So why don't you compete?

[lucky strike]

I semi-regularly shoot IPSC and Speed Steel at TCGC

I just shoot Production so I have no worries about competing against race guns and frankly i care a lot more if i'm just showing progression towards getting better as opposed to just straight winning.

I've got a friend that I shoot with and he came to one IPSC match and hasn't been to another one. I think it's mostly due to the fact that he realized that he wasn't good enough to "win" and since he doesn't like to lose he decided not to do them anymore. I guess it's a different mindset.

Really want to get into the PR matches but they seem somewhat secretive....i've tried emailing the match director a couple times asking to get put on teh newsletter but i've never gotten a response.

 

[Bhowe]

I do not compete... Therefor I cannot lose

 

[finch6013]

Really want to get into the PR matches but they seem somewhat secretive....i've tried emailing the match director a couple times asking to get put on teh newsletter but i've never gotten a response.[/QUOTE]

PR is getting a little to large from what I can tell. That might have something to do with it. When I started PR it was about 40 people at the most and much more fun. Now there is so many people that the stages have suffered and they just aren't as creative and fun anymore. Now it averages 70 competitors I would bet.

 

[MA Duce]

I do not compete... Therefor I cannot lose

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered with failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in that grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt

 

[Ballistic]

There were two competitions that interested me at TCGC. The Vintage Military Rifle Match and the 600 yard Bench. I have tried both and enjoyed myself very much. Met some great people involved in the kind of shooting i like.

But i hardly ever get to go for one simple reason. The time the match is held. It's on Saturday usually from 8 AM - 3 PM. This means i have to leave Salem by 7AM, with my crap all packed and some breakfast in me. Just not going to happen on a day off.

If they would only hold these competitions from 10-5, or 11-6, i'd be a regular.

 

[TangoFoxtrot]

Looking at the gun club newsletter I see around 20 different shooting sports. Some sound very interesting and that I'd like to try, but information about them is lacking. Most of these shooting sports are mysteries. I have no idea of the requirements or what a match looks like.

If you look around this forum you might find 3 or 4 of these shooting sports actively discussed here. So you can ask about the requirements, gear, look at pictures and videos, and even find an online friend who will meet you at the match. Those will be the more popular matches because of the available info and a helping hand for your first match.

Nobody wants to go to a match where they are new, clueless, don't know anybody, and have no friends or anyone to help or answer questions. The majority of the shooting sports are set up like that so will never face the problem of too many people showing up for a match.

 

[buick455]

I've always shot out in the woods... just friends or family and pop cans to kill. I have guns, time and even some money, but until recently I was content with driving way out in the middle of nowhere to kill paper plates a few times a year. I think next year my new years resolution will be to try out competitive shooting.

I have a bone stock XD9 tactical maybe I'll get a set of adjustable fiber optic sights and a few extra mags and show up.

What kind of holsters are good for stock competition? The one that came with the gun grew legs

 

[lucky strike]

I've always shot out in the woods... just friends or family and pop cans to kill. I have guns, time and even some money, but until recently I was content with driving way out in the middle of nowhere to kill paper plates a few times a year. I think next year my new years resolution will be to try out competitive shooting.

I have a bone stock XD9 tactical maybe I'll get a set of adjustable fiber optic sights and a few extra mags and show up.

What kind of holsters are good for stock competition? The one that came with the gun grew legs

I'm a fan of Comp Tac. I use their Kydex paddle holster for IPSC production division. Costs around $55 and works great

 

[Nwcid]

Distance and time.

I Cowboy shot for about a year then I moved.

I did some IDPA, about 6-8 matches over about a 1.5 year time.


Basically I dont live anywhere they are held and with my schedule they would be hard and semi expensive to make. I do enjoy it when I go though but it has been a while.

 

[ltwtcmdr]

It has been so long, I almost have to saw "back in the day". But Action Pistol at DR was the best pratice for carry situations that I have ever had. The kids were young and the matches became so popular that I found myself spending most of Sunday at the range, and that became a problem with the family. Seems like I was there for 5-6 hours and not using up more than a box of rounds, and the "practice" part of it became more "waiting".
I did place 3rd in my best match ,so I must not suck that bad...
I sure would like to get back in to it again, it is an absolute blast...

 

[laney1566]

I suck?

LMAO!!!!

Lack of practice time. When I do something...My weakness in life is that I must feel that I can be the best ME possible.
Such is my life with any undertaking.

