3 gun setups/belts

View · by **LumberZach** on Thu Jun 19, 2014 7:14 pm

Hey all,

I have not seen a thread on it lately or even recently in the search function but I may be able to finally shoot my first 3 gun this weekend at Forest Lake and was wondering what you guys use. I don't have nearly enough gear or anything strictly competition related but I would be interested to see what you guys use so maybe I can get a few things together beforehand.

I have absolutely nothing to load a shotgun from other than pockets so that will slow me down, but I have accepted that already. Also, does anyone shoot with a molle type vest? I have a cheap one that I could use but I don't really feel like being "high speed low drag" all day if i don't have to.

View · by **shooter115** on Thu Jun 19, 2014 11:39 pm

You sure there's a 3 gun match at FLSC this weekend? Nothing on the MN3GG website.

View · by **shooter115** on Fri Jun 20, 2014 12:08 am

Don't stress out about gear too much for your first match. Just go in with the intention of having fun and as a learning experience. For specific information on gear there is a ton of good info posted on the Minnesota 3gun Group website.

The part that's hard to grasp until you've been to a match is how accepting 3gunners are to a new shooter. If there is a match this weekend, I'm guessing someone will come along shortly to borrow you some gear to get you through your first match. If I was going to be there I would myself.

Feel free to pm me if you have questions on gear. I'll do my best to point you in the right direction.

In the meantime the best advice I can give is just go to a match with what you have and be social. See what gear others are running and 9 times out 10 folks will be happy to help you out. Don't go out and spend money on things you "think" you need, Cuz most likely, that stuff will end up somewhere at the bottom of a junk drawer.

View · by **Mn01r6** on Fri Jun 20, 2014 7:04 am

shooter115 wrote:You sure there's a 3 gun match at FLSC this weekend? Nothing on the MN3GG website.

IDPA 3gun.

View · by **LumberZach** on Fri Jun 20, 2014 3:01 pm

shooter115 wrote:Don't stress out about gear too much for your first match. Just go in with the intention of having fun and as a learning experience. For specific information on gear there is a ton of good info posted on the Minnesota 3gun Group website.

The part that's hard to grasp until you've been to a match is how accepting 3gunners are to a new shooter. If there is a match this weekend, I'm guessing someone will come along shortly to borrow you some gear to get you through your first match. If I was going to be there I would myself.

Feel free to pm me if you have questions on gear. I'll do my best to point you in the right direction.

In the meantime the best advice I can give is just go to a match with what you have and be social. See what gear others are running and 9 times out 10 folks will be happy to help you out. Don't go out and spend money on things you "think" you need, Cuz most likely, that stuff will end up somewhere at the bottom of a junk drawer.

Thanks for the reply, I think I will have a good time and learn a lot. I figure it is mostly about learning the first few times.

View · by **westberg** on Fri Jun 20, 2014 8:13 pm

The TCAS 3Gun match is open to anyone. LumberZach come to the match and see what others are running for gear.

View · by **J.Schmitt** on Sat Jun 21, 2014 9:42 am

If you go to http://www.mn3gungroup.org and look at the right vertical banner I have a couple of basic articles covering belts, holsters, and shotgun loading gear. Probably answer most of your questions.

Jay

View · by **DoxaPar** on Thu Jun 26, 2014 10:25 pm

Not sure when this match is or where you're located but if you could meet in Golden Valley tomorrow I have a belt, 3 quad shot gun shell holders, and some mag pouches I could lend you.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

View · by **Bessy** on Fri Jun 27, 2014 10:03 am

Most guys in 3-gun seem to using the safari els belt and mounting solutions. I prefer the more traditional cr-speed belts. If you are going to be changing stuff all the time The ELS is the way to go. If your setup rarely changes cr-speed is better IMHO. I shoot way more pistol than 3-gun, so that's why I use the cr-speed system.

View · by **shooter115** on Mon Jun 30, 2014 12:51 am

To say "most" are using the ELS system IMHO would be inaccurate. I would guess it's closer to 50% at best. Keep in mind some of the best 3gunners I'm the world use just a simple riggers style belt. Don't fall into the trap of believing you need a $300 belt system to be competitive.

View · by **Bessy** on Mon Jun 30, 2014 3:08 pm

shooter115 wrote:To say "most" are using the ELS system IMHO would be inaccurate. I would guess it's closer to 50% at best. Keep in mind some of the best 3gunners I'm the world use just a simple riggers style belt. Don't fall into the trap of believing you need a $300 belt system to be competitive.

I never said it was NEEDED, I simply said. that most of the people I see shooting 3-gun at my matches that know what they are doing are running the els system, or a cr-speed system. If you are going to swapping out match pouches for a stage, or ditching your pistol holster for a prone stage, the els system is nice because everything goes right back where it was before. Riggers belts certainly work, but they suck when you want to change your belts or need to swap in/out carriers for 36 round shotgun stage.

I had the opportunity to shoot with some of the "Best" 3-gunners this weekend. I didn't see the pro's rocking a rigger belt that I can recall.....

View · by **shooter115** on Tue Jul 01, 2014 8:23 am

Bessy wrote:
shooter115 wrote:To say "most" are using the ELS system IMHO would be inaccurate. I would guess it's closer to 50% at best. Keep in mind some of the best 3gunners I'm the world use just a simple riggers style belt. Don't fall into the trap of believing you need a $300 belt system to be competitive.

I never said it was NEEDED, I simply said. that most of the people I see shooting 3-gun at my matches that know what they are doing are running the els system, or a cr-speed system. If you are going to swapping out match pouches for a stage, or ditching your pistol holster for a prone stage, the els system is nice because everything goes right back where it was before. Riggers belts certainly work, but they suck when you want to change your belts or need to swap in/out carriers for 36 round shotgun stage.

I had the opportunity to shoot with some of the "Best" 3-gunners this weekend. I didn't see the pro's rocking a rigger belt that I can recall.....

I'll agree with you that most are running a two piece belt set-up, I use the CR-Speed myself. And you are right, there aren't a bunch of pro's running an instructor type belt, but you don't have to look to hard to find some that are. In fact all you would have had to do was look at squad 1 at the shotgun match. Kurt Miller and Trapr Swanson were both using the Wilderness instructor belts.

What I was directing at the OP was the notion that you don't need an expensive competition oriented belt system to get out there and play the game. The ELS system while nice, is very expensive and and there are far better things a new shooter can throw $300 at, than a belt. Like ammo and match fee's.