Summary: A complete “package” for the defensive shooter includes a triad of shooting skill, mindset, and tactical processes. Competition can greatly aid shooting skill without detracting from mindset or tactical skills. In particular, competition will help:
Discussion:
I first thought about competitive shooting when considering becoming a CCW holder about 12 years ago. I knew that what the Army had taught me (primarily carbine), while useful, would not apply particularly well.
As I was studying the issue I encountered writing by Masood Ayoob, and very powerfully a book by Jim Cirillo called “Guns, Bullets, and Gunfights”. He’d survived 17 gunfights in his time on the NYPD and when retired dedicated himself to helping others survive and win.
In the book, he identified these characteristics for those that survive gunfights:
What’s the first question?
Let’s go over that again…. what… is….the… first…question??
Note that Jim didn’t limit to just PPC (a popular police shooting contest), he includes skeet, trap, bowling pin shoots, air rifle or rimfire precision, service rifle – any kind of shooting under stress.
His first three criteria are DIRECTLY related to competitions of some sort of another with an escalation in the stress.
I was interested because I was a hunter, I was a varsity athlete, skiier, and mountain biker. I had a variety of guns. I reloaded ammo. I was over 28. Married, with kids. I love meeting people and I’m very active in my community.
The only thing missing was the most important – competing. So I went out and found that. It led me to shooting excellence. The confidence to carry every day. And ultimately to partner with my long time friend Ron Avery to start TPC.
It’s patently obvious to me that people that compete can usually shoot markedly better than those that don’t. Inversely, people that don’t compete regularly usually think they can shoot well but really can’t (not true in all cases, but very very common).
Sadly, I’ve stepped on to many law enforcement and military ranges and the ONLY people that can shoot better than me have been other competitive shooters. Fortunately, ranges we are visiting are in the process of changing that skill level.
It’s also patently obvious to me that unless you are a complete nincompoop what you do competing doesn’t affect what you do tactically or harm your mindset. The subconscious skill developed for shooting frees up bandwidth for tactics and mindset. It’s a support for the other two facets, not a detractor.
Finally, and importantly, I find competition very enjoyable. I like the people I meet when competing. I enjoy, very much, knowing where I stand on the skill spectrum. It keeps me coming back because it’s fun. I also know my gear very well. What works. What doesn’t. And how best to employ it.
Watch the video. Discuss in our forum on Facebook or in Youtube.
If you are competing, keep it up and invite others to join you.
If you aren’t, please consider it.
If you have questions, please feel free to reach out.
Ken Nelson
Co-Founder, TPC
