What about "The Rest of Us?"
- Thread starter Shooter13
- Start date
LVLAaron
Gold $$ Contributor
JEFFPPC
Gold $$ Contributor
I love to compete wether playing basketball, running a marathon, shooting....you name it. I wil put in tne work and endure whatever pain. But, I will always congradulate you when you beat me, while trying to think what I need to do to change the outcome. But number one for me is....How did I compete today ? Did I get lucky and get no wind every relay I shot? If I won without giving my best I go home unsatisfied. If you beat me but I did as well as I thought possible, I go home feeling good but still trying to figure out how to go to that next level. One thing I am sure of though.....The big thrill is in the competition not the winning.
I think for most if not everyone it’s a combination of being with friends and competition. You can go shoot at the range by yourself anytime but the simple fact that you go to a match, shows that you aren’t, at the very least afraid to compete. I know many who are afraid. Personally, I count it as a blessing all the people I have met over the years in various shooting sports. I also go to matches to compete against both myself, bettering past achievements, as well as competing against the field.
You ever notice in most matches someone’s scores or groups are just amazing? Almost hard to believe? I’ll always remember the late Ed Watson coming up to me at a State Championship years ago saying “Dave, you’re shootin like a man possessed!”. That was a long long time ago.
My best friend and I have a little saying that comes up at each match. “There’s always a mad dog in every match. Sometimes you’re the mad dog, sometimes you’re not!”
Dave.
You ever notice in most matches someone’s scores or groups are just amazing? Almost hard to believe? I’ll always remember the late Ed Watson coming up to me at a State Championship years ago saying “Dave, you’re shootin like a man possessed!”. That was a long long time ago.
My best friend and I have a little saying that comes up at each match. “There’s always a mad dog in every match. Sometimes you’re the mad dog, sometimes you’re not!”
Dave.
CaptainMal
Silver $$ Contributor
Absolutely avoided competition all my life. Hate betting and games of chance against others. Yet, spent over two-and-a half decades coaching competitive shooting at the High School level with carry-over to college. I coached so there would be a successful shooting program and the people could both learn to shoot and love the sport.
Also used to compete in archery tournaments for longer than I taught and coached rifle. Did that for the challenge and also was successful. Never did it to win and rarely even imagined I was any good. Always shoot for the experience and meeting so many.
22 years retired and early on I entered my first rifle shooting tournament as a participant. Saw a need to engage others to promote and teach this sport. Kind of a sideline for me to shoot and I'll be darned - I have flat out won many benchrest shoots against some of the finest and most experienced shooters that exist. Still think I suck, know I do not have the best equipment but participate and promote so others can have that experience. That promotion and help to others is why I have always competed or coached.
If I never shoot in another tournament I sleep knowing much good has come from my participation. Hope you can think some variation of the same instead of needing to win for your activity to have value.
Also used to compete in archery tournaments for longer than I taught and coached rifle. Did that for the challenge and also was successful. Never did it to win and rarely even imagined I was any good. Always shoot for the experience and meeting so many.
22 years retired and early on I entered my first rifle shooting tournament as a participant. Saw a need to engage others to promote and teach this sport. Kind of a sideline for me to shoot and I'll be darned - I have flat out won many benchrest shoots against some of the finest and most experienced shooters that exist. Still think I suck, know I do not have the best equipment but participate and promote so others can have that experience. That promotion and help to others is why I have always competed or coached.
If I never shoot in another tournament I sleep knowing much good has come from my participation. Hope you can think some variation of the same instead of needing to win for your activity to have value.
ronsatspokane
Gold $$ Contributor
I do it for the groupies and the 6-7 figure prize money... Wait a minute, what sport are we talking about?
As someone who works a stressful job all week, I shoot and compete for fun. Some days I win and some I lose, but I am still happy that I'm not working that day.
dragman
Site $$ Sponsor
It depends.
Sometimes I am testing something or doing something outside of the norm to check a result. In that case I am just out for fun and the fellowship.
But if I have a gun together and I actually have it ready it's game on. I am coming to win and I expect to do so. Now I'm not a fool with the level of some of the shooters out there we all get beat from time to time, but to shoot as close to perfection is the goal. No matter if I shoot great or have a shit day I always respect "MOST" of the competitors.
