Should I Shoot In A Lvl Iii Match?

[tryan1968]

A quick backround:

I've been shooting IPSC since Sept 06'. I'm Unclassified and not a member of USPSA, (I know to shoot in a lvl III match the shooter must be a member of USPSA).

By the end of last year, at one of the clubs I shoot at, I was on the heels of a B shooter. Through the winter months I practiced by dry firing and shooting a little bit. I didn't have much money for rounds.

The last match, March, and my areas first of the year I shot in, had 40 shooters, only four in my division, PSS. I placed 7th overall and won my division. I beat more then a few B class shooters shooting Limited and an A and M class shooter, (the A and M most likely had a bad day). Funds are tight right now for me, back in school. So anytime I put my funds in a particular direction it must by done carefully.

My question is this:

Would my time and funds be better spent shooting local matches? Or would the experience of seeing the top shooters in a couple lvl III matches be better for my progression?

Thanks for any help,

T Ryan

[G-ManBart]

It sounds like you've progressed a lot just with dry firing and a limited number of matches...good for you! Shooting at bigger matches will let you see some better shooters...most likely, but more than that, they'll often have stages that are more complicated and throw more challenges at you. They can do that because they've probably got more time to set up and get more creative. That alone might help you progress since you'll get to see things you don't normally experience.

[Micah]

Shoot both. Local club matches are nice since they are usually closer than most major matches, and are less expensive. Major matches are excellent as they test your nerves and skill against many other good competitors.

...plus you can win stuff.

[Nemo]

Good shooting T!

Please allow me to give you a couple bits of advice.

- Become a member of USPSA

- Keep dry firing. It has already helped you progress, it will keep doing it and it's FREE!

- To keep feeding that blaster of yours in an economically feasible manner, invest some of your hard earned $$ in a reloading machine. Get a Square DealB set in the caliber of your blaster. You shooting a 45, right? Buying store 45's will get expensive quick. You may have to pass on major matches this year to get all your reloading setup ready but there's always next year.

- Keep shooting your local matches. Those will hone your stage breakdown skills, give you much precious trigger time and you'll make lifelong friendships. These new friends may help you financially by spliting transportation and lodging costs with you when traveling to away matches.

- If you're short of funds to attend the monthly match, go practice your accuracy, transitions and other fundamentals. You may be able to schedule practice sessions with one or more of your new friends, the local top shooters. (Free Training)

- Find the major match closer to you, probably your state or area match, and plan ahead to attend. The planning ahead will help you budget for it. Many majors will give you the option of shooting it in one day, thus keeping the lodging expenses to the minimum.

- Have all the fun you can!

[Jake Di Vita]

There's nothing that can take the place of actual match experience.

[ChuckS]

One benefit that you would get from a Level III match is finding out where you are really at in terms of shooting ability. Unless your club is top-heavy in GMs, you may find your self placing a tad lower than you expected! People are trying to shoot their top game at those matches!

[buddy_fuentes]

Nemo is right on the money. At your level you should spend your money on a good reloading press and components to reload. Then shoot as many local matches as you can afford. You more than likely can shoot many club matches for the money you would spend at the larger matches.

The more matches you shoot, the more experience you will have. Experience and trigger time are the key to a good start.

Good luck, Buddy

[tryan1968]

Good shooting T!

Please allow me to give you a couple bits of advice.

- Become a member of USPSA

- Keep dry firing. It has already helped you progress, it will keep doing it and it's FREE!

- To keep feeding that blaster of yours in an economically feasible manner, invest some of your hard earned $$ in a reloading machine. Get a Square DealB set in the caliber of your blaster. You shooting a 45, right? Buying store 45's will get expensive quick. You may have to pass on major matches this year to get all your reloading setup ready but there's always next year.

- Keep shooting your local matches. Those will hone your stage breakdown skills, give you much precious trigger time and you'll make lifelong friendships. These new friends may help you financially by spliting transportation and lodging costs with you when traveling to away matches.

