New to forum....wanting to compete

[fastmtnbiker33w]

Hello all. I'm wrapping up a long hobby/career (I never got paid for it but got lots of free stuff) in mountain biking. My wife retired last year after winning her second national championship in single speed (yep...that's one gear...like a big bmx bike). I've always been into shooting but for the past 6 years the mountain biking has been the center of life. I'm still very involved in the trail building scene and I head up a local club in my home town.

I did 4 years in the Army and used to shoot weekly at the post's gun club. I have a USP 45, a MKII, a redhawk 454, and a few long guns. I have a Dillon 550B mothballed right now, but after a recent "intervention" in my garage I finally have the space to set my bench back up. With about a dozen high end mountain bikes, spare wheels, boxes of new tires, and drawers full of parts, things were getting bad. Luckily my entire Labor Day weekend didn't got to waste and I was able to dial in my garage and still have time to get outside.

Being a competitive person, I want to get back into shooting with the intention of hitting some competitions. I shot an IDPA qualifier years ago not knowing what I was doing. I've also done small-bore bench rest....kind of boring, and I shot skeet a bunch when I was a kid. With the economy the way it is, I'm liking the 2-gun rimfire idea. My wife really likes to shoot the MKII and she has an old marlin 22 lever gun she enjoys. Purchasing something like the m&P 15-22 would be ok with her. (It used to not be like that (finances going through the wife) but we just had our first kid and we're now on one income.)

I live in El Paso, TX. There are IDPA and IPSC matches at the post club. There are also IDPA and CCW matches at a club in las Cruces, NM. Since rimfire 2-gun hasn't hit here yet and not hearing anything about rimfire steel challenge, I'm thinking of purchasing a 9mm. I'm digging the FNX-9 from FN, but also the

glocks since there are magwells, cheap mags, and lots of parts/info available.

I also don't mind taking guns apart and doing my own smith work as long as I don't have to spend too much money. I have the AGI videos for my USP and my MK II and don't have any fear taking them down to the last part.

There are lots of gun forums out there which is kind of interesting. I'm also on thehighroad.com and HKPro.com. You pretty much don't have to start a new thread to find anything out anymore. As for mountain bike forums, the top one is www.mtbr.com and that's pretty much it except for some local forums.

Anyway....here I am and I'm liking the info I'm finding here. Very good stuff.

[Golden Bear]

1. Go to a local IDPA/USPSA shoot. Bring gun, ammo, mags & holster.
   
2. Let 'em know, "Hey, I'm new to matches."
   
3. Shoot the match.
   
4. Smile. Have fun!
   

And welcome aboard!

[G-ManBart]

Welcome! You'll have to add some pics to our bike gallery when you get time :-)

First off, don't buy anything yet...that can waste time and money. Get in touch with the local clubs and go meet them. I have yet to find a club that won't go out of their way to help new folks and that will almost certainly give you the opportunity to try the more popular guns and gear. It seems like every other match I'm letting someone shoot one of my guns because it's something they haven't tried before, and we're all happy to do it. The good thing is that you found this forum as there isn't anything remotely close to it anywhere else. A really good thread to spend a few minutes on is here:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=78927&view=findpost&p=913533

[GrumpyOne]

Welcome to the forums! G-man is absolutely correct! Find a local club and go talk and watch!

PS. IDPA is a different creature from USPSA, different rules, different guns, different.

[MARKAVELI]

Welcome to the forums! All the info you need here. +1 on the the pics of you bikes. Again welcome.....

[chirpy]

Welcome to the forum. +1 on what has been said. Shouldn't need to add (but I will!) good eye and ear protection.

Richard

[XD Niner]

I agree, don't buy more than the basics yet. Borrow someone's Glock or FN if you can for a match.

Here is some information for new shooters that may help.

SEPSA New Shooter Information Package - Share.doc

[gohuskers]

+1 to all the advice so far. Good to check out a local match - and in your neck of the woods you'll have lots of clubs to shoot. You'll be hooked.

[USPSAShooter]

+1 to what G-man and everyone else is saying. Go to a local match, check it out, and someone will more than likely let you borrow a gun. The guys that shoot these types of events are all great, even most of the pros. I remember when I started shooting in 2008 my local club held the 2008 Area 8 Championship. I remember going and spectating and helping out. At that match I was talking to Travis Tomassie for almost an hour and it was just like talking to a good friend. There are some pros though in the sport that are pricks and snobs, but for the most part everyone you'll meet is great. Just remember the main part of the shooting sports is to have fun, keep shooting, and be safe.

SR9Shooter