It is years since I last shot at Ben Avery. Do they run a regular 3-Gun/Multi-Gun match? If so, how does it compare with the other regular 3-Gun matches in the valley (Rio Salado, Phoenix Rod & Gun)?

I use to shoot it regularly but haven't shot it in over 6 months. You bring as many guns as you want and shoot the ones you want. I use to run just pistol through it.



Compared to other 3 gun matches it's a lot more relaxed and not as busy.



Come with at least one other person though if possible otherwise you might have trouble finding someone to time and score you. Everyone is in pretty tight knit groups out there.


 

What distances do they shoot rifle out to? Where do competitors sign up?What is the match fee? Whatever other details you can share would be great - I am thinking about giving their match a try on Sunday.

By "tight knit", do you mean "an unwelcoming good-ol-boy clique" or "supportive of each other/sharing the workload"?

It's close man. It's going to be 50 to 150 meters. Last time I did it they had the rifle targets at 75 meters. The whole competition takes place in the practical pistol bays and you pay at the shack on the practical pistol bay range. It's normally 5 stages.



There is signs directing you out to the practical pistol bays if you haven't been before.



IIRC the match fee was 18 dollars for non-members CASH only and add 5 bucks for every additional gun. I think you can shoot it twice if you pay an additional 7 dollars.



Also last time I did it there was no transitioning from weapon to weapon on the same clock, if a stage had a rifle or shotgun option you would do the pistol option get your time then restart the clock for the rifle or shotgun option.



The 3-gun match doesn't have a big following at Ben Avery so most people will just run their pistols.



This months is on the 25th of November at 9am.



 

Hmmmm - maybe I will stick with the Phoenix Rod + Gun match instead

I asked the people running it why it was so expensive they said unlike other places they don't own the range. So they have to charge an 8 dollar fee per person which they have to give directly to Ben Avery then they still have to charge their own match fees to cover the cost of targets, tape, personnel, set up crew, etc.



You could always go and bring all 3 guns and then if it looks weird just run a pistol through it. They would change it if they head enough people griping but no one complains since the vast majority of shooters are the Thursday night pistol match crew and are there to get some more pistol practice in. Even when they run the Steel Challenge now that allows .22 caliber rifles and pistols a lot of those people will still bring their Thursday night pistols.



 

Its not the match fee that turns me off - its the match format that sounds ambiguous and not-serious-about-3-gun. Its a pity as I have to be in North Phoenix on Sunday afternoon, so this would have been a good opportunity to check out a new match. It's unfortunate, with popularity of 3-Gun growing so fast, that nobody is interested in making use of the great facilities at Ben Avery... what would be cooler than a rifle stage with targets out to 1000 yards.

Right, its a pistol match, then its a rifle match, then a shotgun match.
I was told....that the folks there weren't interested in using multiple gun or transitioning during stages.
So when I went, I had to pay 3 match fees.
I am not apt to do it again.

And they pay for setup and teardown??

I would assume they do. A group of people come who do not shoot the match and they set all the targets out and then they leave, at the end of the match they come back and tear it all down.