Rifle Matches -- What Are the Key Reasons We Compete?

[mike a]

Top level competitors in most things are motivated out of ego ,and vanity.

Of course! Don’t see much ego and vanity at the bottom.

 

[billlarson]

Competition allows you to get with a group of people who have the same intrest as you.At the same time it allows you to see and learn new things.As far as ego and vain.I have never saw it,in 2 National matches.Determination and concentration can be keen and mistaken for unfriendlyness...
OMHO ....mileage may vary.
Bill

 

[Bob Sebold]

For the money...HA HA HA HA HA HA, because its fun.

 

[Forum Boss]

I'm 64. I can't run as fast as when I was young. Can't ride a motorcycle as fast. Can't hike as far without fatigue. Time has taken its toll on the body.

But with benchrest rifle shooting and precision reloading, it was one activity where I actually saw significant improvement from one season to the next even as I entered my late 50s and then 60s. With my first rifles, I was happy to shoot an inch at 100 yards. Now I'm not happy unless all shots are touching.

The competition was a way to get out into unspoiled country, away from the city, and hang out with some good guys, a few of whom have become close friends for life.

Competitive shooting is a good activity for retirement age guys, as you can continue to advance and improve even as you age.

There are not many other hobbies where that is true.

 

[Doug Beach]

There are only two ways to determine if you are “good” at something: Set some arbitrary performance goal, and measure yourself against it, or measure yourself against what other people with the same interest are capable of doing.
The second method provides a little pressure, a moving goalpost, good friends, and actual confidence in your abilities, great or small.

 

[Will Henry]

When I was young, I competed to win. In some of the sports in which I took part (like boxing), there was only winning and losing. In large shooting competitions, there is the opportunity to "place well" and, nowadays, that's usually all I plan to do. In those disciplines where classifications exist (like metallic silhouette), I can still get a trophy from time to time while trying to move up. Sometimes, there is nothing worse than starting out near the top. Then you have to deal with the inevitable decline!
The thing is, I like to shoot and competing gives the shooting purpose. It also affords me an opportunity to just hang out with the guys. In addition, I like building rifles and trying different stuff.
It's funny, in a way, how I still enter a competition and feel like I may fire a perfect score; despite all evidence to the contrary! WH

 

[JEFFPPC]

Of course! Don’t see much ego and vanity at the bottom.

How about dedication and love of a sport and being willing to outwork the competirion. If there is ego and vanity involved I don't care. That is the person I want to have my back or in my foxhole. You know, the person that will give 110 percent and is not afraid to fail but go after a goal full speed ahead.

 

[Murray Brook]

I don't compete anymore but when I did competation added spice to what I was doing and how great was it to converse with other guys who had the same intertest as you." Talking shop" is what I miss the most. JMO

 

[JEFFPPC]

Forum Boss, I tell people the same thing. I can no longer play basketball or run marathons but I can compete on a mostly equal basis with younger shooters. I am sure those with a liberal bent are not interested in much competition. They seem to like a participation trophy.

 

[davidjoe]

For the pleasure of it.

Robin, ever innovating, I’ve found a way to add physical soreness to the competition pluses of high expense and distraction from work and family.

I’m going “full bore” with the A-Tip in .338 LM. If it works out this Sunday at 1,000, October will be a month of bump.

And I can’t begin to count the animals that I haven’t wanted to shoot since turning toward matches.

 

[Nowhere Man]

For me it's the camaraderie. I can go to local matches and get beat by my friends. Then, we travel together so I can get beat by strangers.

 

[Spook]

I enjoy meeting and knowing a lot of the people I meet at matches.
I also build my own match rifles and shoot against shooters that have rifles built by really well known 'smiths.
When Ive made the shoot off and taken home the little plaque its measured both my machining skills and shooting ability.
I'm also older than dirt and its nice to have some relevance somewhere ?
So I guess "vanity" is the short answer if I'm being honest.

 

[Petz Firearms]

The most important reason I compete in firearm events is that it is fun. No sense in wasting time and money doing something that you do not enjoy. The next reason is proficiency. I shoot multiple firearm events (USPSA, Steel Challenge, NRL22, ABRA, 3-gun, 2-gun, etc....) to enhance my shooting skills with firearms in various applications. While I am not yet a master of all trades, I am darn good at all of them. The third reason I compete is to meet new people, network, and build friendships with others in the community. When talking about a level of competition, I am serious in my competition endeavors. My first goal is to always set a new personal record. This is an indication that I am improving in my skills. My second goal is performance consistency. I want to maintain a consistent performance across all stages shot. Looking to eliminate the time, score, shot placement, etc... delta from stage to stage. I am happy if I can achieve these two goals. Overall placement at an event is more of a benchmark than a goal. These are my reasons for competing and the levels of competition I have.

 

[K22]

I competed in the 70's and 80's (bulls eye pistol) on a club pistol team that competed against other clubs in a league.

First and foremost, it was the comradery with my fellow team mates that was the most appealing to me. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences I ever had. We were a close knit group.

Secondly, the competition made me a better shooter especially learning how to deal with match pressure. Many of the techniques I learn in competitive shooting carried over to becoming a better practical shooter with a rifle.

Later in the 90's when we moved away from that area I still competed individually since there wasn't any league shooting but it wasn't the same and I began to lose interest. In the late 90's I developed an elbow problem that made it very difficult to shoot one handed even an 1800 let alone a 2700 match so I quite shooting competition.

I still shoot pistol for enjoyment but I have to use a two hand hold.

 

[group therapy]

Of course! Don’t see much ego and vanity at the bottom.

 

[group therapy]

For me it's the camaraderie. I can go to local matches and get beat by my friends. Then, we travel together so I can get beat by strangers.

RIGHT!!!

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Most guys come to matches to have a good time, a smaller percent show up to win. I always came to shoot the smallest groups I was capable of and hopefully better than the last time. Im not a competitive person, but for some reason I do enjoy making a rifle shoot small groups. Now I get more out of working with those who are better than I ever was to learn how to make the rifle platform shoot better. But if I swept floors for a living I would want to do that as well as I could too. Its only so much fun shooting by yourself, and if your really interested in shooting as small as possible you have to get into the serious side of competition to learn it.

 

[dbduff]

Forum Boss, I tell people the same thing. I can no longer play basketball or run marathons but I can compete on a mostly equal basis with younger shooters. I am sure those with a liberal bent are not interested in much competition. They seem to like a participation trophy.

74, life long liberal. Like doing something I can achieve at, win or lose, but gain every competition and from the effort to get there. It’s a learning journey, liberal or conservative has nothing to do with it, imho.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Its never too late to change.

 

[davidjoe]

Well, that right that we as adults may own as many guns as we please here and shoot them virtually unrestricted in most states is considered pretty liberal in most parts of the world. A right we fight to conserve, but a definite liberty.