- If you're short of funds to attend the monthly match, go practice your accuracy, transitions and other fundamentals. You may be able to schedule practice sessions with one or more of your new friends, the local top shooters. (Free Training)

- Find the major match closer to you, probably your state or area match, and plan ahead to attend. The planning ahead will help you budget for it. Many majors will give you the option of shooting it in one day, thus keeping the lodging expenses to the minimum.

- Have all the fun you can!

Thanks for the advice. It makes sense.

[tryan1968]

One benefit that you would get from a Level III match is finding out where you are really at in terms of shooting ability. Unless your club is top-heavy in GMs, you may find your self placing a tad lower than you expected! People are trying to shoot their top game at those matches!

Exactly, I don't know were I stand as far as ability. Last Nov I was chasing a B shooter at one of the clubs I shoot at, last match because of all the dry firing, (thank you Steve Anderson for publishing your book, Jake De Vita and Pharoah for being good examples/u]) I did well, but I didn't shoot as accurately as I usually do. I had a Mike in the classifier. My thinking before the stage was, go in hard and see where you stand, fumble, not smart.

If I had to take a guess, I think I would be a high C or low B shooter. That's one reason I wanted to go to a lvl III match and see where I stack up against other shooters in my division.

So what your saying is, by going to a match would be useful in terms of seeing were I stand? That helps confirm what I was thinking, thanks.

Do shooters at lvl III matches go in thinking controlled aggression or steady wins the race?

I would think controlled aggression would be the mind set.

I bought a Dillion 650, so I aleast I have that covered.

Thanks for all the help, info and replies.

T Ryan

Edited April 12, 2007 by tryan1968

[Nemo]

If I had to take a guess, I think I would be a high C or low B shooter. That's one reason I wanted to go to a lvl III match and see where I stack up against other shooters in my division.

One match will tell you how you stack against other shooters IN THAT MATCH. You will need some more matches to get a representative sample. Also, become a USPSA member and get classified that should give you a good baseline. However, you'd have to shoot your skinnygun in L-10, since we don't have classification for the PSSD yet.

Budget smart and you'll be able to play. Having a 650 is already a big step ahead.

[tryan1968]

Thanks Nemo that's the kind of insite I'm looking for.

TR

[G-ManBart]

Do shooters at lvl III matches go in thinking controlled aggression or steady wins the race?

I would think controlled aggression would be the mind set.

I think the answers to that are going to be as different as each shooter you talked to.

Examples: if you're pretty sure that you're around the top of your class and want to get a class win, you'd be more likely to try to be smooth and make as few mistakes as possible, knowing that most everyone near you in skill will make a mistake. If you don't care about the class win, you might be more aggressive and just see how high you can finish and risk crashing and burning.

If you're pretty sure that you're around the top of everyone in your division, you're likely to think the same smooth, steady concept, but thinking of a Division win, which might be an overall win too.

If you've just been moved into a new class and are trying to charge up through it, you might want to be a bit more aggressive and pass a lot of people. Same thing might go for someone who's looking for an overall win, or Division win when there are some "better" shooters there that are going to be hard to beat unless they totally mess up.

I think the best shooters are going to take each day and each stage and each target as it comes and try to make the best of it and not limit themselves by thinking about being smooth and steady or aggressive. If you're thinking about those things, you're limiting yourself before you start....read Benos' book and that will make more sense

[jrguar]

+1 What everyone else said. Shoot as much as you can, Join the USPSA, cut your teeth at local matches, shoot section/area matches whenever you can. Nothing & I repeat nothing gets you up to speed faster then actually competing. Practice, take notes, read Brians book, talk to and listen to experienced shooters.

FWIW

There are a lot more small matches around then big matches and in general you are more likely to get better & more information from the better shooters at a local club then someone who is involved in shooting a major match.

Good luck, & Shoot Safe

Joe

[tryan1968]

Thanks, what you said makes sense.