Talk me into going to my first match

D

DoctorJJ

Doc's Gun Store
Joined
Jan 13, 2011
Messages
924
Location
Pryor, OK
Ok, so I've been shooting guns my whole life. I don't get to shoot nearly as much as I would like and I'm no expert. I am very competitive and am interested in getting into competitive shooting. I don't need a new career, just something fun to do and blow off some steam. I'll admit there is a lot I don't know about this and a good part of me is nervous about it. Will I get made fun of? Will I be so nervous people will be able to tell? Do I have the right equipment? Will I give myself a case of the Glock-leg right in front of everyone???? Don't get me wrong, I'm not an idiot. I just don't have any experience with this type of thing.

Someone reassure me and help me decide to pull the trigger (pun intended) and go to a match. Help me decide what type of match to go to. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
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I have some of the same worries that you posted, I have never shot competition before, but I really would like to give it a try. I have been asking about the eqipment that I have, and I guess it really does not matter what you have. From what I understand there are always new people that come out to shoot, and that the experieced people normally are willing to help you. Hell there are guys on BoomerShooter that probably would be willing to help you at a match
 
Come, shoot, laugh at yourself and enjoy the shooting. Lots of people will help you at your first match and you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. If you come shoot IDPA at USSA, your first match is FREE! They'll let you shoot each stage near the last of the squad so you have plenty of time to see what others are doing on each stage.
 
I'm in the same boat. I'd like to try it. But all my shooting experience has been on trying to shoot itty bitty groups or long range hits. I've never shot against time or trying to be fast. Hell, I can go to the range and be there for 2 hours and shoot 30 or 40 rounds. I've had some shots take 4 to 5 minutes waiting on wind and getting my breathing under control.
 
Alright, how does it sound if all of us that have never shot competition before go to the next Heartland Carry gun match? From what I read on here, it looks like it would be fairly easy for a new person, and you don't have to have expennsive equipment. And I am sure someone here that is a regular there would be able to help us out
 
There is nothing to worry about guys! I was so nervous at my first match just about the safety side of things. Its really simple all you have to do is not shoot until your on target and keep your muzzle pointed down range. We all do it everytime we shoot. I think you could see my hands shake before during and after my first 3-4 matches. New shooters always get to watch 5-15 other shooters shoot the course of fire negore their turn so it should be plenty clear how everything works.

I would be happy to help anybody out at there first match. Send me a PM and we will get together at the next match. If you are real worried you can always cone watch and wish you would have brought your gun.
 
DoctorJJ I believe Robert Carlisle is from prior. He shoots a bunch of matches and is one of the best USPSA shoots in OK. I believe he goes by ROBERT on this forum. Send him a message and ask to hit thecrange for done pointers prior to the next match.
 
jtischauser said:
DoctorJJ I believe Robert Carlisle is from prior. He shoots a bunch of matches and is one of the best USPSA shoots in OK. I believe he goes by ROBERT on this forum. Send him a message and ask to hit the range for some pointers prior to the next match.
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Alot of what I worry about, is that I won't shoot very well, and have to listen to people making fun of me.
 
Redneck1861 said:
Alot of what I worry about, is that I won't shoot very well, and have to listen to people making fun of me.
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Jesse shoots alot better than most of us regulars & we still make fun of him.
So don't worry, you'll be made fun of no matter how well you shoot.
Just give it back & have a good time.
 
I shot my first match about 6 months ago - and was worried about the same. Go to a match, the people are great, you can go near the end of your squad so you can see everyone else shoot first. GO SLOW. And last but not least - be sure you are available for all the dates on the calendar, you will be addicted.
 
Redneck1861 said:
Alot of what I worry about, is that I won't shoot very well, and have to listen to people making fun of me.
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The only people that get made fun of are guys like me that talk smack. I'll tell you a story from my 2nd USPSA match.

It was a stage that had 4 shooting boxes and 25+ steel targets. There were 4 different shapes/sizes of steel targets. You had to shoot a different shape/size of target from each of the 4 boxes. I was shooting Production division which only allows you to load 10 rounds in your mags. I took 5 mags with me to the line for a total of 50 rounds. One mag the gun and 4 on my belt. The buzzer went off and I drew my Glock 34 and went to throwing ammo down range. I couldn't hit crap! I never made it to the 4th box before I ran out of those 50 rounds. I was so mad at myself and disappointed and not once did anybody say anything except for positive reinforcement. That stage was one of those "that isn't going to happen to me again" moments. I bought another mag pouch and more mags that next week and more importantly I went to the range and worked on my trigger control so that I could hit that steel when I aimed at it.

