Top 3-Gunners Battle at Raton in Rocky Mountain 3-Gun Match

This week, hundreds of the world’s best 3-gunners have been competing in Raton, New Mexico in the prestigious Rocky Mountain 3-Gun Championship. Today (Saturday), is the final day of the popular 3-day event which features nine different stages at the NRA Whittington Center. The elevation at Raton, combined with the rugged terrain of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, have made for a physically challenging match. While this is very much a speed event, long-range skills are tested by some stages with rifle targets placed as far out as 500 yards.

In the slide show above, you can see top competitors (including Team S&W Captain Julie Golob and Safariland’s Scott Carnahan) engage Stage 2 of the event. Sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps’ Combat Shooting Team from Quantico, Stage 2 is named “OO-RAH” and includes all three firearms. Competitors start the stage with shotguns, shooting a series of steel targets. Then shooters transition to pistols to shoot paper and steel targets. Finally, they engage paper, steel, and even stationary clay targets with their rifles.

Rocky Mountain 3-Gun Will Be Broadcast on 3-Gun Nation
The Rocky Mountain 3-Gun is being filmed as part of the second season of the 3-Gun Nation TV show. After completion of the Raton tournament on Saturday afternoon, there will be a 3-Gun Nation shoot-off, where top-ranked competitors will compete head-to-head for bragging rights and a fat check. Last year, Remington’s Robby Johnson beat out Jerry Miculek for a $5,000 check from Safariland. In the slide show below you can see Robby Johnson competing at Raton, as well as ace USAMU shooter SGT Dan Horner, 3-Gun Nation’s 2010 Champion.