2025 RULEBOOK

Official Rulebook V1.4

Updated: 4/19/25

The Match Director has the final decision regarding any rule, guideline, or procedure regarding the match.
All participants are required to attend the safety briefing before the event.

Text in green has been added to the rulebook for 2025.

Alpine 3 Gun Purpose

To responsibly spend registration income on the following:

More, more intricate, more interactive targets to keep competition and shooter progression fresh and engaging
To donate a significant amount of profit to the Alpine Christian School shooting program, or the Big Bend Shooting Foundation, or the Big Bend Sportsman Club, in whatever way the Match Director decides which might benefit the sport of Marksmanship in our community
In the spirit of the above goal, table prizes will be minimal

Prizes & Awards

As stated above, 2025 prizes will be minimal. Winners of each division, at each match, can expect the following prizes and awards. Subject to change.

First place in each division will receive:
1. $25 Visa Gift Card
2. A free ticket to shoot the next event ($75 value)
3. One month free subscription to Gun Tales Online Magazine, a local publication based in Alpine, TX

General Safety

Treat all weapons as if they are loaded; know the status of your weapon.
Keep your weapon pointed in a safe direction, even if you think it’s unloaded.
Keep your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard until you are on target and have made the decision to pull the trigger.
Know your target area - foreground, background, left, and right.

If you do not demonstrate safe weapon handling skills, you will be disqualified from the match. Any instance of flagging yourself or others (even while unloaded), finger on the trigger when not shooting, breaking the 180 rule, or any other safety violation is an immediate match disqualification.

Drawing a pistol from its holster, even while unloaded, at any location other than the starting point of a stage at the direction of a Range Officer will result in a match disqualification.

If a Range Officer tells you to stop or cease fire, you must immediately stop while maintaining safe weapon handling, and await further instructions.

Any decision made by a Range Officer is final.

All competitors and Range Officers must wear hearing and eye protection.

All Range Officers will have a medical trauma kit, including a tourniquet.

All participants are strongly encouraged to remain hydrated.

Weapon Conditions

All weapons will remain empty unless actively shooting a stage - this means you may not have a magazine inserted and you may not have a round in the chamber unless actively shooting.

Having a magazine inserted into a weapon or a round in the chamber at any time other than while shooting a stage will disqualify the shooter from the match.

Chamber flags are highly recommended but not required.

Weapon Transitions

Loaded pistols may be drawn from the holster after a shooter’s shot timer has begun.

If included in a stage, rifles and shotguns will be loaded and staged at the appropriate locations before a shooter begins that stage.

A shooter will never transition away from a weapon without placing it in a dump barrel. This includes pistol, rifle, and shotgun. Holstering a hot pistol will result in a match disqualification.

If a weapon does not go into or stay in the dump bucket when transitioning to another weapon, that shooter will be disqualified from the match.

Accidental Discharge

Any instance of an accidental discharge will result in a match disqualification.

An obvious mechanical malfunction (the weapon discharges with no physical input from the shooter) will not necessarily result in a match disqualification. However, the firearm will be deemed unsafe and the shooter will have to acquire a different weapon to continue the match.

Match Scoring

Each shooter will shoot each stage on a shot timer. The shooter with the lowest cumulative times across all stages will win their division.

If a shooter finishes shooting and unloads their weapon without hitting all required targets on that stage, they will receive a DNF for the stage. A shooter may choose to take a DNF to conserve ammunition for a later stage.

A new match scoring system is under consideration for 2025.

Range Officers will call out each hit to the shooter. Range Officers will not call misses. The Range Officers have the final decision regarding a hit or miss. A Range Officer's first verbal call will stand, even if it is incorrect - advantage goes to the shooter, not confusion.

2025 Divisions

The Match Director has the final decision about placing any shooter into any division. Shooters will not be able to game the registration for an advantage.

There will be four divisions in which shooters can register, based on the following:

Open
1. Competitors with at least one season of experience in competitive shooting. This is where the most skilled and competitive shooters will register. Open division shooters may or may not be required to shoot additional targets of a separate color that are smaller, farther, and more frustrating.
Rookie
1. This division is intended for shooters with no competition experience, or very little experience. Shooters who want to learn competition procedure, take their time, and become familiarized will register here and complete amongst other newer shooters. Competitors with less than a season of competition experience will probably register here. Law enforcement, hunting, and self defense experience does not apply to the previous requirements. Sophomore shooters will move into the Open division.
50+
1. This division is intended for shooters 50 years or older. Why chase the kids around? You don't need to prove anything, you old rockstars.
Ladies
1. No explanation necessary.

Shooters that are eligible for multiple classes may choose whichever they wish. Ladies may compete in other classes, if they choose. Shooters eligible for 50+ may choose to complete in other classes, if they choose.

Shooters will complete in the same division for an entire season.

Shooters in each division will earn championship points for each event.

