At this year’s FNH 3Gun Championships, there are some stages that require some unfamiliar shooting positions to engage long range steel targets.

Particularly Stages 8 and 9. Stage 8 has a giant tree trunk laying down and a shallow ditch behind it. There is no way to go prone. You must shoot off the tree trunk. At 6′ tall, kneeling in the shallow ditch is not exactly ideal even with the thick tree trunk. It was challenging to be stable while engaging 8 long range steel targets. Ranging from 161 yards all the way out to 483 yards. The targets are 8 inch steel plates, but the furthest target is a silhouette. Add to this 16 steel plates and a gong that must be shot with a pistol or shotgun before engaging the long range targets with rifle. Oh yeah and you have a max time limit of 180 secs to do it all.

On Stage 9, they have a roof simulator. You start with your rifle slung empty. Walk down a path with your shotgun and shoot 16 steel plates as you see them. Ground the shotgun and transition to pistol to engage 6 paper targets. Then move to the roof simulator with your rifle.  I have never shot a firearm on anything roof shaped before. It was rather awkward trying to keep my rifle steady for six 100-380 yard long range steel. . Shoot all of it in 180 sec par time.

Stage 1 was a bit easier as I have practiced shooting at 300 yard steel while trapping my rifle against a post. Also the targets were only out to about 100-160 yards but they were smaller.

These type of challenges are fun even though they may be frustrating. It puts a shooter outside his comfort zone. Getting comfortable is a luxury I did not have and I would waste time trying to get comfortable which hurt my performance. It is something I will have to try and practice. But I don’t have a roof top to try shooting from. Do you practice shooting in awkward shooting positions? Try challenging yourself and seeing how your performance suffers.