Why Don't You Shoot In Local Matches?

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For me its the money. I just started working again, so I'll finaly be able to afford things like a holster and the reloading gear because on a lifeguards salary I can't afford a whole ton of WWB.

Time isn't much of an issue for me right now, although if I get the Volunteer Position at the Fire Dept I wont be able to make the tuesday matches.

The other big one is the lack of matches: I'm lucky enough to have a monthly USPSA match at my club, but I'm lusting for a shot at 3 gun, and they only have one match a year in my neck of the woods. If the fire dept doesn't work out, I may move to CO or someplace where I can shoot 3 gun on a regular basis.

Saxon Pig, you should use that talent to your advantage! Call up Ruger, S&W, GLOCK, Browning, and Mossberg and tell them about your situation. Tell them they should pay you to shoot their guns and ammo in a competition as the ultimate torture reliability test. They will sell a lot more guns once they are Saxon Pig Aproved. :evil:

Chris "the Kayak-Man" Johnson
 
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I'll be shooting one tomorrow, but again, it isn't something I see too many here discuss - that's sporting clays and FITASC. This particular club does have some long-yardage rifle matches and some pistol ones, but it is over 1-1/2 hours from my house, so sporting gets the priority.

I never worried whether I would suck or not - the aspect is to have some fun, and if you go those placers, there are always many folks willing to help a new person out with tips and pointers - point is - go shoot because you want to and have some fun, not because you feel you "have" to
 
I'm afraid I might suck.
I never let that stop me! ;)

Seriously, we shot IHMSA handgun silhouette competition back in the early 1980s, and loved it. Our club shut down because it was built in the windiest place in the state, and people would get fed up with all the preparation and driving only to have the match called off about 1/3 of the time. We started out using a shared Super Blackhawk, and after three years we each had our own unlimited guns. I was classified AAA Unlimited, and my wife was either A or AA, I don't remember.

That was a great time, but our aging eyesight makes shooting with open sights at 200M almost impossible now, and I have no interest in shooting in the Any Sight category.

I competed in IPSC a few years ago when my son was shooting. I sucked at it, but at my age I really don't care, as long as I'm improving and having fun. My son had to quit because wife, kids and job got in the way.

I really enjoy Sporting Clays and Five Stand now, but a round of SC for the wife and I costs $100, plus travel expenses, so it's not something we do very often.

We do manage about a yearly trip to the Whittington Center, where the kids and grandkids get to do a lot of shooting, and we get in a round or two of shotgun games.
 
I'll be shooting one tomorrow, but again, it isn't something I see too many here discuss - that's sporting clays and FITASC.
Now sporting clays is a game I want to try. Maybe this year.
 
Every match I've attended has been a bit of a drive but well worth it.

If I waited until I was 'good' I wouldn't have ever started. I gave myself three goals. #1 BE SAFE, #2 TRY AND LEARN SOMTHING #3 HAVE FUN. If you're safe, you can work on accuracy. When your'e safe and accurate you can work on speed.

I've never been a top finisher in any match (with one exception) but honestly without shooting these matches I wouldn't GET the trigger time I currently do. Besides my local range doesn't let me shoot on the move, at varying ranges from 10-400 yards with a rifle or let me do holster work. Plus you get to meet some awfully nice people. I've gotten better over time, particularly with handguns. My tactical rifle skills have a ways to go, but I plan to keep at it.

Lately my Roller Derby time has been cutting into my range time. I try to skate 3 days a week for 2-3 hours a pactice, not counting game days. Sometimes this eats into my Sat/Sun afternoons.
 
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"Because I suck" & "I want to get good first"

Just like in business the quickest , most efficient way to get up to speed and accuracy is to work alongside folks who are tops in their field.
You can do it on your own but it will take you longer and the journey isn't nearly as much fun.
 
Time

I'm always short of time. I have a demanding career that doesn't start at 8 and end at 5 (or on Fridays), a daughter I spend time with, martial arts classes to attend, housekeeping, cooking, etc.

I could drop moderating or posting here and maybe have a little time for matches.:evil:
 
Seems the majority of matches are scheduled for Sunday mornings......the good Lord has already spoken for that time slot.
 
> the whole sucking thing

I'm not too worried about not shooting too well. I'm a bit hesitant because I have no idea what's expected of me. In other words, ow in the heck does the match run and what to the shooters do and when. I suppose a visit to a match would help me understand that better.

