Fallen Brethren Delivers

Neal, Anderson, Moots, Watson Win Divisions

Trip McIngvale was on fire during much of FB3G, good enough for a fifth place finish in Tactical Optics.

By Chad Adams

JACKSBORO, Texas -- More than 150 competitors battled through rain, mud and windy match conditions during the inaugural Fallen Brethren 3-Gun Challenge at Spartan Tactical here Dec. 2-3. 

While the weather dictated a slower pace on many stages, as several days of rain made footing a challenge across the natural terrain of Spartan Tactical’s immense 10,000 acre facility, solid stage design and a strong crew of range staff pushed the field through the entire match in two days of shooting.

And for those who braved the elements, the payoff was an outstanding course of fire, highlighted by Stage 9, a long-range rifle course that required competitors to shoot down into a panoramic valley, engaging rifle steel from approximately 100 to 550 yards, where angle of fire, wind calls and multiple target holds were required for a good run. Stages tested all skill sets, ranging from short, range-bay-style speed shoots to heart-pounding long courses over the rolling topography of Spartan Tactical.

In Tactical Optics, Kelly Neal outpaced Rustin Bernskoetter 824.46 to 791.03 to pick up the division win. Burton Thompson (776.20), Adam Popplewell (750.74) and Trip McIngvale (743.14) rounded out the top five.

Kelly Neal, one of the most versatile shooters in the game, picked up a Tactical Optics division win at FB3G.

Chuck Anderson narrowly edged out Tony Holmes 816.48 to 810.41 to win the Open division. Anderson put together a solid match shooting early with the match staff on Thursday. However, Holmes arguably delivered the more impressive performance, battling adverse weather conditions yet still commanding two stage wins on the final day. Holmes won Stages 2 and 3, after shooting them in their absolute worst conditions, an impressive feat.

James Darst (759.41) finished third, followed by Jesse Tischauser (666.43) and Kelly Raglin (579.17).

Tony Holmes hammered rifle targets on his way to an impressive second place Open finish at the FB3G.

In Heavy Metal Optics, Tate Moots announced his definitive return to 3-gun with an impressive victory, winning seven stages and scoring 886.85 match points. Moots has competed in very few matches over the last two seasons while recovering from a back injury. J.P. Gangl (726.49) finished second, followed by J.J. Johnson (653. 63), Vance Blackwell (556.56) and Shane Cuperus (437.13).

Kuan Watson (846.72) outlasted West Chandler (782.13) to win Tactical Iron. Michael Chambers (677.96) finished third, followed by Ben Zacharias (591.67) and Jeremy Moore (579.04).

Adam Popplewell takes on one of FB3G's quick stages on his way to a fourth place finish in Tactical Optics.

As impressive as the top shooters were, and despite bad weather, the most notable feature to this first edition of the newly-organized FB3G was the backdrop itself, Spartan Tactical. Run by former Army Special Forces operator Jim Smith, Spartan’s massive natural terrain facility enabled Smith and Range Master Sheldon Carruth tremendous creativity in stage design and versatility in course style. Major match sponsors Remington, Leupold, DSG Arms, along with secondary sponsors Warne Scope Mounts, SureFire, XRAIL, Stag Arms, MGM Targets, and many more, contributed a solid prize table for a first-year event, one that promises to grow into a must-shoot event on the major match Outlaw 3-gun circuit.

To see the full results from the Fallen Brethren 3-Gun Challenge, go to http://www.FB3Gun.com/Scores.html.

XRAIL's Mark Roth takes on pistol targets on his way to a seventh place finish in Open during the FB3G.

Posted on 12/4/2011