Increasing visibility of USPSA...

[Aglifter]

Growing up, I was an ardent shooter. Essentially, if there was ammo, which I was allowed to use, I shot it - my friends were the same way. We all took out 22s with us, just about everywhere. (most of us carried pistols as well, but only one friend of mine regularly shot his centerfire handgun - the rest of us just had them to carry around our ranches.)

But, none of us knew about USPSA, nor about USPSA matches in the area. (Or IDPA, etc. We didn't belong to the local gun clubs, since we just shot on our families land.)

It seems like there's quite a gap (which might have shrunk w. the advent of the internet) between a large percentage of gun owners, and those who are aware of USPSA.

[Red Ryder]

Totally agree. I just learned about it 2 years ago, but I have been shooting for 20+ years. USPSA is very much under the radar.

[ima45dv8]

It will always be under the radar. It's not for everybody. And for a few reasons, I'm glad that it is. I've met more than a few of my 2nd Amendment Brethren who are not yet ready to engage in this activity.

This sport is so different from "stand on a firing line at shoot at paper". Adding what might seem a simple task....movement....is so foreign it is akin to a new language. Some will readily grasp the new verbiage and some won't. Others, a few, will strive to understand the new form of conversation.

I hold no animosity towards who don't participate. I don't look down on them. I just see them as distant cousins who don't "get it".

[Sarge]

It will always be under the radar. It's not for everybody. And for a few reasons, I'm glad that it is. I've met more than a few of my 2nd Amendment Brethren who are not yet ready to engage in this activity.

This sport is so different from "stand on a firing line at shoot at paper". Adding what might seem a simple task....movement....is so foreign it is akin to a new language. Some will readily grasp the new verbiage and some won't. Others, a few, will strive to understand the new form of conversation.

I hold no animosity towards who don't participate. I don't look down on them. I just see them as distant cousins who don't "get it".

I totally agree. I have seen hundreds of people in gun shops that I don't want involved in USPSA.

[Joe4d]

I know all about USPSA and still only shoot once or twice a year. I just wish I had USPSA in my area. I live in a very gun friendly state with lots of shooters, and a huge black hole. 2-3 hours to the nearest once a month match. I used to make the trip every month and saw other shooters doing the same, I imagine they still do but it started getting to me.

[leas327]

I have friends that show interest and ask questions but always turn down my invitation to come with me to a match. I think the are intimidated by it being a competition. They also always talk about how much time and money I spend on this sport. Its not for everyone.

[ima45dv8]

Another thing I noticed a few years ago is the ineffectual impact of match video on non-participants. I'd send links to friends and family and tell them how much fun it is. I just knew after seeing it they would want to jump in the water. Sure, a few see them and say, "Damn! I want to do that!", but most were very underwhelmed.

I finally realized that a lot of people look at them, shrug and think, "Big deal. I saw Bruce Willis do that in his last movie so it can't be too hard." And it ain't just B.W.; it's every cop show on TV or shoot-em-up action movie made.

[Jim Norman]

We do this because we strive to improve our skills.

We do this because we are competitive.

We do this because we have friends that we see at matches.

We do this because it is a heck of a lot of fun.

We do this because we get bored sitting or standing at a bench to shoot.

We do this because of the rush we get when it all goes right.

We do this because we like the physical challenge that goes along with it.

We do this because it is all on us whether we win or lose we own it.

It is NOT for everyone.

It is Not for every gun owner.

There are those that are intimidated by competition.

There are those that already KNOW it all so this being JUST A GAME it won't help them get better.

There are those that think we are DANGEROUS because we RUN with SCISSORS, oops guns!

There are those that think we don't have the skills to shoot bullseye and we do this to compensate.

Like the man said, "It ain't fer everone"

Me, I like it because it is almost always different and it challenges me to act and react, to handle the unexpected. I like it for the people as much as for the shooting.

[ima45dv8]

Damn, Jim....that was a great synopsis!

As for different...a couple of years ago I tried to come up with a description that would work for an educator/intellectual I know (not necessarily a mush-head, but immersed in the system).

**Consider going to a local chess match with 6 boards set up in a seemingly random fashion, each representing a partially finished game. If there's a Classifier, one of the boards might be setup in a pre-determined manner providing a predictable challenge...but one won't always be available.

Your challenge is to study each board for no more than five minutes and develop a winning strategy. Then, when it's your turn, execute your game plan. If you can generate the best plan and score the most points, and execute it in the shortest time, you win that game. We'll give you a representative score based on the game winner if you don't finish in first place. Your cumulative score on the six games is your match score.

[Chills1994]

aglifter wrote:

Growing up, I was an ardent shooter. Essentially, if there was ammo, which I was allowed to use, I shot it - my friends were the same way. We all took out 22s with us, just about everywhere. (most of us carried pistols as well, but only one friend of mine regularly shot his centerfire handgun - the rest of us just had them to carry around our ranches.)

But, none of us knew about USPSA, nor about USPSA matches in the area. (Or IDPA, etc. We didn't belong to the local gun clubs, since we just shot on our families land.)

