My very first Run n' Gun was the Oklahoma Run n' Gun at Pawnee, Oklahoma in the Summer of 2014. I fell in love with the sport and the people I met at these events. I'd been participating in some form of competitive shooting since the mid 80's never quite satisfied with any discipline that I tried. Some were better than others, but the rule books of some of these reminded me of the law books I had in law school! You practically needed to be a lawyer to understand them and none of which had much application to the real world. They were complex gun games. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I was more interested in something that had more application to the real world and wouldn't instill any bad habits in my shooting protocols.
Then along came Run n' Guns with a practical premise and very few rules. Shoot what you want, as long as you can carry it, don't point your gun at anything that can't be shot and just basically follow Cooper's 4 rules. Some ranges still adhere to a "180" rule and few other gun game rules, but for the most part, rules are very simple and don't require a law degree to understand. I suppose there still may be room for some "gaming", but nothing like anything you see at a 3 Gun match or a USPSA match.
One other aspect that sets RnG apart from other disciplines is that, other than a trophy or a plaque, prizes are by random drawing (if there are prizes at all). While some may say that this limits the quality of the competitors (I don't believe this), it does limit the number of "jersey boys" and all the drama that comes with those types of competitors.
For RnGers, things are getting better all the time. Initially, there were only about 3 events in the whole country, but as our sport grows, so does the number of events. If you're serious, you can do 10-12 quality events in a year (I think I did 8 this year). One of my favorite events is the Lead Farm Run n' Gun in Versailles, Missouri. Matt is now putting on 2 RnGs a year and I think he's adding a night one as well.
Matt has an excellent facility and has devised a unique way of getting a full 5K on only 200 or so acres. While the stages are along a linear road, the competitor, upon finishing a stage, runs a finger shaped loop following colored trail markers finishing this loop at the next stage. Pretty ingenious and the terrain is such that you rarely see another competitor while running these loops.
This past event was my 3rd RnG at the Lead Farm (and my 24th overall). Matt continues to work at improving his facility and matches. This past year, he built a 20 room "Bunkhouse" right on his range property further enhancing the experience. You can stay right on the range and be fully rested for the start of the RnG. He and his family make the Lead Farm RnGs one of the most enjoyable experiences in all RnG. And Matt's event are truly family events. Matt's wife, Tammy, and his daughters pitch in and help run the match. You won't find better hosts or nicer facility.
The Lead Farm RnG combines a higher round count, challenging stages and tough trail running to make it one of my favorites. Each stage is designed to test the shooters skills and the trail will make the most fit runner arrive at a stage welcoming the brief respite. Each stage was a combination of pistol and rifle with both steel and paper targets. Target distance ranged out to near 50 yards for pistol and a whopping 572 yards for rifle. Matt's longer range rifle targets sport Magneto Speed's Target Hit Indicators. These hit indicators attach to the target and flash a red light when hit. This eliminates some guess work as it makes it much easier for the RO and the shooter to detect hits. No longer does a shooter have to wait for an RO to indicate a hit before moving on to the next target. This hit indicator gives you instant feedback (or the lack thereof in the event you're struggling on that target).
And speaking of struggling with a target, I'm convinced that Matt has invented some sort of "force field" that he will randomly install on a target and activate at the most inopportune time. This force field, when activated, prevents hits on the target by directing your bullet around the target. On Stage 3 (I think), there was 400 yard rifle target. Most of the stages required 2 hits on non-falling steel targets. On this particular stage, the 400 yard target was the last target for me to engage, I got a hit first shot I was thinking "great, got one hit, now just use the same hold and get the 2nd hit". But no, Matt activated the "force field" and despite my best efforts, I spent a considerable amount of time (and ammo) getting my second hit. I know most shooters have experienced this phenomena and it's very frustrating, I'm sure it's not my shooting, and I'm convinced that some match directors have access to this device.
To keep folks honest, Matt puts out "check points" along the trail. At these check points, there is an ammo can filled with some item the shooter must have on his possession when arriving at the next stage or suffer a significant penalty. In this case, the item was a colored pipe cleaner. And while the check points were marked, you had to be paying attention while on the trail to see them. More than one competitor missed a check point and either suffered the penalty or ran back to find it.
Matt finds a way to make his already tough trail just a little more difficult by incorporating a few obstacles. The infamous culvert and bridge crawl (although not running full of ice cold rainwater this time), some dirt berm hurdles and a near vertical creek bank climb (with a rope assist) help make the trail just a little more interesting and challenging.
When you finally reach the last stage (which is the farthest from the finish line), you'll note that it's at the lowest point on the property, and requires a steep hill climb to get out of. I'm sure this is by design, so if you're thinking you'll just sprint this last half mile or so to the finish line, you might have second thoughts.
Overall, I can't recommend the Lead Farm enough. Matt's events attract some tremendous shooters and athletes and this event was no different. I saw some guys in the Trooper division (carrying an extra 40 pounds of weight) actually sprint that last half mile. (Oh, to be 25 again!)
Congratulations to all the competitors and to the winners and high placers. For the record, I placed 7th out of 27 competitors in the 5K minimalist division. The round count was 65 pistol and 75 rifle. I shot 73 pistol rounds and 122 rifle rounds (that damned force field caused my high rifle round expenditure!). Matt hosts a variety of matches at his facility so if you're in the area and are considering Run n' Gun, 3 gun or USPSA matches, check out the Lead Farm. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Finally, a huge thanks to my wife, Laura, whose support for all these years have made it possible to do all this fun stuff.