Ok, so the title comes off a little saccharine, but it's true. I've shot a bunch of club matches with a bunch of different clubs in a couple different states, and every time it really has been easy (to get into; the shooting is always challenging), a ton of fun and there is always a friendly atmosphere no matter where I shoot.
This makes it sound a bit more complicated than it is, but I'm writing it to give you the lowest amount of stress at your first match, and give you a good idea what you're getting into. It's actually way more casual and fun than I can make it sound. This applies mainly to club matches, as opposed to state or national level matches. I strongly suggest getting some club matches in before you attempt either of those, if you ever bother with them at all. Club matches generally provide good bang for buck.
So you've watched the videos, and you want to give one of these competitions a go. Maybe it's action pistol, maybe it's NRA High Power, or perhaps 3 gun looks like fun, but you feel intimidated. You don't know if you can hack it, and you're worried about looking like an idiot. Guess what? You can, and you won't!
First, you need to assess what sport you want to participate in. That's going to dictate what kind of equipment you'll want or need, and this can vary a lot from sport to sport. As a general rule, I tend to look for a sport that matches what I already have as much as possible. If you're just starting out, look at what kind of gun(s) you want to go play with and find a match to fit it. Don't worry overmuch about other gear; just show up with the basics. As you participate, you're going to have to find out what works for you. I've hardly ever seen two competitive shooters running the same exact rig. Personal preference and your ideas of utility play a big role here. Watching what works for other people at the matches is the best way to get started on that road.
Once you know which game you'd like to try, you need to find one nearby. Search the web, ask around at local ranges, and best of all, post up on TGT. You wouldn't know it because they're quiet, but there's a large number of active competitors on here. Once you find a match, you'll be able to find out what the minimum gear and ammo requirements will be, either from the match website, from calling the range or match director, or from someone on here that shoots those particular matches. If you're going by the match website, realize that the list of gear can often be minimum essentials, with you left to fill in the blanks.
So what should you bring with you to a match? Again, personal preference and utility plays a large role here, but to me the basics (besides what the match director or web site suggests) are:
This is all in addition to your normal range gear like eye and ear pro, and any match-specific gear like a belt and holster.
So you found a match, you have the gear around, and you're ready to show up and have fun. So what should you expect and how should you act at your first match? Some do's and don'ts:
Basically, you just need to show up with the stuff you need to shoot the match and the attitude that this is going to be fun (hint: it is!). The rest will take care of itself.
Shooting sports are a good way to meet great people and a fun way to test and expand your skills while pushing you outside of the comfort zone we all tend to get stuck in at a regular range. Once you shoot a few matches, you'll realize that you're bored with the way you used to shoot!
This makes it sound a bit more complicated than it is, but I'm writing it to give you the lowest amount of stress at your first match, and give you a good idea what you're getting into. It's actually way more casual and fun than I can make it sound. This applies mainly to club matches, as opposed to state or national level matches. I strongly suggest getting some club matches in before you attempt either of those, if you ever bother with them at all. Club matches generally provide good bang for buck.
So you've watched the videos, and you want to give one of these competitions a go. Maybe it's action pistol, maybe it's NRA High Power, or perhaps 3 gun looks like fun, but you feel intimidated. You don't know if you can hack it, and you're worried about looking like an idiot. Guess what? You can, and you won't!
First, you need to assess what sport you want to participate in. That's going to dictate what kind of equipment you'll want or need, and this can vary a lot from sport to sport. As a general rule, I tend to look for a sport that matches what I already have as much as possible. If you're just starting out, look at what kind of gun(s) you want to go play with and find a match to fit it. Don't worry overmuch about other gear; just show up with the basics. As you participate, you're going to have to find out what works for you. I've hardly ever seen two competitive shooters running the same exact rig. Personal preference and your ideas of utility play a big role here. Watching what works for other people at the matches is the best way to get started on that road.
Once you know which game you'd like to try, you need to find one nearby. Search the web, ask around at local ranges, and best of all, post up on TGT. You wouldn't know it because they're quiet, but there's a large number of active competitors on here. Once you find a match, you'll be able to find out what the minimum gear and ammo requirements will be, either from the match website, from calling the range or match director, or from someone on here that shoots those particular matches. If you're going by the match website, realize that the list of gear can often be minimum essentials, with you left to fill in the blanks.
So what should you bring with you to a match? Again, personal preference and utility plays a large role here, but to me the basics (besides what the match director or web site suggests) are:
- Comfortable shoes. If it's an action shooting match (IDPA, IPSC, 3 gun, etc.), something with good traction that you can run in is suggested. You'll be spending a lot of time on your feet, even when you're not shooting. Plan accordingly.
- Suitable clothing. You're going to get dirty. It's Texas, so it's probably going to be hot. You know how to handle this by now, right?