It seems like there's quite a gap (which might have shrunk w. the advent of the internet) between a large percentage of gun owners, and those who are aware of USPSA.

I saw this on ESPN...E! S! P! N! ...just flipping through the channels way back in the 1995 time frame:

I have been hooked ever since.

[Babaganoosh]

I am 34 now. I grew up shooting rifles and shotguns. Hunted as well. Then life happened. Fast forward to late last year and a talk with some guys at work about guns. Did some research as to what to do to jump thru all the hoops in NJ to get a pistol. I came across the NJGunforums. I saw a thread with some video of a USPSA match. I knew at that moment that this was for me. Shot my fist match in April and was hooked.

I have tried to get some of my buddies to come to a match because I know they would be into it big time. Have even showed them some vids. Doesn't seem to make a difference. I used to get annoyed that they wouldn't take the bait. I don't mind now because it would just be more targets to tape and cause me to get home even later! haha

[GeorgeInNePa]

It will always be under the radar. It's not for everybody. And for a few reasons, I'm glad that it is. I've met more than a few of my 2nd Amendment Brethren who are not yet ready to engage in this activity.This sport is so different from "stand on a firing line at shoot at paper". Adding what might seem a simple task....movement....is so foreign it is akin to a new language. Some will readily grasp the new verbiage and some won't. Others, a few, will strive to understand the new form of conversation.I hold no animosity towards who don't participate. I don't look down on them. I just see them as distant cousins who don't "get it".

]I totally agree. I have seen hundreds of people in gun shops that I don't want involved in USPSA.

Same here.

Some of those guys scare me...

[pjb45]

What about the ones that don't scare you?

I remember seeing Eric G shoot a stage on TV many years ago. I thought that was interesting but no one knew what the sport was at the time.

I was in Phoenix in 1985 and again in 1988-1990. I never even heard of Tuesday Night Steel.

It was not until around 2001 a friend introduced me to the sport.

Does our membership need to grow is the fundamental question? Every presidential election has growth as a major issue.

If you want matches with prize tables, then vendors have to see a return on their investment (giving away prizes or discounted costs). The simple fact is the more people in USPSA the more likely for sponsor supported prize tables.

As Jim Scouten says, "share your sport."

Our area has a two tiered system, a local gun club runs Action Pistol/IDPA type low intensity matches. USPSA shooters at these matches tend to encourage some shooters to shoot USPSA matches at a different range. Works great.

Our membership needs to grow, gun shops are only one of many avenues to encourage growth.

[GeorgeInNePa]

What about the ones that don't scare you?

I remember seeing Eric G shoot a stage on TV many years ago. I thought that was interesting but no one knew what the sport was at the time.

I was in Phoenix in 1985 and again in 1988-1990. I never even heard of Tuesday Night Steel.

It was not until around 2001 a friend introduced me to the sport.

Does our membership need to grow is the fundamental question? Every presidential election has growth as a major issue.

If you want matches with prize tables, then vendors have to see a return on their investment (giving away prizes or discounted costs). The simple fact is the more people in USPSA the more likely for sponsor supported prize tables.

As Jim Scouten says, "share your sport."

Our area has a two tiered system, a local gun club runs Action Pistol/IDPA type low intensity matches. USPSA shooters at these matches tend to encourage some shooters to shoot USPSA matches at a different range. Works great.

Our membership needs to grow, gun shops are only one of many avenues to encourage growth.

I don't know if you noticed, but the firearms industry/hobby attracts some "special" people.

The vast majority of the people I have shot with in the last 19.5 years have been fantastic. I'd invite them to my house for dinner.

But some of them, well, I'm just glad they don't know where I live...

[raz-0]

I don't know if you noticed, but the firearms industry/hobby attracts some "special" people.

The vast majority of the people I have shot with in the last 19.5 years have been fantastic. I'd invite them to my house for dinner.

But some of them, well, I'm just glad they don't know where I live...

That's hardly unique to our niche. We have a little bit higher odds of drawing the scary type of oddballs/annoying people, but less than you might think.

[JakeMartens]

I don't think that USPSA uses their website or the social media sites well enough, that is where promoting the sport will come from.

[59Bassman]

I think that one of the best things we had going for the sport was a short-lived magazine called "Gun Games". When I bought my first handgun in 1996, I picked up a copy of that magazine. It was different than all of the other mags in the gun rack. Rather than showing what would appear to be the top of Rambo's dresser before he headed out to go to the grocery store, Gun Games showed competition guns - exotic, fast looking race guns. Of course, this was during the AWB, and even if you got the gun, you couldn't really get mags for it. The articles were also different - discussing different shooting sports, getting people excited about the different competitions rather than the standard discussions of knockdown power. That and a gun store that supported the local USPSA matches got me to come out to my first match. Of course, I subscribed to Gun Games and the next issue was the last.

