quitting USPSA (and IDPA)?

[perttime]

I have a tendency to quit hobbies at the point where I start taking it seriously and/or taking responsibility for running stuff.

 

So... I don't dry fire all that much.

I don't "train" at the range: I shoot some targets and do some drills for fun - if the weather isn't too bad

I don't go to all that many Matches.

I volunteer to RO stages at local Matches but do not plan to take responsibility of the bigger picture.

[Bigzona]

Great Thread! Happy to contribute.

 

I'm almost 2yrs into USPSA, and like most, I dove into the deep end HARD. I'm hyper competitive, and regularly place in the top 5 locally and top 20 in my first majors this year. I shoot in 3 different divisions, and hit M in two. Some of our local top shooters always tell my I'd be better if I just stuck to one division, but my OCD quickly makes things too intense too fast.  I found that devoting a few months to each division then switching things up helps with burnout.  First, I give myself a bit of grace while re-establishing indexes and queues when I switch division, and second the journey each time I switch becomes refreshing as opposed to the stale obsessive feeling I have if I'm in one division over a long period of time.

 

Just a thought when it comes to managing burn out and the fun factor.

[OpenshooterMclass4lyfe]

I’ve experienced burn out multiple times.  My first time was after being the MD for my state sectional  and dealing with all that and the BOD at the club I was the MD for.   I found that stepping down as MD at that club made a big difference for me for a little while.   I still help out at all my local matches but not near at the capacity that I was.  Now when I experience burn out I switch things up.   I’ll run my carry gun for a while or pick a division I rarely shoot or whatever just to change things up some.   It’s not just all about the shooting for me.  It’s about the friends I’ve made.

[JoeMKY]

21 hours ago, DKorn said:

I don’t want to derail the thread with all the details, but the short version is:

-I had a stuck case fail to extract on the last shot at chrono. 
-Somehow both the RO at chrono and I missed it at unload and show clear. 
-On the next stage, at make ready I couldn’t get the gun to load, and when I locked the gun open and looked in the chamber, I found the stuck case. I let the RO know what was going on and we worked together to clear it. We called the RM over and, after he reviewed the situation, I was (correctly) DQ’d under 10.5.13. 

Lessons learned / takeaways:

-Use of the correct range commands (“if clear…”) is critical because it puts the onus on the shooter to make sure the gun is truly clear.
-Actually look to make sure your gun is clear, always. Don’t assume, don’t glance. Actually, truly look. In this case it was just a DQ, but it could cause a safety issue in other circumstances. 
-When ROing, actually look at the gun when someone shows clear before giving the next command. You might save them an embarrassing DQ. 

Sorry to hear that Danny, I've been there before.

[JRM83]

I feel you man. I really started burning out around 2017. Would just show up for locals 1-2 a month and stopped dry fire and practice. In 2020 when the pandemic hit I just lost all interest and walked away for the past three years. Even left the powder in the hopper. 

 

Finally felt like getting back into the swing a couple months ago and it's been fun so far. In a lot of ways it's like being completely new again. I suck (more), and the people have changed so there aren't many familiar faces. A lot harder to get time to practice or compete though. Older kids and work didn't get any easier. Will it still be fun in a month, or a year? Beats me. But I will try and enjoy while I can.

 

We've shot together a few times btw, hope you are doing well.

[Nathanb]

On 11/14/2023 at 9:54 AM, Sarge said:

For whatever reason there has been quite an uptick in match attendance around me. There are three locals within 40 minutes of me and two of those fill up within 36 hours of opening up on PS. You have to set timers/calendars just to get in. I MD one of the two and it’s become almost like running a major in this regard. Waitlists, can you find space for me on squad X, I was busy and forgot to register can you hook me up, etc.

 

My answer to this is. Final setup starts at 7.  See how many get the hint.   In my experience it wasn’t many 

[858]

On 11/14/2023 at 7:54 AM, Sarge said:

For whatever reason there has been quite an uptick in match attendance around me. There are three locals within 40 minutes of me and two of those fill up within 36 hours of opening up on PS. You have to set timers/calendars just to get in. I MD one of the two and it’s become almost like running a major in this regard. Waitlists, can you find space for me on squad X, I was busy and forgot to register can you hook me up, etc.

 

 

This absolutely ruined local matches for me. Having to compete to compete is lame. 

[RangerTrace]

11 minutes ago, 858 said:

 

This absolutely ruined local matches for me. Having to compete to compete is lame. 

Not really.  It just means the matches are going to be full and give you more people/talent to compare yourself to.  I hate it when I forget to register and get waitlisted, but I almost always get it.

[Joe4d]

3 hours ago, RangerTrace said:

Not really.  It just means the matches are going to be full and give you more people/talent to compare yourself to.  I hate it when I forget to register and get waitlisted, but I almost always get it.

think guy was just talking about his own feelings,,, different strokes thing

,,, maybe he doesnt like more people,, I sure dont,... means bigger squads and a much more standing around to shooting... 

Edited November 23, 2023 by Joe4d

[konkapot]

The squad size thing is a deciding factor for me sometimes. 10? Sure. 14? Ok. The closer it gets to 20 (or more) on a squad I decide to dryfire to live fire for practice instead. 

[pskys2]

On 11/14/2023 at 6:17 PM, DKorn said:

I don’t want to derail the thread with all the details, but the short version is:

-I had a stuck case fail to extract on the last shot at chrono. 
-Somehow both the RO at chrono and I missed it at unload and show clear. 
-On the next stage, at make ready I couldn’t get the gun to load, and when I locked the gun open and looked in the chamber, I found the stuck case. I let the RO know what was going on and we worked together to clear it. We called the RM over and, after he reviewed the situation, I was (correctly) DQ’d under 10.5.13. 

