A conversation with Team FNH shooter, Larry Houck

Larry is a long-time friend of Team Loudoun Guns’ shooters Tommy Thacker & Greg Jordan; Larry, Greg & Tommy shot together – and won! – the Colt 3 Man 3 Gun team competition back in July. We caught up with Larry at the recent FNH USA 3 Gun Championship where he was having a great day! Then, a DQ on Stage 5…. 

What happened? I failed to place the shotgun in the grounding container.

What are things that you can get DQ’ed for in 3 Gun? Dropping a firearm. “Accidental or un-intentional discharge”. Handling a firearm not under the supervision of a Range Office. For example, if you drop your pistol and go to pick it up, that will result in a DQ. You need to call for a Range Officer to pick it up. You can also get a DQ for abandoning a loaded firearm, or a 180* violation, when you point your firearm towards spectators.

Was that your first DQ? No … you shoot this sport long enough you’ll hear the saying, “there are those that have been DQ’ed and those that will”. I won’t blame anybody but myself. I had the responsibility of putting the shotgun in the grounding container. I was looking at where it was supposed to go, caught an angle & hit it, and that was the end of that.

How long have you been shooting 3 Gun? I have been shooting competitively for 22 years and competing with 3 Gun for almost 6 years. I have been a part of Team FNH for 4 years and working with FN for a year now.

What words of advice would you have for others beginning 3 Gun who are afraid of a DQ? Don’t be afraid of a DQ – it will happen at some point. However always err on the side of safety and train yourself to be as safe as possible. Know your 180’s / safe directions. Know you’re going to shoot with fast people but you don’t have to go at their pace. The #1 thing I see in new shooters is that they go too fast and they’re just not at that level. Think of a race car analogy – you’ve been racing on asphalt for four months and you’re suddenly up against one of the best in the profession – Jeff Gordon. He knows how things should feel, he has more experience. You try and race at his speed and you’ll end up crashing. That’s what happens sometimes to new 3 Gun shooters trying to compete at the same speed of the pro’s, and it leads to safety mistakes.

What happened with Lena Miculak? She and I both DQ’ed on the same stage with the exact same situation.

What’s with the Dairy Queen cup? The shooting community is a tight-knit group – it’s like a family. When you know nobody got hurt you can step back and remember you can go at it again another day. Taking a picture in front of Dairy Queen or holding a Dairy Queen cup is a bit of an inside joke among shooters. Like I said, you shoot this sport long a DQ will inevitably happen to you.