At my local club, the thing that's helping USPSA grow over the past few months is IDPA. USPSA has been in decline locally, IDPA is growing. Growing to the point that local club matches are seeing 75+ participants in IDPA. The matches are taking more and more time, with some folks leaving mid-match after getting backed up at a stage for too long. A some of them are now trying USPSA and finding out that the smaller match turn-outs (less than 50 shooters), and higher round counts get them more shooting in less time. I had one IDPA shooter say after a USPSA match that he can either stand around for 5 hours to shoot 75 rounds or stand around for 4 hours to shoot 125 - 150.

This isn't trying to turn it into USPSA vs. IDPA. My concern with this trend is that all we're doing is swapping around the folks who are already doing it. Unless you can get new shooters attracted, you'll end up like a lot of small trap clubs - white haired old men meeting every Saturday to complain about the same targets with the same arguments. I do think it's important to bring in new shooters and grow the sport. What I wonder is if there is a way to leverage things like Steel Challenge as the "gateway" drug to other action shooting disciplines?

[Jim Norman]

If you can, run a small INTRO match monthly where all the rules apply, but it is essentially a Practice Match. GIve a class on rules to any new shooters then run them through a couple easy stages. We have been doing this for years now. Seems to work pretty well.

[shred]

How about just having the freaking USPSA web site provide an intro of popular guns and gear for the various divisions, with nice glossy pictures? And would a photo-essay of "what to expect at a match?" be so bad?

I can't believe the number of times I have to explain to people that are already interested and even shot matches what goes in what division and why.

I know these exist; versions are all over the place on club sites because USPSA doesn't have one.

Worse yet is when newbies can't find anything useful on the USPSA site and wander off to the IPSC site for information.

[justaute]

+++1 Roy...you are singing my tune.

I shot a pistol for the very first time last summer, purchased my first one last fall, and started shooting USPSA earlier this year. As a new shooting enthusiast, I didn't know where to go to acquire more information. Fortunately, I found this forum and have learned much from many of you here -- much more to go; however, I do have one of those of uber-competitive, research-to-death personalities that made searching information easier. How is one suppose to learn without the appropriate amount of resource?

I play and coach competitive volleyball and basketball, and know exactly where people can go to learn more about these sports and their latest information; granted, these can be categorized as "major" or "popular" sports and thus have more resources. Nonetheless, there are other esoteric sports/activities such as rock-climbing, fell-racing, and mountain-biking that offer much more online-based resources. I'm interested in a couple of these activities and have no problem finding information online.

Look, we (USA) just had a terrific showing at the World Shoot, but that information is nowhere to be found on USPSA's website. Perhaps, not unlike IPSC, we have to get our information from FB, individuals, and BE. The governing bodies of these entities need to do something.

But, of course, I'm just a Production B shooter -- what the heck do I know.

How about just having the freaking USPSA web site provide an intro of popular guns and gear for the various divisions, with nice glossy pictures? And would a photo-essay of "what to expect at a match?" be so bad?

I can't believe the number of times I have to explain to people that are already interested and even shot matches what goes in what division and why.

I know these exist; versions are all over the place on club sites because USPSA doesn't have one.

Worse yet is when newbies can't find anything useful on the USPSA site and wander off to the IPSC site for information.

Edited October 20, 2011 by justaute

[BritinUSA]

The USPSA web-site is set up for existing members and not prospective members. This is an easy fix. When the USPSA web-site is accessed it can check for a cookie to see if you have been there before. If not then it shows a different main screen that has buttons on it for all the key aspects of our sport:

For example:

How to get started

What equipment do I need

How to find a local club

Where to find the rules

A gallery of pictures

Video introductions

What to expect at your first match

etc.

After a person becomes a member and signs on with their USPSA number then they get the current front screen when they access the site.

There is still no mention or pictures of the US Nationals that were held over a month ago. My web-site had photo, video and small write-ups from the match uploaded EVERY DAY of the match...

USPSA and IPSC is sadly lacking in the communication department.

[justaute]

Paul... I, for one, am very much appreciative of your work.

There is still no mention or pictures of the US Nationals that were held over a month ago. My web-site had photo, video and small write-ups from the match uploaded EVERY DAY of the match...

USPSA and IPSC is sadly lacking in the communication department.

[E K]

I don't think that USPSA uses their website or the social media sites well enough, that is where promoting the sport will come from.

+1

The website is poorly utilized and virtually ineffective for promoting this sport.

[Red Ryder]

I don't think that USPSA uses their website or the social media sites well enough, that is where promoting the sport will come from.

+1

The website is poorly utilized and virtually ineffective for promoting this sport.

YEP!

[Red Ryder]

It will always be under the radar. It's not for everybody. And for a few reasons, I'm glad that it is. I've met more than a few of my 2nd Amendment Brethren who are not yet ready to engage in this activity.

This sport is so different from "stand on a firing line at shoot at paper". Adding what might seem a simple task....movement....is so foreign it is akin to a new language. Some will readily grasp the new verbiage and some won't. Others, a few, will strive to understand the new form of conversation.

I hold no animosity towards who don't participate. I don't look down on them. I just see them as distant cousins who don't "get it".

I do like what you said, but I want a few more folks to help set up the matches!