Lessons learned / takeaways:

-Use of the correct range commands (“if clear…”) is critical because it puts the onus on the shooter to make sure the gun is truly clear.
-Actually look to make sure your gun is clear, always. Don’t assume, don’t glance. Actually, truly look. In this case it was just a DQ, but it could cause a safety issue in other circumstances. 
-When ROing, actually look at the gun when someone shows clear before giving the next command. You might save them an embarrassing DQ. 

Oh man this is so relevant to a recent argument i had within our local uspsa club board!  Wish I'd found it then.  Glad you handled it well and didn't let it get into your head.  

As for the op, I started in 1978, burnt out in 1996, came back with revolver division after 2001, now my focus is icore even started a club.  Really enjoy the slower pace.  Still doing uspsa, just not as obsessed.

[maur]

I fear the day I get burnt out from all the practice and other time sinks from this sport. Doesn't help that you get enjoyment from doing well, and without putting in all that extra effort sometimes it's hard to keep winning. Try shooting a couple matches with no expectations on performance or placements, just go out there and have fun.

[perttime]

11 hours ago, konkapot said:

The squad size thing is a deciding factor for me sometimes. 10? Sure. 14? Ok. The closer it gets to 20 (or more) on a squad I decide to dryfire to live fire for practice instead. 

 

20?

Recently, I¨ve been seeing IPSC matches in my area going for 6, or so.

That might not always be feasible for small local matches but seems highly efficient for slightly bigger ones where you have a crew running the stages.

[twodownzero]

I did burn out after 18 years, and ~14-15 years as a member, and I did quit.  The hardest part was giving up my RO certification.  Maybe someday I'll be back; I still love the idea.  But I have no more motivation to shoot USPSA, for a number of reasons.

[perttime]

1 hour ago, twodownzero said:

I did burn out after 18 years, and ~14-15 years as a member, and I did quit.  The hardest part was giving up my RO certification.  Maybe someday I'll be back; I still love the idea.  But I have no more motivation to shoot USPSA, for a number of reasons.

So, are you shooting something else instead?

[twodownzero]

5 hours ago, perttime said:

So, are you shooting something else instead?

 

Yep, trap, cowboy, and precision rifle.

[perttime]

5 hours ago, twodownzero said:

 

Yep, trap, cowboy, and precision rifle.

So, you still do accuracy, power, and speed

[ltdmstr]

1 hour ago, perttime said:

So, you still do accuracy, power, and speed

 

Power and cowboy shooting?  

[Joe4d]

Id like to get back into mounted shooting, you'd think in Kansas there would be some matches around,,, not much else near me.. Be nice to have something inside an hour

 

[perttime]

7 hours ago, ltdmstr said:

 

Power and cowboy shooting?  

Precision rifles can be pretty powerful. ... and shotgun games are definitely fast.

[Ron Ankeny]

I quit and sold it all when I burned out and got old to boot. I started back in when I turned 65 and shot PCC for a short time. Got cancer and almost died, but I hung in there. Recently sold my PCC and just bought the gear to give Limited Optics a try. I have been shooting just for fun for years. However, the competitive side of me is looking forward to winning LO in the Distinguished Senior category. 

[vluc]

21 hours ago, Ron Ankeny said:

I quit and sold it all when I burned out and got old to boot. I started back in when I turned 65 and shot PCC for a short time. Got cancer and almost died, but I hung in there. Recently sold my PCC and just bought the gear to give Limited Optics a try. I have been shooting just for fun for years. However, the competitive side of me is looking forward to winning LO in the Distinguished Senior category. 

More of us going into that category, lol.

[obsessiveshooter]

I dialed back participation big time in the last 2 years, for a lot of reasons.  I started my own business, so work became more exciting.  I plateaued in skill, at least for the amount of time I was willing to practice, which was always close to zero.  I live in Colorado and I realized that I was spending so many weekends in a dirt hole of a shooting range, instead of seeing the beauty I'm surrounded by.  I bought a motorcycle and started exploring this past summer.  I actually shot half the stages at the State match and realized "I'm not actually enjoying this, and if I left now, I could go on an amazing ride for the rest of the day".  So I left.  What's funny is, early into dialing back participation, I shot better.  I finally made master in Limited.  But then the not touching a gun for two months and showing up for a match really started to show, and I dropped in the results.  Which made things a little less fun too. The USPSA organizational drama and the dying of Limited major also made shooting a little less interesting. 

Oh well.  There are seasons in life.  I don't want to keep doing things the same way out of habit. I want to fill my time with whatever actually gives me the greatest return on investment. Right now it's other things. But I'll still shoot when I've got a buddy to shoot with or if I get the itch.    

[Kwontanamo]

i'm just taking a long hiatus. I'm waiting for my children to become of age and hope that they join the sport with me. 

[Bakerjd]

I did 8+ majors for 4 years straight. Every weekend not at a major I was at a local match or working. Always worrying about getting on PS quick enough to get into a match, then getting omna squad with cool people. Spent time practicing, loading ammo, repeat. This year I cut way back. The fun was 100% gone. I quit mid match at a few majors, and didn't even go to CO nats. This year in the beginning of the season everything about it just turned into a drag. Between all the BoD vs. Everyone drama, match drama at locals, ect... it was not fun. 

 

Decided to get back into an old hobbie I had of jeeping and rock crawling. Build a very capable rig and did that most the summer and fall. 

 

I'm going to go to a local indoor match next weekend and shoot. Just for fun. I ha e tried the just for fun part a few times this season and have a hard time not getting sucked into the gamer part. Hopefully this goes well. I'm taking my carry gun, and holster. A couple mags and that's it. I never practice my carry stuff so I'm gonna see if I can use uspsa as just a fun way to practice with it.