Here is another story of mine that at the time was really embarrassing but turned out to be a great lesson learned and a motivating situation for me. I shot my very first rifle only match last January at the Texas State Carbine Championship in Corpus Christi. The very first stage was the long range stage. We had to shoot five 8" plates from 5 positions at 100 yards. I went to the line with a full 30 round mag in my rifle and a 48 round pmag with a Nordic components extension in my mag pouch. The first position was easy stand against a barricade or go prone and let 'er rip. I shoot standing with support and hit with 5/7 shots. I was pumped. The 2nd position was the tough one. You could either stand and shoot with your rifle turned 90° through a tiny dollar bill shaped port or you could go prone with a 20 round mag and shoot from a really low port. Well I had never shot my rifle with it laid over at 90° but I figured it would be faster to shoot standing rather than go prone and have to get back up. So I figured out that I would need to shoot low and adjust my wind age towards my barrel which I would find about 5 mintues later is exactly the oppostie way you should be aiming. So I got the the 2nd position and wasted the rest of my 30 round mag figuring out that I was wrong with my Kentucky wind age on a sideways rifle. I even tried to go prone and shoot through the lower port with no luck. I got so frustrated that I actually slowed down and could here the guys behind me which included multi gun champions Kurt Miller, Kelly Neel, Jerry Miculek, Benny Hill, Ty Gentry, and Mike Pinto yelling direction to me as to where the hell I was hitting. That kind of coaching is never allowed in a match but I was having so much trouble nobody cared including the RO's. Everyone was wishing I would get on target so my match and day wouldn't be ruined. Well, I still couldn't get on target so after using about half of the backup mag I moved on to the next position and never got the cahnce to engage all 25 targets with my 78 rounds of ammo. When I showed clear (I was already empty) I went back to my gear to pout and guess who meets me at my range bag? Non other than the best of the best Jerry Miculek to offer some advice and a pep talk. It was pretty cool despite the crappy sage I had just had. Of course Mike Pinto and Kurt Miller busted my balls as usual but it was all good.

See there you can't get much worse than those two stories. So don't worry about what we are going to think about your shooting. Think instead about how much better you are going to get with your pistol after you shoot a few matches.
 
Well I am down for the next Heartland carry gun match, as long as I can met up with some of yall from here, I will feel better if I am with people I know, well I don't know yall in person, but you get what I mean.

Are there any other similar matches coming up sooner that I could get into? probably better to just start with a pistol only. I would be interested in going to any close pistol match, as long as I can be with someone else that can tell me what to do.
 
So MAYBE people will laugh at you but trust me - it will be so funny you will laugh also. Notice how many times I miss and hit the steel.

 
DoctorJJ said:
Ok, so I've been shooting guns my whole life. I don't get to shoot nearly as much as I would like and I'm no expert. I am very competitive and am interested in getting into competitive shooting. I don't need a new career, just something fun to do and blow off some steam. I'll admit there is a lot I don't know about this and a good part of me is nervous about it. Will I get made fun of? Will I be so nervous people will be able to tell? Do I have the right equipment? Will I give myself a case of the Glock-leg right in front of everyone???? Don't get me wrong, I'm not an idiot. I just don't have any experience with this type of thing.

Someone reassure me and help me decide to pull the trigger (pun intended) and go to a match. Help me decide what type of match to go to. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I was kind of in the same boat. Into guns for a long time, not the most knowledgeable (still not), not the best shot (again, still not) and pretty uncomfortable meeting knew people in large groups (still am). I got tired of shooting paper targets and thought there had to be something better. I have shot about 6 matches in the last year, 5 3-gun and 1 rifle match. I'm very happy I took that first step, I'm more knowledgeable, confident, hopefully a better shooter and I got to meet people that are more of the same things I listed that I get to learn from.
 
Here is the match listing link.


There are a bunch of matches before the next Heartland Match. Tri City has a small beginner freindly match on the 1st Sunday. OKC Gun club hs thier USPSA match on the 1st Saturday. H&H has their indor match on the 2nd Sunday night.
 
I wish the video would have got me saying "**** IT" and running off to the next box. Its all about having fun. If/When something goofy happens - trust me you will laugh it off, and learn from what you did. Any day that I can go shoot, whether or not I hit anything, or the right thing, is a good day.
 
B.S. DuBois said:
I wish the video would have got me saying "**** IT" and running off to the next box. Its all about having fun. If/When something goofy happens - trust me you will laugh it off, and learn from what you did. Any day that I can go shoot, whether or not I hit anything, or the right thing, is a good day.
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That's what made it so funny! I think all of us behind you were leaning to the left like you do to will a bowling ball to move across the lane. Then when you started dropping F Bombs we all cracked up.
 
jtischauser said:
DoctorJJ I believe Robert Carlisle is from prior. He shoots a bunch of matches and is one of the best USPSA shoots in OK. I believe he goes by ROBERT on this forum. Send him a message and ask to hit thecrange for done pointers prior to the next match.
Click to expand...

I know a Robert Carlisle from this area. Wonder if it's the same guy? About 40 by now . Tall guy, lighter colored hair, a little curly if I remember right? He used to hang out with my brother a lot, since they are the same age. I'll have to look him up.
 
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