California–-(Ammoland.com)-Mike Raahauge’s shooting range is nestled into the California desert and puts on one of the largest hands-on shooting sports events in the United States. Sponsored in part by Lucas Oil Products, this shooting sports fair is in its 33rd year and features dozens and dozens of live-fire product demos from manufacturers from all over the United States.
Featuring the likes of Glock, Mossberg and Berretta, to name just a few, this public event drew thousands of attendees from all over the Western region. Three days packed with guns, gear, and lead therapy thrilled the attendees in this unique event.
In partnership with Lucas Oil Products, 3-Gun Nation was fortunate to be a part of the fair—showcasing the 3GN member organization, Club Series and the sport of 3-Gun as a whole. Produced by team Lucas Oil Pro Staffers, volunteers and range officers, several hundred curious event attendees participated in the “3-Gun Nation Experience.”
The 3-Gun Nation Experience was a simplified course of fire available for first-time shooters to get a sense of 3-Gun competition. Featuring products from ZEV, Berretta and ATI, the course of fire was just enough to whet their appetite.
“People were very excited to have their first experience shooting 3-Gun,” said Lisa Marie Judy, Lucas Oil Outdoor Line Sponsorship and Events Coordinator. “Seeing hundreds and hundreds of people leave with a smile on their face was very gratifying to all of us.”
However, the 3-Gun Nation Experience wasn’t the only shooting attraction available at the Lucas Oil demo area. Lucas Oil Outdoor Line featured product for purchase and offered cleaning demonstrations throughout the event. Additionally, 3-Gun Nation was also able to host a rifle/shotgun classifier stage, “Flying By-2.”
“Many folks who came to our display area wanted to get something a bit closer to the real thing,” said Pete Brown, 3-Gun Nation President. “We saw the competitive spirit of many who wanted to join as a member and were curious as to how they stacked up against top 3GN shooters in a true competition scenario. This particular classifier, Flying By-2, featured a mandatory rifle reload on-the-clock, which many folks have never tried before.”
In addition to the shooting experiences offered, team Lucas Oil Pro Shooter Matt Martini put on a show twice daily for the crowds to watch. Featuring a more complex 3-Gun stage, Martini wowed the audience with his talents in a 3-Gun demonstration modeled after a stage from a major event.
In addition to the shooting demos, live-fire experiences and pro-level instruction, both Timney Triggers and Zero Tolerance Knives donated prizes for the attendees to win in a raffle that benefitted “Protect the Harvest,” a charity group founded by Lucas Oil President Forest Lucas. Protect the Harvest is dedicated to assisting in the fight for the rights of America’s farmers, ranchers, animal owners and sportsmen/sportswomen.
With hundreds of vendors, live-fire demonstrations and, more importantly, 3-Gun shooting, the Shooting Sports Fair at Mike Raahauge’s shooting range was a treat for all involved.
I volunteered at the CRPA booth and I also got to shoot an M2 Browning .50 Caliber. 🙂