Originally published in the Platte County Record-Times March 23, 2022
WHEATLAND, WY — Out along Goodrich Road is the Stevenson farm. And its owner Oakley has a unique hobby. He likes to shoot in three gun competitions.
Stevenson has been participating in three gun shooting events for about the four years. His reason for starting on these events was for practice with his carry weapon.
“The reason I got started was more for just getting better with my carry gun, stuff like that.” said Stevenson.
“And it just morphed into pistol competitions, two gun, three gun, and it just keeps on going from there.”
Stevenson works and manages his farm when he is not out at competitions. Growing up on a farm is also where his initial interest in guns began.
“I was born into it, so ever since I was little,” said Stevenson. “And the guns have always been a part of that.”
“But then after I turned 21 I wanted to get more proficient with the gun I was carrying every day and just trying to hold myself to higher standards of marksmanship and shooting abilities.”
Along with wanting to improve his abilities, Stevenson found inspiration for shooting from online sources.
“I came across John Lovell’s YouTube, The Warrior Poets Society,” said Stevenson. “And then after that it went to T Rex Arms, their YouTube channel.”
“And then I started getting into more of the competition three gun from other YouTube channels like Jerry Miculek.”
According to Stevenson, three gun competitions are about speed and accuracy.
“You have an array of targets set up and you will start with your three guns, so rifle, pistol, and shotgun,” said Stevenson.
“There are different divisions for what types of accessories you can have on or what types of guns you use when it comes to shotguns.”
Stevenson tries to go to a prominent three gun competition about once a month during the summer and goes to pistol contests each weekend if time allows.
“To get good pistol competitions you have to go over to the Colorado area between Fort Collins to Pueblo to get a really good stack of shooters to go up against,” said Stevenson.
The farthest Stevenson has gone when participating in a three gun competition is North Carolina for the Memorial Three Gun Foundation and its event for Gold Star families.
“It’s an absolutely phenomenal organization,” said Stevenson. “The families of the fallen soldiers are out there shooting in the match, and it is awesome.”
“Last year I think they raised nearly half a million to divide between the ten families they pick for that particular year. It’s just an awesome organization.”
The best placing Stevenson has gotten is fourth at the 2020 Surefire World Multigun Championships in the open division.
“The hardest part of the competition game for me is the mental side of things,” said Stevenson. “To execute your stage plan properly and not get any hiccups through that.”
“And that was one of those matches I just was able to tie everything together and shoot at the speed I can see and not trying to shoot beyond my abilities.”
Stevenson described that atmosphere at three gun events as friendly and welcoming. He recalled a time where a stranger let him borrow a magazine.
“Anybody will give you the shirt off their back,” said Stevenson. “I went to that match in North Carolina and there’s these guys I never met before.
“I left my 60 round drum at home at one stage I really needed it and he just let me borrow his. There always willing to help you whether it comes to parts, batteries, whatever you lose or don’t have at the time.”
For Stevenson, the biggest challenge for getting into three gun competition was a lack of knowledge about the events and what was needed for them.
“The biggest thing that kept me out of it for so long was that I wasn’t fully aware and what you really needed to get into it and the different guns it took,” said Stevenson.
“I didn’t know what I needed to do to progress and get better in that.”
According to Stevenson, the best way for people who are interested in shooting competitions to get ready is to practice.
“The biggest thing would be dry fire and just getting familiar with all the manipulations of whatever gun that you’re using,” said Stevenson.
James Meyer 