I've been shooting for 21 years. I have been a law enforcement firearms instructor for 18 years. I have shot fairly avidly for most of that time and have really picked it up in the last two years. I think I shot about 30k rounds last year and I'm probably going to shoot 50k this year. I have taken a number of classes with nationally recognized instructors.

I have never shot competitively (other than among friends for bragging rights). My personal practice and training has moved toward hit factor scoring and I have started to introduce some of the concepts at work.

So last month, I FINALLY shot a USPSA match. I shot another one this past weekend.

I have no idea why I never found a way to do this before. It's silly. I don't think it was ego as much as scheduling priorities. I work overnight and I work most weekends. When I have a weekend off, I work overtime. I did not not realize that the local matches (15 minutes from my door) are done around 11 AM.

What I have found is that everybody there is friendly and approachable. There is no judgment as long as you're safe. There are people of massively varied skill levels. These are all things that every "shooting your first match" video, forum post, Reddit, Instagram, etc. will tell you. I am here to tell you that it's true.

I found this video (and the series it came from) helpful:



As well as this one and the second part that follows it:



So if you like to shoot and want to challenge yourself, no matter where you are skill-wise, consider hanging yourself out there a little and giving competition a shot. Most matchces are listed on Practiscore and can be searched geographically.

...oh, yeah...how did it go:

1st Match
17/48 Overall
10/15 Carry Optics

2nd Match
11/42 Overall
5/15 Carry Optics

These results were consistent with my semi-informed, self-assessment of my abilities.

The rules are not complicated, you probably don't need anything you don't already own, and nobody but you cares how you do.

I shot my first match in June. Like the OP, I don't know why I waited so long.

I didn't perform super well, but I was at least competent. Honestly, I shot better than I thought I would. Feedback from other shooters was great, and a couple there took a very active interest in me as their newbie that day. I really appreciated that.

One of the leaders explained the sequence to me like this:
"Here's what's going to happen. You'll get ready, you're going to hear the beep, your stomach will go up into your throat, your heart will do all sorts of weird things, and you'll need to shoot well."

We had a good laugh over that and then got down to business. Thankfully, I was the last shooter in the first stage, so I got to watch everyone else go first and listen to the discussion after each shooter.

It was great fun, and I noted after the match that it had been a VERY long time since I had grass-stained my knees playing outdoors.

I just signed up for the August match, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

This, all of it.
I shoot two (minimum) Steel Challenge matches every month, year ‘round.
Consistently doing it is the key to improvement. Along with consistent dry fire practice.
When the timer goes beep, things get real.
Get out there.

Huh. That advice sounds vaguely familiar..

Now, start exposing your coppers to the skills necessary to be successful in “tactical” courses of fire that require efficiency and clean gun handling. You know, extra “tactical” stuff like arriving in position, getting out of position, shooting on the move, reloading on the move…………. You know, tactical stuff that transfers well to the street fight.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
Huh. That advice sounds vaguely familiar..

Now, start exposing your coppers to the skills necessary to be successful in “tactical” courses of fire that require efficiency and clean gun handling. You know, extra “tactical” stuff like arriving in position, getting out of position, shooting on the move, reloading on the move…………. You know, tactical stuff that transfers well to the street fight.

I'm actually ahead of the curve a bit there. Started incorporating stuff from the practical shooting world last year. End most range days with a stage scored using hit factor. Generally pretty well received.

Good for you! Practical shooting skills is where that it is at.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
I just signed up for the August match, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

Today brought my second match. Holy smokes, that was fun.

Aside from Op Spec Training courses, I've never been around a more positive, encouraging, and welcoming group of shooters. As a relative newbie, the amount of coaching and guidance I got today was amazing.

As VictimNoMore said, when the timer goes beep, things get real. My friend and I talked about it after the match and he made a great observation: You're in it for just 30, maybe 60 seconds and concentrating. And afterward, you can't remember what all went on during that short span.

Something else I learned today: you don't get bonus points for the goofy things that happen. I dropped a magazine for a reload, and it bounced off the top of a plastic barrel... and fell right through the bunghole in the top and into the gunk at the bottom. Eww.

As scoring goes, I placed 47 out of 51. Can't really brag about that, but I can enjoy the fact that my hits were relatively good, I only took one penalty (one hole on the very edge of a "friendly" target), and I learned more about exercising smoothness instead of speed. Anybody can shoot fast, but shooting well is the key.

