My good seems to be different then the norm - what do you define as a good shooter

[ron]

A story:

20 years ago I was competing in the Oregon State long range championships at Douglas Ridge. Not new to the 1,000 yard line but not a seriously seasoned in the long range game either.

I shot the best scores I ever had at that range; 186, 187, 188 out of 200 point strings. And over the two days came in dead last...

Most of the competitors were shooting in the 197+ out of 200. One gentleman set a national record of 200 with 14X. That's my standard for good.

Across the course (200-300-600yd) 800 agg match typical top winning shooters in the 770s+.
Last year a shooter won with a 799. Dropped 1 point at 300 yards.
That is a good shooter. I was in the pits when he shot a 100-10X Rapid Fire Prone at 300 yards.
If all goes well I am in the 750s+. My offhand scores suck.

 

[USMC-03]

Across the course (200-300-600yd) 800 agg match typical top winning shooters in the 770s+.
Last year a shooter won with a 799. Dropped 1 point at 300 yards.
That is a good shooter. I was in the pits when he shot a 100-10X Rapid Fire Prone at 300 yards.
If all goes well I am in the 750s+. My offhand scores suck.
View attachment 604947

At my best I was shooting about a 778 on the 800 aggregate regional course. It's been a long time. So long optics weren't allowed...

 

[ron]

I can shoot a one shot sub moa group at any distance.

 

[41mag]

I was the target spotter one year at the black powder cowboy rifle event.
This particular game was "10 shots after 1 sighter, at 200 yard 24" plate".
Yes, the Holy Black....and all were cartridge, most were various single shot, all were various iron sight models. I had a high-end spotting scope on a tripod to make my calls.

A couple dozen shooters of varying skills. Not uncommon for 5 or 6 or 7 to be X-ring, while some didn't have but a few marks on the target. One old boy came late due to flat slowing him down. He shot last. One sighter. 10- ring. 10 more shots. They weren't all 10 ring. Some were X-ring.

At the end he had 11 shots into 'minute of coffeecup'. He was on his way from one big match up north & headed to one down south. He said he had a good time but had to leave right away. Hmmmph. Still, "good shot" IMHO.

EDIT to add: by the way....these were 'standing' upright, no cross sticks.

 

[pharmseller]

A full meat pole is the best shooting.



P

 

[Joe13]

I think its more than putting requisite holes in a target. I think its the ability to improvise and use the particular firearm effectively and safely in all situations and environments. Being a good marksman vs being proficient with a firearm.

With a hunting rifle, can you shoot using various improvised rests? Sitting, kneeling, prone? Can you do it quickly before your shot is gone? Whether its at 300+ yards with a bolt action chambered in a high-performance cartridge, or a well worn 30-30 with buckhorns at under 100 yards, I think either can be a good shooter. Rarelybeill someone be good at both situations, but versatility scores points for sure.

Ive seen guys who can shoot dime sized groups off the bench and on that bench, they are a good/exceptional shooters. Take away the bench and go to a big open area and have them hit anpie olaye, and its a whole other outcome.

Can you shoot instinctively with a pistol? Can you take a 15+ yard head shot? Can you effectively move? Smooth and quick magazine changes or cylinders reloads, Clear malfunctions, etc. This means you operate a handgun well in a combat oriented manner. Not the same as a 25 yard small bore pistol shooter who counts x's. Both good shooters.

There have been a lot of good responses and quite a few funny ones.

I think your post sums up most of it in one fell swoop

 

[No_Regerts]

A full meat pole is the best shooting.



P

Funny story. Then one time everyone in camp tagged out. I brought a guy I knew who is city slicker to the core, but he did good. I taught him how to quarter an elk and I set up meat poles to hang the various animals.

The work is done, we are enjoying a cold beer and passing around a bottle of cheap scotch. He says, "Guys, this is so awesome. Got our elk, having a cold beer, looking at our meat poles". I had beer coming out of my nose on that one.

 

[notazombie]

I hadn't been shooting in months until a couple weeks ago. The range was fairly deserted and I was at the end of my own bay. I'd brought 4 new builds to test/ sight and was using my IronMonster target set. I'm not a great shot anyway and had the targets set about 90 yards out.
Another guy had shown up later and set a target about 25 yards to my right and was doing pistol drills. No question, he was LEO.
I had run through all the others and had just sighted the new irons on one of my bread-N-butter ARs and was just practicing. Mag after mag on a 10" gong. Ting, ting, ting. Then I realized, the guy had been studying me as I plinked about 120, medium rate, in a row...and I did miss a few.
Then he slowly approaches. Awww sh!t. Was it because I shouldered a pistol? Or was it my barely legal 12ga? Nope.
"Hey, where'd you get that target stand?"

"Sorry, no longer available."

TLDR; If I can place repeated shots on a torso sized target at a "safe" distance, I'm pretty happy. Up close? Gut, heart, head. Good enough. Long distance? I'm new to that game. Just sighted in my Creedmoor and was MOA so it's time to start stretching the distances. I'll check back in later.

 

[DB is Here]

At hunt camp is the only time you can stare at another's meat pole..there I said it.

 

[GWS]

I shot well enough to win a raffle!

 

[Ownerus]

The older I get, the better I was.

I can maybe claim "adequate" these days. Don't get enough practice to get "good" plus (litany of excuses warning) getting old and stiff in all the wrong places dunt help. I used to like to do a bit of mil style position shooting but my two aftermarket knees won't allow some of the low sitting or kneeling positions even if I did work to stretch into shape. On the bright side, I can still use iron sights even after two cataract surgeries. That's good because much of my stuff is old and without glass. About the only thing I'll claim is I can pick up most any gun, iron sights, heavy gritty trigger and all and shoot it at least moderately well. I was high shooter in my platoon in Marine Corps boot camp... 47 years ago... with an M14 in pouring rain... (cue Al Bundy )but those days are long gone.
Nonetheless, I still enjoy shooting when I get time for it

 

[41mag]

heavy gritty trigger

enjoyed yer post.....and you captured my own 'functional status' in these words....

 

[Reacher]

A good shooter hits a target no one else can hit,
A great shooter hits a target no one else can see!

 

[cookie]

I can't shoot for schit.

Me too

 

[therealhitman]

I like to set up various agency qualification courses and see how I stack up. Some are tougher than others.
The Air Marshall Q course of fire is a good place to start. Most days it's no problem, and some it's dang near impossible lol. The SEAL course is very similar just not from concealment IIRC...



Federal Air Marshal Qualification: Test Your CCW Skills

 

[Greenbug]

I have no problems hitting the earth each and every single shot.
Been that way my whole life. I guess it just comes natural for me.

 

[zenbreath]

Target is a sheet of 8x11 paper.

2 yd, draw, three rounds in under 2 seconds.

2 yd, low ready, one round in under .8 second.

25 yd, draw, two rounds in under 8 seconds.

 

[tac]

If you can think of it, he's doing it wrong.

I wonder what he's like with a spoon?

 

[Jonnyuma]

Being a "good" shooter is a lot like owning an old car... it depends on who you're parked next to.

A clean example from the 70s is cool, starts conversations, and gets admiring looks and compliments until... you park it next to a 70 LS6 SS, 69 Mach l, GTO, or other "real" classic, then it's meh.

Put it next to one of today's econo-poopsters and it's suddenly pretty cool again.

I am the 76 Charger Daytona of shooters... l should really practice more.

 

[therealhitman]

WOW!!!

Now, THAT is going to be HARD!!! I can barely see them at 25 yards, let alone put a shot in the K-zone!