Olympic Athletes Set Sights on M3GI
OutdoorHub 07.25.14
With the opening shots of Crimson Trace’s Midnight 3-Gun Invitational (M3GI) only weeks away, the roster of registered shooters for the event holds some of the top names in the 3-Gun competition world. That competitor list now includes twin sisters and Olympic Biathlon shooters Lanny and Tracy Barnes. The Olympians have been preparing for M3GI by competing in other events, attending training schools, teaching —and practicing.
“We are lucky enough to have a range where we can practice at night, and we do quite a bit of dry-fire practice with the lights off,” said Lanny Barnes. “I’m sure (the M3GI) will still be quite a bit different than what we have, but it’s still great to get some practice in that type of environment.” Shooting in darkness does offer challenges.
“Your depth perception isn’t as strong at night, but on the plus side, your other senses are heightened,” said Tracy Barnes. The sisters have also discovered that 3-Gun and the Olympic Biathlon (cross country skiing and shooting a rifle) shooting program have some common ground—and participating in both shooting challenges offers them advantages.
“We started (competing) at some local matches in our area while we were competing in Biathlon as a way to cross train,” continues Lanny. “Biathlon and 3-Gun are somewhat similar, but with 3-Gun, you do less running and more gunning, which is great!” The twin Olympic athletes can also be strong competitors in any challenge and plan to finish near the top at the M3GI.
“Having not competed in this event, we aren’t quite sure what to expect, but we always set high goals for ourselves, so we’ll look to have smooth stages with very few errors and try to move our way up the ranks,” noted Lanny Barnes.
The Crimson Trace M3GI begins August 13 and will have more than 150 of the nation’s top 3-Gun shooters competing. More than 50 media from across America will be recording and reporting on the results. There will be a wide range of targets, and speed and accuracy will help determine the winning scores.
For more details about Crimson Trace and its innovative laser sight systems and tactical light products, visit www.crimsontrace.com or call 800-442-2406.
