HELENA — Law enforcement officers from across Montana were in Helena over the weekend to compete for a spot on the Governor’s 20 — the list of the top 20 law enforcement pistol shooters in the state.
But the Governor’s 20 is more than just a competition, it is also a training tool and educational event.
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The competition has been going on in Montana for about 30 years.
It consists of a paper match, which challenged officers to shoot with their left and right hands up to the 50-yard line, a steel plate rack shot for time, and scores from each of those are added together for a final score.
This year’s competition also included side matches that incorporated movement and dynamic shooting.
“It encourages officers to learn and be more proficient with their firearms, their duty weapon,” event organizer Helena Police Department Sgt. Matt Lewis said.
In addition to the pistol competition, the Governor’s 20 also included vendors, industry experts and educational opportunities.
The FBI Ballistic Research Facility led a course on terminal ballistics the day before the competition.
“We’re just trying to assemble a group of ‘gun guys,’ if you will, from around the state that are willing to help and exchange policies and training plans and gear reviews and T-and-Es—all the stuff it takes to modernize and make sure that your officers have good equipment,” Lewis said. “We’re trying to help be a resource for those things.”
Money raised during this year’s Governor’s 20 competition benefited the Mason Moore Foundation, which provides grants to Montana law enforcement agencies for programs or special equipment that may not be available through the standard government funding process.
