I am an advocate of Action Shooting Sports for the enormous benefits a shooter can derive. Static Range will only give you a measurement of Marksmanship & Gun Handling in a quiet, pressure-less environment but it is a myth that goes down the drain the second you are under the slightest influence of adrenalin.  I have seen shooters that felt pretty good about their craft in a static range become a bowl of ticked off pudding when they are under a timer and must move or face moving targets. Action Shooting Sports will give a shooter an initial measurement of what he ir she will do when the cow chips hit the wind power turbines.

The other thing(s) you get when competing against other shooters is an instantly available pool of knowledge yours for the observing and asking. You will see a technique that you did not know almost in every match and will try it. It may work or it might not but you have something you did not have before and that is golden. And if you are having troubles adapting that technique, have no doubt that somebody will me very willing to teach you the finer points till you get it right.

There is also a sense of camaraderie among individuals that are usually fiercely independent. It is a meeting of liked-minded folks that breathe the sport and will discuss, test, argue and advertise different schools of tactics, themes or trainings received. Backstabbing is almost non-existent you can let your hair down and make mistakes knowing that any catcalling will be done without malice: just friends laughing with you instead of at you. Information about just anything guns will be shared in between sips of Gatorade, mineral water and an occasional cloud of tobacco smoke. After Match meals to relax and comment anything and everything happen quite often if you wish to attend. And even if you do not attend, nobody feels offended because you did not partake on the meal: they understand because they are like you.

I am the least gregarious person you’ll ever meet. If you happen to visit me at home, I have no qualms on telling that I like you (you have my address so a certain level of liking is present, otherwise you don’t even get my zip code) but that it is time for you to leave the premises because I need my alone time. Even so I enjoy thoroughly my IDPA Matches with the shooting, bantering, jokes, arguments, discussion and even the occasional bartering that happens, specially if the wife never finds out.

So, join a Action Shooting Club to learn and have fun. It is the cheapest therapy in town. Although truth be told, we are a bit crazy sometimes.

If we weren’t, why would be come out to shoot in a Saturday morning in Miami with 40 degree weather, winds at 15 m.p.h and a constant drizzle while standing in two inches deep of very cold mud? 🙂