Sometimes I am testing something or doing something outside of the norm to check a result. In that case I am just out for fun and the fellowship.
But if I have a gun together and I actually have it ready it's game on. I am coming to win and I expect to do so. Now I'm not a fool with the level of some of the shooters out there we all get beat from time to time, but to shoot as close to perfection is the goal. No matter if I shoot great or have a shit day I always respect "MOST" of the competitors.
After college and marriage my work took me away from the town I grew up in, and where my parents remained. My Dad took up competitive benchrest fairly late in his life. He loved it and constantly encouraged me take up the sport but my job related travel and other competing interests prevented that. Afer 3 or 4 years I finally joined in, not so much for the thrill of competition or the drive toward winning but I missed my father and benchrest competition would be reason enough to make the effort to spend quality time with him. We lived a few hundred miles apart by that time and I tried to make every match he was in and my bond with him became stronger than it ever had been. I'm so thankful for those few years. In that since, I was a winner at every match he and I were in.
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Well, when I first started I was there to win. Nervous as a long
fail tomcat a room full of rocking chirs. I'd get mad when I knowed I screwed up. After a few matches, I'd learned a few things that I was doing wrong. THEN I took my wife...yep, she beat me and 40 some other guys that had shot for years. This was a factory gun at 200 yards.
Fun shoot but still comeptiave. Next shoot we took our kids, 5 and 11.
The kids beat half the field and then most of the guys told me not to show without the kids. I helped them and my shooting to win was.over. And I had just, no, more fun. It became more of a family reunion than a match for me. Ive made true friends that we think as family. We'd go if we didn't take a gun. Been going 20 years of so now. We'd do this shoot and another 1 that we would travel to and spend 4 days at. We all loved it and met friends for life. I still like to win but if you take it too serious, it becomes work and I can do that the other 5 days a week
Main thing is have fun and enjoy it...I have
fail tomcat a room full of rocking chirs. I'd get mad when I knowed I screwed up. After a few matches, I'd learned a few things that I was doing wrong. THEN I took my wife...yep, she beat me and 40 some other guys that had shot for years. This was a factory gun at 200 yards.
Fun shoot but still comeptiave. Next shoot we took our kids, 5 and 11.
The kids beat half the field and then most of the guys told me not to show without the kids. I helped them and my shooting to win was.over. And I had just, no, more fun. It became more of a family reunion than a match for me. Ive made true friends that we think as family. We'd go if we didn't take a gun. Been going 20 years of so now. We'd do this shoot and another 1 that we would travel to and spend 4 days at. We all loved it and met friends for life. I still like to win but if you take it too serious, it becomes work and I can do that the other 5 days a week
Main thing is have fun and enjoy it...I have
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wkdickinson
Gold $$ Contributor
Today at 67 I shoot mostly for fun and to enjoy competing - but I still always go "to win", even though I know that is mostly just a dream these days. Years ago when I was shooting High-Power seriously and would go to local matches, I ALWAYS expected to win, and I did often. Back then, I made my way to a master classification and was knocking at the door of high-master. Ultimately, a young family and job obligations caused me to quit shooting competitively. When you travel 3-4 days a week for business, it's hard to be gone weekends for shooting and fulfill your family responsibilities.
Fast forward 20 some years - I guess as I have gotten older, I've come to realize that in the shooting sports (like golf) you are only competing against yourself and your last performance, no one else really has any influence on your score. But, then again, if winning wasn't important, we wouldn't keep score.
Fast forward 20 some years - I guess as I have gotten older, I've come to realize that in the shooting sports (like golf) you are only competing against yourself and your last performance, no one else really has any influence on your score. But, then again, if winning wasn't important, we wouldn't keep score.
R.Morehouse
Gold $$ Contributor
I try my best and compete against the shooters in my relay. I like seeing others do good as well.....Even when they kick my arse....
Regards
Rick
Regards
Rick
Your post harkens me back to the days (70's - 90's) when I competed in both NRA Pistol Bulls Eye and later in Hunter's Pistol Silhouette Competition. I qualified as distinguish expert (285x300) in Bulls Eye and a AAA (30-35 x 40) small bore Silhouette.
When I competed, I rarely won a match and really didn't expect to win even in my class but I was close most of the time and did manage to win a few. Of course I wanted to win but the real draw for me was the comradie with team members in our club. They were a great bunch of guys and we had a lot of fun.
