There
are a few types of competition that can be found on nearly every range. Some
are obvious while others are completely foreign to those who have never been on
a firing line. And, for many of us, despite our lack of success we continue
coming back hoping to improve with each round down range.
The
first competition is with yourself. You look to quite the rest of the world,
focus on your mechanics, and perform well on the range. Sometimes the target
shows you are able to focus while other times it is clear that you are thinking
too much or you are unable to focus intensely on the objective at hand. For
many of us who see ourselves as novices, it is a constant routine that we go
through each time we walk up to the firing line.
The
second type of competition I see every time I walk into a gun shop or step foot
on a range. There are always firearms on display that you would like to have
for yourself. I don’t care who you are, that thought always runs through your
mind at least once. Sometimes it sprints, sometimes it is a brisk walk, but it
is always moving through your mind. Thankfully, the majority of gun owners will
let you fire a couple of rounds just to satisfy the mental itch. But it usually
doesn’t last long and there are some people I see walk onto the line the next
time with the same firearm that they were eyeing the previous week.
The
third type of competition is the most obvious and the one that I am looking to
pursue in the future. There are numerous clubs and competitions of all kinds in
the area and even though I don’t expect to place well, I am eager to get out on
the range and see what I am able to do. While I was never a precision shooter,
my combat accuracy is pretty good so I would like to see if the range skills I
have developed will translate to the steel plates.
However,
the issue that many of us face with this third kind of competition is that is
actually involves all three kinds at the same time. We compete with ourselves
and with others as we look around and covet the high end competition guns and
optics all around us. But, that is all part of the sport and part of the hobby
as well as the common threat that ties us together as a community.
