Setting up your 3-gun rifle and shotgun
The rifle and shotgun decide many 3-gun stages. A long-range rifle array or a big field of steel with the shotgun can separate the squad more than the pistol stages do. You do not need custom guns, but a few smart choices make a big difference.
The AR-15
Barrel and gas
A 16- to 18-inch barrel in 5.56 with a 1:7 or 1:8 twist handles common 55- to 77-grain match ammunition. A mid-length or rifle-length gas system gives smoother recoil than carbine length. Some shooters add an adjustable gas block to tune recoil for their load.
Handguard
A slim, free-floated M-LOK handguard of 13 to 15 inches lets you reach out with your support hand for control and keeps pressure off the barrel for accuracy. Add a barricade stop or hand stop if stages call for props.
Muzzle device
A compensator or muzzle brake keeps the dot on target between shots. Brakes are loud and throw blast to the sides; squadmates will thank you for a compensator that directs gas up and forward.
Optic
A 1-6x or 1-8x low-power variable optic is the most versatile choice for Tactical-style divisions, with a lit reticle for close targets and magnification for the long shots. A 45-degree offset red dot adds speed on close targets. Open-division shooters often use a higher-power scope with an offset dot.
Trigger
A quality drop-in trigger with a crisp two-stage or light single-stage pull helps at every distance. Use a standard semi-automatic trigger that fires one shot per pull. Binary, forced-reset and similar triggers are not match legal and we do not sell them.
Magazines
Bring at least three reliable 30-round magazines, and check your division's capacity limit. Mark them and retire any that fail.
The shotgun
Action
Semi-automatic 12-gauges dominate. The Beretta 1301 Comp, Benelli M2, Mossberg 940 and 930, and Stoeger M3000 are common, each with competition versions. Break-in with a few hundred full-power loads before your first match.
Extended tube
A magazine extension tube raises capacity to nine or more shells, within your division's limit, so you can start a stage with more rounds and reload less.
Loading port
An enlarged, beveled loading port and a lifter modification make quad-loading and weak-hand loading faster.
Sights
A fiber-optic front bead is enough for most stages; a red dot helps with slug targets.
Caddies
Two- and four-shell caddies on the belt carry your reloads. Practice loading from them until it becomes automatic.
Ammunition
Use 7/8- to 1-ounce target loads of 7.5 or 8 shot for steel, heavier loads for falling plates if your gun needs them to cycle, and quality slugs for slug targets. For the rifle, 55-grain ammunition is fine at short range; 69- to 77-grain match loads help at distance.
Zero and holds
Zero the rifle at 50 or 100 yards and record your holds at 200, 300 and 400. Confirm your slug point of impact at 25 and 50 yards. Public ranges on our city pages are good places to do it.
Buying
Rifles and shotguns ship to the FFL you choose; optics, tubes and caddies ship to your door. See how to buy guns online, the 3-gun starter guide, and browse AR-15 rifles and shotguns.
General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.
