allen-1
NES Member
What's wrong with competing with a 10/22, an 870, and whatever pistol does the minimum, unless there is some rule against it? Person A's fancy dancy setup might not work for you. Person A's pistol might fit you. Person B's shotgun. Person C's rifle might be what you need. It's not like you're going to win the first time you show up. Watch an event or two. Participate in one when you are comfortable. I've never been told 'no' when I asked (politely) to touch something.
Get some training, hands on training, not internet 'self help' crap. If you are willing to dump a couple grand on guns, a couple training sessions should be no big deal. The biggest deal is to not learn bad habits, they are way harder to get rid of once they are ingrained.
Rules. There's no 3gun category for .22.