So, I guess for me it's the unknown. Not sure what equipment I need as well. As I mentioned, I suppose watching a match would answer those questions, but that sure seems like a boring way to spend a day. :)


-Matt
 
So, I guess for me it's the unknown.
In every match I have shot there is always a prematch meeting where are the rules are explained. Then the RO for the various stages does a walk through of the stage where you can dry run and ask questions. This is pretty standard fare at any match. Or just ask the Director or one of the ROs. Most of these guys are more than willing to help.
 
Number 1 reason: not enough time to practice, to reload ammo, to travel, and to compete.
 
I'm a bit hesitant because I have no idea what's expected of me.
Before we shot a match, Hoser ran my son and I through a safety course so we knew what to expect. Also, they won't usually make a new guy go through the course first, so you'll have time to watch how some other people do it.
 
Regarding IDPA, for anything about finding a club/learning what is expected in terms of gear/gun handling rules/time/place/etc, just go to www.idpa.com , look in the left column until you find the "club finder", then click on your state. A full list of affiliate clubs and contacts for those clubs will be listed. Call up the contact, and he/she will answer any list of questions you want.

I bet other sports have something similar.

Regarding "I think I will suck". If you have never shot a match, yes, chances are that you will. No big deal. Anyone you see there, including hotshots, started at the same place you are. No one expects a new shooter to be a hotshot. All anyone wants to see the first time or five out is good safe gun handling. Learning the game, and skills improvement will come, and it will only come through participating. There is very little you can do shooting-wise on most square ranges to prepare for an action pistol match. The trick is to just go do it.

Regardless of the economy, our level of participation at the clubs around here only ever seems to go up. Some newbies return, most dont. Just the way it is. For people who LOVE a sport, it is hard to understand why everyone that tries it is not hooked instantly, but consider that the vast majority of sports you've ever tried, you no longer play. I'm the same way; everyone is. But if you like to shoot, in my opinion you owe it to yourself to at least try the games that involve your favorite guns at some point.
 
Because I haven't found any local clubs with Adult smallbore rifle leagues!

As for trap... well I do shoot at my club every few months but unless I shoot 3-4 weeks consistently I hit 2-3 birds of 25. If I am gonna shoot like that why pay $25 or $50 for 50 birds on the weekend when I can pay $8 to shoot during the weekly league at my own club?

As for pistol... well I am shooting NRA Bullseye league at my club this summer.
 
I just moved and didn't know where the local ranges were, they must have had an off year. Before now, I worked way to much, way to far away to ever be around enough to do anything.

But, I have found the local range; they have scheduled 3 gun events. Not sure if my savage 243, Taurus .40 S&W, and Remington 870 12.ga will work but I'll give it a shot. Also talked with a person I work with and he directed me to the shotgun range.

I'd worry about the whole "Not being any good" but I don't get that worked up about most things. Unless the people at the ranges are jerks, then I'll probably look at the other range 40 miles down the Interstate and try again.

So, not so much I don't more of, getting back into it.
 
Define "matches"................

That can encompass many types of guns and aspects of shooting

That's the point. :)

For the purposes of this thread, a match would broadly be defined as a shooting event that is regularly scheduled, has a consistent set of rules, is open to the public, and includes the tracking of results. The event may or may not be overseen by a regional or national-level governing body.

Due to the tremendous variety of shooting sports available, I wanted to leave the question open-ended in order to get the broadest possible cross-section of responses.
 
bigalexe said:
Because I haven't found any local clubs with Adult smallbore rifle leagues!

Me too!

I would like a league setting similar to a bowling league. A 50yd Small bore league shooting similated distance shooting with limited rifles and ammo. Something affordable and fun.
 
I went to an IDPA match last Saturday for the first time, because I found out it's held the first Saturday of every month (except December and January) just twenty minutes from where I live. I didn't shoot, just watched.

Everybody was really friendly. Of the 27 competitors, most were better than me, a dozen or so were way better, and I may have bested a couple of them. I think I'm going to try it next month. I'll be nervous for sure, but I bet that will decrease with a few matches, and everything I've read about IDPA indicates it's a great way to take almost any shooter's skills up a few notches. At 52, I'm getting old enough not to embarrass easily, so I figure, why not try...
 
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I'm a full-time student on a fixed income so yeah, money & time. ;)

Like a few others, there doesn't seem to be any matches in any discipline I find interesting anywhere reasonably close to me. While I could practice on my own and hike a few hours to a match every once in awhile, it would get old real soon for me. To be honest, I haven't had the time and money to visit the range in over a year, but I still hang around here for the community. It's the same with shooting at matches - the shooting is great, but without the community and camaraderie, it's not worth my time.
 
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