Rob D Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 (edited) This is something I wish someone would have told me when I first started shooting so I thought I'd start a thread as a tip for new guys. In all gun-related matters, and practical shooting is no different, you'll find an over-abundance of advice almost anywhere you go. People will tell you exactly how you should shoot, reload, modify your gun, etc. When this happens, thank the person for their advice, note their name, and then check the score sheets after the match to determine the level of confidence you can put into what they tell you. At my first ever USPSA match, a guy was nice enough to tell me exactly what kind of gun I should get, which kind of mags to get, and where I should buy everything. I went out and spent the money to buy a new "competition" gun. After three matches of constant malfunctions and frustration, I traded it to a guy that was willing to deal with the issues and got a Glock 34. A few months later, I noticed I was 5-10 places ahead of that guy in the match results. This guy that was giving me his expert advice wasn't even a good enough shooter to beat a newbie that had only been shooting a few months. At another match, I had a guy tell me the secret to shooting prone. "Don't let your elbows touch the ground" he said. After shooting a couple of prone positions with my back arched high to keep my arms, shoulders, and gun off the ground and my sights wobbling all over the place, I asked another shooter about it. He laughed for a good 30 seconds before explaining that you want as much contact with the ground as possible to keep things steady. I'm not saying you can't get good advice from someone that isn't a great shooter. You definitely can, but it's important to qualify any advice you get unless you know for sure it's from someone that actually knows what they're talking about. When you're a new shooter, you tend to trust everyone because you know so little that you assume everybody must be an expert compared to you. While that may be the case, plenty of bad advice gets tossed around and it will save you a lot of headaches if you know how to avoid it. Hopefully this post will help some of you avoid some of the hilarious pitfalls that I fell into. Edited March 23, 2015 by Rob D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Only time I have seen no elbows on the ground was a rather "portly" shooter who was balanced on his belly. That was, I must admit, some funny stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gng4life Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I'm not laughing at you but that's funny! Yeah, I've seen that too. It's nice that people want to help but some people don't know when their advice does more harm than good. It's a good idea to just get to know everyone before you really start heeding their advice, except for the common sense stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Great advice can come from anywhere so ill always listen to anyone who thinks they can help me. That being said, I usually put more thought and effort into words spoken by an M or GM shooter who can win a sectional or Area match much more than a guy I've never met or someone who I regularly beat. Just because they can't shoot as good as you, doesn't mean they can't see something you've missed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youngeyes Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Oh. You wanted "Good' advise. You need to be specific when you ask . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeislarge Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Oh. You wanted "Good' advise. You need to be specific when you ask . FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LEARN THE PROPER USE OF ADVISE AND ADVICE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gng4life Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I knew that was coming, just not the usual suspect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I knew that was coming, just not the usual suspect I'm numb to it anymore I guess. I got an email from a new shooter this weekend wanting advise on coming to a first match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 But, back on topic, I think good adviCe can come from any level of shooter. Sure a GM can teach more about shooting the game but I have also been told by many GM's how to do things. Even though I can't master what they instructed me on I still remember it. If a new shooter asks me how to shoot a stage I essentially repeat what I was taught. I also don't like debating guns either. When somebody says they are going to buy a high point I might try to recommend something else but if they want an M&P I just smile and tell them it's a great gun even though mine never ran for s#!+ . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motosapiens Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I knew that was coming, just not the usual suspect I'm numb to it anymore I guess. I got an email from a new shooter this weekend wanting advise on coming to a first match. What did you advice him to do to orientate himself at his first match? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youngeyes Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I knew that was coming, just not the usual suspect I'm numb to it anymore I guess. I got an email from a new shooter this weekend wanting advise on coming to a first match. What did you advice him to do to orientate himself at his first match? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I knew that was coming, just not the usual suspect I'm numb to it anymore I guess. I got an email from a new shooter this weekend wanting advise on coming to a first match. What did you advice him to do to orientate himself at his first match? ARGHH>>>> That's another one that always got under my skin in the Army. Orientate to the North, Orientate your weapon that way! Thanks for the memories! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Forty years ago, Rob Leatham started a revolutionary new technique for learning how to shoot - and it worked very well for him: Try out every piece of advice (or idea) - test it thoroughly with a timer - and see if the advice is good for YOU. I've listened to the advice of GM's and was not able to use the info because I didn't have the skills to take advantage of some very good thinking. (Few years later, I may have used some of it). If anyone suggests an improvement, I will think about it, and if it seems to make sense to me, I'll research it a little, and then if it still seems like a good idea, I'll test it at the range - then decide if it makes sense to me. And, I'd NEVER run out and purchase a new gun based solely on one person's advice. Lots of research first .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob D Posted March 24, 2015 Author Share Posted March 24, 2015 Yes, you can definitely get helpful tips from shooters of all levels. Just don't accept them as fact without question the way I did. At the time, I was so clueless and so hungry for information that you could have told me ANYTHING and I would have accepted it as fact. If someone gives you advice and it sounds fishy, run it by some of the top shooters at your club and see what they think. The scores have a way of filtering out BS without any debate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillD Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I've been extremely lucky in that I had a couple A, now M shooters giving me advice on stage breakdown and such. You can tell when you start improving because the advice gets stranger and stranger as one gets better. Now they are just F$#%^*&& with me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I'll say this, anybody can give advice, and even a beginner can give good advice. But I suspect that understanding and explaining how such may or may not apply comes with experience, which is why suggestions from somebody who can explain from experience (otw, not another newbie) might make the most sense. For instance, Saul Kirsch has taught the use a prone position with no ground contact foward of the lower chest and abdomen, allowing faster lateral transitions on widely spaced targets, but only in this specific situation (and I've tried it myself, successfully). But he likely does put the arms and maybe even the gun down if he is prone on an 50 yard head shot. I've also had people tell me that I am "fishing" on the draw (muzzle up over the target and then down), when actually I am trying a Kirsch technique of keeping my line of sight (eye, the FS and the intended POI) on the target through out presentation, and bringing the rear of the gun up as I drive the gun out. It looks like I'm doing it wrong, but it won't be wrong for me until I find the technique doesn't work out for me. It's all good. Try different things, because technique should evolve. But, yes, it helps when the suggestions come from somebody with experience with what they are suggesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTDMFR Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I knew that was coming, just not the usual suspect I'm numb to it anymore I guess. I got an email from a new shooter this weekend wanting advise on coming to a first match. What did you advice him to do to orientate himself at his first match? ARGHH>>>> That's another one that always got under my skin in the Army. Orientate to the North, Orientate your weapon that way! Thanks for the memories! So annoying when someone says that while conversating with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRush Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 I knew that was coming, just not the usual suspect I'm numb to it anymore I guess. I got an email from a new shooter this weekend wanting advise on coming to a first match. What did you advice him to do to orientate himself at his first match? ARGHH>>>> That's another one that always got under my skin in the Army. Orientate to the North, Orientate your weapon that way! Thanks for the memories! So annoying when someone says that while conversating with me. I think you guys are discussing a mute point. This is really a tip for improvement. I find it humorous how easy it is to orientate yourself to the shooting background of posters on here. With a little digging you might find the most opinionated posters are unclassified, or guys who have been stuck in B class 10 years. Whether it is equipment recommendations, stage tactics, or practice routines, there will always be advise out there worth less than what you paid for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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