Why COMPETITION should become a habit...

[AJMD429]

.
'Plinking' is awesome, and we all should do more of it just for fun, and to get the 'mechanical memory' needed to be safe and effective.

However 'competition' is more likely to hone the skills to safely and effectively handle a defensive situation, or for that matter handle a hunting situation in many cases.

https://www.trex-arms.com/videos/NMZH9tJnpP/

The dude who started T-Rex Arms was originally a 'gamer' but has really matured his company and products to cutting-edge stuff, and I think it is his overall ethical and spiritual approach that guides him - https://www.trex-arms.com/about/

Of course antisocial types or those in remote areas or those who are just very busy, may not be able to or want to join 'clubs', but can compete against ourselves, close friends, or just do 'postal' matches (or the internet equivalent) like we sometimes do here on this forum.

I always felt silly practicing 'fast' shooting, because I grew up mostly with guns for hunting and target shooting, and none of the hunting I did required speed - more stealth and accuracy. However with self-defense, home-protection, and current social conditions, it makes sense to be FAST as well as accurate and 'tactical'. Plus - it is kind of FUN, especially when you have some informal competition going.

My son and I did a drill at the range (home, so no rules against running and so on) where we loaded each others guns (a 9mm pistol and 5.56 rifle), and were required to load at least 35 or so cartridges (enough to finish the match plus allowance for plenty of misses). HOWEVER we could load empty cases into the magazines, and load anywhere from 3 to filling the magazine completely. So as the shooter ran from 'stage' to 'stage' shooting at gongs (two hits per gong required then move to next place), he had 'misfires' and didn't know if they were empty magazines, malfunctions, or what. Then the decision needed to be made whether to just drop the magazine, change it out, rack the slide and try again, or ditch that gun and go with the pistol instead of the rifle. In addition, there were target gongs off to the side, and the non-shooter who was following with a timer in-hand could at any time say "bad guy on the right" and the shooter had to interrupt and hit a target somewhere off in the weeds (visible only from that station so no real preview of where it would be the first run), then resume the session. Another was off to the left later on in the course. All in all there were three gongs plus bad-guy, then another three gongs plus bad-guy, then a final three gongs, all of various sizes, from 25 to 75 yards. We fired the course in the dusk, and in total darkness (weapon lights allowed) for fun. I also ran the course with my 357 Mag levergun just for kicks, and of course was way slower but nailed the first ten targets quickly in day, dusk, and dark.

ESPECIALLY if you are taking a young'un shooting, consider making it interesting by making it more of a 'game' than just 'target shooting'. Of course SAFETY is a huge concern when moving stage to stage or having targets not all in one direction, so you need the right place, privacy, and attention to detail like how to carry a loaded gun when running...!!! Sometimes the middle-ground can be done by having the firearm left ready at the station so you run to the station THEN pick up the gun to use, and may leave it there to run to another station and pick up a different gun there.

Keep it SAFE, but make it FUN too...!

[Scott Tschirhart]

I definitely got better when I was competing against other shooters.

I was never in the top tier of anything but I wasn’t embarrassed either.

The pressure that competition puts on me is motivating and I really enjoyed it.

[Bill in Oregon]

Thoughtful post, Doc. The only competition I ever did besides four-position .22 rifle in Scouts was winter .22 bullseye pistol. Not much practical training. My concealed carry instructor in New Mexico was fond of doing the run-and-gun matches over around Fort Stockton in far west Texas. As a Vietnam vet and at age 75, he was an inspiration.

[Steve in MO]

I started shooting in NRA Smallbore Rifle when I was 13, then action pistol at 15. I competed off and on while I was on active duty until I got on the US Army Marksmanship Unit, then it was almost every weekend. I kept at it until a couple of years ago when my knees couldn't take the pounding anymore. I compete in the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation matches now, they don't require any running. They're also a great way to get my granddaughters into competing, as well.

Shooting matches will definitely carry over to self defense. When you're more confident with your gun, that's one less huge worry off of your mind. That confidence goes a long way.

[marlinman93]

I competed a lot in the 80's and 90's, and for the most part I enjoyed it a lot. I shot bullseye pistol, adult smallbore rifle, trap, and some defensive pistol matches. The only thing that bothered me back then were a very small number of shooters who took the competition too serious. They would get angry if they were having a bad day, and on rare occasions I witnessed a couple shooters cheating during a match.
I finally decided I wasn't going to shoot with people who wanted to win that bad, and quit competing at events where guys weren't having fun shooting. Now all my shooting is fun!

[AJMD429]

.
When we used to shoot at an indoor range some, we'd take the silhouette target out to the farthest distance, then we would start the shooting, and the 'coach' would press the button that made the target come towards the shooter rapidly. That extra 'sense of urgency' did seem to help the shooter improve skills more, even as just a psychological tool of sorts.

[jnyork]

I' m 83 now and my competition days are about over. Starting at age 12, I shot indoor smallbore, outdoor smallbore, NRA High Power and Service Rifle, IHMSA handgun silhouette , several years of .22 benchrest, for the last 20 years or so my main concentration has been Lever Action Silhouette both with .22 and pistol caliber. Has been a fun run.

Probably 50 years ago or more, a guy who was a State Champion many times over told me to never go to the range and "practice". He said to always shoot a match just like the real thing even if I'm out there by myself. Same rifle, same ammo, same targets, everything the same including the pressure. Has worked well for me over the years.

[Griff]

I started competing in Bullseye during my service days and pretty much ended it there. Started hunting in the late '70s and then in the mid '80s started competing in cowboy action. Got fairly good, then moved to Texas and started our current club. But, the shooting schedule was such that one match a month limited the amount of "trigger time" and skills do deteriorate when disused. I'm pretty much out of practice, and only shooting the odd match every couple of months means I'm lucky to finish in last place. I do pride myself on shooting a "clean match". When I've got time following a match I like to use my 1851 Navies and an 1860 Henry.
https://youtu.be/x8S2Ue0EBMA

In my 60's I also competed in a few 3-Gun matches, and it helped keep my shooting skills at a higher level.

[6pt-sika]

The majority of my shooting is clay targets with shotguns , and after 40+ years of shooting clay target games I almost always shoot better when there’s something to win or loose vs just for the heck of it .

[GunnyMack]

I started competing in Olympic trap at 14, 40 years of clay targets later my passion for it hasn't waned but too much other stuff is in the way to shoot enough to stay competitive.
From the mid 90s to mid 2000s I was running the bunker, throwing a match per month, open every weekend for practice, and I was getting a lot of practice. That being said I was winning just about every match. I burned out on the 120 odd mile round trips, the stress of coordination of food, logistics, getting targets, ammo, blah blah blah for each match that I threw in the towel not to mention a 6 day work week.
It was then that I realized I wasn't shooting for FUN anymore. It was years later I went back to shooting for FUN, no more 2 day events for me. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. Now I do a little coaching for anyone that asks, the most important thing I tell people is shoot 1 target at a time- it's the only one that matters. If ya miss , so what- work to break the next one. Don't worry about the total until you are done with the round.
It's gotta be fun.
I've shot with guys that get so anxious that they have shot the house before calling for a target ! That will ruin a guys score in a heartbeat not to mention it's cause for ejection from the match !
Rambling - done.