How to get started, beginner advice please?

[Leafy Cronmer]

So I am looking for a little more fun to add to my shooting activities and thought getting started in competition shooting would be fun. I would like this to be a father son thing, and at the moment i am overwhelmed with the many different organizations and types of comps.

I am looking for an entry level competition that is less equipment intensive, than say 3 gun. If it helps to know I have access to many different service type pistols and sporting/hunting long guns. As far as long guns go I will have nothing that is considered tactical and have no funds to expand what I already own at the moment.

Any suggestions to types of competitions I should look into would be great.
Also my biggest Question is how do I get started call, email, show up, qualify I really am confused?

 

[twofifty]

Try Metallic Silhouette comps

Sounds like a good father-son plan.

Suggest you look into NRA-sanctioned Smallbore (22LR) Metallic Silhouette competitions.

Any decent powerfully-scoped (min 16x with target turrets) 22 rimfire will get you started in Hunter rifle division. All shots from standing, without slings.

Silhouette shooting is fun as you knock over scaled-down metal targets shaped like Chickens (@40meters), Pigs (@60meters), Turkeys (@77 meters) and Rams (@100 meters). Ping, ping, miss, ping, ping = 4/5. Only one shot per target, so a miss is a miss.

As you get better, you move up in classifications, from a "D" through C, B, A, AA, AAA, Master. To give you an idea of how exacting this game is, a 34/40 score is the minimum score for a Master ranked shooter. A super great thing about metallic silhouette folk is that Master shooters speak with entry level shooters. All competitors will share tips and advice with you if you so desire, even if this is your first match.

In a 40 round match, there will be 10 chicken, 10 pigs, 10 turkeys and 10 rams - you have 2.5 minutes per animal. Each relay sees as many as 20 people shooting simultaneously, so you soon become immune to distraction. While one relay shoots the others can socialize as talking is allowed. It helps to have a spotter indicate your shot fall.

Metallic silhouette attracts generous sociable people many of who become great riflemen and women. The competition is full on but remains friendly and relaxed at all times. Watching others is fun too. Relatively cheap ammo until you get really good and buy the full-blown high-grade match ammo. If after awhile you want to upgrade your rifle, there are very good used Anschutz and equivalent rifles available through the other shooters.

You and your son don't need to be crackshots to get started...but you will get good if you stick through your first season.

 

[CatsEye]

IDPA might be a good place to start. A service pistol, holster and three mags are all thats really needed. You don't say how old your son is, but most clubs allow teens to shoot with direct parental supervision. IDPA clubs are usually usually pretty easy to find and every one I've seen welcome people coming to check it out.

 

[sargas23]

You might also consider participating in NRA Postal matches. You can get some informal competition in while trying to improve your scores! You shoot on your own time, on your own range with the weapons you already have available.

Go to www.nra.org and look for information on postal matches that are on the website.

Also, the NRA Qualification courses offer some good program outlines for improving your scores while earning some "bling" like patches, pins, etc.

 

[Leafy Cronmer]

I have been up all day checking these suggestions out, everything looks great. I think IDPA might be a good fight, have to look it up a little more. Also In this situation I am the son, and I will be taking Dad along with me. Both avid shooters, but lately the bug has really been getting to me so figured we could compete together to add to our regular shooting/hunting routine.

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

[Lovesbeer99]

Look into NRA highpower. You can shoot service rifle or unlimited and you get to shoot at various distances and in different positions. It requires sight adjustments and rapid fire and slow fire stages. Many clubs will let you participate with any rifle you have, even a hunting rifle with a scope, they just won't let you win of course. There are also NRA simulated fun matches like vintage bolt action, or M1 garand matches or any rifle/any sight matches. I started in the any rifle/sight then moved to the fun matches and now I also shoot service rifle in NRA highpower.

All good stuff and the camaraderie is great, especially in the fun matches because the people are just having fun and not so competitive

 

[Hk Dan]

IDPA IS a goosd start. It's a good deal less formal than NRA, and the match is different every month. Hey--you get some good practice doing things you can't do on your own--shooting out of cars, kicking down doors, etc. You'll like it, and Dad will do okay as well.

 

[jhallrv4]

Okay, I've done Bullseye Pistol, NRA highpower, Trap league and ATA/PITA competition, and some local indoor range informal fun pistol leagues.
They are ALL fun. Some take a LOT more effort, money, practice and equipment than others. NONE of them are boring.
So, get with the old man and see what you both have a hankering for.
I won the local informal indoor league with a simple Smith 686 with a red-dot scope. Took fourth with a .22 in the rimfire league. Way fun. I shoot trap with a WELL used Browning that had been passed down through a few generations of a family. Doing fine with that. NRA Highpower requires a lot of focus and bucks for serious competition. It's still fun though. Pretty formal with not a lot of camaraderie in my experience.
I haven't tried IDPA.

Jeff

 

[teetertotter]

Twofifty makes a very good point, in my opinion, if you have access to a Silhouette range. Plinking the metal objects is a lot of fun. I have only been involved at our club for about a year and because of my schedule, shoot once a week with the fellows. Yes, I do get a chance to practice time to time. Wednesday night is with pistol and Thursday eve is with rifle. I bought my first rifle 3 years ago and still is a Marlin 39a, with 2-1/2 lb trigger with 6.5-20 scope. I plan to use the same rifle in Saturday morning Bench Rest group too at 50yds next month. Every time I run into the fellow in charge of the Bench Rest .22 group, he keeps hammering me. I think I can hold my own at 50yds and may make some look surprised how accurate my 39a is or ME!! If you have access to a gun club, find out what days/nights they shoot and start hanging around with them. You will be gladly greeted right away and don't be bashful. They will want you shooting as soon as you can.
I help out at the SASS matches and wish I had the money to get involved with that. We even have two SASS boys in our Silhouette group. I'm a beginner low class A and a Sr. over age 65. Leafy, I started out in Hunter B Class which is 0-14 out of 40 possible.

Whatever draws your fancy, watch the guys and dolls at whatever range and all will be very happy to answer questions. Competiton shooting is so much fun and you get a chance to meet some really neat people. Even from other clubs that you might go for a match or they come to your range for a match.
Good luck Leaf.

 

[Sunray]

Appleseed. http://appleseedinfo.org/
Then look into the assorted NRA match shooting. There's all kinds of disciplines for every level of shooter. http://www.nrahq.org/compete/index.asp