But one match stands out where the "stars were aligned" for me. It was in the 86 to 87 time frame. Silhouette matches rotated every weekend to about 4 to 5 clubs in the area. It was very popular in those days in Western PA and I competed as much as possible in small bore pistol. I was shooting a S&W Model 17, rimfire revolver with a 2.5 power scope and was able to qualify one class short (AAA) of Master. Most serious competitors where shooting Thompson Contender Pistols with match barrel and high power rifle scopes. I was at a definite competitive disadvantage but enjoyed shooting my revolver.
Anyway, at the end of the season there was this huge rendezvous shoot in Union Town where all the clubs met for a competition and pig roast afterwards. I really didn't want to go since the weather was awful, rain / wind and knew I had no chance to win even in my class since the competition was so tough. But the guys at the club talked me into going so I went mostly for the pig roast and beer afterwards.
The weather was indeed miserable with rain and wind throughout the match. Here I am, competing against the top shooters of each club and most of them were shooting far superior equipment than me. But I was totally relaxed, my expectations were low. I got into the zone and shot well especially considering the weather but typically not good enough to win overall, i.e. (36 x 40).
Miracles do happen because some how, some way I won the over all match in small bore with 4 misses. The weather no doubt played a role and must have freaked out some of the top shooters because 36, while a very good score is not a top score to win the overall match but it was on this day. I have to admit, winning is fun and preferred.
When I competed, I rarely won a match and really didn't expect to win even in my class but I was close most of the time and did manage to win a few. Of course I wanted to win but the real draw for me was the comradie with team members in our club. They were a great bunch of guys and we had a lot of fun.
But one match stands out where the "stars were aligned" for me. It was in the 86 to 87 time frame. Silhouette matches rotated every weekend to about 4 to 5 clubs in the area. It was very popular in those days in Western PA and I competed as much as possible in small bore pistol. I was shooting a S&W Model 17, rimfire revolver with a 2.5 power scope and was able to qualify one class short (AAA) of Master. Most serious competitors where shooting Thompson Contender Pistols with match barrel and high power rifle scopes. I was at a definite competitive disadvantage but enjoyed shooting my revolver.
Anyway, at the end of the season there was this huge rendezvous shoot in Union Town where all the clubs met for a competition and pig roast afterwards. I really didn't want to go since the weather was awful, rain / wind and knew I had no chance to win even in my class since the competition was so tough. But the guys at the club talked me into going so I went mostly for the pig roast and beer afterwards.
The weather was indeed miserable with rain and wind throughout the match. Here I am, competing against the top shooters of each club and most of them were shooting far superior equipment than me. But I was totally relaxed, my expectations were low. I got into the zone and shot well especially considering the weather but typically not good enough to win overall, i.e. (36 x 40).
Miracles do happen because some how, some way I won the over all match in small bore with 4 misses. The weather no doubt played a role and must have freaked out some of the top shooters because 36, while a very good score is not a top score to win the overall match but it was on this day. I have to admit, winning is fun and preferred.
Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
Im not a competitive person. I do not care how I measure up, I just like shooting small groups for some reason. If you work really hard at shooting small groups you may win on occasion. Of course winning is fun but its always about the groups for me. I have never cared about score or winning with a big group because conditions were bad. If your goal is to win, I can pretty confidently say you wont have much fun. I remember the BBQ as much as the small groups Talking with the guys to hear what everyone is testing is my favorite part. Learning is whats fun I guess. The point of a hobby is to enjoy it, records and winning are great but most of us just enjoy it, thats enough.
Talking with the guys to hear what everyone is testing is my favorite part. Learning is whats fun I guess. The point of a hobby is to enjoy it, records and winning are great but most of us just enjoy it, thats enough.LA50SHOOTER
Sworn To Protect The Constitution.
I’ve never shot my best groups at a match, they seem to happen when I’m alone and “in the zone” and have prepared well prior to showing up at the range. I still reflect on the 20 shot group at 200 yards the day I broke in my first 28 Nosler barrel. - Able to put a nickel next to that group and say “Yes” - This gun will truly shoot and do it repeatedly.
Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
28 Nosler is under rated for accuracy, especially when you consider the over bore.
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