I didn't read through the thread but the topic of competitive shooting grabbed my attention. I live in Alabama and don't know of anyone who shoots competitively or of any competitions for that matter. I would definitely be interested in attending a match/competition if I knew when one was going on or knew someone there.
What Would it Take to Get YOU out to a Bullseye ("Conventional Pistol" Event?
- Thread starter Grump
- Start date
- Status
BullfrogKen
Moderator Emeritus
Where in Alabama?
And what kind of competition?
I know that's a tough question for someone who doesn't know the landscape. So let me approach it this way.
What sort of firearm do you want to shoot in competition? Pistol? Shotgun? Match/Service rifle? What do you enjoy shooting now and have a preference for when it comes to making a challenging shot?
How much time can you commit? How much in funds?
Do you pursue fun, enjoyment and comraderie over doing something difficult? Or do you find time spent mastering a challenge brings greater satisfaction than time spent hanging around socializing?
And what kind of competition?
I know that's a tough question for someone who doesn't know the landscape. So let me approach it this way.
What sort of firearm do you want to shoot in competition? Pistol? Shotgun? Match/Service rifle? What do you enjoy shooting now and have a preference for when it comes to making a challenging shot?
How much time can you commit? How much in funds?
Do you pursue fun, enjoyment and comraderie over doing something difficult? Or do you find time spent mastering a challenge brings greater satisfaction than time spent hanging around socializing?
Esoxchaser
Member
I used to feel the same way, until I figured out that if I am bad, most shooters really suck. And then there are the top 5% that are amazing. After deducting all expenses for ammunition and entry fees, I win enough to win or lose a couple bucks each year(still have to pay for fuel to get there etc....). Any sport/hobby that almost pays for itself is a good one.
Give it a try, you are probably better than you think you are.
I enjoy all types of shooting. If I had to pick one, I enjoy shotgun clays the most. I would like to attend any type of competition or match just to see it. I would probably lean more toward fun/camaraderie for now. I'm in north central alabama. Pretty much equal distance between Birmingham and Huntsville.
Meant to quote this response in my above post. Sorry.
Sa-tevr
Member
kylec
There are monthly Bullseye matches March to October around Atlanta, at River Bend Gun Club and South River Gun Club. Yes it's a pack-a-lunch trip, but both draw competitors from surrounding states.
Keep an eye on activities at Fort Benning too. They do some shooting sports there.
There are monthly Bullseye matches March to October around Atlanta, at River Bend Gun Club and South River Gun Club. Yes it's a pack-a-lunch trip, but both draw competitors from surrounding states.
Keep an eye on activities at Fort Benning too. They do some shooting sports there.
Queen_of_Thunder
member
what would it take.
an extra weekend in the month
an extra weekend in the month
ljnowell
Member
Yes, in many of the action sports you can shoot one match and skip two matches then shoot another match, no big deal. In every single bullseye match around my area they are league events with teams. These arent something you can just show up and shoot a single match and then disappear for two months.
There are plenty of people that dont want to take it totally serious. There are a few teams in the leagues that i shoot in that are in last place every season. They dont care, they are just there to have fun. Thats great, more power to them. But they also show up and shoot every week, whether they are winning or not. Thats dedicating yourself to it. Being dedicated and serious doesn't mean winning. It means showing up week in and week out and showing respect for the sport and your opponents/team mates.
oneounceload
member
What would it take?
New eyeballs so I could see both close and far - probably why I like sporting clays - no close sights to focus on, just the birds at a distance
New eyeballs so I could see both close and far - probably why I like sporting clays - no close sights to focus on, just the birds at a distance
Mike OTDP
Member
Ah, but with iron sights, you should be focuesd on the sights. Seeing the target clearly is not desired. And if you are shooting NRA Bullseye pistol, they are allowing red dots.
Problem solved either way.
Problem solved either way.
Queen_of_Thunder
member
Before this shortage I was shooting a match every Sat and Sun. Its all about when the match is scheduled, start and end time that kind of stuff. Also shooting static targets gets old real fast which is why I started spending time on the Trap,Skeet and 5 stand side of the sport.
g_one
Member
Dirt cheap ammo so I could shoot 200 rounds every weekend until I was good enough to participate. I'd love to be able to enter a competition like this but I'm just not a good enough shot. At all. If I could cheaply and easily reload or buy .38 and .45 at .22 prices I'd be all over it. Just not really an option.
Queen_of_Thunder
member
If we all waited till we were a great shot there would be no matches. Bag your stuff up and go shooting. You are just putting off some fun times.
agreed.
There is so much to be learned such as better stances, techniques, strategy, etc
by competing with others. Nobody that is starting up should expect -or is expected- to win or even do well. Just keep the rounds downrange and watch the gun handling.
