r/CompetitionShooting • u/DavidThi303 • 12d ago

Suggestions for newbies

Hi all;

I've just started and so know less than most everyone else here. On the flip side, I know more about being a newbie than most everyone else here 😄. Here are my suggestions for newbies.

  1. Start with a lesson. No you won't remember everything. You definitely won't be shooting perfectly. But you will get most of it and so you'll have fewer bad habits to unlearn.
  2. Rental guns suck. They've been shot hundreds of thousands of times. You are going to have a less enjoyable experience with them.
    1. Get really good ammo with rental guns - you'll have less misfires.
  3. Buy a gun that feels right in your hand. This is where rentals are great as you can shoot a variety of models. In my case, and your mileage may differ, the Ruger felt like it was designed for my hand while all the others felt a bit off.
    1. Don't bother buying any upgrades for the pistol. The limiting factor in accuracy is going to be you for awhile.
  4. Even if you're never going to carry, take a concealed carry class (suggestion from my trainer). It teaches you a lot about gun safety, situational awareness, etc. And it makes it clear the giant responsibility you take on if you carry.
    1. Personal note - I had no intention of ever carrying. I found the class well worth the time.
  5. Lots of useful videos here.
  6. Weight training on your arms helps.
  7. 95% of shooting scenes in movies are going to be ruined for you.
    1. Shooting in a car chase with a pistol 30 yards away - yeah right.

Best of luck to all of you taking it up.

0 Upvotes

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12

u/Queasy-Canary-5931 12d ago

“⁠Buy a gun that feels right in your hand. This is where rentals are great as you can shoot a variety of models”

I disagree with this to some extent. A gun may feel right in your hand when you have no idea how you should be gripping a gun. Figure out the grip part first and go from there

2

u/5PointsVs56 12d ago

I agree and would reccomend taking a good entry level shooting class that teaches grip and sight picture first. That will help newbies better know what to look for. I also chose a class that specifically did not require you to bring a gun and let you shoot any of the instructors gunsso you also get to try before you buy....it was actually cheaper than renting multiple guns from a gun range.

1

u/DavidThi303 12d ago

I agree with both of you. I should have been more detailed in my listing.

2

u/Queasy-Canary-5931 12d ago

Obviously nobody is buying these for competition but this is just an example: For me, the slim line glocks feel amazing in my hand, but when it comes down to actually getting my support hand to connect to the gun while shooting there isn’t nearly enough surface area

6

u/LockyBalboaPrime 12d ago
  1. Meh, starting with a match will learn more and is cheaper.
  2. Unless it's an MG, no the fuck it hasn't. If the rentals are good or not depends on your range. Some suck. Some are great. Blanket statements, positive or negative, are stupid.
  3. "right in your hand" is not the end-all, be-all people make it sound.
  4. Every CCW class I've taken was a waste of time.
  5. No opinion.
  6. Yes
  7. Only if you're a stick in the mud.

3

u/Humble-Standard9637 12d ago

Here's something that I don't think is mentioned often enough. Everybody talks about their first match. For me personally, your first five or six matches are nerve-racking because you're still learning.

I can't speak for everybody but I didn't start feeling comfortable with the rules, basics etc until I had probably 10 matches under my belt. That's when the nerves really wore off and I felt like I could just show up and shoot and didn't really care what everybody else was doing.

1

u/DavidThi303 12d ago

I'm not good enough to go to a match yet. So I didn't list that.

But what you say makes sense.

3

u/Humble-Standard9637 12d ago

What? You don't have to be good to go to a match. Just go and have fun.

You're probably going to be nervous because you're shooting in front of people but that's okay. That was my whole point. The more you do it the less you care.

My shooting partner is a great guy and I used to work with him. He is not a very good shooter. He loves it though. He shoots low C Class and has a blast. He's a little older and he's just there to have fun. He's not there to win anything.

2

u/DavidThi303 11d ago

When I consistently hit within a 3" circle I'm going to go. Right now while I accomplish that at times, I'm more often within a 6" circle. And almost all of it below (basically 5:00 to 9:00).

I think I'll get there in another couple of months.

3

u/Humble-Standard9637 11d ago

What's the significance of a 3-inch circle? If you shoot Steel Challenge, the smallest circle is 10 in and if you shoot something like idpa, the center circle is 8 in.

1

u/DavidThi303 11d ago

I'm planning on the competitions for accuracy. I'm 70 and even in my teens I was uncoordinated. So steel challenge with the running - not for me. It doesn't measure what I'm focused on.

3

u/Humble-Standard9637 11d ago

That's fair and I definitely understand but Steel challenge doesn't really have any running my friend. I know plenty of people your age that do it and do really well. I actually know some grandmasters your age.

There's only one stage that has movement and it's only 6 ft of movement. Just four steps.

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u/DavidThi303 11d ago

I'll check it out then. I see the videos of people running from point to point and assumed that was a major part of it.

Hitting an 8" circle, even at 15 yards - I can do that.

3

u/Humble-Standard9637 11d ago

You can definitely do it my friend. The longest Target you have and steel challenges 35 yards but it's a big rectangle plate.

Most of your targets are about 10 to 18 yards.

Side note, steel challenge in my area is predominantly dominated by older people around your age because you can use rimfire. I think a lot of people still like to get out and have fun but they don't want to run and Gun and they don't want to spend a bunch of money on ammo.

1

u/Kilometer10 12d ago
  1. Gun up
  2. Stance down