Kudos to the Marines: Summer Blast 3-Gun Match (Quantico)
This past week, the USMC Combat Marksmanship Team, part of Weapons Field Training Battalion Quantico, hosted the Summer Blast 3-Gun match. It gave me and my g/f the opportunity to participate in our very first 3-Gun match, not least of all because the Marines not only opened their ranges to civilian shooters, but also provided guns, equipment, and ammunition to anybody who wanted to use it.
The Corps' generosity extended to two training days earlier in the week, also open to civilians, where we are able to get about ninety minutes trigger time on each of the M9 pistol, the M4 carbine (with ACOG), and the M1014 shotgun. The training was done very capably by Sgt White, Sgt Chambers, and Sgt Weibling of the CMT.
Battalion staff went head-to-head with Corps lawyers and ended up losing out on the ability to offer a prize table, but that didn't matter. The opportunity to shoot in the match, alongside and against Marines as well as other competitive shooters, was just an incredible opportunity.
The highlight of my day was making all the 200 yard rifle shots from a standing supported position, using a weapon and optic I'd never seen before the training day, with a Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant calling fall of shot from the spotting scope to help dial in the shots. :danceban: Sure, my time wasn't great on that stage, but I hit all thirteen rifle targets, and I am not by any stretch a long-gun shooter at this point.
Oorah, Marines! :drillsergeant: Well done. I can't wait for the next one! :biggrin2:
The Corps' generosity extended to two training days earlier in the week, also open to civilians, where we are able to get about ninety minutes trigger time on each of the M9 pistol, the M4 carbine (with ACOG), and the M1014 shotgun. The training was done very capably by Sgt White, Sgt Chambers, and Sgt Weibling of the CMT.
Battalion staff went head-to-head with Corps lawyers and ended up losing out on the ability to offer a prize table, but that didn't matter. The opportunity to shoot in the match, alongside and against Marines as well as other competitive shooters, was just an incredible opportunity.
The highlight of my day was making all the 200 yard rifle shots from a standing supported position, using a weapon and optic I'd never seen before the training day, with a Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant calling fall of shot from the spotting scope to help dial in the shots. :danceban: Sure, my time wasn't great on that stage, but I hit all thirteen rifle targets, and I am not by any stretch a long-gun shooter at this point.
Oorah, Marines! :drillsergeant: Well done. I can't wait for the next one! :biggrin2:
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The Combat Marksmanship Team folks said their goal is to have two events a year, so rest assured in the future I will make sure I post any match announcements hereabouts.
I forgot to mention in the OP yet another neat thing about the match. Mark LaRue, of LaRue Tactical, showed up with his BBQ Wagon and a bunch of folks up from mid-Texas to provide barbecue, snacks, and drinks to the competitors for free. The brisket was absolutely fantastic! Apparently LaRue is doing the rounds to a bunch of 3-gun matches to make sure shooters don't go hungry. :rofl:
I forgot to mention in the OP yet another neat thing about the match. Mark LaRue, of LaRue Tactical, showed up with his BBQ Wagon and a bunch of folks up from mid-Texas to provide barbecue, snacks, and drinks to the competitors for free. The brisket was absolutely fantastic! Apparently LaRue is doing the rounds to a bunch of 3-gun matches to make sure shooters don't go hungry. :rofl:
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