There is so much to be learned such as better stances, techniques, strategy, etc
by competing with others. Nobody that is starting up should expect -or is expected- to win or even do well. Just keep the rounds downrange and watch the gun handling.
oneounceload
member
Very true, but if I use glasses to focus close, I have no idea where the target is! It is either close or far so keen sharp focus on sights won't help if I don't know where the target is......
(sucks getting old)
frankmako
Member
i use to do them in the 70's and 80's. Got a great 1911a1 build for them. they were not as easy as it looks. but were lots of fun.
peacemaker45
Member
One of the things I've noticed, in trying to get people to come out to a match, any kind of match, is that most are are deathly afraid of being embarrassed. They'll come up with all kinds of reasons that sound better, but that's generally at the root of it. The first requirement of any competitor is a willingness to suck in public.
Guns in particular have a way of affecting people's egos. Most would like to believe that they're good shots. It's often a significant part of their self image. The idea of being exposed, and maybe worse, finding out themselves that they're not, is the biggest bar to entry.
Guns in particular have a way of affecting people's egos. Most would like to believe that they're good shots. It's often a significant part of their self image. The idea of being exposed, and maybe worse, finding out themselves that they're not, is the biggest bar to entry.
Mat, I've heard those excuses at metallic silhouette matches, at IPSC matches, at Trap shoots, at informal club rifle matches. I totally agree with the reasons you put forward.
A guy hears about a match so he shows up (IF he shows up) to see what it's about. Too often he's 'forgotten' his rifle or HG at home. Or he "will practice more and come back another time". Rule of thumb: if there is an excuse we never see him again.
Which is really too bad because most regulars remember what it was like to start at ground zero, or as Mat put it "to suck". And we need newcomers to rejuvenate our sports, to diversify the conversation.
To anyone thinking of shooting in a match setting, please consider that regular competitors have no real expectations of you other than to be safe. We won't ridicule or make fun of you. We try and make new guys and gals feel welcome: through encouragement not pressure; through lending guns and free ammo; through 1-on-1 coaching if that is what you need and want; through including you in the socializing and BS.
Give it a try, there's nothing to lose.
A guy hears about a match so he shows up (IF he shows up) to see what it's about. Too often he's 'forgotten' his rifle or HG at home. Or he "will practice more and come back another time". Rule of thumb: if there is an excuse we never see him again.
Which is really too bad because most regulars remember what it was like to start at ground zero, or as Mat put it "to suck". And we need newcomers to rejuvenate our sports, to diversify the conversation.
To anyone thinking of shooting in a match setting, please consider that regular competitors have no real expectations of you other than to be safe. We won't ridicule or make fun of you. We try and make new guys and gals feel welcome: through encouragement not pressure; through lending guns and free ammo; through 1-on-1 coaching if that is what you need and want; through including you in the socializing and BS.
Give it a try, there's nothing to lose.
Last edited:
Sa-tevr
Member
Mat,
The first Bullseye match I came out to watch had a older couple shooting. The woman was about medium height and slender, with a serene smile. She would stick a 45 wad gun out in a rock solid offhand hold and put everything in the black on the 50 yard line, nipping at the heels of the score of a high master also shooting that day.
I thought, wow, I want to shoot like that.
It is also nice to get your first NRA competition card in the mail.
The first Bullseye match I came out to watch had a older couple shooting. The woman was about medium height and slender, with a serene smile. She would stick a 45 wad gun out in a rock solid offhand hold and put everything in the black on the 50 yard line, nipping at the heels of the score of a high master also shooting that day.
I thought, wow, I want to shoot like that.
It is also nice to get your first NRA competition card in the mail.
peacemaker45
Member
Well, prompted by this thread, by an article by Patrick E. Kelly about cross training for shooters, and partly by monkey curiosity about all shooting sports, I just shot my first bullseye match tonight.
It was a weeknight indoor league shoot at the Cincinnati Revolver Club. It was a little bit last minute, so I didn't get a chance to call ahead, like I probably should have, but just walked in, introduced myself, and said I'd like to try the game. They were very nice about it, and gave me a walk through, and put me firmly under the wing of an experienced shooter, who guided me through the match procedures. They even loaned me a pair of binoculars, to stand in for the spotting scope I didn't have. Not at all standoffish, as some responses in this thread had warned.
I used a stock Ruger 22/45 for the 22, and my STI Lawman .45 for the centerfire. I shot a combined 371 out of 600.
Having shot a match, I can't but agree with the folks who said that being a competent bullseye shooter can't but make one a better practical shooter. I was surprised to find that I, experienced USPSA Single Stack shooter, had more trouble with the timed and rapid fire events than the slow fire. Definitely a skills tester.
