How do you stress test your technical shooting skill level?

[GJM]

In a perfect world, to build great technical shooting skills, you will be exposed to periodic great training, practice regularly on your own, and participate in regular formal or informal competition to evaluate how durable your technical shooting skill is. The great thing about competition, whether formal or informal, is you are forced to shoot drills picked by others, and do it with the stress of having to perform in front of others. In the eight months my wife has been shooting USPSA, she has developed her on demand technical shooting skills more than in the previous three or four years where she has shot almost daily but did not have to demonstrate her skill on demand in front of others. Through experience, I can guarantee that there is a big difference between what you can do on your own, relaxed, shooting drills you pick, without others watching, and what you can actually put down on demand in front of others, one attempt for score, when they pick the shooting challenge.

Recently I was discussing competition with a friend who shoots frequently but does not compete. They felt like they didn’t have enough time to compete, and I think they are doing themself a great disservice by not routinely stress testing their skill in front of others.

[Clobbersaurus]

I believe competition is the best non-life threatening test of pure shooting skill there is.

I was that guy you describe and I can 100% say I am a far better shooter because of competing. Also, competition has enriched so many parts of my non-shooting life, that I know if I ever have to give up shooting (because of proposed legislation in my country) that I will have to find some other form of competition in my life to replace it.

[Dismas316]

Your on fire with your recent posts. I couldn’t agree with you more on this. I too started competing this year and my skills have improved significantly. I was one of those just a year ago that was more of the tactical focus. Competing has been the best thing I’ve done with regard to my shooting and my ability to run the gun at speed/accuracy gets better each time.

I have really enjoyed the challenges it provides, not just the technical skills but the mindset that is required to be successful. It’s been a great learning experience and while shooting in general tends to bring out a little of the “obsessive” nature in me, competition has taken it to a whole other level. Can’t seem to get enough.

[JAD]

I deeply enjoy shooting competition. I find it hard, really impossible, to give up time with my son in order to do it. Someday maybe.

[revchuck38]

I deeply enjoy shooting competition. I find it hard, really impossible, to give up time with my son in order to do it. Someday maybe.

The guns will (hopefully) be there when your son is grown and gone. You've made the better choice. But you can still practice when he's doing stuff without Dad.

[GJM]

My main point is that it is easy to kid yourself about your ability, when you only shoot by yourself. I get it that some don’t have time to regularly shoot matches, but figure out a way to simulate competition by shooting with others, doing structured tests and drills, and recording results.

[HCM]

I deeply enjoy shooting competition. I find it hard, really impossible, to give up time with my son in order to do it. Someday maybe.

Being a regular competitor and actually competing may be impossible. Picking a match or two per year as a barometer of your current shooting skills under pressure is doable. In fact, it may be a better test than shooting matches regularly.

[Duke]

“Killing” and being “ killed” with Sim Guns in a shoot house or other shoot/fight your way out scenario is a pretty solid stressor.

Not that sim rounds are terribly “accurate” but making hits on other moving shooters does require marksmanship and quick thinking.


I’m fortune enough to have a bunch of factory fx guns/gear and certified place to use them with others whom are similarly trained. I’d be lying if I said they don’t get used for grown up husband/wife tag sometimes.

Suppose you can sort of mimic it with airsoft or paintball if you had to.

Though going too far down that road and things can get sketchy really quick.

SouthNarc we are not so I’d steer pretty far away from trying to recreate any of his drills in a backyard grappling session.

[BehindBlueI's]

“Killing” and being “ killed” with Sim Guns in a shoot house or other shoot/fight your way out scenario is a pretty solid stressor.

If I could snap my fingers and have more of anything gun/training related, it'd be more Simunitions stuff like our range does. Modeled on actual events, multiple run through stages with different results (the guy who surrendered last time may draw this time, or may pull a cell phone out and toss it). I know many don't have access to this sort of thing, but it's as close to being in a shooting as you can get without being in a shooting. I don't know it's the best way to test your "technical shooting skill level" but it's the best way to test your survivability in the given style of encounter.

I tried out for a tactical team on our department and shot a guy with a cell phone hiding in a corner peaking out at me while doing active shooter room clearing. I don't know if I'll be selected or not (see: me shooting a guy with a cell phone) but one of my big motivations for attending the try outs was the opportunity to do the try outs themselves then additional training if selected. Selected or not, I got to participate in 4 hours of room clearing and active shooter response. If I get selected I'll get an extra day of training each month usually alongside SWAT.

[JAD]

I think to GJM’s point though competition does a lot more to improve technical shooting skill than other stuff. It doesn’t pretend, I don’t think, to improve tactical thinking under stress, or more correctly but nuancedly *fighting* under stress. I think that’s the province of simulation (of all sorts, including role playing of the NTI school etc). If I wanted to get better at shooting I think competing regularly is at least a primary component of a good effort. I don’t think shooting well is all that important*, and if I wanted to get better at thinking during a fight I think BJJ would probably be my best path.


*good thing, too