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Riverbend Gun Club RNG - May 29 - Canton GA

I'm in! Debating between running an AR or para FAL -- ammo costs the same, why not? Haha. (And I'm already good at running)

As a newbie to this is there anyone in the woodstock, roswell, to smyrna area that would be willing to sit down with me for a few. Meal or coffee would be on me. I am made of questions.

Woodstock here. I'm new to this as well, although shot a couple pistol matches many years ago. Drop me a PM if you'd like to get together or even do some practice runs.
 
I'm in! Debating between running an AR or para FAL -- ammo costs the same, why not? Haha. (And I'm already good at running)



Woodstock here. I'm new to this as well, although shot a couple pistol matches many years ago. Drop me a PM if you'd like to get together or even do some practice runs.

Mine will be a AR. Nothing fancy though. I'm not to good at running, but I'm not to bad either. Last 5k I did in about in just under 40 minutes. But that's unloaded. But I am also solid 20+ lbs under what I weighed then.
 
I’m going to do the 10k. A little worried about my 14.5” ar at 600 but definitely looking forward to the challenge. First organized run or shooting thing so will be a learning experience for sure.

A guy at work was trying to get me to do a tough mudder thing. I was thinking how much more fun that would be with guns and shooting along the way then I saw this thread.
 
You will need a holster for your pistol to do rifle to pistol transitions
Fixed it slightly.

Safariland GLS Pro-Fit holsters have worked well for me. They are cheap and have retention. Retention is important because you'll be going through brush and obstacles that might snag your pistol. Folks have lost guns and other stuff along the trail. Runners behind you will spot it and bring to the next stage or finish line, along with wise-arse commentary.

You'll also need a waterproof stopwatch for wait times.
 
Fixed it slightly.

Safariland GLS Pro-Fit holsters have worked well for me. They are cheap and have retention. Retention is important because you'll be going through brush and obstacles that might snag your pistol. Folks have lost guns and other stuff along the trail. Runners behind you will spot it and bring to the next stage or finish line, along with wise-arse commentary.

You'll also need a waterproof stopwatch for wait times.
Finding a G19 in the mud at Legion was my highlight
 
I'm going to throw out some answers to un-asked questions ....

1) Do you have to run? No. I personally fast walk most of the way. If the Match Director is nearby, I'll jog so I look fit .... looking fit is important. I'm not fit.

2) I don't have much gear, what do I really really need? Eyes and ears, a retention holster, rifle sling, and backpack. Fill the backpack with mags and pull them out as needed. Stuff the mags in your pocket at the stage briefing. It seems odd but it works. Put a little bottle of water in your bag, just in case.

3) Can I reload mags on the way? Sure. BUT! I tried it and wasn't able to walk and load mags. I left a trail of bullets behind me ... which I sadly needed later on. It's better to have pre-loaded mags.

4) I don't want to come in last! Other than the odd freaks who can run in kit, the rest of us don't give a squat about where you placed. However, your fellow competitors expect some really good stories and excuses about your crashes on the course. RnG is not a competition. It is shared suffering dished out with a metric ton of learning.

5) What overlooked items should I bring? Cleanup supplies. Fresh clean clothes including underwear, towels and water to wash up with and some sort of CLP to spray on your guns to keep them from rusting, if you are into that sort of thing. I just wipe my guns down and break them apart to air dry. Pro-Tip, don't bring your bath towels, your wife will hate that. Bring heavy duty trash bags for your muddy clothes and shoes.

6) What will I get out of doing it? The most awesome shooting experience, ever! RnG is the apex of shooting competitions. The Eastern Tribe of Run-N-Gunners is blessed with very creative Match Directors who create challenging courses of fire that require thinking and strategy. I do RnG for the shooting stages and the people.

RnG will make you a better competitor in your other shooting sports by expanding your capability to think on your feet, adapt and overcome. You can tell who the Run-N-Gunners are at competitions when the weather gets bad or there is a complicated course of fire. They are the one with the smiles on their face and are the most relieved .... because as bad as it is, at least we don't have to do burpees, remember some odd fact, or carry some heavy sh*t.

7) How much ammo should I carry? 2 times or more. Running out of ammo sucks big time because that means you can't shoot the next really cool stage. You traveled too far to not be able to shoot. I keep track and I usually shoot 1.3 times. I ran out of ammo at Legion last year after going prone where I shouldn't have gone prone. I could see the target in my scope but my muzzle was below the berm. I burned 30+ rounds into the berm in a valiant attempt to tunnel through the berm to get to the target. I timed out. What was I thinking? :(

8) What are wait times? There are stages where the runners back up, meaning when you arrive several runners are waiting to shoot the stage. When you arrive at the stage, the RO will inspect your guns to make sure they are not loaded. Only then, you can start your stopwatch. During wait time, you are not allowed to do anything but stand there and look pretty. No moving mags around, no adjusting rifle slings, no loading mags, etc. All you can do is stand there and laugh with and AT your new friends. Some RnG's prohibit drinking water during wait times. Other's allow it. Ask if there is a doubt.

If you realize after starting your wait time that you need to adjust something, you can do that once your wait time ends and prior to starting the stage of fire. The RO will read the stage brief and give you a little bit of time to get in position and organized before starting you. That's when you can do your adjustments.

When you are off wait time, you are on your run time. You can do whatever you want on your run time. One time, I sat down and ate a sandwich on my run time. I was having a very hard time at Legion and was pondering my immediate poor life choices.

9) Where is the rule book? There is no rule book. If there was, it would have likely been burned in a campfire by now. In terms of course design, the only limitation on the Match Directors is that they can't be so sadistic that there is a greater than 50% chance of being convicted in a court of law. Remember that liability waiver you signed? They mean every word.

Every RnG is slightly different. For example, at some RnG's if you don't finish a course of fire in the par time, you zero the stage. Others give you the points you earned. Pay attention at the shooters brief ... although it doesn't really matter if you DNF (Did Not Finish).

The coolest thing about RnG is that there are no limits on stage design on the MD. They can do whatever their kind hearts desire. Most of the stages couldn't be done under the written and unwritten rules of other shooting sports.
 
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