Tuesday, February 26, 2013

David Hill Interview

     David Hill recently finished 13th in the 3 Gun Nation Pro Series qualifier in Florida.  David Hill is a law enforcement officer in the Kansas City Metro area who has been steadily improving the last several years in 3 Gun competition.  In 2012, Mr. Hill had a 22nd place finish at the CMMG Midwest 3 Gun Championship followed by a 9th place finish at the Ozark 3 Gun Championship.  The steady improvement has made some people take notice, mainly Burris Optics, as he is now proudly wearing their jersey.
   
     You may have already read the interview on 3 Gun Nation.com but, I recently had a chance to catch up with David and ask him a few questions in regards to his competitive shooting.  The question and answer session is below:

Photos by: Aegis Atlanta courtesy of 3 Gun Nation



DJ: How did you get into 3-gun?

Hill: I shot my first local match in December 2009 at CMMG’s range in Fayette, Mo. There was a mixture of rain, sleet and snow, and I was soaked and freezing by the end of the day, but I had so much fun I was instantly hooked. Since then I’ve tried to shoot at least one day a week and sometimes as many as three or four days a week, not including dry fire of course.

DJ: What firearms do you use in 3-gun?

Hill: I built my own rifle using an 18-inch Nordic barrel, SJC Titan comp, and an AP Customs carbon-fiber handgaurd. The trigger is Chip McCormick. My shotgun is a Remington Versamax, and my pistol is an STI Edge in .40.

DJ: Which one is your favorite and why?

Hill: That’s like asking which of your children you love the most! I love them all equally.

DJ: Is there a firearm you would like to try?

Hill: It took me over two years to really nail down which guns I was the happiest with. I think it is constantly evolving, but I am very happy with what I have now, and that allows me to be very familiar with my guns and I can focus on improving my shooting instead of tweaking my gear.




DJ: Of the three firearms, which one do you think you are the strongest in? Weakest?

Hill: It depends on the match really. I know my zero’s very well, so long range usually goes pretty good for me as well as hosing targets with the rifle. I’ve spent a lot of time knowing my slug zeros, so that is a strength with the shotgun. Pistol is probably the weakest, I am not a Grand Master USPSA shooter like some of the other pros. It’s the hardest gun to master, and it takes the lion’s share of my practice time. BUT, I can be extremely accurate on small targets at longer ranges and that is definitely an advantage. I regularly shoot at 50-100 yards at steel.

DJ: What are your goals for this season?

Hill: I want to make the top 30 in the 3-Gun Nation Pro Series and get that invite to Vegas baby! The top 30 will engage in a head-to-head bracketed shoot-off where the finalist will go home with $50,000.

DJ: Who is your favorite Big Name shooter?

Hill: Kurt Miller. The guy is a fantastic ambassador for our sport. He is approachable, friendly, and very experienced. I was having some problems with factory ammo blowing primers and locking up my trigger group at the Midwest 3-Gun match in 2011. Kurt gave me enough of his ammo to get me through the last stage. That’s not to say that Kurt is the only one that would have. I’m constantly amazed at how generous, trusting, and courteous 3-gun shooters are to each other.

DJ: What do you think of the format changes of 3-gun in the Pro Series?

Hill: Let’s face it, the series is made for TV. Nobody wants to see someone standing still or laying down shooting at targets they can’t fit on the TV screen. People want to see guns blazing, dirt flying and shooters gasping for breath when they’re done. That’s so much more fun anyway!

DJ: What do you do for a living? Do you think others in your line of work should participate in this sport?

Hill: I’ve been a Police Officer for 16 years. There is no doubt that shooting competitively has increased my skill level exponentially. I introduced a friend to the sport a couple years ago. He was amazed at how much better of a shooter he had become. It saved his life last summer when he was on the perimeter of a barricaded subject armed with numerous weapons. The guy came out and pointed a long gun at him and he said it was just instinctual how fast he was able to engage him with his rifle and end the situation. It’s easy to get a cop to a competition, the hard part is getting him to come back. That’s because 3-Gun is so much more dynamic than qualifying on a piece of paper that requires no movement on the shooter’s part. The fact is most cops are not hard core gun people. It’s a sad truth that most of them do not train enough on a skill that might save their life one day.

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DJ: Any tips for improving?

Hill: Shoot matches. As many as you can afford to shoot. Nothing beats experience and nothing will simulate the stress of a real match as much as a club-level match will.

DJ: What has helped you the most?

Hill: I saw my biggest improvements while training for and shooting single-gun matches for rifle and shotgun. Something about focusing all of my attention on one gun for a couple months really brought me into another level.

DJ: What would you say to someone who is thinking about shooting 3-gun, but just hasn’t been to the range to check it out?

Hill: Everyone has fired their first shot in competition. Just jump in and do it. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find how accommodating and helpful other shooters will be.

DJ: What do you think could be done to get more people into the sport?

Hill: Local clubs should advertise and hold novice-friendly events to encourage new shooters to participate.

DJ: You are wearing a Burris jersey, I assume you like their products? Which of their optics do you use?

Hill: I love the 1-4 MTAC. I don’t think you’ll find a better scope for twice what it costs. About $400. The clarity, huge field of view, and reticle all come together to make this the perfect 3-gun scope. I’ve shot targets from 3 yards to over 500 yards. The ballistic drop reticle almost makes it feel like I’m cheating.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

From: www.3gunnation.com 



     The Noveske Shooting Team 3 Gun Training class is unlike any other program currently taught. This course was developed entirely by Jansen Jones and Rob Romero as an interactive class to improve a shooters match performance and enhance their match finishes at multi gun as well as rifle and shotgun matches. The class was founded on the concept that it would be a class they would want to take themselves. Through the use of their unique micro block curriculum, small class size, personalized attention and most of all, attention to detail, students will see improvement within the first few hours of the program.

