The 3^rd annual Halloween Shotgun match was hosted by the Pima Pistol Club ACTS division on October 30^th, 2011.  As the name implies, it is a shotgun only action shooting match.  Competitors were placed in the following divisions based upon the shotguns they used:

Boomstick: Any double barrel or single shot break action shotgun

Action Hero: Pistol grip only pump action shotgun.  Sidefolder ok if remains folded.  Lasers and Optics allowed

Pump: Pump Action with 9 shot capacity and Iron sights

Auto: Semi auto with 9 shot capacity and Iron sights

Open: Optics, speed loaders, detachable magazines allowed.

Only birdshot is required for this match, no buck or slugs are needed or allowed.

The stages are always based around horror movies, books, or games, this year the stages were as follows:

Stage 1: The Ring

PREMISE: You’ve rented a video from The Warehouse and settled in to relax in you Lay-Z-Boy. Oddly, a crazy bitch with long black hair comes out of your Magnavox to ruin your evening. Luckily, you always watch movies with a shotgun in your lap…

SETUP: The shooter will start seated in the chair. His shotgun will be held safely in his lap, with no more than 2 rounds loaded in the magazine. His CHAMBER WILL BE EMPTY, and the action may be opened or closed. The tape will be in the VCR.

PROCEDURE: At the buzzer, the shooter will remain seated and neutralize the 6 targets directly in front of him. The shooter will take the tape from the VCR, stowing it as he sees fit, go to Box 1, and neutralize the two targets. He will then move to Box 2 and neutralize the two targets. Finally the shooter will move to the “well,” put the tape in the well (not throw it) and neutralize the triple-dropper from behind the well. Time ends when the triple dropper falls.

Stage 2: Where the hell is Elm Street

PREMISE: These nightmares keep getting worse. The first one wasn’t bad, you were eating at the Golden Corral and only got slightly sick. However, a month later, you’re being chased by some freak with knives for fingers. This sucks. You’re going to kill him.

SETUP: The shooter will begin in the Start box, shotgun fully-loaded to division’s capacity, held at low ready. The shooter will signify ready by hitting the “snooze” button on the provided alarm clock on the table.

PROCEDURE: At the buzzer, the shooter will engage the appropriate targets from the start box, move to Box 1, repeat, and move to box 2 and repeat. Time will end when the shooter closes “Freddy’s head” completely shut.

Stage 3: The Thing

PREMISE: During your yearly vacation to Antarctica, your dog’s chest and husband’s arms suddenly rupture open with tentacles. WTF?

SETUP: The shooter will choose to start at A, Ab, or O+. Her shotgun will be loaded to capacity and held at low-ready.

PROCEDURE: At the buzzer, the shooter will neutralize TWO steel targets from her start position, and then move to the next position. At the next position, she will neutralize TWO targets, and then move to the next position. She will continue to move between positions, neutralizing only two targets at a time until all steel has fallen.
THE BLACK STEEL TARGETS ARE NO-SHOOTS. IF THEY ARE NEUTRALIZED, IT WILL BE A 10 SECOND PENALTY.

Stage 4 Halloween

PREMISE: It’s Halloween. Some guy wearing an all white William Shatner mask kept ringing your doorbell trick-or-treating, but he was way too old for this nonsense. You slammed the door in his face. It is now 3 hours later, you’re the last survivor in your house, and you need to get away from this guy. He must be on Angel Dust or something: he seems unstoppable.

SETUP: The shooter begins in the hallway, his shotgun loaded to division capacity, and held at the low-ready.

PROCEDURE: At the buzzer, the shooter will neutralize the falling plate and 2 pepper poppers. If the plate does not fall after 4 hits, it is considered neutralized. The shooter will then move to the first barrel and neutralize the falling plate and the two poppers. If the plate does not fall after 4 hits, it is considered neutralized. The shooter will then move to the last barrel neutralize the 4 poppers and get 4 hits on the big steel.

Video of myself shooting all 4 stages

I placed 3rd over all/51, 3/11 in open.

The Halloween Shotgun match also always features a 4 man team shoot off with a massive array of steel.  This year teams could only have one Open and one Auto shooter.

Second Place Team Video:

Of course the most fun part of the Halloween match is the costumes.

My girlfriend, Stephanie, and I went as Monster Control Bureau Agents from Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter Internaional novels:

Other Competitors in Costume