3-Gun on a budget?

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jmresistance

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I know the sport is not cheap (ammo, club dues, entry fees, etc), but I'm looking into getting started (slowly) on a budget.

I want to know a good starting place for each gun. I am ok with spending time and money over the long haul in upgrades, customization, tweaking, etc., but my starting budget won't be huge. I want something that won't break the bank, but can be competitive.

What are some good options for a beginner in the sport?
 
Do you have friends that shoot 3 gun as well? I started out borrowing other peoples stuff, and have slowly purchased my own gear over the years. I have seen many different types of gear used, I guess it is more about how far into it you want to go. Some people are shooting stock glocks or XDs, while others are using STI's w/ Cmores. I think a G34 is a great place to start for a pistol, but if you wanted to use it for carry as well, that may lean you towards something else. For a shotgun, I see the same thing, stock 18" 870's to 1100's w/ the 23 round thing on the end. I think a 8 rnd mossy 500 or 870 would be a good place to start, or a 11-87 or 1100, and with those, don't forget that you can build them up over time like you described. For a rifle, I would just try to get some kind of AR, they are not the cheapest, but easy to build up over time, but don't get me wrong, many do just fine with the AK's a converted Saiga or a Centerfire Systems '74 would work well. Have fun shootin!
 
I don't have any friends who compete, but what you suggested is pretty much what I was thinking. I plan on buying a 9mm XD 4" Service Model next, so that will be my pistol. I will probably do some local USPSA pistol matches while building my AR. Any brand suggestions for building a solid AR on a budget? I'll probably end up with an 870 for my shotgun.
 
Loads of threads dedicated specifically to AR builds, and a ton asking for "Budget" builds.

Just try some searches
 
Do you have any guns at all? I've shot 3-guns with guys who were using their 4-shot pheasant guns, any semi-auto pistol, and whatever rifle they could get their hands on.

Fun to shoot, even if you don't have the "gamer" gear. Get out there.

Starting out, a $600 used bushmaster, used $350-400ish Glock 17, and a cheap 8 or 9 shot mossberg 500/590 would be hard to beat for value, IMO. Shoot in "limited" division and you don't need the $800 optics and stuff.

I still use my upland game vest as a mag pouch sometimes... :D
 
3-Gun is expensive. There's no way around it.

That said, it'll be more expensive in the long run if you try to scrimp along with cheap gear. If you want to compete and improve, get the best gear you can painfully afford, right out of the gate. You'll spend less in the long run, much less than you'll spend on ammunition and match fees.

For the pistol, you can't go wrong with the Glock 34. Get a couple of extra magazines with Arredondo +6 baseplates ($60 ea., all told), and you'll be competitive with anything out there. Call it $750, all told.

The shotgun is going to be the expensive part. You can try to run a pump gun, but unless you're shooting in a division that requires them, you'll probably be happier with a semi-auto. You can get an FN-SLP Mk1 shotgun, ready to go out of the box, for around $900, plus $50 for a Browning Gold Sporting Clays gas piston for better functioning with light loads.

The rifle is the easy part. Get a reliable AR-15 with a float tube and a decent trigger. If you really have to save some money, shoot iron sights until you can afford a decent optic. For a first rifle, I'd think real hard about getting a Palmetto State Armory 20" upper, adding a light float tube, and slapping it on a complete lower of your choice. With a little shopping around, you could build a decent iron-sighted rifle for around $750.

That adds up to around $2500. Not an insignificant investment, but if you get seriously into 3-Gun, you'll spend that on ammo in the first year.

-C
 
It's possible to save money on equipment for 3 Gun, but it's still going to be one of the more expensive sports.

(That said, I thought 3 Gun was expensive until I met some guys who were into racing cars. THAT is an expensive freaking sport.)



Here are my tips for saving money at 3 Gun:

1.) Don't cheap out on guns, but do look for deals. Buy your equipment used from other shooters who are either upgrading or getting out of the sport. You can save some money that way. The economy sucks right now, and there are a lot of people selling guns to make ends meet. You just have to find them. (Check the local classifieds as well as the for sale section at the Brian Enos forums.)

2.) Get a press, reload. Buy components in bulk, or even be wiling to talk to the local police range about buying their practice brass at a discount.

3.) Be willing to volunteer to help out at matches. Match Directors are always, always, ALWAYS short-handed, and they appreciate people who are willing to help out. At a lot of matches, you can get a discount or even a free match entry if you're willing to volunteer to help with setup/teardown or act as a Range Officer.

