3-Gunners Face Tough Challenges at 2013 MGM Ironman Match
The 16th annual MGM Ironman Match was held in Idaho June 2-8, 2013. Over 140 shooters competed. Present were elite professional teams, privateers, juniors, ladies, top military and LEO teams. This very demanding 3-Gun event featured 11 diverse stages of pistol, rifle and shotgun challenges. Finishing first overall in the Scoped Tactical Division was MGM-sponsored shooter Mark Hanish with 800.937 points. Last year’s champ, Daniel Horner, was second with 754.9121 points, while Travis Gibson came in third with 685.6306 points.
The aptly-named Ironman match is one of the toughest 3-Gun matches on the planet. Over the course of three grueling days, competitors must complete 11 stages (segments), shooting in excess of 900+ rounds per shooter per segment. EVERY stage requires the use of ALL three guns. The Ironman is long, intense, and you shoot till you drop! Mike Gibson, the founder of MGM Targets, and the “inventor” of the Ironman, has said: “This match isn’t for weenies or crybabies”.
MGM Ironman Has Unique Stage Designs
The MGM Ironman is an intense test of both shooter and equipment. Participants shoot a variety of classes and various scenarios including shooting from the back of a moving vehicle, from a 20-foot tower, while driving a golf cart, and while carrying a dummy.
Of course there are plenty of MGM-made reactive targets (photo right). There’s even a 285-foot-long Zipline pistol stage. You don’t see that in the typical 3-Gun match!
With creative and challenging stage designs, high round counts, and a great RO crew the Ironman is truly a unique match. Every stage has a 10-minute time limit with an average shooting time of about 7 minutes per stage. CLICK HERE for full Ironman match results.
Here is a video from the 2010 MGM Ironman. It shows many of the multi-gun stages, including the Zipline stage, filmed from multiple camera angles.
Thompson/Center Arms (T/C) has identified a condition that may cause the safety lever on certain ICON®, VENTURE™ and DIMENSION® rifles to bind, preventing the safety from becoming fully engaged. In this situation, closing the bolt may move the safety to the fire position. The rifle will not fire unless the trigger is pulled. Though there should be no risk of the gun going off by itself, T/C states: “Out of an abundance of caution, we are taking this action to recall the rifles so that the firearm can be inspected by our technicians to ensure that the safety lever functions as designed.”
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