3 Gun Rifle Question

[MrBrian]

So I'm thinking about getting a Thureon Defense 9mm carbine rifle, but I didn't know if I would be able to use it as my rifle if I were to do the 3 Gun competition. In the one I would be doing, it states that anything with a power factor (PF) of 150k or higher will work. I know that if I used regular 9mm ammo (124gr x 1109fps = 137k) I didn't know if shooting it from a longer barrel would raise the PF enough for it to count or not... I'm sure you can buy +P+ ammo that would stretch up to 150k ammo... but that would be expensive to shoot, and then I might as well just go with a .223 AR

[East_TN_Patriot]

I can't think of anyone in my own personal experience who shoots less than a .223/5.56 in 3 Gun.

[MCFooter]

Most 3 gun matches require you to use a bottleneck rifle cartridge. These days with ammo being so expense some clubs make exceptions particularly for new shooters. There is no advantage to shooting 9mm except a little cost. If you plan to get a rifle for gaming, longer barrels and gas systems are an advantage. I won’t bore you with my preference just look at what the Pros use….

[c.a.willard]

doing the math you would only need another 100 fps to reach minimum power factor. Typically in the 9mm carbines you see in increase of a little over 200 fps so you should be GTG as far as getting your target velocity. Whether or not its a good choice for 3 gun comp, others will have to answer. Outside of competition, PCC's do have some advantages. mainly they tend to be light and very fast on target. Increased versitility from sharing rounds, even more so if you can share magazines.

Edited February 21, 2012 by c.a.willard

[RWF]

if you ever think that you may want to do something, a little bigger then a local match, Mr Footer is correct, bottle neck rounds. even if it allowed like at the Bama rifle matches then you could need 3 shots on target to have it neutralized, then you need to be skilled to hit a 200-300 yard target.

most 3 gun in this area is wildcat. i have seen them used in uspsa ky state championship, but that was when the long range was only 100 yards. but gary has since gone to the wildcat matches. each wildcat has it own rules.

i think it would be simplier to just get 5.56. mags are much cheaper an so on.

and a man i have much respect for who was one of these 9 carbine shooters, says it has a lot more recoil and that he has to load them hot to be effective across all the stages.

Edited February 21, 2012 by RWF

[Guest Nutts&Bolts]

At MSSA we shoot out to 300 yards..99% of us use .223

Their is a occasional .308

Rules as per USPSA

[Jonnin]

Ours allows anything but we are not sanctioned. Oddly they allow a 9mm carbine or a .22 rifle but rejected my 223 pistol...

A +p 9mm load in a 10 inch or longer barrel can push over 1400 fps. so 173k is your power factor. Why did they make up "power factor" to rename momentum, anyway? Seems silly to rename it.

A regular pressure 9mm is lucky to hit 1250. It is still over 150 momentum, but just barely, and you would want to test each ammo brand or your hand loads very, very carefully before you went to a serious event and were disqualified.

I am not aware of a necked case requirement. That may rule out the new 300 blackout round which had people excited -- I thought it was a neckless 223?

[nightrunner]

.300blk is still a bottleneck cartridge

[slowsure]

The accuracy of the pistol cartridge is going to be the down fall compaired to a standard rifle cartridge.

For example a few years ago I shot the BRM3g in KY. I took some "short" range blasting ammo and some "long" range ammo. I shot over 200 "long" range shots and 0 short range shots. Most shots at that match was over 100 yards away and as far away as 400 yards. It would have been at a serious disadvantage to be shooting a pistol cartridge at those ranges.

Most local matches are not going to have targets past 100 so a pistol cartride wouldnt be a huge disadvantage there.

USPSA matches are the only org to use the "power factor" in compteitions

[RWF]

slowsure has been around the 3 gun stuff for some time, and he known by all and has some air time at benning i think it so you may want to pay attention.