Shots in the Dark: Gearing Up for the Crimson Trace Midnight 3 Gun Invitational

Shots in the dark are generally considered to be a poor choice, but there are ways to get around this problem and Crimson Trace has made it their business for years to correct this problem. This week I’ll be covering and shooting the second Midnight 3 Gun Invitational, otherwise known as M3GI, in Bend, Oregon. This event is shot in the high desert of Oregon in total darkness as a showcase for some of the most advanced lowlight shooting and vision products available.

Choosing the best equipment is a major part of any competitive shooting exercise and I’ve chosen carefully for my trip. For pistol, I chose the Springfield XD(M) 5.25″ 9mm I used in the 2012 Bianchi Cup. The XD(M) has been a flawless performer and has yet to fail to function through thousands of test, practice, and competition rounds. I’ll be using the same Bladetech OWB holster I used in Bianchi because I have the utmost confidence in it.

To enhance my lowlight shooting, I’ll be using the Crimson Trace LG-446 Lasergrip. This unit installs using the removable backstrap and is triggered by gripping the gun just like the Crimson Trace Lasergrip I use on my everyday carry S&W. I have been a proponent of the Lasergrip since the very first one I used and won’t have a carry gun without one.

My shotgun will be the Mossberg JM Pro. I’ve used this gun in 3-gun competitions and even put it in as part of a stage in a local club match. With over 60 shooters in the match, all fired the Mossberg and all praised its flawless operation and manageable recoil. I have a Crimson Trace CMR-201 Rail Master mounted on the forend.

My rifle choice is the Colt CRP-18. A super-reliable and accurate gun, the Colt has served me well in local 2- and 3-gun matches and I even used it in the National High Power Rifle Championships to prove a lightweight and accurate AR-platform rifle can perform beyond its original purpose. With a Bushnell Elite Tactical 6-24x scope, I finished fifth in Any Sight/Tactical, a respectable finish for a washed-up High Power shooter with little practice.

For the M3GI, I’ll be using a more suitable Bushnell 1-6.5x Illuminated Elite Tactical scope. The Colt/Bushnell combination provides MOA accuracy off the bench with Hornady 55-grain Varmint Express loads. To enhance it for shooting in the dark, I’ve added a Crimson Trace MVF-515 Modular Vertical Foregrip. This unit has a pressure-sensitive switch for both laser and flashlight and can be used as a monopod for accurate prone shooting. In zeroing and practice this week, I fired a 10-shot, 2.5-inch group at 200 yards using the MVF as a monopod and getting proper elevation by putting my fingers under the rifle’s pistol grip. Not as steady as a benchrest, but darn close.

Lasers can provide accurate shooting in lowlight and many defensive situations happen poor lighting conditions. It’s going to be fun to see just how well all these products mesh together this week in the high desert. Normally, I’d be worried about staying awake during an all-night shooting event but I think this will be exciting enough to keep even me awake past my normal bedtime.

Lewis Creek Shooting School

Dick Jones is an award winning outdoor writer and a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association Board of Directors. He writes for four North Carolina Newspapers as well as regional and national magazines. He’s hunted and fished most of his life but shooting has been his passion. He’s a former High Master, Distinguished Rifleman, and AAA class pistol shooter. He holds four Dogs of War Medals for Team Marksmanship as shooter, captain and coach. He ran the North Carolina High Power Rifle Team for six years and the junior team two years after that. Within the last year, he’s competed in shotgun, rifle and pistol events including the National Defense Match and the Bianchi Cup. He’ll be shooting the Bianchi, the NDM, the National High Power Rifle Championship, The Rock Castle AR15.com Three Gun Championship and an undetermined sniper match this shooting season.

He lives in High Point, North Carolina with his wife Cherie who’s also an outdoor writer and the 2006 and 2011 Northeast Side by Side Women’s Shotgun Champion. Both Dick and Cherie are NRA pistol, rifle, and shotgun instructors and own Lewis Creek Shooting School.