Competition shooters - I need advice

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possenti

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I recently took 7 young adults to Knob Creek for the first time earlier this month. Ages were 18 to 21. Nearly every one made his first handgun and/or rifle purchase there. I served as the "expert" on what to buy and what to avoid (although someone bought a Jennings against my advice.) None of the youngsters' fathers were able to make it, since 3 of them were taking the CCW class upstate the same day.

We left the show with a total of 12 guns and about 10,000 rounds of ammo, along with many nifty accessories. They were like a bunch of kids on Christmas morning. The next day, we tried out the new toys, which consisted of firing into old propane tanks that we scavenged up. The last few weeks got a little more serious. We actually shot at paper, and compared our groups with each other. BTW - No major worries about safety - these guys have all grown up around guns and are very safe. They actually employ "positive peer pressure" on others who even ACT like they might do something stupid.

Some of the guys are interested in forming some type of competition, and they asked me to come up with something. As the "expert", I'm somewhat clueless...

None of us are interested in joining any clubs or ranges. We have PLENTY of private land to shoot on, but just need some ideas on some informal competition. Some preparation and organization will be needed however. I can build some reactive targets (or other equipment) in the welding shop where I work, as long as cost and complexity aren't too high.

I've heard the term "3-gun match" before, and it sounds interesting. I assume that involves shooting pistol, rifle and shotgun? Is there any way we could incorporate that into a simple contest? Almost all guns involved here are semi rifles and handguns with some pump shotguns.

If you have any ideas, throw them out at me. I'd like to keep the shooting interest up with this group of young people.
 
The NRA has many types of qualifications and competitions that can be shot on one's own. For example, Gallery shooting starts at a "pro-marksman" level and continues to Distingueshed(sp) Expert. Write or call the NRA "training and competitions" office or maybe now it is on the web. Quantrill
 
We have thought about doing an informal '3 Gun' competition here.
High Power at 100 yds
Handgun at 25 yds and
Shotgun at clay targets.
You could work .22 rimfire into the mix and call it '4 Gun' competition and some of us like to shoot our muzzleloaders and you could even go '5 Gun' comp.
How you score is easy, just score ring targets like you normally would and count the number of clays busted and add to the ring target scores for a total. High score wins.
 
"Dueling Trees" are fun for informal matches. Minimal investment (get a good look at one and you can make your own, if you're semi-handy), instant feedback, and reusable indefinitely.
 
I second what ysr_racer said. Go out and shoot a couple of matches. Both IDPA and IPSC. You'll get a good idea of what materials and things you'll need to do this on your own. Who knows, you guys might even get your own club going. Clubs have to start somewhere.

GT
 
What ammo for reactive targets like dueling trees and resettable types.
Would Win White box FMJ's be OK or would you need lead bullets?
 
Thank you all for some great advice.

Does anyone know how well a 1/2 inch plate of mild steel will hold up to .223 and 7.62x39 rounds at 100 yards???
 
You can have a lot of fun with simple knock-down targets (cans are good and cheap). For pistols set them up at 10 yards. The shooters begin holstered or at low ready and each shooter shoots his can down on signal. The first can on the ground wins and that shooter stays there until someone outshoots him. You can add variety with multiple cans and various distances.

Move to 25 yards and shoot at the scoring rings of a any bullseye target.

Do either of the above from unusual positions, sitting in a chair, laying prone, laying supine, one-handed, shooting under and obstacle, etc. You can also begin differently: facing uprange and turning to draw or pick up the gun, facing at 90 degree angle and shooting from that position, begin sitting and rise to retrieve the gun and begin shooting, etc.

For a 3-gun match, you will need steel. There's not much else to shoot at with shotguns... well, not much that you can shoot twice.
 
I would really recommend checking out the already organized clubs in your area before you just try to start your own. There is a lot of trial and error, sweat and tears, that go into putting on a quality shooting match. I've been doing this for a few years, and I'm just starting to get a clue. :) Seriously, you don't want to just start out on your own when so much work has been done by others before you, go and learn from them.
 
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