Sons of the Desert Run and Gun

November 9th, 2019

As part of the inagural Lone Star Armory Run and Gun Series, Chaparral Shooting Sports is excited to host the Sons of the Desert Run and Gun in McMullen county Texas. This event will offer you a chance to test your skills and equipment in the brush country of South Texas and qualify for the series championship at the Triple C Range. There will be two divisions. The competition class will qualify for the series while the recreational class is to come out with some buddies and have a great time! The Regular division will be a 4 to 5 mile run with 6 shooting stages. For those wanting an additional challenge, the Advanced division will be a 5 to 6 mile run with additional obstacles and targets. There will also be an ATV class on Sunday for anyone who doesn't want to or can't run the course. The times will only be the shooting times. This is not a race.

It is being held on a 1500 acre private ranch, so there will be lots of room to roam. It is relatively short on mostly level ground, so this is a great event for a first time competitor. If you don't feel like running 4 miles, you can walk the course and shoot the stages and just have some fun.

Description

The Sons of the Desert Run and Guns are center-fire biathlons modeled after the Pecos Run 'n Gun in the Sun. It is a test of man and equipment and requires a good attitude to finish. The course is designed for a shooter to discover how their gear, fitness, and shooting skills hold up under stress. Things will go wrong within the event and with your gear. If this is the kind of thing that ruins your day this is not the event for you. The course is over four miles with six shooting stages. At registration, you will be given a numbered patch for your cap. (please be sure to bring a velcro cap or purchase one at the event) The Range Officers will use this number to log your times. Runners will start every seven minutes and have two to three minutes to complete each stage. The course will be marked with flagging tape and signs that point which direction to go. Staying on course is essential, as wandering off can lead to being in the impact area of a range. Upon arrival at a stage, an RO will check that your rifle is clear, and direct you to the start of the stage. On the "GO" command you may load your rifle and begin. If you need to move during the stage you must first make your rifle safe and then call out "ON SAFE" to the RO. After the last shot of the stage, the RO will ask you to clear your rifle. You will then continue to the next stage. After completion of the stages and returning to the start/finish line, your time will be added up and any wait time subtracted.

Tickets

The cost to run is $100. If you want to help out with the event, you can be a range officer (RO) and come on Friday to do the run early and help set up. The cost to run as an RO is $35. You will also get a free hat with the discounted rate. As an RO you will be running a stage and in general helping out. Anyone wanting to be an RO and not shoot will be admitted FREE (and you get the free hat). If you are an EMT and bring your equipment, you can run for free. The sign up will be through Event Bright.

Location

The Run will be held in McMullen County, Texas at the Southeast corner of the intersection of Hwy 16 and FM 624 MAP

Scoring

We will be using the WTF Scoring System

Each shooting stage will be scored on a curve, where the fastest finisher will receive a score of 100 and the slowest will receive a 0. Scores in between will be based on the difference between each participant's time and the fastest time. The same method will be used to score the run. In addition, the first 3 finishers in each shooting stage will be awarded bonus points of 5 for first place, 3 for second, and 2 for third. Each shooting stage will have a time limit. If a shooter does not complete the stage within the time limit, he will receive a DNF (Did Not Finish) for that stage and will earn no points for the stage. For the Advanced division there will be obstacles and other challenges on the trail between shooting stages. These must be completed or a run-time penalty will be applied for each obstacle that a participant fails to complete.

Schedule

Range Officers who wish to shoot may arrive Thursday afternoon/evening or early Friday to shoot on Friday. Registration will be open at 7:00 am on Saturday. Course Safety Meeting at 7:45 am and first runner off at 8:15 am. One runner every 7 minutes thereafter. The gate will be locked at 8:10 am on Saturday.(You can call to get in or get out)

Equipment

NOTE: Please bring a velcro cap. You will be identified by a numbered patch on your cap. American made caps may be purchased at the event for $15.00, or here is a link to some less expensive caps on Amazon.

Gear: The course is designed to test your equipment set up. How you carry your rifle, magazines, water, first aid, etc. is your choice. There will be times that you will have to low crawl into a fire position so test your gear beforehand. Competitors are responsible for keeping track of their wait times. Please bring a watch.
Rifle: The course and the targets are intended for an ar15 type rifle but feel free to bring the rifle of your choice. There are no restrictions on how the rifle is set up but nothing bigger than a .308 is permitted.
Pistol: No magnums or high velocity (ie FN 5.7 ). Your pistol can be carried in condition 1 (chambered) for protection from wildlife (snakes). The pistol must be in a holster that covers the trigger and can retain the pistol during the course.
Ammo: No steel tipped, AP ammo or tracer is permitted. Ammo must be factory loaded. Plan on bringing at a minimum twice the number rounds required in the course of fire or more depending on your confidence in hitting the targets.
Water: You must bring water. The course is over 4 miles long. Camelback or canteens.
First Aid: An individual first aid kit is not required but everything has thorns. Everything. A pair of tweezers and some band-aids is not a bad idea. Please note there will be no EMS on site and the nearest Medical facility is about 1 hour away.
Clothes: Again everything has thorns.
Basecamp: Portable restroom facilities will be provided, but nothing else. So if you want shade or chairs you need to bring them. You could be waiting for hours to do your run.

Safety

All participants are expected to comply with basic firearm safety at all times. Failure to follow safety protocols will not be tolerated and will result in Biathlon disqualification. Muzzles must be pointed in a safe direction at all times, and fingers must be off the trigger unless the firearm is pointed at a target. Rifles shall only be loaded when a shooter is at a rifle stage after the RO has given the "fire" command. Shooters may leave their handguns loaded at all times. However, loaded handguns must remain securely in a holster unless the shooter has been given the "fire" command on a shooting stage. Some stages will be active, involving moving and shooting. Firearms may remain loaded during movement but strict muzzle discipline must be maintained.

The fundamental NRA rules for safe gun handling are:

ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. This is the primary rule of gun safety. ...

ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. ...

ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.