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On my recent vacation I started writing a book on getting started in 3 Gun. I really want to highlight as much of the community as I can. Please email me:
- Pictures of life at matches / practice
- Great 3 Gun Quotes
- Short stories about 3 gun
Here are a couple paragraphs from the intro to the new book (unedited).
After 2 or 3 matches I remember standing by a couple 50 gallon barrels and eves-dropping on a conversation between Jay Schmitt and Jomar Villamor. Jay and Jomar along with Chris Cazin run the MN3GUNGROUP here in Minnesota which puts on the weekend matches in town and host the previously aforementioned Nordic / Vortex Tri-gun. They were talking about the 3 Gun match coming up. I just remember saying to myself if 1 gun is fun 3 must be ridiculous. Back to the net I searched 3 Gun and was rewarded with videos from Stag Arms Team Members Jesse Tischauser and Kalani Laker. Either for lack of fear or brains I went back to shop with the chicken wire on the windows and the stale cigarette smell to consult with “The Wizard”. I walked out of the shop 72 hours later (delayed) with a Mossberg Mariner pump shogun and a shiny new Sig Sauer M400 AR15 with not 1 but 2 30 round magazines (I was learning) and a Barska Red Dot Sight. I got back on Unholstered.comand ordered an AR Mag Pouch and anAP Custom4x4 Traditional Load shotshell carrier.
Match day came and, again, I had no idea what to expect. I knew how to not get DQ,ed that first experience would come years later, and that’s about it. I went to an indoor range before the match and shot 50 rounds through the shotgun just to see how it worked and sighted in the rifle at 25 yards (longest range available) just to see how it worked. This is where my partner at Hawkeye Ordnance makes his first appearance. At the safety briefing before the match Lucas Webster (USPSA Grandmaster, Holmen, WI 3 Gun Match Director and all around great dude) asked if anyone was “new”. I revised my hand and the Viking standing next to me said “your with me”. Now, you’d shou8ld know that Blair is one of the best people I know but he is 6 something, bald headed with a biker beard and 100% Norwegian. He literally looks like he is either going to rape or pillage you. After some basic introductions we started the stage and I was hooked from the buzzer. I knew for sure this was what I would be doing with all my free time from here on out regardless of the cost in time and treasure.
Over the next several seasons a lot changed which I am not going to go into in detail. This book is about getting started. There are far better shooters and resources than me to take it to the next level many of which are included in theResourcechapter. Use them! What is important to know is I played as much as I could, started going to major matches, progressing up the ranks, producing content, reviewing gear, being sponsored and generally emerging myself in the culture of 3 Gun. I made so many costly mistakes in gear, made several less than ideal decisions around training and tried sponsorship; and I shared all of it with the YouTube and Facebook community. Ultimately, I sold my previous business and started our marketing firm Hawkeye Syndicate, which specializes in marketing companies in the competition shooting space, and later Hawkeye Ignite which promotes matches in Minnesota. My mission is to raise the quality and quantity of great content in the firearms community and make action shooting accessible to everyone.
The following chapters are written in the spirit of my mission and with the sincere hope that you will get off the couch and join us in the dirt!
Welcome to the Sickness!
