The video opens with the Classic Firearms crew introducing a friendly 3-gun style competition featuring guest shooter Trayvon Barber of Barber Training Solutions. Trayvon lays out the course of fire in detail, starting with the rifle stage built around multiple barricades. Shooters must engage white, orange, and yellow steel targets at roughly 80–85 yards from different positions, including an initial barricade, a VTAC or staircase-style barricade, and a final position with small steel poppers. The shotgun stage is explained next: competitors retrieve a shotgun from a table, engage several clay targets and three large poppers, then safely stow the shotgun before transitioning. Finally, Trayvon walks through a 33-round pistol stage, specifying the order of engagement on multiple paper and steel targets, planned reload points, and a scoring approach of two hits per paper or a single A-zone hit, mirroring common 3-gun rules. The hosts admit the plan is complex and they will likely forget parts of it under pressure.
The first full three-gun run is shown with range commands clearly called out as the shooter moves through rifle, shotgun, and pistol stages. On the rifle portion, the competitor works the barricades and engages the colored steel at distance, then transitions to the VTAC-style position and final small poppers. After grounding the rifle safely, they sprint to the shotgun table, pick up the shotgun, and break multiple clays along with three large steel poppers before stowing the gun. The pistol stage follows, with the shooter attempting to follow Trayvon’s earlier plan of engaging paper and steel in a specific order and managing reloads. When the run ends, the range is declared clear and the squad walks the stage to verify hits. They confirm that all rifle steel, shotgun targets, and paper were properly engaged, resulting in a clean, penalty-free run with a time of about 96 seconds, setting an early benchmark for the friendly competition.
Another competitor steps up for a full run and immediately illustrates how unforgiving 3-gun can be when equipment is not properly set up. During the rifle stage, the shooter struggles to get consistent hits on the steel at 80–85 yards, and it becomes clear that the rifle is not correctly zeroed. The configuration is new, and the shooter had changed the setup shortly before filming, a decision that quickly proves costly. Missed shots and confusion about where rounds are impacting slow the run and add stress. After the stage, the group discusses how critical it is to confirm zero before any match and to avoid last-minute changes to optics, mounts, or rifles. They emphasize that even experienced shooters can sabotage their performance by showing up with unconfirmed gear, and that a solid, known zero is more important than chasing a slightly better configuration on match day.
The hosts take a moment to address safety concerns and explain the range layout for viewers. They describe the low berm and the extensive private woods behind the targets, clarifying that all bullets are impacting safely within the property and not leaving the range. Muzzle discipline and adherence to range commands are stressed as non-negotiable, especially in a dynamic 3-gun environment with movement and multiple firearms. Attention then shifts to a less experienced competitor who is being coached through the course of fire. This shooter struggles to visually locate specific steel targets through the optic, especially at distance and from awkward barricade positions. Trayvon and the hosts provide detailed verbal guidance, calling out target colors and relative positions to help the shooter find and engage them. The walkthrough highlights how complex target identification can be for new competitors and how important clear stage briefings and coaching are for safety and success.
A subsequent run focuses on the rifle stage and shows how malfunctions and target confusion can derail a plan. The shooter moves through the barricades, engaging steel and paper, when the rifle suddenly jams. Instinctively, the competitor considers transitioning to pistol, but is instructed to stay within the game’s rules and clear the malfunction instead. This eats up valuable time as they work the action, diagnose the issue, and get the rifle running again. Later in the run, confusion arises over a broken steel target that had been moved. The shooter ends up firing at the post where the target used to be, believing it is still in play. After the stage, the group discusses how critical it is to visually confirm every target during the walkthrough and to understand any changes, such as removed or broken steel. The sequence underscores that mechanical reliability and clear target identification are just as important as marksmanship.
Attention turns to handgun performance, specifically a Springfield Echelon being run in a bone stock configuration with iron sights. One shooter notes this is the first time firing the Echelon with irons and quickly discovers a point-of-impact issue: rounds are printing low, requiring an aim point just above the square to get hits where needed. This realization comes mid-stage, forcing on-the-fly adjustments. The group uses this example to reinforce several key lessons from the day. Rifles and pistols must be properly zeroed, and iron sights need to be set up and confirmed just like optics. Shooters should clearly identify every target and build a solid stage plan rather than relying on memory under stress. They also revisit jam management, emphasizing that competitors must know the rules about when they can transition guns and how to handle malfunctions without incurring penalties or creating safety issues.
The shooters begin breaking down their stage results with specific times and penalties. One notable run clocks in at 98.68 seconds but carries a failure to engage and a miss, showing how penalties can erase otherwise decent speed. Another run comes in at 96.48 seconds and is technically clean, yet the shooter is frustrated by the number of pickup shots required to secure hits, especially on distant steel. They talk through how extra makeup shots inflate times and how a more disciplined approach to sight picture and trigger control could reduce them. The discussion covers how FTEs, mics on paper, and steel left standing all add up in scoring. By comparing runs, they highlight the tradeoff between pushing speed and maintaining accuracy, and how better stage planning, confirmed zeroes, and smoother gun handling could shave seconds without sacrificing hits.
In the closing segment, the group reflects on the overall results and the broader lessons from the match. They revisit specific penalties like FTEs and mics on paper, tying many of them back to preventable issues such as poor zeroing and unfamiliar equipment. One shooter admits to running the Echelon in a completely stock, iron-sight configuration without prior confirmation, which led to low impacts and forced mid-stage corrections. The importance of routinely checking zero on rifles and pistols is emphasized, along with sticking to gear that has been thoroughly tested. Trayvon’s background as a USPSA master is mentioned, and the hosts acknowledge how that experience translates into better stage planning and execution. They close by expressing genuine respect for dedicated 3-gun competitors, noting that while the sport may look easy from the sidelines, the combination of movement, multi-gun management, and precision makes it far more challenging than it appears.
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