A question for some shooters, how come you don't shoot in competitions?

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I love competition, even if I suck at what I'm doing. If I am relatively sure I can improve, I'll keep at it. Sure, the first few times you're nervous, but the really cool thing is that after a little while, you learn to control that nervousness and focus it. You learn to block out the fact that people are watching you. When I get up to the firing line, I am not aware of the timer behind me, nor the fact that there are people in the room. It's just me, my gun and the scenario for 18 seconds. (or however long the stage takes me to shoot)

Regularly shooting in competition not only keeps my gun handling and safety skills sharp, my overall shooting skills in practice, but it also challenges me to learn new skills such as shooting while moving, kneeling, prone, from behind cover, and shooting at moving targets.

I know it's not for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoy it. Plus, I love getting the trophies. (hey, I like to win, what can I say??) ;)

Shoeless
 
[tongue_in_cheek]
Well, I already know that I am the best shot in the history of the universe... why should I have to prove it to the rest of you?
[/tongue_in_cheek]

But really, folks... Money, time, and commitment.

I can barely afford shooting as it is.

For me, it is a non-competitive activity, for the most part. Sure my friends and I jostle over who has the smaller group size, but that is as far as I am willing to take it.

/Arcli9ht
 
I've spent the last decade mostly outing with a career military friend of mine and gotten tax refund in the form of range time, cool hardware use and ammo. No incentive to join any sports club there. Now that he decided for a better career in the civil world, these resources are no longer available though... so now I'm on an IPSC course with the local club and hope to prove my hand in a few matches this summer!

There's also a developing 3-gun format under the military reserve sports organization here. They accept IPSC licence holders as "safe shooters" according to their standard so I hope to get to see some of that as well.
 
For me, the main issue is schedule. I may have nothing to do for weeks on end, then be working seven days a week, with no predictability. And I rarely can set aside the better part of a day to hang around for a competitive event.
 
Until I actually tried High Power, I was really intimidated by some of the guys I saw practicing at the range. They had all this specialized gear and took their shooting so seriously. Then I showed up for an actual match, and one of them helped walk me through the course of fire and called my adjustments.
 
Time mostly. 9 years ago, while shooting upwards of 500 rounds a week, I was "scouted" by an interested member of a local IPSC club. Was asked to join their somewhat exclusive club. I guess you couldn't just join; you had to be scrutinized for your shooting prowess, and they had a finite number of members. I probably shot better then than I ever had in my life, due to the amount of weekly expenditure of reloading components and time at the bench. Anyways, I made up my mind to join and was very happy that night. The phone rang and it was my company telling me that my electrical apprenticeship was to begin the following Monday. This meant college, long hours, and for the most part, no fun time. There went my possible competition right out the window. I guess I should have been thrilled to be able to better myself the way I did, and after all, thinking of your family comes first. But I will always have that nagging feeling that I could'a been a contender.:D

Now, I might just as well wait til I retire to see if I can put it back together.
 
comnpetition

I do and find it very enjoyable. Up here, it's the only way I can shoot in the winter (indoors).
 
I'm like most of the others here. Working 6-7 days a week doesn't leave much time for shooting, much less for competition. I've watched an IPSC match, heck I went out and bought and XD-40 so I can shoot at the major level. I just don't have the time now.:(
 
I think most shooters who don't compete are just afraid of the truth, they can't shoot as well as they think/say they can. The truth can be quite brusing to the ego.

I shoot just about every Tuesday afternoon at Rio Salado. The range is about 21 miles from my apartment and takes about 30 minutes to drive there. I'm a member of the range so it costs me $8 to shoot Tues. Nite Steel, but non-members can shoot it for just $10. There are four stages and I've never used more than 80 rounds. The match takes about two hours to get through if I'm not in a hurry. If I bought the ammo for my .45 ACP the entire thing would cost me less than $40 as a non-member to shoot, including gas to drive there and back, and the whole thing only takes about three hours out of my afternoon (I'm almost always home by 18:30 and the match starts at 16:00).

I don't do as well as I'd like, usually place in the middle of the group, but I improve a little each week and I learn something new every time. Not bad for less than $18 a week.:cool:

The fact remains, if it was important to them, they would make it happen.
 
competition is the best "practice" you can get. no do overs. what you shoot is what you got.

blasting away 200 or 500 rounds on saturday is just that: blasting away. all the do overs you want until you get a target that suits you.

write down the score of each shot you fire. determine the average. work to improve your average. improve your average and you have improved your skill. not as much fun as blasting away, but, pleasantly satisfying.

reply is getting long, so, one last thought: the guns shoots where you point it. if you shoot a seven, that is where the gun was pointed when you fired it. work on control, especially of the trigger.
 
I'd love to shoot in some competitions........PPC, Highpower Service Rifle.......maybe even some IDPA.........

just don't have the time right now........so I try and get out atleast once a week just to shoot something. My job as a LEO varies my days off..........so half the time I'd be working on the weekend when most competitions are held anyway :(
 
My work schedule is great.
Except when it comes to that bit where it conflicts with every local shooting competition, be it bullseye or three gun.

When I was in school I practiced bullseye-style once a week, and shot at least one IDPA match a month. Heck, even when out with friends we'd sometimes get a competition going. Whoever knocked all the pins down didn't have to buy after-range Margaritas.

