Why Don't You Shoot In Local Matches?

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Seriously? I can point you at some in NJ and lots in PA right over the border.

I go to a club in Easton (EFGA) that has various matches but it's over an hour away and on weekends. I was considering going last year but never got around to it, now I'm in school M-F and end up working most weekends so I have a hard time getting there. There are some clubs in NJ but from where I am they're about an hour (Cherry Ridge, CJRPC) and too expensive for me to afford

Someday I will.

 

[Sam1911]

It's the same with shooting at matches - the shooting is great, but without the community and camaraderie, it's not worth my time.

You know you're just across the border. If you can find Rt. 83 you can probably be at Ken's & my club in under an hour. First Sunday of the month ... think about it. Chris Rhines is planning to come up next month, so you'd already know three guys at the match. Maybe even share the ride.

Just sayin'

 

[Sam1911]

I go to a club in Easton (EFGA)

Yup! Got friends at Easton. Including their IDPA MD(s). In fact, I think one of them lives in NJ. Good folks!

Or are you closer to Old Bridge? http://www.obdogs.com/

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Yup! Got friends at Easton. Including their IDPA MD(s). In fact, I think one of them lives in NJ. Good folks!

Or are you closer to Old Bridge? http://www.obdogs.com/

Yeah, I like EFGA a lot. Everyone I have met there has been really cool and especially friendly. Almost strange because I'm not used to people that friendly. I left a box of targets there one day and the guy who found it actually figured out my phone number, called me, and offered to meet me there with my targets one day to give them back to me.

Old Bridge is nice I have heard but it's about the same drive as Easton from me so I figure I may as well go to there.

 

[mljdeckard]

I have resolved to do so. I have maxed out the training and learning I can do on my own. (And the army certainly doesn't help.) I will do it if I have to cast my own bullets and build my own guns one piece at a time to afford it.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I always say how I cannot get along with other gun people just because we usually see things differently. So one day I get talked into shooting at a club meet by a guy at my work. It was a steel challenge type event with pie plates and bowling pin targets.

There were fellows there with race guns but most had standard pistols and revolvers. I was trying not to talk to anyone because most of them were blowing a bunch of hot air about this and that.

I show up with my well worn HK P7 and I win the thing by a few full seconds and was basically glared at for it. I guess they thought I was cheating by using a heel magazine release which is effectively a handicap. Screw that.

 

[Justin]

There are some clubs in NJ but from where I am they're about an hour (Cherry Ridge, CJRPC) and too expensive for me to afford

In most cases, you don't have to be a member of a private shooting club in order to attend a competition held there.

 

[esheato]

A lot of surprising answers in here. People with high post counts, knowledgeable contributors scared to participate.

I never would have thought. I figured you guys were the ones winning the local matches.

 

[Justin]

I show up with my well worn HK P7 and I win the thing by a few full seconds and was basically glared at for it. I guess they thought I was cheating by using a heel magazine release which is effectively a handicap. Screw that.

If you're really that talented, you ought to be competing more, not less. State and regional-level matches will often have prize tables...

 

[Smokin Gator]

Yep. No challenge. Too easy. Nothing left to learn. Just walk in and win those pie plate matches. That's why most people don't compete. I guess......

 

[Patrick R]

I shoot in my clubs events.

Winter Bullseye pistol & Indoor 22 LR Rifle.

Summer CMP, High Power Bench, ARA .22 LR Rifle Bench & we have a AR 15 Bench shoot as well (Many people have ARs these days). Much fun.

We get all kinds of people shooting. 99% of new shooters return & shoot again.

I started out taking last place. It did not take long for me to get my first win.

(About 2 months)

 

[David E]

I don't really have any match grade guns.

My handgun is a Ruger p95

You DO have a "match grade" gun! You can easily be competitive with your P-95 in USPSA/IPSC's "Production Division." You'd be shooting against Beretta's, Sigs, Taurus, etc. In IDPA, you'd shoot against those same guns in "Stock Service Pistol" division. I've seen several folks start out with a P-95 and KICK BUTT with it.

You could do the same.

Because I suck at competitive shooting and I hate to embarrass myself in public.

Also, I have a history of experiencing equipment breakage in match shooting. If I want a gun to break all I have to do is sign up for a match.

Shooting competition is the fastest way to get better. Me, I'd rather break my gun at a match than in a defensive shoot-out.

Use the "club finders" at these sites to find a match near you:

www.uspsa.org

www.idpa.com

 

[Beetle Bailey]

I used to shoot USPSA with a few friends but there were a couple problems. First was that I'm not a morning person. Second problem was that because we were a big group of mostly newbies, I was ending up shooting one stage per hour! There was a lot of down time and that look away a lot of the fun. The match directors were very cool and out of maybe 100 competitors, 98 were very friendly. Yes, there were a couple of "those guys" who had negative attitudes, but I didn't let them ruin things. Then my boring personal life got a lot more interesting so I had to give up going to those matches.

Now most of the guys I shot with either moved away or otherwise stopped shooting USPSA so it wouldn't be the same. However I finally did start shooting High Power Rifle, which is something I've been meaning to do for a long time. Early morning matches are still tough for me but once I get out there, it's fun since I really love AR15's. It's funny because the match director told me most guys he talks to say they want the perfect rifle before they start competing. Or they want to get better first so they don't embarass themselves. Or they want to develop the perfect handload that will take them to the top.