- Sun screen. Sunburns suck, and you're going to be outdoors for most of the day. You can get some really painful burns out there.
- A hat. Helps keep the sun off your face and out of your eyes. Again, use one that suits the weather. The right hat can help keep you cool.
- Gloves aren't a bad idea. Not for shooting, but for setup, reset and tear-down of stages at action shooting matches. Yes, you'll be expected to pitch in and help out at a club match.
- Water. Again, it's Texas. It's hot. Stay hydrated so you don't freaking die. Even when it's not hot, you need water. Bring more water than you think you'll need, because it's not like you can't take it back home. I tend to bring about 8 bottled waters to a match, six from the fridge and two frozen solid in the bottom of the cooler. At the end of the day, those mostly-thawed bottles are a nice reward. I'm not a fan of Gatorade; it has too much sugar. Bringing one along isn't a bad idea and won't hurt you, but most of what you drink should really be water.
- Snacks. Go light and simple. I'm a fan of trail mix or Clif bars. Anything you can nibble on is good, but I'm not a fan of eating too heavy before or during a match because it will make your sights move around. The goal isn't to have a full stomach, it's to keep your blood sugar up and to keep hunger pangs away.
- A basic first-aid kit, AKA a booboo kit. Why? Because you can get splinters, you can get some splash-back off steel, you can cut yourself on your gun or a magazine, you can stumble and skin a knee... There are a lot of ways to get little scratches and cuts at a match.
- Add 50% to the ammo count given by the organizer. Sometimes you'll be halfway through a stage and a target will get blown over; you'll usually stop, reset the stage and shoot it again from the start. Sometimes you'll "over-shoot" targets because of misses or confidence. Thankfully, ammo doesn't spoil when it's taken out of the house.
This is all in addition to your normal range gear like eye and ear pro, and any match-specific gear like a belt and holster.
So you found a match, you have the gear around, and you're ready to show up and have fun. So what should you expect and how should you act at your first match? Some do's and don'ts:
- Do show up before sign up! If the match site shows a setup time, show up for setup. Helping out with setup helps get the match going on time, and marks you as a good person to be around. The latter is actually very important to having a good time shooting matches...
- Do let someone know you're a first-timer when you sign in so they can belittle and heckle you. Ok, they won't do that. They'll make sure you end up shooting with experienced shooters who will take you under their wing. They will often give a special meeting for new shooters to make sure you're crystal on safety issues and procedures.
- Don't be afraid to strike up a conversation with the other shooters. We're here to have fun, after all. Experienced shooters are almost always happy to give you pointers and help you out. Listen to the voice of experience. I'm not saying they're always right, just that they probably know more than you at this point.
- Do learn when and how to reset stages you shoot on. At action matches, the more people help reset stages, the faster you'll get to shoot again, and the faster you can be done, go home and drink a cold beer in the air conditioning.
- Do pay close attention to the safety rules of the match. You can completely blunder through and come in dead last and nobody is going to judge you (and if they do, who cares?). But if you sweep someone with a loaded gun, there's going to be some judging, possibly some yelling and you'll get to go home for the day. Even then, there usually won't be any hard feelings. DQs happen, and I've seen better shooters than me earn them. No blood no foul ultimately applies. Just don't make a habit of it...
- Don't rush when you shoot! This is the #1 mistake I see people make. Slowing down serves two main purposes, especially for a new shooter. One; you'll hit more targets! Missing stuff at a really fast pace isn't as fun as hitting stuff at a moderate pace. Two; you'll be safer! Remember, if you're new to this you're trying to learn to combine several skills into one unified set. There are going to be rough edges and you're going to think your way through things. Pay attention to running the course clean and you'll get faster as you shoot more matches.
- Do listen to the RO, and offer to help him out if he needs it and you're not shooting. At a typical 3 gun or carbine match, there's usually someone keeping scores. After a little instruction, this job is easy and is a great way to learn more about the sport.
- Don't be afraid to ask questions. People are going to be very willing to help you out, take advantage of that. You'll be able to pay it forward later when you're the experienced shooter giving a newbie pointers.
- Do have a bit of a thick skin. The banter can include some gruff jokes. Give as good as you get.
- Don't be nervous or self-conscious. You will be anyway, but try to relax. You're going to totally blow the first stage because of it, so you might as well get over it now.
Basically, you just need to show up with the stuff you need to shoot the match and the attitude that this is going to be fun (hint: it is!). The rest will take care of itself.
Shooting sports are a good way to meet great people and a fun way to test and expand your skills while pushing you outside of the comfort zone we all tend to get stuck in at a regular range. Once you shoot a few matches, you'll realize that you're bored with the way you used to shoot!
