This morning’s article is a rundown of an event we wish could be found all over the damn country. We’re huge fans of the 2-gun action match stuff, which is why we’re chuffed to have Russell Phagan (aka Sinistral Rifleman) writing for us. Mad Duo

Hard as Hell 2 Gun

Russell Phagan

The First Annual Hard as Hell 2 Gun was held at the Southern Utah Practical Shooting Range, May 6th-7th.

SUPS has hosted the “Hard as Hell 3 Gun” since 2012. With shooters asking for a Rifle/Pistol format, and KE Arms stepping up to sponsor it, SUPS ran a match with all the shooting and physical challenges of their 3 Gun — without the shotgun. The match attracted 82 shooters, roughly 1/3 of of them novices with little or no match experience. The lack of shotgun is what many said drew them in; they viewed the shotgun aspect of 3 Gun as requiring the most specialized equipment or being the most impractical.

42 competitors were in Tactical Optics (magnified and variable optics), ten in Tactical Limited (red dots and iron sights), six in open (multiple optics on rifle, and optic on pistol). Trooper division attracted 24 competitors. Trooper division requires competitors hike into the range with their entire ammo loadout for the day, plus any shooting-related equipment on their person throughout each stage. Seventeen of the Trooper competitors elected to make the match even harder by competing in the Armored category, which requires wearing front and rear rifle rated plates.

Match Results: https://practiscore.com/results/new/35663

Breach Bang Clear contributor Russell Phagan (of SinistralRifleman.com and the KE Arms Shooting Team) placed First in Trooper division wearing armor, and 5th Over All. Team KE Arms Shooters Bryan Welch (also of We Plead the 2nd) and Glen Stilson (also of Independence Training) took second and third place respectively.

Pay attention to this: 

Jalise and Justine Williams, aged twelve and fourteen, became the youngest junior female competitors to attempt and complete a major match in Trooper Division. Their packs were more than half their body weight at the start of the match!

John Razo, competing in Open Division fractured his fibula during a stage. He not only completed that stage but completed the rest of the match and won the Open Division.

Sterling White won Tactical Limited Division and 10th overall. John Mouret won Tactical Optics and 1st Place overall.

SUPS will be holding this event again next year. And if shotguns don’t bother you, the Hard as Hell 3 Gun is held every December. Russell Phagan will be submitting a stage by stage rundown of the match to us in the near future so those interested can see what they’re in for.

-Russell Phagan

Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!

Comms Plan

Primary: Subscribe to our newsletter here, get the RSS feed and support us on Patreon right here.

Alternate: Join us on Facebook here or check us out on Instagram here.

Contingency: Exercise your inner perv with us on Tumblr here, follow us on Twitter here or connect on Google + here.

Emergency: Activate firefly, deploy green (or brown) star cluster, get your wank sock out of your ruck and stand by ’til we come get you.

About the Author:  Russell Phagan has been working in the firearms industry since 2001 when he was introduced to action shooting sports in general and  3 Gun in particular. He views competition shooting as a valuable activity not only for personal development and gaining professional knowledge but also how to improve firearms products and make them more user friendly and effective. Combining the practical use of firearms with testing out new product ideas and technology is one of the things he enjoys most about 3 Gun. Phagan also believes anyone can become reasonably good at it if they devote the time and resources to do so.

“Winning, while nice, need not be your goal; bettering yourself through the pursuit of excellence is something we all can achieve” Russell Phagan

Though is his demeanor usually ranges somewhere between taciturn and staid, Phagan is nonetheless a good man to know and listen to. Sometimes he even smiles, or so we hear. Find the Sinistral Rifleman online here or follow him on the Instergramz (@sinistralrifleman). He’s on the Book of Face at /SinistralRifleman/.

We’re pretty sure that’s Russell on the right after a recent competition (1st/8 Armored Division, 2nd/43 Over All at 2 Gun Action Challenge in Tucson). Rifle: KE Arms KE-15 Scout with Aimpoint, Inc. Micro.Pistol: KE19 Charlie Stealth Special with Leupold Optics Deltapoint Pro. Holster and frame work by We Plead The 2nd. Armor: Ferro Concepts Slickster with United Armory steel plates.