Went to a local match that my friends have been telling me to go for the past year. Finally requested the day off to attend the Clariton Sportsman Club’s Action Rifle. It is so much more than just an Action Rifle Match. It is more of a multi gun match. You use pistol, shotgun and rifle. However it is not a true 3-gun match as certain stages are specifically one out of the three guns.

Stage 1 was pistol or shotgun. You had to engage a Texas Star and an array of poppers. 5 plates on the star and 5 poppers. You must shoot one plate and then move to engage a popper. Afterward you move back to shoot a plate and then go back to the poppers. You must alternate back and forth.

Stage 2 is a simple shoot hallway with simulated rooms. The important aspect is to ID the target that the Range Officer tells you as you begin the stage. There are three cardboard targets in each area. Each one is labeled A, B, or C. Simple enough, the RO will yell out a letter and those are the targets you are to ID and shoot.

Stage 3 was a shotgun stage, I did not have my shotgun so I did not shoot this stage. You could not use a pistol due to the distance from the steel targets. However you start off with an empty shotgun. Move to engage two paper targets. Try to engage with shotgun. After firing, you transition to pistol. Re-holster the pistol and load your shotgun. There are steel targets shot with bird shot and paper targets with slugs. All the while weaving thru a snake like hallway made of tarps and wood strips.

Stage 4 was the best stage. It was set up like a shoot house. More interesting than the layout was the details they added in. First of all they had designed the course safely to make this a two man stage. You shoot with another shooter in the stage. There are two ROs. One for each shooter. At no time could someone break a 180 as long as proper muzzle awareness and trigger discipline was maintained. They stressed on safeties on at all times unless you are actually engaging a target.

On top of that they had a helicopter simulator. During the stage briefing they explained that the shooter will load on a closed bolt. Sit inside the helicopter. The Crew Chief will say “Three Mikes Out!” and the shooters will make their way to the edge of the chopper. There you will charge your firearm and hop out to engage targets. What they didn’t mention was that the helicopter “flies”. And by fly I mean they have a backhoe lift the back the truck with a tow strap. The Backhoe operator then jostles the truck. It is such a simple and clever method that really makes this a fun stage.

Here is my FPV video of the match.

Now where is the drone? That was brought out by another shooter. Sadly I had left early so I did not get to see the sweet drone being used. It is a DJI Phantom 2. Video was captured with a GoPro. Video on the ground was shot with a DLSR. Watch the video below. The drone footage combined with the shallow depth of field from the DLSR really takes the video to a higher level. Check out his work at Osprey Aerial or his website.

Having a camera man film you while you shoot is pretty awesome. But pulling out a drone makes for some really great video. I am talking to the owner to get tips and ideas for my drone. I want one and they are not that expensive. I already have GoPros haha.