Knowing you'll never win.

[nwhpfan]

There is no secret to success. It is hard work and practice. One thing the best in anything have in common is they worked hard, practiced, hard work, etc. So if you aren't willing to do that....you'll have to find another reason to enjoy the sport. There is no problem wtih that. I would say at most locals...and even regional matches, their is really only a few people contending for the win. The other hundred or so just enjoy it - or for some other reason. Their is nothing wrong with that.

But, if you want to win, if that's what drive's you; you'll have to get into the garage and get to work. Really..... 20 minutes a night 3-5 nights a week and you'll see drastic improvements.

[Maple Syrup Actual]

I don't give advice, I just tell people what I'd personally do.

There's no way I'd be committing 12 hour days to 3-gun matches I wasn't really enjoying. "Should" you commit more time and money? What's "should"? It's a game you play that has some spinoff benefits of improving a skill that you will almost certainly never need for any for-keeps competitions that get forced on you. Your skillset probably exceeds that of 99% of the shooting public, and 99% of the non-shooting public in America is alive today despite not even being armed. Odds are heavily in your favour.

Life's short and 3-gun will give you questionable benefits IMO. I'd do what you enjoy.

[cclaxton]

https://youtu.be/EyhOmBPtGNM
Cody

[Hambo]

Sure it's fun, but is it the most fun I could be having with the time and money I'm investing or should I try something else. My greatest fear in life is wasted time.

Dude, it's not an existential crisis. In answer to your original question, it's really boring being the big fish in a little pond. I got really tired of winning local matches and moved on to bigger things, mainly 3 gun, where I got my ass handed to me on a regular basis. I think the best I placed was top 10, but I had more fun trying harder against better shooters. It's mainly a question of what motivates you.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I know that I won't win most of the time but I can get better and that counts. My accuracy has significantly approved in the past couple of years and that's great. It's like when I lifted serious weights with a friend who was a truly heavy lifter. I could never beat him but if I improved that was great and I felt great.

Now, I once came in 2nd after a national champion IDPA revolver champion when shooting a wheel gun in the IDPA match. He comes in second after Jerry M. So that was a great feat for me, but there were only two revolvers shooters at the local match that day! Haha.

But one stage we were the only two that zeroed it. That was nice.

[Andrew E]

I never have shot a match thinking I would win. Being one of the very few (or only!) special snowflakes shooting from concealment helps diminish any thoughts of winning unless of course, you're Gabe White

Seriously, it's OK to shoot a match for fun. Just don't come in last, that's all My last USPSA match, I was the only guy shooting from concealment. 33rd out of 79. That's FINE by me.

Similar here. Shot local action matches (quasi-IDPA-but-not-really) with my LE duty rig. That was some years ago, though--I'm out of LE these days, and I was never a Great Cop in my brief span at any rate.
Anyhow, all these guys show up with G34, G35, tuned 1911s, plus the neighborhood folks with the XD they keep at home, that sort of thing. I was the only bozo shooting a G22C with a Streamlight M3 on it, out of a 6820 SLS holster, reloading from flap-covered mag pouches in synthetic basketweave. That vice using a Kydex OWB belt holster

Never in danger of winning. Between my (comparative lack of) skill, the deliberate equipment handicaps, and the fact that I was trying to shoot with a sliver of "how would I try to look at this IRL?" I was nowhere near the top. On a good day I was probably in the top 1/3. Content had me in the top 50% or so.

But I went there to get some shooting in, with my gear, under an artificial stress. That, plus a couple pistol classes and some directed practice/training, helped make me a better shooter than a 24 y/o reserve Deputy really should have been. Especially given the "standards" that then obtained at the Department's range days, which only happened once per quarter and consisted of shooting a standard duty load of 46 rounds, tops. Usually it was more like 30 or 31 rounds, just enough to "score" if the brass or a conscientious rangemaster was there--not the case, far too often.

I knew I wasn't going to win going into it. So I tried to keep in mind that it was a practice session, and a little bit of a checkup. Tried to use it as a diagnostic for things I should work on in my own practice.
That was the closest to my "line" that I knew of at the time, probably. It was interesting to compare my scores and runs to the usual winners, and to see what they did differently. But I didn't look at my probability to win as a hill worth dying on.

Er, I hope this made some sense.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Just remembered when I decided to shoot my 642 at an IDPA match. Not that's not a winner strategy. However, on one stage we had to shoot some steel at a distance. So I took aim and surprise - knocked it done. I heard a strange sound and turned to see I was getting a round of applause from the squad. Haha!

[Kyle Reese]

Just remembered when I decided to shoot my 642 at an IDPA match. Not that's not a winner strategy. However, on one stage we had to shoot some steel at a distance. So I took aim and surprise - knocked it done. I heard a strange sound and turned to see I was getting a round of applause from the squad. Haha!

We've had match participants in past KSTG matches shoot their every day carry guns (J-Frames, various revolvers, S&W Shields, etc). While this isn't a "winning" strategy on paper, the experience in engaging multiple target arrays at various distances, as well as performing reloads under a time hack made it a valuable learning experience for them. You can still learn a great deal about your shooting ability & improve upon certain areas w/o striving to be the top gamer.

[Stephanie B]

I shoot Bullseye and I am not competing against others. I am competing against myself and trying to better my past scores. I have fun showing tangible improvement to my scores. That, to me, makes it fun and keeps me progressing.

Agreed.

I switched from this, a Mk.III 22/45 with a Mk.II bushing, Volquartesen trigger and sear:



To a K-22:



Though I did change the grips to one that fit my hand better.

Both are very accurate. But the K--22 is harder to shoot well, and that's part of the fun.

[BJXDS]

As stated by many only you can decide why you are doing what you are doing and what you can realistically achieve based on your abilities and level of commitment. There are some of things I love doing but suck at, some I am good at, some I could be better possibly one of the best, if I put the time in. I F*****G HATE to loose, but at times I must accept the loss based on my lack of ability or level of commitment.

The fact of the matter is most of us are average, but never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.