That said, I can't see myself pursuing bullseye in lieu of practical shooting, but I do think it'll make an enjoyable and beneficial adjunct.
NOTE: if you're thinking about trying it, go do it. You'll enjoy it. If you're telling people why it's irrelevant, and you don't want to try it, try it anyhow. You might be surprised.
It was a weeknight indoor league shoot at the Cincinnati Revolver Club. It was a little bit last minute, so I didn't get a chance to call ahead, like I probably should have, but just walked in, introduced myself, and said I'd like to try the game. They were very nice about it, and gave me a walk through, and put me firmly under the wing of an experienced shooter, who guided me through the match procedures. They even loaned me a pair of binoculars, to stand in for the spotting scope I didn't have. Not at all standoffish, as some responses in this thread had warned.
I used a stock Ruger 22/45 for the 22, and my STI Lawman .45 for the centerfire. I shot a combined 371 out of 600.
Having shot a match, I can't but agree with the folks who said that being a competent bullseye shooter can't but make one a better practical shooter. I was surprised to find that I, experienced USPSA Single Stack shooter, had more trouble with the timed and rapid fire events than the slow fire. Definitely a skills tester.
That said, I can't see myself pursuing bullseye in lieu of practical shooting, but I do think it'll make an enjoyable and beneficial adjunct.
NOTE: if you're thinking about trying it, go do it. You'll enjoy it. If you're telling people why it's irrelevant, and you don't want to try it, try it anyhow. You might be surprised.
peacemaker45
Member
Also, just wanted to say, your description of that grand dame has stuck in my head ever since I read it. Lol. Good word picture.
HitFactor
Member
I was shy about attending my first match. I went to two and watched. The third time I took a Glock and finished second from last place. I was surprised by that since I shot well at all of my police qualification courses.
I stuck with it and really improved my abilities. I have won a couple matches, mostly because I stayed local when the big guns traveled to a major match in the area.
What I really learned is that the other competitors are my friends. I look forward to seeing them at the matches and learning skills from them.
Eventually, I became a Range Officer, then Chief RO and a local Match Director. Putting on a match for my friends meant I got to spend more time with them.
It's not just about the shooting for me. For some it is, I call them friends as well.
I stuck with it and really improved my abilities. I have won a couple matches, mostly because I stayed local when the big guns traveled to a major match in the area.
What I really learned is that the other competitors are my friends. I look forward to seeing them at the matches and learning skills from them.
Eventually, I became a Range Officer, then Chief RO and a local Match Director. Putting on a match for my friends meant I got to spend more time with them.
It's not just about the shooting for me. For some it is, I call them friends as well.
Sa-tevr
Member
A fun parlor trick is to take some form of laser pointer, bore sighter, aimer, etc and take a stance then see how small of a hold you can have for about twenty-twenty five seconds. This is the poor boy's version of a SCATT or RIKA training system. Using bar napkin math, the 8 inch black ring of a 50 yard target's 8 ring would be about 1.6 inches at 10 yards, 0.8 inches at 15 feet. Can you settle and hold in that circle? It is also a good exercise to see what a cup of coffee does to your hold, even hours after drinking it. If you get really still you'll see your pulse, just like with a rifle.
I only started shooting at the beginning of last year, after taking a NRA basic pistol class. My instructor asked what my goal was, and since I have been reading Jeff Cooper's The Complete Book Of Modern Handgunning since I was a kid, Cooper's standard at the time was to be able to shoot a ten shot four inch group at 25 yards with a 22 pistol offhand to demonstrate mastering pistol fundamentals before moving on to other pistol skills seemed like a good goal. NRA Conventional Pistol (Bullseye) seemed the next step to mastering shooting skills. My current goal is to shoot Expert scores with 22 then try to break into Sharpshooter with iron sights on my 45 and 22.
A fellow shooter in the Bullseye group loaned me the Civilian Marksmanship Program DVD set Mind Over Matter: Bullseye Pistol Competition Shooting. http://www.odcmp.com/Comm/Publications.htm While the narrator is an annoying expensive haircut and the safety messages are lengthy, the members of the Army Marksmanship Unit explaining the fundamentals, gear, training and range performance is top notch. Checking their names with the Camp Perry results is impressive, particularly Sgt. Adam Sokolowski shooting a high score with his left hand due to a right arm injury.
I only started shooting at the beginning of last year, after taking a NRA basic pistol class. My instructor asked what my goal was, and since I have been reading Jeff Cooper's The Complete Book Of Modern Handgunning since I was a kid, Cooper's standard at the time was to be able to shoot a ten shot four inch group at 25 yards with a 22 pistol offhand to demonstrate mastering pistol fundamentals before moving on to other pistol skills seemed like a good goal. NRA Conventional Pistol (Bullseye) seemed the next step to mastering shooting skills. My current goal is to shoot Expert scores with 22 then try to break into Sharpshooter with iron sights on my 45 and 22.