I agree with the title

“Go Shoot a Match”

Where I live we have a large variety of different matches with in an easy drive. It’s easy to get hooked and shoot 1 or 2 matches a week.

Besides testing or improving your skills it’s an opportunity to see how your gun and equipment works in a variety of situations.

I belong to a club in Southern Michigan where our shooters, could be church security groups, military ,law enforcement new shooters, judges, lawyers , teachers, construction workers, wives and girl friends.

They were all new to competition at one time, came out for their first match and keep coming back.

Don’t let age or disabilities hold you back either, all of the shooters I shoot with understand that we will all get old, injured or maybe even end up in a wheelchair. That does not mean you shouldn’t participate on what ever level you can. If someone can safely handle a gun we figure out how to get them out there shooting.


Hope to
See you on the range

Shot my third match on 8/18. Different club with an indoor, evening match. Four stages and only seventeen shooters. Somehow I won...

...and then shot an all classifier match 8/21 and ended up 29/51 overall. Not happy with that one. Managed to shoot 90 points of penalties on a 90 point stage so that did not help. Would have probably been around 10th had I not totally derailed.

Such is the game, though, I guess.

I have three matches lined up this month...two more locals and our state sectional. Excited to try a major.

Sounds like you guys are getting sucked into Competitive Shooting

Glad to hear your fellow shooters are being supportive,

Unfortunately
At some clubs they get so competitive they stop helping when you start winning more

The Sectional should be similar to the local matches,just have more stages , and more people

For any upcoming matches, your prior shooting experiences , practice , dry fire and matches will help you succeed with the shooting portion,

Here is something not talked about much,

Make sure your Pre Match Prep is as complete as possible for each match you go to.

Here are some thoughts on Pre Match Prep items to consider

New battery in the optic? And or a spare battery available
Check that Ammo makes power factor?
Dont make changes to ammo or gun right before the match….
Have your ammo and gun zeroed in before match day
Take a Spare gun?
Have a check list of everything you need for the match and review before you leave home
Take snacks, water
Extra ammo?
Hydrate the night before

If you look at your total amount of time shooting a match, your not out there very long and any one of the items above could help ruin your day

The Pre Match Prep plan
helps avoid any added stress

Figured I'd provide an update and use the thread as a bit of a journal of this stuff.

I shot the Iowa Sectional on 9/27. It was 11 stages and due to my schedule, I shot on Friday when the staff shoots. That made it a relatively informative experience since everybody else in the squad was working the match and fairly experienced. There was an open division GM in my squad, who ended up being 2nd overall (by less than 2 points) and...wow. I ended up 74/178 overall and 26/67 in Carry Optics. My goals going in were top half overall and top third in Carry Optics, so I would say I ended up pretty close. I had a major issue on one stage where I failed to shoot at two targets (incurring 60 points in penalties) and my best estimate is that that cost me close to 10 positions in my division and maybe 18-20 positions overall. It was the last stage of the day, it was fairly complex, and I 1) did not have a very robust stage plan and 2) did not execute well on the plan that I did have.

I also ran two weeks of range at work doing a big block of movement that all came from the practical shooting world. That block culminated in a couple stages that used the movement patterns in the drills we shot. Everybody seems to enjoy training this way. Now if only I can get a few more of them to come shoot a match.

Two local matches this coming week including the last outdoor one for the season.

quote:

Originally posted by DaBigBR:
I shot on Friday when the staff shoots. That made it a relatively informative experience since everybody else in the squad was working the match and fairly experienced. There was an open division GM in my squad, who ended up being 2nd overall (by less than 2 points) and...wow.

That's great experience...seeing how the big dogs play the game.

quote:

Originally posted by fritz:

That's great experience...seeing how the big dogs play the game.

As much as ego wants to place first, I actually enjoy the matches that I get to shoot with shooters way better than me.

It keeps me honest. And it pushes me to shoot beyond a conservative pace and take “risks”

Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.

quote:

Originally posted by Nick42:
Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.

I had to remind myself of that constantly during today's match.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:

quote:

Originally posted by Nick42:
Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.

I had to remind myself of that constantly during today's match.

It's on my list of pre-stage mental preparation thoughts - that and my footwork. I am way out of practice and need to get back in the game.