Someone actually told me "I gotta get better first. Those scores get posted online and I don't want people to see bad scores next to my name." He's not famous and it's just a local match so I don't know what the big deal is, but there you have it. As for me, I know my eyes will go someday so I want to shoot HP while I can still see 600 yard targets. Haven't met many bad attitudes but regardless, I don't care what other people think.

 

[Pete D.]

"too much standing around"...?
Then you may be at the wrong kind of competition. Try a 2700 Bullseye match. You are shooting pretty much the whole time (scoring the guy next to you between stages.)
"not good enough" "afraid I'll suck".....matches are the best practices.

Pete

 

[RX-178]

In my case because I don't know of any yet. Still getting used to the brand new surroundings.

 

[hermannr]

I competed when I was in the Army in Germany and the US. It really is super when someone else pays for your ammo. (ie Uncle Sam)

I have competed in Canada at my BIL's club (small bore rifle and pistol) and with shotgun with another BIL in NY state.

My problem now is the closest club I could compete with is 250 miles of 2 lane highway and a mountain range away. I live on the wrong side of the mountains for that stuff. Just shoot in my back woods now. I was told by the local police chief (we live 20 miles out of town) that there is a small club here the police use and was invited to come try. Don't know, just might do that if I can get the wife well.

 

[SuperNaut]

A lot of surprising answers in here. People with high post counts, knowledgeable contributors scared to participate.

I never would have thought. I figured you guys were the ones winning the local matches.

Since I suck, I train a lot. My goal is to someday compete in 3-gun and my pistol skills are not there yet. But I can see how not competing might come off as fear.

 

[CajunBass]

I used to. I don't any more. Been there, done that. After a while I started to realize that it just wasn't fun anymore. It was becoming work. When you get to a point where you "have" to do something, it's work.

I can say the same about tournament bass fishing. I want to go shooting, or fishing, when I want to. Not because I feel like I have to.

 

[Sapper771]

I dont shoot in local matches because there is no where to shoot local. I had to drive an hour to shoot my first IDPA club match. I loved it, but my work schedule only allows me to go 2-3 times a year.

 

[smince]

If you don't shoot at local matches, why not?

Nearest 'local' match is over an hour away, usually on Sunday.

Or on a week night at an indoor range. I don't get off work in time to make it.

 

[InkEd]

It's a combination of time, money and location. My work schedule usually conflicts with
the times for them. Alot of the "local" tournaments are at a range that is a good bit away and rural. Lastly, I just don't want to spend the money on it.

On a plus side, the range where I prefer to shoot is now starting to organize more rec-league type activities. I may choose to do one of them, other things permitting, just to have fun rather than seriously compete.

I shoot mostly to relax and don't want to compete.

 

[SaxonPig]

I would add one more thing. About 3 times out of 4 when I have attended matches I was made to feel unwelcome. There was an established clique among the competitors and newcomers were not encouraged or appreciated.

 

[JoeMal]

Don't have enough time
Don't have enough money
Don't really feel welcome; it's hard being the 'new guy'
Don't have the right guns

 

[earlthegoat2]

I would add one more thing. About 3 times out of 4 when I have attended matches I was made to feel unwelcome. There was an established clique among the competitors and newcomers were not encouraged or appreciated.

This.

I dont think I am that good but I could probably score in the middle at a high attendance event. Shoot and move competitions would be a little trickier for me because I have never practiced it before and cannot because of range rules.

Shooting competitions are the heart and soul of the Good ol' Boys Club. Im from the North and I live in the South. You do the math. It was hard enough for me to get a job down here let alone fit in with what I perceive to be like minded people.

 

[gym]

So it turns out that it is ,
1)time, and 2)money, followed by family, church and other activities. also let me ask you this. are most of the guys who shoot competitivelly married or single. Because if I tell my wife, I am dissapearing for the day to go compete more than a few times,on her day off, I am in for a world of crap. Little things like dinner, laundry, and the like, will cease to function at their curent levels. I may wear the pants, but she washes and irons them. Getting married at 50 has spoiled me, My wife works, cooks 3 meals a day, "she leaves my breakfest and lunch prepared, drives 1 1/2 hours each way, and cleans constantlly, "no maid" I don't rock the boat, unless it is something I really want to do. All she asks is my preasence when she is home. And has gone to gun shows, "hated them" has no interest in guns, "she used to",And getting up early and driving then standing around all day, is something that doesn't scream "fun" to me. My reward is the shooting itself, a trophy, "although pretty" doesn't make it any more or less rewarding.I would rather save that money and buy another gun or gun related toy.
Skiing had the same appeal to me, I hate getting up early to face the below freezing temps, and stand on top of a mountain, still half asleep. Then get shot out of a cannon and try to avoid killing myself while navigating rocks trees and other people who have thought it was a good idea.In life you are competing all the time, I don't want to compete when it comes to my hobbies and the things I enjoy to escape from the hectic life around me.I tried that with the GYM, and it was a big dissapoinment. Just because you enjoy something for 30 years, doesn't mean that you are going to like doing it on a schedule. Once you take the fun away and make it something competitive, it changes the concept.
I don't want to, "break chops" ", any more so I sufice it to say, that people know what they enjoy, and will find a way to do those things.
So cowboy shooting or race guns shooting or pole vaulting Karete' etc are all great if you are interested in competing, I just love guns. I like to look at them touch them, and take them apart to see what makes them tick.I also enjoy altering an occasional gun to improve or change something that I may see that I feel confident doing. I don't knock anyone for what they enjoy,God bless them, as long as they don't try to get me to do it with them.