The Tiger Valley 4 Man Team Match is just a couple weeks away.  The match features a number of obstacles and physical challenges, that are as important to complete as quickly as possible as the shooting.  Negotiating the obstacles efficiently at the match has been our weakness for the past 3 years.  In an effort to be better prepared for the match this year, the two Arizona teams pooled their resources and built a wall similar to the ones encountered at the match to practice going over.

The wall prop is modular so we could practice going over it in 4 foot form as well as 8 foot form.

We trained with all the gear we will use at the match; if something is going to snag or get caught, better to learn it when score isn’t on the line.  We did not carry our rifles with us as we have typically had to set them on the side of obstacles anyway for the sake of safety.

We ran laps and went over the wall as a team.  Its better to let the fast guys get there first because by the time they’re over it, the slower guys catch up.

Reid demonstrates a good vault over the 4 foot wall.

Even with the ladder pack Don is faster than the rest of the team.

For some it is easier to get a knee up on the wall and roll over rather than get the whole leg up and vault over it.

Don easily vaults over the wall.

The ladder pack throws my balance off a little so its easier for me to get a knee up and roll over with it on.

Without the ladder pack it is a lot easier to get my leg up and pull the inside one through to jump over.

Mark also finds it easier to roll over the wall with the ladder pack.

Litter carry is part of the match, including over obstacles.

With the 8 foot wall assembled, Arizona B-Team man handles each other over it.

Reid is an animal and needs no help over the wall.

Team Arizona Action Shooters uses technology to solve the wall problem

Tactical Ladder Deployed!

The wall was built to mirror the prop at Tiger Valley as closely as possible, including the plywood lip extending past the frame.

As the last man over I lift the ladder up and pull it down for team mates on the others side to retrieve and collapse…

…then I roll over the top.

Practicing the mechanics of going over the walls made us all more comfortable with having to do it at the match and allowed us to address issues that could have cost us time during the real stages.