     Participants are expected to treat the class like a match; the class will be broken down into 3 gun stages, micro blocks of instruction focusing on key 3 gun concepts (shotgun reloading, barricade/port shooting, stage breakdown etc.), a man-versus-man shoot-off session and more. Students are paying for a class that costs as much as a major match and the goal is to provide each student with as much of a match experience as possible all while improving your 3 gun game.

     This class is for the novice to intermediate level student and will deliver focused instruction on specific skills, strategies, and stages of 3 Gun Competition. Team Noveske will also discuss in depth Immediate action drills, unconventional shooting techniques and barricades . Steel, paper, flippers, Texas stars and plates are all engaged at contact distance out to 100 yards. Students are expected to arrive with rifle zero known at 100 yards, as well as point of aim/point of impact at 5, 25 and 50 yards.

     Cost: $475 Total. A $300 Deposit is required to hold your seat in the Class and the balance will be due Saturday at the start of Class. 

     Date: Saturday March 9th 9am-6pm Sunday March 10th 9am-12noon

     Location: Threat Management Group's Range Located at Homestead Rd., Bowman, SC (GPS coordinates 33.436214,-80.661683)

     Contact: Lisa Marie Judy (843)729-3817

     About the instructors:

     Lead Instructor: Rob Romero is a USPSA Grandmaster in Production. He won the 2010 FNH USA3 Gun Nation Shoot Off back in May. Rob was selected to represent the USA at the 2010 Pan American Shotgun Championship and is currently ranked top 5 in all Pan American Countries in Standard shotgun. Rob is the 2011 Heavy Metal Division winner based on the 3 Gun Nation points series and holds titles from Rocky Mtn, Ozark 3 Gun and FNH USA 3 Gun Championships in 2011 alone. In 2012 Rob was named the USPSA Heavy Metal National Champion and the 2012 Tactical Shotgun Champion in Standard division.

     Assistant Instructor: Jansen Jones was selected to represent the USA at the 2010 Pan American Shotgun Championships where he took a Gold Medal in the team event shooting alongside his teammates on the US National Team at the 2010 Pan American. Jansen is the 2011 and 2012 Tactical Shotgun Championship Division winner in pump shotgun and placed 3rd overall in Heavy Metal Optics in 3 Gun Nations points series. Jones is selected to represent the United States in Standard Manual division at the 2012 World Shotgun Championships in Debrecen, Hungary where he placed in the top 15 in the world . Jones is currently in the top 48 shooters on the 3 Gun Nation PRO SERIES tour for 2012.

     Assistant Instructor: James Casanova is the latest addition to the Noveske Shooting Team. Joining Rob and Jansen in 2013, James brings his amazing shooting skills to the NST class by focusing on the load two program with shotgun reloading. As co-owner of Carbon Arms, James has been instrumental in advancing shotgun reloading, especially with getting new shooters up to speed in reloading fast with his methods. James is currently in the top then on the 3GN Pro Series and is the 2012 Hornady Divisional Money winner in tactical irons. James placed 2nd overall at the 2012 Tactical Shotgun Championship and holds numerous titles in tac irons during the 2012 season.

     Equipment List: Ammo: 200rds each – Pistol / Rifle / Shotgun (Birdshot) + 15-20 Slugs Belt based load out preferred: (5-6) 4rd or 6rd Shotgun carriers or what you use in a match (the means to carry 20 shells on your person after the buzzer) or any of Carbon Arms Load Two/ Reloading systems. Strong side Kydex pistol holster (non race type preferred) (2-3) Pistol magazines and pouches for belt Extended / Coupled / Singles / 20s-30s-45s (whatever you use in regular matches) (2) Rifle magazine pouches for belt Clothes and Protection: Eye protection / Sun glasses ( clear lenses and dark lenses if possible) Ear protection (electronic if you have them but not necessary) Baseball hat or cap / Sun block Pants (you will be shooting from various positions and surfaces) Boots / Cleats (ankle support is more important than grip) Elbow and Knee pads (elbow pads are needed and knee pads are optional) Appropriate weather shirt and or undershirt (long and short sleeved) Tools/wrenches that work on your firearms and optics Rain Gear Leather gloves/outdoor work type gloves Notebook and Pen (means to take notes and AAR) Lunch/snacks Treat this class as a match, bring whatever extra parts you would travel with to a major multi gun event. This includes match clothes.

     What you don’t need / Please leave at home: 1. Tactical Vests 2. Chest Rigs 3. Lasers 4. Goggles 5. Suppressors 6. Helmets 7. Armor 8. Flashlights 9. Camel Backs 10. Shemaghs 11. Ghillie Suits 12. Throat Mics 13. Face Paint 14. MREs 15. Camouflage 16. Flash Bangs 17. Smoke Grenades 18. Hand Signals 19. Radios 20. Thigh Rigs (unless you actually use one in competition)

Originally Posted on 2/21/2013 www.3gunnation.com 

Friday, February 15, 2013

Enter to win a Toxic Green magazine which comes with a Blade-Tech™ Revolution Mag Pouch with Tek-Lok. The 30 round AR15 Magazine is manufactured and provided by our friends at D&H Industries. They come with stainless steel springs and Magpul anti-tilt followers. Made in the USA. This is Blade-Tech’s very popular Revolution mag pouch, which allows the user to wear them bullets forward or bullets back and it does not require and buttons or straps to retain the loaded magazine. Enter on our Facebook page. If you are accessing Facebook on a mobile device you will need to enter here. You have until February 28, 2013 to enter. Official rules, and alternate entry options, are available here. Good luck!