Practical that includes rifle work, so they're very interesting.
 
ACTS is a blast. The reason they're only in MI and AZ is that that is the only place anyone has started them but you're more than welcome to help us expand.

Its a competition but not very competitive..you're trying to better yourself and your last performance (not necessarily your last score)..no one really cares how the other person is doing.

I shot through the entire match left handed yesterday, just to see how I'd do compared to right handed. As expected, I have room for improvement. :)
 
The acts matches are a blast,

its more about the guy or gal that is there to have fun try some new things practice skill sets they may have learned or want to tlearn and to use off the self gear that wont break the bank from hi point carbines to noveske AR's to the dpms with a bushnell red dot. it s a very good time and mainly we pormote team work and friendships and fun.
 
ACTS: Keeping it simple.

For a person seeking an avenue in which to develop his tactical skills, ACTS offers the most for the least. A newbie can shoot the match with a rifle, a pistol, magazine holders for both, eyes and ears. Super inflated egos are not required or necessary. Quite often a loaner firearm and other equipment can be found for someone lacking same. A competitor can follow the K.I.S.S. principle in equipment, or can show up in complete call-out gear with a gun that fires a death ray. Everyone somehow fits in and, when help is required, it will be offered. www.actshooters.com is where you start, the rest is up to you.
 
You know when I picture race gun I picture running and gunning, a gun made for fast action shooting. A 24" .223 AR that weighs 16lbs, and lacks a compensator or muzzle brake doesn't scream race gun. For a race rifle I would expect a 16" AR10, lighter weight, with a good muzzle break, and positions for two optics to compete in the open division. It's run and gun, not slow walk and gun because you are humping a 16lb rifle.

That gun looks like something for a high power, or other open sights competition because it has that rail at the muzzle, so you can put your front sight there for the longest sight radius possible.

For "tactical" long range competition (like the Sniper's hide cup) they are using rounds with much better ballistics at ranges exceeding 600 yards. With bolt guns leading the pack.
 
"I shot through the entire match left handed yesterday, just to see how I'd do compared to right handed."

That is exactly the attitude I admire!

Welcome to The High Road, jimmyjet.
 
CMP John C Garand Matches

They are now holding a few of these each summer here, and it is these I have started attending. Service rifles, WWII or before, 200 yards, 3 rounds.

Part of what got me interested in them is the number of milsurp rifles in my safe from well before WWII.

I am shooting an 1896 Swede Mauser. So to me, I see nothing wrong with a heavy gun.... :)
 
ACTS looks interesting, but not only do I not have anything remotely appropriate (only semiautos I have are two Mauser pocket pistols!), but almost everything shown appears rto be illegal in Cali. :(
 
Revolvers of .38 caliber or greater are acceptable. Unless the SKS or Garand are illegal in Cali, those would work for the rifle.
 
Feanaro, the only sks legal in Cali is one with a fixed magazine and stripper clips. Garands are legal, at least until the next meeting of the morons in Sacto. I just do not have one, yet.
 
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