NRA's Competitive Shooting Division has added the Adams Arms Ozark 3-Gun Championship to its list of NRA-sanctioned 3-Gun matches. The match will be held September 24-26, 2010, near the Lake of Ozarks in the heart of Missouri.

Nearly 230 shooters will compete during this three day competition which includes nine stages of fire. Designed to test competitors’ pistol, shotgun, and tactical rifle skills, the stages feature the natural terrain and hills of the Ozark Mountains on 1,000 acres of land. Despite the physical and marksmanship challenges competitors will face, the competition includes shooters of all skill levels.

“We like to be challenging, but fun,” said Match Director Kirk Broyles. “We want to make sure the most experienced shooters are challenged and enjoy the match, but that new shooters can compete and won’t be overwhelmed.”

Run by the Adams Arms Shooting Team, the Ozark 3-Gun Championship held its first competition just last year. The match gained NRA-sanctioning in 2010, and Broyles looks forward to the relationship with NRA.

“I’m excited about the partnership with the NRA and the things they bring to 3-Gun as a sport and this match, specifically,” said Broyles. 

NRA-sanctioning is not the only new feature for the match in 2010. Broyles and his team recently announced that the competition will be the first match for the second season of the 3-Gun Nation television show. The program will film the match and hold a shoot-off at the end of the competition, where the top-ranked shooters compete head-to-head for cash, prizes, and more.

Check out the video footage above from the 2009 Ozark 3-Gun Championship, and bookmark NRAblog for coverage of the event live from Missouri.

The 2010 JP Rocky Mountain 3-Gun Championship was held August 5-7 at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. Nearly 250 competitors participated in the NRA-sacntioned match, which was filmed by the television program 3-Gun Nation. Here are your 2010 winners by class and points (possible high score of 900):

Open: Jerry Miculek - 821.9395

Limited (Scope): Daniel Horner - 864.9413

Limited (Iron Sights): Craig Underdown - 776.5357

He-Man (Scope): Kelly Neal - 867.6091

He-Man (Iron Sights): Patrick Kelley - 820.2407

At the end of the match, top competitors went head to head in the 3-Gun Nation Shoot-Off, where Remington's Robby Johnson and shooting legend Jerry Miculek were left to fight for top honors. In the end, Johnson, a former Army Marksmanship Unit shooter, edged out Miculek to take home $5,000 courtesy of Safariland. Check out the video above for footage of the incredible feat of accuracy and speed.

Last year, NRAblog was on hand to cover New York State Rifle and Pistol Association's Annual Meeting. NRA News' Cam Edwards and NRA President Ron Schmeits addressed the 2009 meeting. This year, we offer our thanks to Eddie Falcon, a Benefactor member of the NRA and founder of homedefensesite.com, for the following report and photo:

NRA Instructor Program Coordinator Andrew Lander with a member of NYSRPA.

Wallkill Rod & Gun Club hosts NYSRPA Meeting

On June 12, 2010 the Wallkill Rod and Gun Club opened its doors to gun lovers from as far as Princeton, NJ. Ray Carney and his staff did a great job putting together an awesome experience and a fun-packed day. There were many displays of guns from the Colt Collectors booth to the .50 BMG. The Sullivan County Sheriff’s crew tapped off the afternoon with a demonstration of full-auto firearms, which three ladies from the audience had the opportunity to shoot.

The event had many opportunities for the public to shoot the guns on display. The NRA's Education and Training Division participated with a new event they called the 3-Gun Experience. If you provided the necessary handgun permit, you were able to shoot the following three stages: a carbine shoot, a handgun shoot, and a shotgun shoot.

Three gentlemen from NRA Headquarters in Virginia – Andy Lander, Sean Thornton, and Mark Richardson – and I coordinated the 3 Gun event. Alongside our event, Andy Massimilian operated a pay to shoot event. For a few dollars event goers were offered the opportunity to shoot a FN Scar, an UZI, a .50 BMG and the new Remington 1911.

Wayne LaPierre addressed the crowd of over 800 to much applause. Wayne repeatedly thanked NRA Board Members Tom King (also the President NYSRPA) and Joseph DeBergalis, Jr. (Vice President NYSRPA) for their hard work and dedication in fighting for the 2nd Amendment Rights in New York.

The afternoon was wrapped up with an unbelievable chicken bake, a tradition at the club, where more than 650 people pre-ordered tickets for the meal.

