The Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club hosted a special 3 Man Team 3 Gun Match on Agust 13, 2011.  The rules and scoring were similar to normal 3 Gun matches, with the additional stipulations that each team could only have one Open division shooter.  There was no moving with loaded guns, and competitors could only engage targets from designated shooting boxes.  Three of the four stages were shooting gallery style that the team was free to engage in any way they saw fit.  One stage was a relay race with one shooter using each type of gun pistol-rifle-shotgun.

Team Cavalry Manufacturing consisted of the following shooters

Russell (myself)
Rifle: 16″ Sabre Defence with Troy TRX rail, Aimpoint T-1 Micro, and Cav-Mfg Stock set.
Shotgun: Benelli M2 24″ Field with Williams Fire Sights and Nordic Components Extension
(I did not use Pistol)

Karl- ACTS AZ Match Director, student of multiple tactical training schools
Rifle: 16″ Daniel Defense with CMR 1-4X optic (he shot all the far targets)
Shotgun: Saiga-12 with Aimpoint in RS Regulate Mount, 20 round drum, and 10 round mags.
(Karl did not use pistol)

Mark- US Army Veteran, IDPA Shooter, student of multiple tactical training schools
Pistol: Glock 17
Shotgun: Remington 870 with Williams Fire Sights

The three of us had previously trained together and competed in the 2009 Tiger Valley Team Match.  I was the only shooter on the team with a significant amount of 3 Gun experience, but the shooting gallery nature of the stages made the match more of a pure test of shooting skill rather than stage planning, target sequence memorization, and the other little things that give a competitor an advantage.

We did do some pre-stage planning, to the extent that each of us was put in a position to play to our strengths.  Mark, shoots a lot more pistol, so we put him on the pistol targets.  Karl had the the skills and right equipment to shoot long range.  On the shotgun stages we positioned Karl where he could maximize his effect with the Saiga-12 and pick up the slack of the tube feds.  I filled in the middle and engaged most of the flying clays with my Benelli, and got the close range rifle targets.

Our skills and strategy worked out well for us, placing 4th/23 teams.  Considering the number of quality shooters at Rio Salado, I view this as a respectable placement.

The team format drew out many more spectators than normally found at a 3 Gun match.  As a competitor I personally found it more interesting to watch the other teams while waiting my turn than it is to watch individuals shoot a stage at normal 3 Gun matches.  I hope more team format matches will be held in the future.