I am slowly but surely getting into high-power; shooting reduced-course matches when I can, and picking up gear as I go along.
 
I absolutely hate crowds--that means waiting for 4 shooters to finish, for my turn.

Thankfully, I am extremely fortunate; I belong to a range that provides steel plate targets and those cardboard torso targets (IDPA/IPSC?? targets) that have the perforated rings in the middle of them. I can use them anytime, on certain days of the week, and I get a fair amount of practice in with my electronic timer. That also allows me to avoid the poor gun-handlers and hot dogs that seemed to turn up now and again.

History has shown that I don't do any worse in 'official' competition. Actually, it was a rare occasion when I didn't do better under pressure, I don't know why, I guess I took it more seriously. Anyway, I don't worry about "validating" my scores. And I can practice from a shoulder holster, IWB, or even some of the more imaginative short-range LEO drills.
 
Lack of funds to buy enough practice ammo is what keeps me from even thinking about it. Also, at present, I'm at least an hour away from a range that does this stuff.
 
Conflicting work schedule. :( I'd love to get regular Action Pistol practice.

The few shoots I've been to taught me little more than to switch my carry gun from Sig to 1911.

And that's about it. :uhoh:
 
Because I shot for years and it ceases to be enjoyable--
You get to a point where you are no longer trying to shoot well, but you are trying not to drop any points--
As you progress in classes you'll find that you get to a level where if you drop a point or two -- you're all done and you might as well go home-- That just puts more pressure on you and stress-- ALso -- If you shoot LE matches, You'll find you get tired of not being supported by your department when everyone around you seems to be--


I've shot Trap, PPC, and Ipsc -- Now I just sharpen my skills occasionally (Kinda like qualifying for myself:rolleyes: )
 
I would keep thinking of those pro geeks with the full race guns and all the goofy outfits...............straght off the bass boats!

I like shooting out in the woods anyways as the Army was enough 'organized' shooting fun for me.
 
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I've been interested in IDPA since watching a videotaped match about a year ago. 3 gun sounds intriguing too and have read results of the SOF Match. But just check my grid coordinates. Where or what am I going to compete against or with out here?:confused: :rolleyes:
 
Old eyes will not allow me to.....

Shoulder weight lifting injury will not allow me to shoot bullseye anylonger. Shot cowboy action for awhile but it ceased to be fun with all the "win at all costs" shooters that would argue every shot. Now I just go plink with my cheap milsurps and make the hotdogs with the 2000 dollar guns look bad at the range......chris3
 
I use to 20+ years ago and did quite well with muzzeloaders and rifles but sportsmanship became progressively worse, cheating was becoming too much a part of the game and from what I hear it still is. Anything above college level competition and below NRA State level competition, I'm not sure what the "good" shooters are good at, shooting or cheating. A lot of effort is put into both "skills". I'll take an informal, friendly match anyday. Much more enjoyable and proves the same point.
 
I shoot high power service rifle.

Bought a new M1A NM right after the ban so I paid a fortune for it. Started going to matches carrying my gear in a plastic milk crate and using a strip of carpet rolled up for a mat.

I won a $500 world series baseball pool and replaced the milk crate and carpet. Got precision loading dies and a bunch of other stuff. Now I shoot a AR15.

I love it! I shoot in competition so I am a better shot when hunting.

It is fun and the other competators will loan you the shirt off their back. You aren't really competeing with them as much as against yourself. Last match I was at a guy asked around for extra ammo before he was called to the line. Seems he had forgot to throw in one of his boxes of ammo. He had 5 guys offer everything from handloads to Federal Gold Match.

I had a newbie shooter inquire about my Creedmore coat. I said "Hell, just use it during your relay". He really appreciated the offer.

Like it has been said before, I think the shooters are really a friendly bunch.
 
I prefer to compete with myself and with friends.
Still, I went to my first IDPA qualifier recently (didn't do too well). Might go back.

Nothing wrong with organized competition, but I prefer less formal competitions. Kcustom45 and I try to get together once a week to do a quick private match and we play for the expended brass. I've beaten him a couple of times, but he's generally a better shot.
Honestly, that's what I like. He seems to enjoy the IDPA shoots quite a bit, though.
 
Correia, I think it starts early. Some folks never made a habit of having "me" time. Before all this gun business I was the founder of a very large 4x4 club that was very vehicle specific (Toyota Land Cruiser). I made a point to make every club run and activity, and some others did too, but there were always ones who never could find the time. After a long time I figured it out. Those folks had built a life around "not having time" so they couldn't transition. Everyone in their world expected them to be meeting some responsibility every weekend, and the time wasn't there for themselves. They'd lament that they never had time to do "fun" activities.

So, you young folks just starting out on your own life...make sure that you schedule "me time" and stick to it, or otherwise your "responsibilities" will grow too large to get away from. When X weekend comes, everyone should already know that you are unavailable. Can't reach you? Tough!


"Oh, you called? Gee, I didn't realize my cell phone wasn't turned on! Oh well, I couldn't have heard you at my BI-MONTHLY HIGHPOWER MATCH, anyways."

If I'm important enough to contact on the weekend, I'm important enough for those folks to know what I'm doing. Now my friends and loved ones are trained. My voice mails sound like this, "Steve, you're proabably shooting a match somewhere. Good luck! When you get done, call me."
 
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