AMU’s Horner Wins 2nd Consecutive 3GN Shoot-Off, $5,000
OSAGE, Missouri –-(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s Daniel Horner defeated Noveske’s Rob Romero in the finals of the FNH USA 3-Gun Nation Shoot-Off, Presented by SureFire, winning $5,000 courtesy of Adams Arms and Samson Manufacturing following the Adams Arms Ozark 3-Gun Championship here Sept. 26.
The event capped an incredible two weeks for Horner that began with a victory at USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals, earning him a Wild Card spot in the 3-Gun Nation Championship. From there, Horner earned the top seed in the 3GN Championship Shoot-Off before running the table against Kerry Dematos, Tony Holmes, Dave Neth and Bruce Piatt. Along with claiming the inaugural 3GN Championship, the win netted Horner $25,000 from Leupold. Added to the most recent victory, Horner’s total 3GN winnings now stand at $30,000.
Horner’s path to the Shoot-Off included a win over a loaded field in the Tactical Optics division. Not only that, the course of fire presented its own gauntlet of challenges, with innovative stage design weaved into the rolling topography of the famous Missouri Ozarks.
“The Ozark 3-Gun Championship is a natural terrain match shot in the hills of the Ozarks in southern Missouri,” said Kirk Broyles, match director, O3GC. “It features fun and challenging stages for all levels of competitors. This year also will debut a new location with over one thousand acres at our disposal. There are some great stages.”
During the 3GN Shoot-Off, Horner looked unbeatable early on, successively knocking out past 3GN winner Taran Butler and Bryan Ray, an unsponsored competitor who qualified by winning the Heavy Metal division. However, in the finals, Horner had what was likely his slowest run since a first-round loss to Remington’s Robby Johnson at JP Enterprises Rocky Mountain 3-Gun in August.
But Romero had equal problems on the rifle barricade, unable to capitalize as Horner struggled to settle his sights before finally finding his rhythm. Ultimately, Horner recovered first, left the rifle position with a comfortable lead and held on for the victory.
Romero, who won the 3GN Shoot-Off following the FNH USA Midwest 3-Gun, outlasted up-and-coming Open shooter Clint Upchurch in a thrilling first-round race to the stop plate. In the semi-finals, Romero defeated Chris Sechiatano, setting up the showdown with Horner.
Other first round action included Sechiatano defeating Barry Dueck, who qualified by winning the Heavy Metal Optics division, a division Dueck has dominated throughout 2010. Also in the first round, Ray laid down the most impressive run of the event in a first-round upset of veteran Kurt Miller, with Ray quickly going six-for-six on the rifle plate before cruising to victory.
The 3GN Shoot-Off capped off three days of competition where shooters battled each other, tough terrain and wet conditions. In only its second year, the crew from Ozark held a surprisingly impressive match, setting it up as yet another must-attend major on the 3-gun circuit.
“I’m very excited to be a part of 3-Gun Nation; 3GN’s doing great things to promote the sport,” Broyles said. “As the newest match of this size, I am extremely honored to host the first 3GN Shoot-Off of the 2011 season. And I look forward to a long, successful relationship.”
The Ozark match will be counted for series points for those attempting to qualify for the 2011 3GN Championship. The match can also be used to satisfy the 3-match-minimum requirement. However, this match will not count for the forthcoming 2011 3GN National Championship Points Series, an additional points race with awards recognizing sustained performance over the course of the 2011 3-gun season. Complete information on the breakdown of the new 3GN NCPS will be released soon.
“3-Gun Nation” airs weekly on Versus Mondays at 7:30 AM EST and Thrusdays at 3 PM EST. Additionally, past episodes of “3-Gun Nation” can be viewed anytime online at www.3gunnation.com/tv.
The 3-Gun Nation shoot-off is a format like no other, where competitors take on steel rifle, shotgun and pistol racks in a race to the stop plate. To level the playing field, contestants fire an FNH USA SCAR 16 equipped with a SureFire muzzle brake and Fast Attach suppressor, chambered in .223 Rem., a new competition variant of the 12-gauge SLP semi-automatic shotgun, and the new FNX-9 semi-automatic pistol in 9 mm. Each gun runs ammunition provided by Federal Premium, and the rifles are topped with Weaver or Leupold optics. Add in eight of the world’s fiercest 3-gunners, and the competition heats up.
Multi-gun, or 3-gun, is a unique sport within the discipline known as practical shooting. Considered the fastest growing segment within the shooting sports, 3-gun challenges competitors with rifle, pistol and shotgun, maneuvering through unique stages of fire as fast as their skill will allow.
The National 3-Gun Association, through media properties “3-Gun Nation Television” and 3GunNation.com, was formed with one mission: to promote practical shooting by shining a light on amateur and professional shooters alike, as well as the guns, gear and lifestyle that define the high-octane sport of 3-gun competition. Bringing never-before-seen cash payouts to the table, 3-Gun Nation is quite simply changing the game. 3 Guns. One Champion.
For more information, visit www.3gunnation.com.