Team Hornady Endures 2011 MGM Ironman with Winning Results
OutdoorHub 06.16.11
(Grand Island, NE) – A 3-Gun match in Parma, Idaho means one thing, MGM Ironman, the mother of all 3-Gun competitions. Over 270 competitors from forty states, France and South Africa arrived at the Parma Rod and Gun club the week of June 5 – 11, 2011, testing their physical endurance, mental and equipment capabilities. Match Director Travis Gibson laid out a ten-stage, intense course of fire in the Idaho desert, challenging shooters to engage targets at one yard and out to 770 yards. The round count was 925 with no misses. The match was broken into two parts, Open, Limited, Heavy Optics and Trooper ran earlier in the week and Scoped Tactical Division closed out the weekend.
Team Hornady went prepared with returning champion Michael Voigt winning the Open Division and first timer to the Ironman was Maggie Reese, winning High Lady. Both shot 6.5 Creedmoor 140 grain in their long-range rifles, Hornady 125 HAP in their pistols and Hornady 75 grain in their 223 rifles. Voigt commented, “The Ironman is an amazing endurance match that requires having a long game plan and with Hornady ammo I know it’ll always be phenomenally reliable.”
Successfully defending his 2010 Ironman Heavy Optics division again, was Team member Barry Dueck shooting Hornady 168 A-MAX® in his 308 rifle, Hornady 40 caliber 180 grain HAP bullets in his STI pistol and 6.5 Creedmoor with 140 grain A-MAX in his long-range rifle. Dueck, added, “I use Hornady ammo because it’s top quality accurate ammo that I know will perform the way I need it to throughout the twelve hour shooting days.”
Seven-time Ironman winner and member of Team Hornady, Dave Neth shared a win in the Heavy Optics division finishing second and Trip McIngvale finished fourth. Dave shot Hornady 168 grain TAP® in his long-range rifle. When asked why, he added, “Hornady ammo is very accurate and each lot is always consistent. In my pistol, I used Hornady 147 grain XTP™ because it has enough power to rotate the spinners. In my 223 carbine I used Hornady 75 grain BTHP Match™ because it’s extremely accurate and makes reactive targets respond more positively.”
Having previously won the Ironman three times, Team Hornady member, Bennie Cooley finished second in the Scoped Tactical Division and Dave Neth finished fourth overall. Benny used Hornady 178 grain BTHP in his 308 long-range rifle, Hornady 75 BTHP in his 223 AR Rifle and Hornady 9mm 125 grain Steel Match in his STI pistol. Bennie said, “I cannot say enough on what an important role Hornady’s ammunition has played in my success as a professional shooter. This match is grueling to the body, and to the equipment. With Hornady ammo it was deadly accurate and extremely reliable and provided me with the performance I needed.”
Team Hornady shooter Clint Upchurch finished third in the Open Division said, “As a newcomer to 3-Gun events since last April and as a first timer at Ironman, this match is the most physically demanding and challenging match on the circuit. I use Hornady ammo because of its dependability, it’s a must when you are shooting over 1,000 rounds and its performance factor is what I count on. I used Hornady 75 grain match BTHP in my rifle and 125 grain 9mm HAP bullets in my pistol.”
The MGM Ironman match, created in 1999, includes almost every type of target for a competitor to shoot at; poppers, whirly gigs, double swinger, steel plates, clay targets, paper and the dreaded spinners. Not every thrill seeker embraces shooting the three key stages that remain in place every year, one being the famous zip line. Shooters are strapped into a harness, thirty feet off the ground and engage targets as they become visible while sliding down 300 feet. Another stage is The Tower, a twenty-foot platform above the ground for prone shooting, then sending shooters down a steep slide holding their empty rifles. Lastly, The Dummy, a 4′ 8″ 90-pound mannequin that must be carried 25 yards without having it touch the ground.
Founded in 1949, Hornady Manufacturing Company is a family owned business headquartered in Grand Island, Nebraska. Proudly manufacturing products that are made in the USA by over 300 employees, Hornady Manufacturing is a world leader in bullet, ammunition, reloading tool and accessory design and manufacture.
For further information regarding Hornady products, visit our web site at www.hornady.com. Media members interested in Hornady winning products for editorial review should contact Everett Deger at edeger@hornady.com.
Contact:
Everett Deger, Marketing Communications Manager, Hornady Manufacturing edeger@hornady.com