The 2010 LaRue Tactical 3-Gun Match has come to a close and two new champions have been crowned. Taran Butler (pictured above) won the Tactical Division and Benny Hill won the Tactical Heavy Division. Here are your top five shooters in each group:

Tactical Division

• 1st Place: Taran Butler
• 2nd Place: Kurt Miller
• 3rd Place: Adam Popplewell
• 4th Place: Rob Romero
• 5th Place: Ty Gentry

Tactical Heavy Division:

• 1st Place: Benny Hill
• 2nd Place: Kuan Watson
• 3rd Place: Barry Dueck
• 4th Place: Trapr Swonson
• 5th Place: Jim Morris

That's all from the Cawthon Cartridge Club in Cawthon, Texas. NRABlog covers numerous 3-gun matches throughout the year, so keep checking in for the latest coverage from national-level matches.

At Stage 8 of the LaRue Tactical 3-Gun Match, competitors are literally taken for a ride on a course aptly named "Drive By." From the bed of a panel truck, shooters begin with a shotgun and engage a series of steel targets before switching to their rifle to shoot a series of paper targets and long-range steel.

Although the truck moves at speeds between five and eight miles per hour, it seems to fly as competitors shoot and reload. Pictured above, Jeff Cramblit shoots Stage 8 with blazing speed as the Range Officer scores his hits.

Squads are shooting their finals stages of the day while staff is hard at work preparing for the awards ceremony. Check with NRABlog later on today for finals results to see who was crowned champion at the LaRue Tactical 3-Gun Match.

Shooting has begun at Cawthon Cartridge Club in Cawthon, Texas as the LaRue Tactical 3-Gun Match prepares to come to a close today. Competitors will shoot their final stages of fire today before anxiously awaiting the results and of course, the prize table.

NRABlog will bring you more info, photos, and results from today's events, so keep checking back to see who will win the 2010 LaRue Tactical 3-Gun Match.

As the title sponsor of the LaRue Tactical 3-Gun Match, LaRue Tactical does a lot for registered competitors. The provide their world-famous armadillo beverage entry tools, Dillo Dust seasoning, and bumper stickers for competitors -- and they put thousands of dollars worth of product on the prize table. But, perhaps most importantly, they provide food to the more than 220 competitors.

The LaRue barbeque trailer provides complimentary brisket, sausage, chips, and drinks to hungry competitors and staff throughout the match. The trailer made its debut at last year's match, and is back by popular demand. Barbeque master Clayton and his family start smoking the brisket and sausage early in the morning to be ready for the lunch rush and those looking for a quick snack throughout the day.

Thanks to LaRue and the other sponsors including Dillon Precision, Viking Tactics, Springfield, Safariland, Blackhawk, and many more. The sponsors help to make each 3-gun match a fun (and filling) event.

It's all about how low you can go during Stage 1 of the LaRue Tactical 3-Gun Match. In case the name "Tunnel Rat" didn't give it away, this stage has competitors crawling through not one, but two tunnels to complete the stage.

"It's hard, but it's a lot of fun," one competitor told NRAblog. "Those tunnels are smaller than they look!"

Shooters begin by crawling through the first tunnel to their shotgun and engage a series of steel and clay targets. After grounding their shotgun, they must crawl through the second tunnel where they shoot a series of paper targets, including moving targets that slide across a cable after the shooter steps on an activator switch.

Day 1 of the LaRue Tactical 3-Gun Match is now halfway done, so stay tuned for more coverage as the competition continues from the Cawthon Cartridge Club.

At Stage 7 of the LaRue Tactical 3-Gun Match, you may hear a Range Officer say, "Welcome to the jungle!" for good reason. Set within a dry creek bed, Stage 7, better known as "Jungle Run," resembles a scene from a movie.

Competitors begin at the mouth of the creekbed by firing their shotgun at steel popper targets that throw clays, gong plates, and a Texas star. Next they enter the creek bed and begin a twisting, turning run of targets with their pistol and rifle, ending with long-range shots at LaRue steel targets.

With only 180 seconds to complete the stage, shooting with speed and accuracy is an absolute must to avoid "timing out" or not completing the stage in the time alloted.

NRAblog overheard a group of competitors discussing the stage as they watched their squad mates shoot. "These young guys are running it fast!" exclaimed one competitor.

Check back with NRAblog for more info on stages and photos from the 2010 LaRue Tactical 3-Gun Match here in Cawthon, Texas.

In Cawthon, Texas, not far from College Station, the Cawthon Cartridge Club is buzzing with activity as match staff and Range Officers prepare for the LaRue Tactical 3-Gun Match to begin tomorrow. More than 220 shooters from as far away as Alaska will compete in eight stages of fire tomorrow.

With stage names such as "House of Pain," "Jungle Run," and "Tunnel Rat," this match is shaping up to test the competitors shooting skills and physical abilities. With temperatures in the 90's under the blistering Texas sun, competitors must battle the heat and the sometimes high wind as they run through stages and take long range shots as far as 500 yards. They'll also have to breach a door with their shotgun, just like last year's match, pictured above.

