Why haven't you tried some competitive shooting?

[Perplexed]

If you're looking for a way to replicate the average civilian gun fight you're not gonna find it and if you did it wouldn't be much fun. It would look like two guys running away from each other 5-10 yards apart. 10 shots or less and it would be done. If you want to learn defensive firearms techniques you should take the classes at TDSA.

Ha, good one, I have to admit I was thinking more along the lines of dealing with intruders in a home rather than a draw at high noon on Main Street, but I get your point.

I really will need to get to one of the IDPA matches and 3-gun competitions.

 

[jtischauser]

Thanks for the info. I've seen a couple of pistol matches at Oil Capitol with stages such as seated at a desk with the pistol in a box on the desk, or moving around cover (barrels) to engage targets on the other side, etc. I've also seen videos of 3-gun competitions, but I'll admit that's about it. I understand that walk-throughs are necessary in most of these competitions, but do any of the matches work such that the targets are not visible until you get to a certain position, at which time you're directed, either via voice or better yet, visual cue, to engage this target but not that one (such as "Blue target!" but not the red target; or "Target that's moving")? That would allow for an element of surprise and on-the-spot decision making. It sounds like some of the OC matches are set up along these lines - are there any such matches here in OK that include the use of pistols, rifles, and shotguns such as you might have stashed in your house?

I have shot some matches that one or two blind stages as well as a couple of night matches. You want to talk about a wake up call on your guns and gear try shooting them in the dark under stress as fast as you can. It's ain't easy. My defensive technique for a nighttime gun fight is now to run fast!

The blind scenarios you seek are tough to relicate because the targets we shoot aren't bad guys lying in wait. If you hide targets they remain hiding. They don't make noise when you walk past them. They dont shoot back. So shooing a scenario without knowing what's out there to some degree isn't much fun and it takes a lot longer because your searching rather than shooting which means less scenerios to shoot.

You can shoot all of the guns you have stashed at these matches. That's how we all start. What I think you will find is that the guns you have stashed may not be the ones you really want to have stashed anymore. I know my home defense arsenal and carry guns have changed drastically once I shot them in a match and found out how limited their capacity was or how hard it was to reload them or how I couldn't reach the safety under stress.

Trust me if you go shoot 2-3 matches you will see how it will make you a much better shooter which In turn will make you much more prepared if you ever encounter a defensive situation.

 

[jtischauser]

Ha, good one, I have to admit I was thinking more along the lines of dealing with intruders in a home rather than a draw at high noon on Main Street, but I get your point.

I really will need to get to one of the IDPA matches and 3-gun competitions.

In all seriousness if you have an intruder or two in your house most defensive courses will teach you to call 911 then stay low and defend your position rather than try to clear the house yourself. It's very hard to clear a house with all its hiding places by yourself. That's why they have swap teams not single swat officers.

Almost every match I have shot has some sort of scenarios where we traverse through simulated walls and doorways. It teaches you to keep your guns up at the ready and shoot as soon as possible. Plus you typically get to shoot at a bunch of targets not just 1-2.

 

[poopgiggle]

I'm not tactical but I've always been suspicious of shooting competitions that claim to replicate realistic shooting scenarios. I haven't seen a stage description yet that was "magdump into this guy from 3 feet and then run away." Instead they're like, "you are out mowing the lawn when THESE 5 BAD GUYS show up and start shooting up the neighborhood. Retreat to your house and engage all of them. Also there's a Texas Star." They're all like that scene in A Christmas Story where Ralphie shoots all the burglars with his Red Ryder.

I don't know why people need their shooting sports to prepare them for TACTICAL. Can't they just be fun?

 

[poopgiggle]

The IDPA matches at USSA will sometimes use the shoot house for low light, indoor scenarios.

General complaints about IDPA aside, the USSA IDPA matches are really well done. The stages are challenging and they do a good job of adding novel target presentations without being gimmicky.

I feel like IDPA in general has more varied problems than USPSA. At IDPA Nationals, on one stage you had to shoot from the trunk of a car. I think I saw a video of Glocktogo shooting a match once where you had to use a dead cow as cover. None of that is probably useful practice for REAL LIFE TACTICAL ENGAGEMENTS but it's fun to try different stuff like that.

 

[WideLoadTimmy]

Ass kickin' is very addictive!!!

Here is a video of some lunatic shooting 3 gun on crutches and in a scooter. He is not disabled just had surgery on a broken ankle two weeks earlier. Being permanantly disabled woudl be more challenging but I am sure we could make it work out if you want to give it a shot.

This happens to be one of my all time favorite shooting videos. The "lunatic" is a nice guy who loaned my friend a holster for his first match. Great group of people, just give them a change.

 

[Perplexed]

I don't know why people need their shooting sports to prepare them for TACTICAL. Can't they just be fun?

I wonder if we're talking about the same thing; you mention "tactical," while I'm thinking about "practical." It's one thing to engage in shooting competitions mainly for the fun, but another thing to do such competitions with an eye toward practicality. As Jesse and Dustin have pointed out, it's possible to do a fun competition... while improving the practical side of shooting.

I was merely asking about practical competitions, given I'd likely only do one or two of those a year in addition to individual range sessions. If I'm only going to run in a competition once or twice, I'd like for that experience to contribute to my practical use of firearms. Thanks to Jesse and Dustin's constructive comments, I can see how that goal is possible.

 

[poopgiggle]

Any action shooting competition will drill you on weapon manipulation. Shoot fast, reload fast. Maybe clear malfunctions fast (hopefully not). The practicality of that is self-evident. My point was that I am skeptical that any of them do more than that, that they teach or reinforce defensive tactics (i.e. TACTICAL).

If you're only going to shoot one or two matches a year I wouldn't get too bent out of shape about whether or not the competition complements your TACTICAL. I was trying to convey that you should just shoot, with your carry gear if you feel like it, and not take everything so seriously. I just said it snarky because I grew up on SomethingAwful.

 

[Johnny]

General complaints about IDPA aside, the USSA IDPA matches are really well done. The stages are challenging and they do a good job of adding novel target presentations without being gimmicky.

I feel like IDPA in general has more varied problems than USPSA. At IDPA Nationals, on one stage you had to shoot from the trunk of a car. I think I saw a video of Glocktogo shooting a match once where you had to use a dead cow as cover. None of that is probably useful practice for REAL LIFE TACTICAL ENGAGEMENTS but it's fun to try different stuff like that.

If you haven't had to use a dead cow as cover you should life a little more on the wild side.

Or maybe it was a cross between IDPA and SASS. This form of cover probably seemed a lot more practical 150 years ago.

 

[jtischauser]

Lol!!!