2025 Championship Scoring

Shooters will receive championship points for each of the six events during 2025

Shooters must attend all six events to receive maximum points - a shooter's missed event or poor performance at an event will not be dropped from the cumulative points tally. Every event counts

Shooters will be awarded championship points based on the following finishing position at each match:

25 points
22 points
20 points
18 points
16 points
15 points
14 points
13 points
12 points
11 points
10 points
9 points
8 points
7 points
6 points
5 points
4 points
3 points
2 points
1 point

Example 1:

A shooter finishes 4th (18 points), 2nd (22 points), and 8th (13 points) in the first three events. That gives the shooter a total of 53 championship points halfway through the season.

Example 2:

A shooter finishes 3rd (20 points), misses an event (0), and finishes 4th (18 points) in the first three events. That gives the shooter a total of 38 championship points halfway through the season.

The shooter with the highest cumulative championship points in their division will earn a 2025 Alpine 3 Gun Championship.

Procedure

A shooter will have three empty weapons and all necessary magazines loaded and ready before their designated shoot time. Shooters should also double check their gear and ensure they have their eye and hearing protection before they start their stages.

When it is a shooter’s turn to shoot, the Range Officer will briefly explain the stage requirements.

If necessary for the stage, the shooter’s pistol/rifle/shotgun will be loaded and placed in the appropriate location on the stage.

Once the course is set and the shooter is in position, the Range Officer will say “Shooter Ready.” A yes or non-response will indicate that the shooter is ready to shoot the stage.

The Range Officer will then say “Stand By.” The shooter may then begin the stage when the shot timer beeps.

After the shooter has finished the stage, the Range Officer will instruct the shooter to unload their weapons and show the Range Officer a clear chamber.

The shooter may then collect any dropped items and/or weapons and set off and continue to the next stage.

Weapon/Gear Malfunctions

A shooter must work through any weapon malfunction that occurs while shooting a stage. Their shot timer will continue to run.

A shooter will only have until the PAR time to solve a weapon malfunction and continue the stage.

Reshoots

Reshoots will be given at the discretion of the Range Officer running that stage.

Reshoots may be given for target malfunctions, timer malfunctions, or cease fires called for reasons other than a safety violation against the current shooter on that stage.

Range Officers may call a cease fire if the shooter loses their hearing protection or eye protection during a stage - a reshoot may be given at the discretion of the Range Officer.

Reshoots will not be given for weapon malfunctions or gear malfunctions - know and care for your gear!

Dropping A Firearm

Loosing control of a weapon and dropping it to the ground will result in a match disqualification.

Purposefully setting a weapon on the ground during a stage in furtherance of correcting malfunctioning gear is allowed provided the weapon is on safe (if equipped) and pointed downrange.

If a weapon falls out of a dump bucket the shooter will be disqualified from the match.

Range Officer Authority

All Range Officers are an extension of the Match Director, and therefore have authority to disqualify shooters from the match or give DNFs to shooters in response to safety violations.

If necessary, Range Officers may guide shooters through the stage if they begin to struggle with procedure. Alternatively, Range Officers may choose to remain silent and allow more experienced shooters to improve their problem solving skills as they work through the stage.

Eligible Firearms

Pistol

Must be non-shoulderable
Must not be fully automatic
Any sight or optic is allowed
Any comp or porting is allowed
Minimum caliber: 9mm, Maximum caliber: 45 ACP

Rifle

Must not be fully automatic
Any sight or optic is allowed
Minimum caliber: 223, Maximum caliber: 308, no penetrating rounds or steel core, no M855 (green tip), no tracer rounds
Shooters may choose to select a Pistol Caliber Carbine instead of a rifle
1. It must be shoulderable with a minimum caliber of 9mm, maximum caliber 45 ACP
2. Meets other rifle requirements

Shotgun

Any sight or optic is allowed
Must use target or birdshot, no buckshot or slugs.
May have a tube or box magazine
May be semi automatic, break action, lever, pump, or other
Must not be fully automatic

Magazines (All Weapons)

Box magazine capacities are unlimited
Drum magazines are not allowed
Garand style clips are allowed (PING!)
A shooter may choose to perform reloads at any point during a stage
A shooter may choose to discard magazines to the ground that still have rounds in them without penalty

Pistol Holsters

Pistols must be mounted on the belt line

Must have a retention system designed for your specific model pistol - may have passive friction-only retention (Kydex types and model-specific leather types are allowed)

Must entirely cover the trigger guard

Soft or generic holsters are not allowed

Inside the waistband holsters are not allowed

Shoulder holsters are not allowed

Chest holsters are not allowed

Drop holsters are not allowed

Cross draw holsters are not allowed

Race style holsters are allowed, provided they meet all requirements in this section

Drawing from concealment is not allowed

Magazine Holders

A shooter may use any type of magazine holder or pouch

A shooter may draw magazines or loose rounds from pockets, packs, or pouches, provided they demonstrate appropriate safe weapon handling during the entire reload process

A shooter may carry an unlimited number of magazines or rounds