Knowing you'll never win.

[ranger]

I shoot for fun (and practical practice) - I already have a job (actually two jobs with GAARNG) so no need for me to get unhappy shooting. I became very active in Sporting Clays and like many other sports it can become very expensive. I saw too many Sporting Clays shooters who became so very unhappy missing a clay pigeon or who became unhappy for not winning their class. Add in the side betting and it became stressful and miserable for some. I never played the "money games" and just shot the best I could and tried to have the best time possible. Same with USPSA and IDPA.

[TCinVA]

I don't shoot to be the best in the world.

I'll likely never be a threat to Bob Vogel, but I don't care about that.

I want to be better than I was yesterday. I like the lightbulb moments when I figure something out...shaving time off of my draw here, or improving my reload there, etc.

Every time I train I end up sucking a little less. And even though I still suck, occasionally when I find myself in a scenario where I'm in competition with others I manage to exceed expectations.

By continually striving to suck a little less at shooting I've learned a whole bunch of lessons applicable to other areas of life, too...learning how to suck a little less at a number of different things that on the surface aren't really tied directly to shooting. There is enormous benefit to the human constitution merely by deliberate exposure to this process even if you never achieve the highest levels of success in the discipline.

[Mitch]

If I were in your shoes and was going to do anything, I'd stop going to the big matches. Not because I think they're bad in anyway, but it sounds like you don't enjoy them or the outcome. If it's not paying your bills, life is too short to do something you don't enjoy.

If anything, maybe this is a good time to reevaluate your goals and try something new (shooting or otherwise). Variety really is the spice of life sometimes. I'd hold off on selling the gear, though. Give it a break maybe, but don't rid yourself of stuff you may want to replace again soon.

[Lomshek]

Concept: Better than average at something, but not good enough to be "pro" at it, and unwilling/unable to put in enough time to get to that level. Having achieved best possible results, then tempted to quit.

Where is the line between pushing yourself and beating your head against the wall?

I've been there with road cycling. I was good enough to race (domestically) against the best guys of my era (mid-90's) and make money as an amateur winning cash in Category 1-2 (elite amateur) and Pro/1/2 (pro-am) races (particularly criteriums for those who know the difference). I never made it to the point of a paid contract (shoulda/coulda/woulda) but made enough winning cash prizes to pay the rent and entry fees (very hand to mouth existence). In amateur races I chose which race to attend on a given weekend based on who paid the most for first place knowing that if I didn't win I'd be in the top 3.

I "retired" from racing seriously at 28 when it was obvious a contract wasn't going to come and the wife and I were ready to start a family. Had some of my best pro-am results in the last big race of the year ironically enough.

I still ride for fun and have raced respectably against non-pros when I've had the time to train but the performance difference between that and full time racers is huge.

So that's my background. Here's my take.

Can you actually make enough money as a "pro" in your chosen sport to pay the bills and take care of the family? If the answer is no then enjoy your hobby and leave it at that. No matter how good you are as an amateur a person will never be able to compete against a full time pro.

The time demands in training to try and beat the pros will make you neglect your family and you me or anyone else will still not be a top pro because we're dividing our loyalties. I've joked with friends that if someone wanted to sponsor me for a few years I could very likely get back into the shape to race at least at the elite amateur level. All I have to do is quit my job and abandon my family so I can train 8 hours a day. After a year of 300 - 500 miles a week on the bike I'll be back in decent shape!

As far as not being "good" at a specific game like 3GN so be it. Enjoy the sport for what it is and push yourself for personal improvement. Maybe that means shooting a speed oriented match like 3GN when that's your weak spot or doing a bullseye match when you're a USPSA shooter just to improve that aspect of your gun kata.

[fixer]

No matter what, your gear is good value for other things besides competition matches. I wouldn't immediately sweat selling it off.

I shoot for enjoyment mostly. But secondly, and a close second at that, it is a hobby that improves my survival chances in this world.

I am professionally employed; 50-60 hrs per week; professional training; wife, son, automobiles that need TLC; there is no way in hell I can reach the level of 'Vogel' or a lot of the folks here in this forum. There literally aren't enough hours in the day and I don't possess the talent that could overcome those obstacles.

The time I do have, I can invest in being a better shooter and hypothetically better than any potential attacker.

I am content with maintaining good and consistent 25 yd groups with both DA/SA and striker fired pistol; Sub 6 second FAST from concealment; moving up a few notches from 'middle of the pack' in my local USPSA matches.

The time I have for training is barely sufficient to achieve these.

So I think you need to establish some realistic goals. I'd be ecstatic if I won a local match multiple times.

[Clay1]

Not what a lot of people want to hear but even if you had unlimited resources for ammo and gear, then you did not work for a living but rather shot firearms, most people would still not be at the top of the game. Hard truth. Not that I was ever in that situation but after shooting a couple of years I made a commitment to pull the trigger, dry fire and travel more to shoot matches.

I shot about 15,000 rounds in that year and my skill set did improve. I did understand that genetics have something to do with the equation. I'm not going to be the winner at every match. Incremental gains, have to be MY reward. Otherwise, it's time to take up table tennis and put the guns away.

[LittleLebowski]

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.

[rwa]

The "line" is where you decide to draw your line. Mine is drawn in shifting sand. Right now I just shoot for fun and my care factor is pretty low when it comes to winning.

[ASH556]

This reminds me of a discussion on TPI about goals being hijacked. The gist of it was about people starting in a sport and realizing they needed extra fitness to improve, so they do some dedicated fitness at a gym and become competitive about improving their gym scores and let the original sport slide. The issue is that they have no real passion for the gym and eventually give it up totally. The advice was to remember WHY you are doing what you are doing, keeping the gym in perspective would have helped these people continue both sport and gym longer.

In your case I think the question is why are you doing working on "guns"? Is it just a hobby? Are you interested in the self defense aspect? The issue about why you do thinks should be connected to your passion.

This is probably playing a big part for me. I shoot primarily for the defensive aspect of it, or at least I have until recently. Competition was a way to (1) get better/practice more, and (2) gain some comparison/credibility to see where I stand since I don't have any mil or leo background.

The struggle I face now is to continue to dive deeper into the 3gun rabbit hole or pull out and go another direction. 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. Then again, there's this idea to contend with:

[olstyn]

I'd be ecstatic if I won a local match multiple times.

Hell, I was delighted when I won a STAGE. If I won a match, I'd probably fall over from shock and joy!

What everybody else is saying holds true for me, too. I know I'm not going to be the top guy very often, if at all, and I'm ok with that. I just want to see my scores improve over time, really. As long as that's still happening and I'm still having fun, then my time and money are not wasted. As soon as it becomes not fun, well, that's when I'll consider quitting. (I don't see that happening any time soon.)