Next week, thousands of people from the shooting sports industry will descend upon Las Vegas for the 2012 SHOT Show, but one of the most exciting events of the week isn't taking place in the convention center - it's going to be on the range. Sanctioned by NRA Sports, the 3-Gun Nation Championship Shoot-Off Finale is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, January 18th at the Clark County Shooting Range in Las vegas.

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With 2012 underway, why not start the New Year off with a new program at your club or range? The NRA Club Champion Challenge is a fun and exciting way to do just that - and to see who is the best all-around shooter in your club or shooting organization.

Getting started couldn't be more simple - learn more about the NRA Club Champion Challenge and register your event online at www.nraclubchamp.com. NRA provides the courses of fire to choose from and even provides awards including medals and belt buckles for champions. So what are you waiting for? Start 2012 with a "bang" by holding an NRA Club Champion Challenge at your range or club!

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Heading out west to the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico is always one of the highlights of my year, so for my "honorable mentions" for top stories of 2011, I decided to go with two seperate events that took place this summer amidst the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

I've already used the winners of the 2011 NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) as my #3 story of the year, but there's one part of YHEC that everyone looks forward to - especially the participants. Although the bulk of the competition at YHEC takes place on the range or in the woods, it's the annual Tug of War that really gets the competitive juices flowing.

This year, I was able to capture it on film and watch as the teams were narrowed down to the final two team in each category. In the end, the Junior Team from Forbush, North Carolina, the ladies from New Mexico, and the Hempstead Swamp Donkeys Senior Team won their brackets, respectively, earning them Cabela's gift cards, a pretty awesome trophy, and bragging rights for the next year.

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With just a few shopping days left until Christmas, I've decided to put together my top ten picks (in no particular order) of great stocking stuffers for the shooting enthusiast in your life. If none of these options will work for those hard-to-buy-for shooters on your list, I suggest you trade them in for a new friend or family member who is less picky or has better taste. If you think I've left a "must have" off the list, leave a comment so I can see what I've missed! 

1. Noveske Shooting Team 3-Gun Outlaw Instructional DVD

This is a great DVD for those who are new to 3-gun competition or looking to step up their game. Jansen Jones and Rob Romero from the Noveske Shooting Team take viewers through advanced techniques for 3-gunning including transitions, shooting positions, strategy, and more. It's not the same as attending a Noveske 3-Gun Training Class, but it's the next best thing to learn from two of the country's top competitors.

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It's an unprecedented cash payout - $50,000 to be exact. That's the amount of money that the winner of the 3-Gun Nation Championship will take home following the Shoot-Off Finale. All year, 3-gun competitiors have been vying to be the top-ranked shooters in their respective divisions, and in Glengary, West Virgina, the field was narrowed from the top 64 down to just 16 shooters following the FNH 3-Gun Championship earlier this month. During the first part of the 3-Gun Nation Championship Finale, those 16 were whittled down to just eight.

Eight may not seem like a narrow field, but when you're looking at Vegas odds, the chances of going home with $50,000 are pretty high. Now we know exactly who will be vying for the $50,000 in Las Vegas this coming January. Here's 3-Gun Nation's Chad Adams with an in-depth look at the shoot-off that led these eight competitors to the finale:

Vegas, Baby!

GLENGARY, WV – Eight competitors punched their tickets to Las Vegas for the 3-Gun Nation Championship Shoot-Off Finale by winning their elimination round match-up during the 3GN Championship Shoot-Off here Nov. 13. The winner of the 3GN Shoot-Off Finale will be awarded the title of 3GN Champion and receive an unprecedented payday—$50,000 from Leupold Tactical Optics and NBC Sports.

Tommy Thacker, Phil Strader, Jeff Cramblit, Rustin Bernskoetter, Mark Hanish, Tyler Payne, Taran Butler and Mike Voigt all qualified for the 3GN Shoot-Off Finale via wins during the elimination round.

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When I think of some of the top names in shooting, Daniel Horner instantly comes to mind. When he's not on the road dominating the leaderboard at major 3-gun competitions across the country, this national champion is at Ft. Benning in Georgia serving as a shooter and instructor with the United States Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU).

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More than two years ago, we introduced you to a young 3-gun competitor named Tyler Payne. After witnessing his performance at the 2009 LaRue Tactical 3-Gun Championship, we knew Payne was one to watch - and so did the Army. Now, more than two years later, SPC Payne is dominating the range at 3-gun competitions across the country as part of the Army Marksmanship Unit's (AMU) Action Shooting Team.

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Bryce M. Towsley shares his thoughts on finding the best pistols for 3-Gun competitions in this month's edition of American Rifleman

Designing The Best Pistol for 3-Gun

Three-gun competition can trace its roots back to the Soldier of Fortune matches in Las Vegas, Nev., starting almost 30 years ago. From those wild beginnings, it has expanded to become the fastest-growing shooting sport around today.

At the moment there is no signel governing body controlling the rules for all 3-gun competition. I like that; too many rules spoil a shooting game. Most of the big 3-gun matches are "Outlaw" matches, which means they set their own rules. Of course, there has to be some consistency or it would get ridiculous. No shooter wants to spend thousands of dollars on gear only to find out that it's disqualified for use the next big match. So, the International Multi-Gun rules (IMG) are more or less the guidelines used by most match directors. That doesn't mean those rules apply to every match, as there are some variations. The U.S. Practical Shooting Ass'n (USPSA) also has its own set of rules, and they are invoked at some big matches. Then there are the new Int'l Defensive Pistol Ass'n (IDPA) rules, which are different from those of everyone else. These rules can be important to your choice of pistols.

My first 3-gun match was put on by the Coast Guard Academy in Hartford, Conn., and I wasn't sure what to expect. In such cases, I always err on the side of "bring everything." My son and I loaded the truck with guns and ammunition until the springs bent backward, but we found out that we still didn't have the right stuff.

I shot the match with an M1911 with 10-round magazine and 230-gr. hardball factory ammunition. I quickly figured out that the gun didn't hold enough rounds and had to much recoil to be competitive. The M1911 with a different ...

Read the rest of the American Rifleman article here.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the 2011 FNH 3-Gun Championship at the Peacemaker National Training Center in Glengary, West Virginia. Over 260 shooters will be competing in nine different courses of fire over the next three days, with the the 3-Gun Nation Shoot-Off on bringing the competition to a close on Sunday.

A few weeks ago we told you that at the end of this competition, 64 shooters would compete in the first of two 3-Gun Nation finale events. From there, the top eight competitors will advance to the 3-Gun Nation Championship in Las Vegas in January where the winner will walk away with $50,000 in cash.

But before that can happen, we've got several days of competition to get through here in West Virginia. Stay tuned, because we'll have coverage of the match for you each day and a look at who is one step closer to taking home $50,000.