Obtaining sight picture with rifle after pistol is loaded and holstered.

Tuflehundon · Jan 16, 2016

Saw a similar thread asking almost this question. My question is a little different though. I was at a local 3 Gun Nation match today, and was on my 1st stage, and I was the 2nd shooter. Stage required all 3 guns. Shotgun was loaded and made ready 1st, then staged on a table. RO had me make ready the pistol next, which was magazine inserted, empty chamber, and holstered. he had me do this at the start position. Then he had me make ready my rifle, and I said I wanted to take a sight picture at the barricade 3 feet in front of me. Shots with the rifle were from that barricade were at a plate rack at approx 80 yards. I shoot Unlimited and wanted to get my scope magnification set were I wanted it prior to having to shoot it. RO stated that since I had made ready with the pistol, I could not move more than 1 foot from the start position until the buzzer went off. Start position was heels touching the black marks on the back fault line, pistol holstered, mag inserted on an empty chamber, rifle at port arms, loaded, safety engaged.

I argued that the course of fire starts when he says "make ready", and ends when he says "range is clear". And since I was allowed to run around any direction I wanted once I started shooting with a loaded pistol in my holster, that I should be allowed to move the 3 feet to take a sight picture.

12.1 Make Ready - The course of fire begins with the "Make Ready" command and ends after the "Range is Clear" command is issued.

He agreed, and I was allowed to take a sight picture. Then I moved back to the start position and loaded the rifle. After I shot, they started asking shooters if they wanted to take a sight picture as they passed the barricade and before making the pistol ready.

So my question is: Was i right to say that I could move forward the 3 feet with the pistol holstered with the mag inserted?

Wall · Jan 17, 2016

No, he was right. Sights pic is to make sure your optic is on / gun is gtg, not to see how to shoot the targets. All gun handling for make ready needs to be done at the start/staging position for that gun.

45recoil · Jan 17, 2016

Well after reading the 3gnation rules i did not see anything stating that you couldnt move more than 1 foot from shooting position. Ive never heard of that one. The matches ive went to so far the ro will tell the shooters at the wsb we get one sight picture with rifle on one target to adjust magnification. When time comes we move to a position, typically more than one foot from start position, get sight picture, then get into start position. Unless the RO was being a stickler because the pistol had a mag in it

Robaire Pullicar · Jan 17, 2016

I'm pretty sure the one step or foot (I can't remember exactly) is a USPSA rule not 3 gun.

Tuflehundon · Jan 17, 2016

R.Pullicar.jr said:
I'm pretty sure the one step or foot (I can't remember exactly) is a USPSA rule not 3 gun.

Hadn't looked at USPSA. I did look at 3gun Nation rules and couldn't find a 1 foot rule. I'll look at USPSA and see if I can find it.

Tuflehundon · Jan 18, 2016

Found the rule on USPSA's website for multigun. It says you are allowed to move to take a sight picture on an actual target, but only for the rifle. Pistol and shotgun sight pictures must be taken from make ready position.

8.8 Sight Pictures and Range Inspection

8.8.1 A competitor is permitted to take a sight picture prior to the start signal. Such sight picture is only permitted from the â€œMake Readyâ€ location. On a multigun stage sight pictures are permitted for each firearm, but only from the staged/make ready locations. For a Rifle stage the competitor may move within reason to a location that allows a sight picture on the actual targets.

RO may have been interpreting that rule to say that since it was a multigun stage, I could only take sight picture from the make ready position. But this is a USPSA rule, not a 3 Gun Nation rule.