A fellow shooter in the Bullseye group loaned me the Civilian Marksmanship Program DVD set Mind Over Matter: Bullseye Pistol Competition Shooting. http://www.odcmp.com/Comm/Publications.htm While the narrator is an annoying expensive haircut and the safety messages are lengthy, the members of the Army Marksmanship Unit explaining the fundamentals, gear, training and range performance is top notch. Checking their names with the Camp Perry results is impressive, particularly Sgt. Adam Sokolowski shooting a high score with his left hand due to a right arm injury.
another_luser
Member
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2011
- Messages
- 18
At the risk of irritating many for adding a response (almost) two weeks after the last post, nothing would get me to attend.
To echo Mat's post #117, I don't have the need to prove that I suck in public. I can experience that anytime I look at my targets at my local range.
While I would like to shoot bullseye, between the failing eyesight and lack of hand-eye coordination, my targets at 50 yards would look like they were shot with weird, fat shotgun rounds.
And while I'd like to believe that TwoFifty's experience (#118 friendly people willing to lend a hand to newb's) my experience align more with CrazyJenny's post #14 regarding loudmouths at the range.
As an aside, I had a hankerin' for an M1 Garand a while back and wanted to buy from CMP. Their rule that one needs provide proof of firearms activity led me to inquire at a local Garand club about participating. I received an e-mail asking why I wanted to join. I indicated I wanted to shoot a M1, and it might be fun to compete with one. I was told to check "x" "y" and "z" places rather than inquire at their club, because "there were darned few reasons" to join their club.
Maybe I was reading too much into it, but if there were "darned few reasons" to join their club, there were darned few reasons to have anything to do their rifle as well. After getting the same vibe from a few supposed participants at an almost local (1.5 hours away, give or take) club that has bullseye shoots once a month, I have no desire to subject myself to that. I consider shooting a fun activity, and I won't associate with those that need to show their superiority.
To echo Mat's post #117, I don't have the need to prove that I suck in public. I can experience that anytime I look at my targets at my local range.
While I would like to shoot bullseye, between the failing eyesight and lack of hand-eye coordination, my targets at 50 yards would look like they were shot with weird, fat shotgun rounds.
And while I'd like to believe that TwoFifty's experience (#118 friendly people willing to lend a hand to newb's) my experience align more with CrazyJenny's post #14 regarding loudmouths at the range.
As an aside, I had a hankerin' for an M1 Garand a while back and wanted to buy from CMP. Their rule that one needs provide proof of firearms activity led me to inquire at a local Garand club about participating. I received an e-mail asking why I wanted to join. I indicated I wanted to shoot a M1, and it might be fun to compete with one. I was told to check "x" "y" and "z" places rather than inquire at their club, because "there were darned few reasons" to join their club.
Maybe I was reading too much into it, but if there were "darned few reasons" to join their club, there were darned few reasons to have anything to do their rifle as well. After getting the same vibe from a few supposed participants at an almost local (1.5 hours away, give or take) club that has bullseye shoots once a month, I have no desire to subject myself to that. I consider shooting a fun activity, and I won't associate with those that need to show their superiority.
I was very interested in Bullseye at one time and actually shot in a few matches. Placed third in the rimfire portion of the first match I shot.
The bullseye competitors at my local gun club managed to convince me that I didn't belong there. They had made up rules that they used to discourage anyone from competing that might break up the homogeniety of their group. One of their main "concerns" was that I wasn't using a 1911 as my .45ACP centerfire pistol.
I shot with them for awhile but it was apparent that they weren't interested in bringing in new competitors. I decided I wasn't interested enough in shooting bullseye to put up with the BS.
Some years later, one of the competitors who shot with the group approached me and tried to get me to start coming to the matches--they were mostly older fellows and I guess their numbers were dwindling. By then I had sold the guns and accessories and moved on to other things.
The bullseye competitors at my local gun club managed to convince me that I didn't belong there. They had made up rules that they used to discourage anyone from competing that might break up the homogeniety of their group. One of their main "concerns" was that I wasn't using a 1911 as my .45ACP centerfire pistol.
I shot with them for awhile but it was apparent that they weren't interested in bringing in new competitors. I decided I wasn't interested enough in shooting bullseye to put up with the BS.
Some years later, one of the competitors who shot with the group approached me and tried to get me to start coming to the matches--they were mostly older fellows and I guess their numbers were dwindling. By then I had sold the guns and accessories and moved on to other things.
- Status