A member of Team USA who won the IPSC World Rifle Championship senior open division last year, Barry Dueck was shooting Hornady ammo and bullets long before they became his sponsor. The former US Marine from California has been shooting competitively for 15 years and enjoys 3-gun matches in particular.

Tell us a little about yourself

I was born in California and have lived in the state my whole life, with the exception of various duty stations with the US Marines. In the Marines, I shot High Power rifle and Bullseye pistol. After getting off active duty, I spent a couple of years on the USMC reserve pistol team shooting bullseye, as they did not have a 3-gun team at the time. But, my real passion was always 3-gun, and the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) and United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA).

When did you start shooting competitively?

I started focusing on USPSA matches around 2003. I was lucky enough to be near a range that had great IPSC matches, with some of the world’s best shooters competing there at their local club. I’m a firm believer that to get better at something you need to train and compete with people better than you. Plus I’ve had the opportunity to attend quite a few formal shooting schools, like Accuracy 1st and Mid-South, but I learned the most from practising and competing with Mike Voigt, who was the president of the USPSA.

What age were you when you started to shoot?

I was five years old when my grandpa took me ground squirrel hunting. I shot a ground squirrel with the first shot I ever fired. The rifle I used was a Winchester Model 52 22LR. with a 4x Bushnell scope. When I turned 12, I started hunting deer and wild pigs.

Who introduced you to shooting?

I come from a family of hunters and received informal shooting instruction as a child. My first formal training was with the Marines. The corps didn’t compete in IPSC at the time, but they did have a great High Power rifle team and Bullseye pistol team. I was able to get a slot in division matches which included three days of training with teams. This was my first formal training. I competed in these events for a couple of years on active duty and then was able to earn a slot on the reserve team after leaving active duty. Although I enjoyed shooting High Power and Bullseye, I had wanted to shoot IPSC ever since learning about it from the articles in Guns & Ammo magazine I read as a teenager. IPSC looked challenging and had to be a lot of fun.

What’s been the most valuable lessons you have learned from shooting?

Training and competing taught me how to fire an accurate shot and stay mentally calm when everything is on the line in a match. I’ve learned how to focus no matter what kind of chaos is going on around me.

Why did you choose to specialize in 3-gun and what do you think makes a good 3-gun competitor?

The 3-gun competition was the next level after competing in IPSC/USPSA handgun. You get to challenge yourself with three different weapons. It’s hard to imagine something better. I’m adaptable to different situations and have a mental tool box full of experience with many different weapon systems.

Who has been the most influential teacher in your shooting career and why?

One of the most influential people in my shooting career was Mike Voigt. He offered to let me practise with him shortly after I started shooting USPSA matches. It wasn’t formal instruction and I never asked questions because he was there to train himself, not to teach me. But just practising with him was a learning experience. Every so often he would take me aside and explain something. Mike understood the mechanics of everything involved in shooting. He really was the oracle of 3-gun shooting. Later in my career he would occasionally coach me directly when I had big events comping up.

What are your three favourite guns (rifle, shotgun, handgun) and why?

The Bar-Sto BS9 Limited handgun ­has great ergonomics, accuracy and is a perfect Mike Voigt trigger job. I like the LMT MWS (Monolithic Weapon System) in 6.5 Creedmoor with 20-inch barrel. It’s the most reliable 7.62 size assault rifle on the market and with my 6.5 barrel, is the most accurate rifle I own. It beats my bolt guns shooting factory Hornady! I’m also a big fan of the highly-modified Benelli M2 shotgun.

What’s your favoured ammunition for 3-gun matches?

Because heavy optics have different handgun caliber requirements I shoot three different calibers. For 9mm, I load Hornady’s 147gr XTP with 3.4 grains of Vihtavuori N320. For 40 cal, I load Hornady’s 180gr HAP with 5.2 grains of Vihtavuori N320 and for 45 ACP, I load Hornady’s 230gr HAP bullet with 3.5 grains Vihtavuori N310. Each of these loads provide a soft recoil and is very accurate. For my rifle, I shoot the Hornady 308 Custom Lite 125 grain SST for short range because of the low recoil. For long-range targets and spinners, I shoot the Hornady 308 178 grain BTHP Match. It has a high BC and is very consistent and accurate.

What has been your proudest achievement in shooting and why?

My run from 2010 to 2015, winning the MGM Iron Man Heavy Optics division six years in a row is my proudest achievement in shooting.

How do you prepare for competitions in terms of training and practice?

In my first six to eight years of competing, I practised nearly every day for at least a couple hours. Every weekend I would shoot two local matches if I wasn’t traveling to a major match. At this point in my life, I’m busier with work and family. My practice time is combined with my work testing suppressors and sights (Barry is the founder of SureFire Suppressor Division and Dueck Defence). I always try to maximize what I can get done. For example, some of our suppressor contracts require performance testing before and after firing 3,000 rounds. These tests require a specific weapon and ammo set-up, but instead of just dumping rounds into the berm, I run skill building drills. It’s not as good as practising with my match rifle and ammo, but it is still very beneficial. As for pre-match rituals, I clean my guns and inspect them for worn or broken parts. I then confirm zero and chronograph.