This sport is still unprofessionalized, ie. no spectator draw, advertisement dollars, formal training organizations, extensive sport science research, draft process, etc... What this means for is that the ability gap between a beginner shooter and one at the top level is far narrower say sports like baseball, golf, football, etc. I am confident that with 2-3 years of dedicated practice, and min. $1k in initial fixed costs, one can hit top 16 at USPSA nationals. That statement would not hold true in many other competitive sports.