4.)If possible, get a sponsor. This isn't as hard as it sounds. Usually this doesn't help out with massive costs unless you're at the top of the game, but even a small company needs exposure, and they're often happy to hook you up with some gear if you're willing to run it at matchs, wear a jersey, and field questions about the gear.

5.) If you're really into shooting 3 Gun, cancel your cable account. An extra $100/month will definitely help out.
 
Do you have any guns at all? I've shot 3-guns with guys who were using their 4-shot pheasant guns, any semi-auto pistol, and whatever rifle they could get their hands on.

Fun to shoot, even if you don't have the "gamer" gear. Get out there.

Starting out, a $600 used bushmaster, used $350-400ish Glock 17, and a cheap 8 or 9 shot mossberg 500/590 would be hard to beat for value, IMO. Shoot in "limited" division and you don't need the $800 optics and stuff.

I still use my upland game vest as a mag pouch sometimes... :D
I have several guns, but I would have a hard time competing with any of them; most are .22s. I only have 3 that would work at all: an old Springfield Pump, a Taurus Judge, and a Steyr Carbine in 8x56R (ammo is expensive and hard to find). Not exactly the best lineup for 3-gun...
 
A longer barrel would be good for the handgun, especially for USPSA. But 4" is ok to start.

Lee
I'm sure you're right, but there are some benefits to the 4". I also need a better carry piece, so I can kill two birds with one stone, and I'll get plenty of practice with my carry gun.
 
3-Gun is expensive. There's no way around it.

That said, it'll be more expensive in the long run if you try to scrimp along with cheap gear. If you want to compete and improve, get the best gear you can painfully afford, right out of the gate. You'll spend less in the long run, much less than you'll spend on ammunition and match fees.

For the pistol, you can't go wrong with the Glock 34. Get a couple of extra magazines with Arredondo +6 baseplates ($60 ea., all told), and you'll be competitive with anything out there. Call it $750, all told.

The shotgun is going to be the expensive part. You can try to run a pump gun, but unless you're shooting in a division that requires them, you'll probably be happier with a semi-auto. You can get an FN-SLP Mk1 shotgun, ready to go out of the box, for around $900, plus $50 for a Browning Gold Sporting Clays gas piston for better functioning with light loads.

The rifle is the easy part. Get a reliable AR-15 with a float tube and a decent trigger. If you really have to save some money, shoot iron sights until you can afford a decent optic. For a first rifle, I'd think real hard about getting a Palmetto State Armory 20" upper, adding a light float tube, and slapping it on a complete lower of your choice. With a little shopping around, you could build a decent iron-sighted rifle for around $750.

That adds up to around $2500. Not an insignificant investment, but if you get seriously into 3-Gun, you'll spend that on ammo in the first year.

-C
Thanks for the advice! I would rather have an auto shotgun, than a pump, but they are typically more expensive... I should probably just be patient and save up for better equipment. I can shoot pistol only while saving for the shotgun and rifle...
 
Here are my tips for saving money at 3 Gun:

1.) Don't cheap out on guns, but do look for deals. Buy your equipment used from other shooters who are either upgrading or getting out of the sport.

2.) Get a press, reload. Buy components in bulk, or even be wiling to talk to the local police range about buying their practice brass at a discount.

3.) Be willing to volunteer to help out at matches.

4.)If possible, get a sponsor.

5.) If you're really into shooting 3 Gun, cancel your cable account. An extra $100/month will definitely help out.

I really appreciate the tips! Volunteering, reloading, and buying used are great ideas. I wouldn't know where to start with sponsorship, but any sponsor would be a huge plus. If I cancelled my cable, however, I'm pretty sure my wife would kill me...
 
It's called "Production Division" for your pistol, "Limited/Tactical" for your shotgun, and "Limited" for your rifle. These are all iron-sights only. Any 4" pistol with spare factory mags (like the G34 mentioned), any pump shotgun, and an AR with a float tube will be plenty sufficient.

You don't need a heavily modified pistol, auto shotgun, or optics on your rifle; all these things belong in higher classes, like Limited and Open.
 
I use a mossberg 930, $450 new gun and another 150 to get 3 gun ready. Mossberg is suposed to have a competition ready 930 out this fall for about $700.
G34+sights maybe 600.00 (used gun). A G17 would work here and would cost less used.
20" franken AR; Iron sights, stag lower, off brand LPK, DIY trigger job, JP springs, JM Comp, Delton upper with 20" government profile barrel. shoots 1 1/2 MOA with cheap handloads. $1200.?

other gear: $500?

ammo?
match fees?
travel?
lodging?
using vaction?

Yes its expensive.
 
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