Top-ranked shooters including Taran Butler, Kelly Neal, and Bennie Cooley are competing, but newcomer Ben Fortin may give these seasoned vets a run for their money.

Competitors are beginning to arrive and register, and shooting is scheduled to begin tomorrow at 7:45 a.m. NRABlog will be providing live coverage from the event, so check back for news and photos from the 2010 LaRue Tactical 3-Gun Match in Cawthon, Texas.

From NRA 3-Gun Experience

They started with 32 shooters, but in the end two men faced off and one walked away with a $5,000 check. 3-Gun Nation's shoot-off took place this morning at the Rockcastle Shooting Center with 32 competitors from the Sabre Defence Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun Championship vying for top honors.

In a typical 3-Gun Nation shoot-off, the top eight shooters of the competition enter into the shoot-off, but due to yesterday's weather, the plans had to change as they match was call to a stop. To determine who would participate today, the top ten shooters from each stage were entered into the drawing for the 32 slots in the shoot-off.

As those 32 shooters were whittled down to just two: Taran Butler and Erik Lund. Shooting guns provided by FNH, the pair faced off is a match of speed and accuracy. First they had to shoot a rack of steel plates with a rifle, then steel targets and clays with a shotgun before ending their run with a rack of steel plates for the pistol portion. Both Lund and Butler shot with amazing speed and accuracy, but in the end, Butler was just a few seconds faster.

For his first place finish, Butler received a $5,000 check courtesy of Leupold and the chance to shoot for top honors in the 3-Gun Nation national-level shoot-off to be held at the USPSA 3-Gun Nationals in September. Shoot-offs like these will also be held at NRA-sanctioned JP Enterprises Rocky Mountain 3-Gun match at the NRA Whittington Center.

The awards ceremony for the 2010 Sabre Defence Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun is set to begin in a few hours, so check back later for photos from event, including the prize table with over $250,000 in prizes.

With severe storms bringing thunder, lighting, and heavy rains to Park City, Kentucky, the competition for today at the Sabre Defence Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun has come to a close and will resume tomorrow morning.

Tonight's dinner, auctions, and concert will still be held, but the terms of the competition have changed. Rather than having scores from all the stages combined to determine the winner in each classification, the prize table will now be awarded based on a random drawing. Competitors will still shoot their remaining scheduled stages tomorrow, but scores will not count.

The $5,000 3-Gun Nation shoot-off will now be based on the scores from Stage 4 rather than all ten stages and is still scheduled for tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.

Check back tomorrow from more live coverage of the 2010 Sabre Defence Blue Ridge 3-Gun Championship at the Rockcastle Shooting Center.

With ten stages to shoot over three days, the staff of the Sabre Defence Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun Championship works hard to keep squads of shooters on schedule. While the Range Officers and competitors strive to reset and paste targets as quickly as possible, extra hands never hurt. That's where the local 4-H Club comes in.

Approximately 20 young people and a few parents have come out to help work the stages by resetting steel, pasting paper targets, and picking up brass and hulls. It may seem like a small task, but having this help allows shooters to complete the stages more efficiently with less down-time as they wait for the stages to be reset. The 4-H group is working for tips, and the shooters are greatful to have the help and give donations to help the 4-H shooting sports programs.

The Bowling Green Daily News ran a front page story on the Sabre Defence Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun Championship, featuring the Rockcastle Shooting Center and the NRA 3-Gun Experience as well.

PARK CITY — When Nick Noble took over Park Mammoth Resort last year, he envisioned turning its 2,000 acres into a haven for shooting sport enthusiasts. This weekend, about 250 competitors from across the nation will be at the Park City resort to take part in the Sabre Defence Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun Championship. This is the second year for the shooting event at the Rockcastle Shooting Center at the resort. Competitors will shoot all weekend for more than $250,000 in prizes. It’s the biggest three-gun event in the nation and participation has increased by 42 percent from last year, Noble said.

Read the rest of the story here.

Although storms overnight and rain early this morning soaked the grounds of Rockcastle Shooting Center, the nearly 250 competitors of the Sabre Defence Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun Championship weren't going to let a little rain stop them. Shooters will move through four more of the ten stages today with two left to shoot tomorrow.

Above, Mike Dupuis of Covington, Louisiana takes aim at long range targets on Stage 6.

The NRA 3-Gun experience is open to the public again today until 5:00 p.m. and tonight Barrett is sponsoring a dinner followed by a tailgate concert by country music star Mark Wills. Auctions for various items including guns, hunts, and more more will be held to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

We've got more coverage from the Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun Match and all of today's events, so keep checking back with NRABlog.