jkrispies Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 I always recommend starting with Steel Challenge for a year and then moving to USPSA after you get your fundamentals down and used to match pressure. You only have to move on one SCSA stage, if it’s even offered. It is very easy on the body. To give a personal example, I was in an accident where I compound fractured my arm and herniated a disk in my back requiring an arm surgery and back surgery. I competed (well, shot in) an SC match three weeks after the back surgery. Five months after the surgery I finished 8 out of 70 in rimfire rifle at the Area 2 Championships. Even with a less than perfect body you can compete in SCSA at a high level, or just shoot it and have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stick Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 You're never too old. Just go out and have fun. If you don't want a lot of movement, then I would recommend Steel Challenge. IDPA and USPSA both have more movement if you're willing to move around more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perttime Posted December 16, 2018 Share Posted December 16, 2018 You're not too old. Perhaps you need to keep your expectations realistic. You might not find yourself at the top of results - except in an age category, maybe. That doesn't have to stop you from enjoying a Match or visit to a range. I don't practice anything like some people here, so goal one at a Match is not getting a DQ, and goal two is doing the best I can, not worrying much about what everybody else is doing. It has happened that I surprise myself by beating some people by just hitting the targets, instead of trying to go fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s2000red Posted December 16, 2018 Share Posted December 16, 2018 As others have said, you are never too old to start and have fun. You may be too old to start winning but not too old for fun. My Dad started shooting steel challenge at 75. He is now 77 and a B class shooter. Besides having fun, it keeps him active. It gets him out of the house and keeps his brain active. He gets a little exercise along with some fresh air and sunshine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vgdvc Posted December 16, 2018 Share Posted December 16, 2018 On 12/9/2018 at 9:37 AM, Baldwin said: New forum member. I'm a member of a bunch of forums but this has become my favorite. Question: I'm 65 years old and took up handguns/reloading about two years ago and the wife says I'm obsessed. I hurt all over when I get up in the morning, my hand/eye coordination is not as good as it once was, and my vision sucks but I still have my competitive nature. I would like to take up some form of competitive shooting but I don't want to embarrass myself. I'm about to retire so I will have a ton of time for shooting and training. Would it be a waste of time? Am I too old to get involved in competition? Honest answers please. Thanks in advance. Just came across this thread and interesting because although I'm not there yet I look to it as a matter of "what to do when I get there". I've been shooting since I've been 7 and competing in various types of Shooting Sports since I've been 12. Nothing has given me as much sense of satisfaction, fulfillment and interest as USPSA and 3gun. Fwiw the way I would see it from your viewpoint would be this... There are more opportunities than ever to enable various types of shooters of all different ages to be competitive within in the respective category. Eyesight not what it use to be for irons... .shoot with a dot. Not ready to fund an open pistol...shoot a dot sight in carry optics. Want the option to be more stationary in a stage and still hit a 6" plate from 30 yards away....shoot PCC with a dot. Oh yeah and put a laser on that PCC for weird or hard leans so you don't even have to get behind it and take an accurate shot. Bottom line as long as you take the time to prepare and mentally rehearse for a stage and to do it safely this probably is the best time for anyone at any age to get involved in USPSA! Good luck and have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vgdvc Posted December 16, 2018 Share Posted December 16, 2018 On 12/9/2018 at 9:37 AM, Baldwin said: New forum member. I'm a member of a bunch of forums but this has become my favorite. Question: I'm 65 years old and took up handguns/reloading about two years ago and the wife says I'm obsessed. I hurt all over when I get up in the morning, my hand/eye coordination is not as good as it once was, and my vision sucks but I still have my competitive nature. I would like to take up some form of competitive shooting but I don't want to embarrass myself. I'm about to retire so I will have a ton of time for shooting and training. Would it be a waste of time? Am I too old to get involved in competition? Honest answers please. Thanks in advance. Just came across this thread and interesting because although I'm not there yet I look to it as a matter of "what to do when I get there". I've been shooting since I've been 7 and competing in various types of Shooting Sports since I've been 12. Nothing has given me as much sense of satisfaction, fulfillment and interest as USPSA and 3gun. Fwiw the way I would see it from your viewpoint would be this... There are more opportunities than ever to enable various types of shooters of all different ages to be competitive within in the respective category. Eyesight not what it use to be for irons... .shoot with a dot. Not ready to fund an open pistol...shoot a dot sight in carry optics. Want the option to be more stationary in a stage and still hit a 6" plate from 30 yards away....shoot PCC with a dot. Oh yeah and put a laser on that PCC for weird or hard leans so you don't even have to get behind it and take an accurate shot. Bottom line as long as you take the time to prepare and mentally rehearse for a stage and to do it safely this probably is the best time for anyone at any age to get involved in USPSA! Good luck and have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldwin Posted December 16, 2018 Author Share Posted December 16, 2018 I really appreciate all of the responses. You guys have made me feel better. As I mentioned, I have a competitive nature but for me, shooting competitively is not going to be about being the best. I just need to know that if I set realistic goals that I can improve, get better. I'm ok with not being very good if I'm getting better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruno45 Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 I say go for it Many guys at our weekly uspsa matches well into their 60's and 70's. They enjoy themselves and give the young guys a run for their money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessiveshooter Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 I really appreciate all of the responses. You guys have made me feel better. As I mentioned, I have a competitive nature but for me, shooting competitively is not going to be about being the best. I just need to know that if I set realistic goals that I can improve, get better. I'm ok with not being very good if I'm getting better.Anyone starting USPSA at any age is going to gain skills they never could have attained elsewhere. And shooting a stage is a ton of fun even without competition because it's like a shooting gallery. Before starting the sport, I had never shot a steel target or probably even walked with a pistol before. I have a strong competitive side too and I don't typically stick with things that I suck at, but I found motivation through seeing my percentage of the winning shooters grow steadily, albeit slowly. It also helped to have a new skill always to be improving on so that I had those small personal victories.The truth is, most shooters at a match know they aren't in the running to win anything, they are there for all the other things a sport provides.Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perttime Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 45 minutes ago, obsessiveshooter said: ... The truth is, most shooters at a match know they aren't in the running to win anything, they are there for all the other things a sport provides. There's at least the improving yourself angle. A range session or Match can also be very much a social event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnceACowboy Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 I shot IPSC in my 20s and the got away from it as life and family took over. I will be starting USPSA in the Spring. I"m 67 and haven't' shot competitively since then. I'm NOT worried about the age thing, you shouldn't be either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balmo Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 It is never too old to start. I envy the seniors at my club thinking I wish I could shoot like them when I am their age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakobi Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 You're only too old if you think you're too old. If you're worried what other people think, screw 'em, their opinions are irrelevant. Do what you want. Benchmark against yourself (i.e. keep track of your own improvement) or others. It's up to you. Be safe. Have fun. Don't shoot your eye out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Get in to carry optics.. I bought an XDM OSP for $400 and a Viper optic sight for 200,, handful of mags and mag pouches and u are set cheap and dots are easier on old eyes. But u wont get clobbered,,, In USPSA you shoot 4 or 5 matches and get classified, so u really only compete against people in your own skill level.. You actually have an advantage as u will move up to yourlevel,,, folks like me that get classed while young fast and good eyes,,, now cant shoot up to our old skill levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL175 Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 I had the same question. I am 49 and started competing a little over a year ago, and hate losing. Lol I decided that I would train hard and continue to compete, for as long as it is still fun. Whatever class I achieve or place I finish is not something that anyone has total control over. The important thing really is to bust my butt and train and enjoy the time in the sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugene Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 Ranking your age, a good worry mate, there are those who quit, because of thinking, ya may have this problem or that, but you do know, go out and have fun and seek to find ways to overcome those itchy item's that hinder, besides putting rounds down range is good practice for when you have to put rounds down range, shoot on bro...….. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEJ Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 (edited) I’m turning 66 tomorrow. I’m just now thinking about competing in Super Senior. Got to keep up the skills. Tried to make it to Oceanside yesterday for first event but got snarled by the car chase on the 5 freeway and couldn’t make it. Better luck next time. I think I can shoot with the other geezers just finebut we’ll see. Jerry Mikulek is my geezer hero! Edited January 4, 2019 by LEJ punctuation and incomplete sentence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amerflyer48 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 49 here did most of my “racing” back in the early 1990s made it to B Class Open starting back this spring in Production then maybe Limited with an outside chance of dusting off the dual port single stack LaRocca think we added the c-more in 1993-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vgdvc Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 19 hours ago, Amerflyer48 said: 49 here did most of my “racing” back in the early 1990s made it to B Class Open starting back this spring in Production then maybe Limited with an outside chance of dusting off the dual port single stack LaRocca think we added the c-more in 1993-4 Old school Open... nice! Got to give it the respect it deserves. Guns like that are the pioneers of the Open Class Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amerflyer48 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Also have an old Delta Elite 10mm built by San Serpina way back when Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neomet Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 (edited) I will be 64 in a few months and this is my sport of choice. It is what I enjoy doing. The thing to remember is that this is a hobby and to have fun no matter how competitive we are. Fun is not defined by how well you do. I have seen 80 year old guys shooting 1911s they have had since Vietnam, taking more time to run a stage than it probably took to build it, having way more fun than some top dog melting down because that mike they threw will cost them one position on the leaderboard at some level 1 weekend match. Shoot what you think you will like. If you like it keep at it. If you don't, find something that you do. Edited January 6, 2019 by Neomet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perttime Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 On 1/5/2019 at 4:18 AM, Amerflyer48 said: 49 here did most of my “racing” back in the early 1990s made it to B Class Open starting back this spring in Production then maybe Limited with an outside chance of dusting off the dual port single stack LaRocca think we added the c-more in 1993-4 ... Oh you have one of those newfangled sights on it.... ----- - - - The other day, I met one of our older guys at the range, and he mentioned a Match we went to in late summer. He had serious trouble hitting a popper there. He had had a cataract operation some time before, and it turns out he'd had a pretty common "post operation condition" that required a bit of clean up with a laser. He had no trouble dropping poppers and mini poppers now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadShot Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 So, if one was to start shooting around the 60 year old range, what division would be a good choice? I'm thinking optics are pretty much mandatory. I shoot CO now, but am considering a move to open. I don't like the idea of PCC, but that's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TANFARM Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 BadShot..I started competitive shooting at 60....production to Limited and now Open. Skip everything else...go Optic, go Open, spend a fortune and have fun...it’s working for my bad eyes..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plapczynski Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 Nope. It will just take time to adjust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now