 

[terrylf72]

Like so many of the other responces, Its all about time.

Work, school, family, prepardness, reloading, working on my jeep, all come first and not in that order.

 

[Correctthought]

I need some feed back on why people don't compete.


Thanks

No money, no honey, so to speak.

So, is PDX usually an economically challenged zone or did I just move here at a bad time?

 

[Lange22250]

No money, no honey, so to speak.

So, is PDX usually an economically challenged zone or did I just move here at a bad time?

Bad timing.
But it's not so bad.

 

[Migo]

So, is PDX usually an economically challenged zone or did I just move here at a bad time?

I read somewhere that Portland's low cost of living tends to attract the unemployed. And since our mayor tends to cater towards making it easier for the unemployed to live here (like bike paths and homeless shopping cart parking/locker storage), we will most likely continue to have a higher unemployment rate than most other areas.

 

[ricsha]

Too far from matches to get involved. I don't seem to be able to find anything on the central Oregon Coast (Lincoln County); however, BTR&PC have some military rifle matches that I might try. Would really like to find some handgun competition in the area.

 

[Correctthought]

I read somewhere that Portland's low cost of living tends to attract the unemployed. And since our mayor tends to cater towards making it easier for the unemployed to live here (like bike paths and homeless shopping cart parking/locker storage), we will most likely continue to have a higher unemployment rate than most other areas.

Thanks for the response.

 

[crosse]

some people run for fun, some run in marathons, some run to win marathons.

same with shooting. there's a competitive option if you want it, but no reason to do it unless you want to prove your better than the next guy, b/c really that's all that sport shooting is. trigger time in an arena.

 

[nickmil]

Spitpatch,
Remember the Blackhawk Gunfighter's Association? My Grandfather was manager of that for several years. They used to put on the shows in Damascus on 4th of July back when they'd light "the candle" as well as tons of other shows. My whole family grew up shooting as a result of it. This was many, many years ago....

I don't compete because of time and money. I work two jobs and one of them I put in 50-60 hours a week 9 months at a time. The second one pays for the extras like ammo, Jeep parts, etc. but working that leaves NO time for anything but the first job and family. It's the old catch-22. Work the second job to afford the fun stuff and have no time, or not work the second job and have no money for anything extra.
At least with the extra job the other 3 months I can sometimes do the fun stuff when not getting caught up on other obligations...

Having said all that, I hope to get to some matches at TVGC or at ARPC. I went down to Albany for some pistol training a while back and was impressed with the facility and the folks there. If it wasn't so far for me to go I'd join up. I haven't made it to TVGC yet but hope to in the next couple of weeks. It comes recommended.

 

[NoOne]

Practical rifle out at tri-county is alive and well. The group really has grown, and now that we have between 50-70 shooters at every match, the stages have to be a bit shorter so we can be done shooting, clean up the range, and get home at about 3-5pm if you are in the Portland metro area.

The group welcomes new shooters, but you do have to complete an orientation on the Friday afternoon before the match before competing. This class is required because the club does allow non-members to shoot there, and it offsets some of the liability issues.

Before the orientation was required, there were some really frightening people coming out. Buy a rifle on Tuesday because they always wanted to shoot an AR or AK, sight it in on Thursday, and then want to shoot in a match on Saturday....all while trying to figure out how the safety works, how to charge and unload the weapon. It was simply a ridiculously unsafe environment, so to make sure that sort of thing didn't happen again, the orientation was started.

Now, new shooters are given a mentor for their first match. The mentor gives them someone who can explain why things are done a certain way, how to do better in the matches, explain why different techniques might work better and so on. Mentors help new shooters be more safe, and have a more enjoyable match. The first match can be a bit daunting, and the mentor helps alleviate many of the problems.

I have shot practical rifle there for some time, and like the way the group of people approach the sport. The "king of the hill" attitude is roundly discouraged, and shooters willingly share ideas about why they think shooting a stage one way might be better than another way. The matches are not IPSC oriented, they are more tactically oriented.

For example, leaving a magazine on the ground that has rounds in it will result in a penalty. The scoring system rewards accuracy more than time. 10 hits in 20 seconds will beat 9 hits in 4 seconds every time. This encourages people to actually hit what they are aiming at if they want to score well. In a real gun fight, missing fast doesn't do you any good....only hits count. You must use cover when it is available. No walking through the courses before you shoot as that doesn't happen in real life.

Anyhow, if you are really interested in more information, email, or pm me, and I'll figure out how to get you the information you seek.