wingnut Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I am 63 and just starting what am I in for. I shoot a lot of steel and paper, I Dry fire and some draws I have read some of Bens book. I am going to a match next week to watch and bend some ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perttime Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 A lot of fun - and strict safety rules. For the safety part, you'll get far by ensuring that your trigger finger is straight, outside the trigger guard, when you are not engaging a target - and by knowing at all times that your gun is pointed in a safe direction. If your gun has a safety lever, use it when moving. For the fun, people enjoy different things. Hitting a close target fast can be a blast, hitting a difficult target can be highly rewarding. Nailing a reload is cool. I recall a target where the RO called "20 A": I'd just ran past the target and shot it at the last moment; My muzzle blast blew off half the tapes. (Only 2 As actually went into the score card... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I am going to a match next week to watch. Terrible idea Bring your gear, and watch, and SHOOT the match. Just two things: 1. Explain to the RO/MD that this is your first ever match (he'll do the rest) 2. remember the three most important things about your first match: i. safety ii. safety iii. safety You're going to see some really FAST shooting - ignore it - don't worry about speed. Okay you can make accuracy the 4th most important thing - hit the damn targets. But, safety 1st. Hope you enjoy it - betcha you will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 What Jack said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingnut Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 Yes, My father drilled that in to me at a young age and I use it with my daughter, son in law and grand daughter. Also at my local club I help the kids, At the start of our matches we huddle up hands together and yell gun safety and at the end of the match, and they love it. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I am going to a match next week to watch. Terrible idea Bring your gear, and watch, and SHOOT the match. Just two things: 1. Explain to the RO/MD that this is your first ever match (he'll do the rest) 2. remember the three most important things about your first match: i. safety ii. safety iii. safety You're going to see some really FAST shooting - ignore it - don't worry about speed. Okay you can make accuracy the 4th most important thing - hit the damn targets. But, safety 1st. Hope you enjoy it - betcha you will. I respectfully disagree with my forum buddy Jack. I am one of the few who actually encourages people to go watch a match or even two before showing up. At least this way you will have somewhat of an idea what to expect. Being new can suck but it's worse if you show up with a compact gun and two mags with an old army holster that the gun doesn't fit well. That leads to discouragement in my opinion. Also load the rule book on your phone and read it whenever you have time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techj Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 There are lots of different types of matches. Personally, I would reccomend going to and participating in a speed steel match. You will be drawing from a holster but not moving which is great practice with less stress for a first timer. I know that at our club all new shooters @ speed steel matches get partnered with an experienced shooter who can help them through their first match. Also, these matches tend to have a wide assortment of people - all ages and skill levels and running everything from rimfire to carbines. It makes it interesting to watch and you can get a lot of great feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9x45 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 (edited) WingNut, while you can always watch a match, but some clubs will not let you compete until you have completed a 4-8 safety course. So your first step is to always contact the match director and find out what they require. You will need a good gun belt and holster, like a Wilderness Tactical Instructors, BladeTech holster and at least 4 single mag pouches and at least 6 mags. A typical USPSA match will be 6 stages and burn about 200 rounds. Electric ears are a plus also, Peltor Tac 6's about $50. The MD will squad you with some experienced shooters. Don't worry about what division, they will sign you up with what is correct, and since you are not classified yet, it doesn't really matter. And if you are confused about the rules or scoring, just ask your squad mates, otherwise you'll get a headache worrying about nothing. It takes most newbies several dozen matches to figure it out. Shoot fast, have fun, go to Master Grip while moving and reloading, try to remember what the target looked like when you picked up A's, and above all, don't point your gun at me. Most clubs also have local non-sanctioned action pistol matches which are good too. USPSA.com IDPA.com There are a million videos, the Grand Masters make it look easy Edited January 17, 2016 by 9x45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJH Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Read the rule book, focus on the safety sections. Shoot the first match you go to after you read the rule book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I'll second the watch a match or two before you actually shoot one. It is a very good idea. Ask the person squading to point you to a squad that has a couple of Masters in the Division you want to shoot in. If that squad also has some Master Open shooters, even better. Then follow that squad through all the stages and observe. You will learn a lot, especially about stage planning, reload points and shooting on the move. BTW, I followed my own advice. Instead of shooting with my friends on a squad that had mostly B/C shooters, I followed and watched a squad with two Master open shooters and a bunch of newbies. Wow, what an enlightening experience. I have a couple of new techniques I'll have to practice and master before the season starts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Distant Thunder Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 I am 63 and just starting what am I in for. I shoot a lot of steel and paper, I Dry fire and some draws I have read some of Bens book. I am going to a match next week to watch and bend some ears. That's actually a pretty good plan. As has already been advised, familiarize yourself with the rules and then ask questions. Find out what others are using and why. What would these competitors do differently if they had it all to do over again (a piece of equipment, modification, shooting technique, etc.). Move at your own pace and try to be smooth. And again, safety first, last and always. Welcome to the shooting sports (the most fun you can have with your clothes on). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teros135 Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 +100 to "read the rule book". Nothing worse than someone coming in and not knowing the basics of what we're doing, especially the safety rules. You don't need to know all the rules (that does take a while), but you need to know the safety rules, especially awareness of where your gun is pointing and where your trigger finger is. You also need to know when and how you can handle your gun. All this is in Chapter 10 of the rule book, available on the USPSA.org web site (under Rules -> January 2010 Handgun Rules). Lots of people have handled guns for years, and many (or even most) of them have habits that won't work at a match. The most common problems are with muzzle awareness and trigger finger; we see this at our range all the time, and of course at matches. Fortunately this is easy to fix -do a lot of "dry fire" practice at home and follow Jeff Cooper's four rules of gun safety (the basis of the USPSA safety rules). That'll fix you right up. And (as others have said) take it slow at your first match(es). Those B and A and Master shooters did a lot of practice to get to shootin' that fast, but they started where we all did. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frgood Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Bending ears is an excellent plan. There are a lot of talkers. Bring some gear, because that was my only regret. You'll want to play right away and there is plenty of patient folks to walk you through the first time out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradsteimel Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 My advise: Get with a buddy who'll take you to the range BEFORE a real match and show your the ropes, explain the range command, go over the process, rules, prep you so that you're not so overwhelmed by the range commands, competitors, and all the hype. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Distant Thunder Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 My advise: Get with a buddy who'll take you to the range BEFORE a real match and show your the ropes, explain the range command, go over the process, rules, prep you so that you're not so overwhelmed by the range commands, competitors, and all the hype. This is really good advice. Practice never hurts and can go a long way to calm match jitters by familiarizing you with the process and building up muscle memory. It gives you a chance to practice problem solving when things DON'T go right as well (clearing jams for instance). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronArcher Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 In a similar boat. Not new to guns in general, but brand new to competition. I've been reading rule books, doing dry fire drills (focusing, at first, on making sure the trigger finger is out of the trigger guard during draws and reloads) and asking as many newbie questions as I can. My first match is next week.... Indoor thing. I think that will be a perfect start. Nothing too big and crazy. Will probably start in IDPA for outdoor matches just to get everything working. After a few matches, I'll go to USPSA to add in stage planning, once I know what I am doing in the first place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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