Shooting Competition

This is an aricle regarding why, if you can carry concealed weapon, you should try some competition.

Of the local matches that I've shot, I prefer USPSA over IDPA. IDPA seems to have more procedural rules that will get you a side eye from the range officer. USPSA is mostly a speed match. You score better by shooting faster and with moderate accuracy.22

But if you're shooting your carry gun, don't get hung up on that. You're probably not going to score highly against otehr shooters; they're shooting race guns with 5" barrels and almost all of them have carry optics. Even if they're slightly shorter guns, they all seem to have carry optics.

Nobody, though, will look down on you for shooting a carry gun or even a {gasp} revolver. Quite the opposite. You'd probably be shooting the matches to practice with your carry gun and everyone will respect that.

What you should do, though, is check to see if your carry holster is permitted. Cross-draws, bra holsters, and shoulder-holsters will not be permitted. (Maybe in the zoot Shooters, but I doubt that.) Some might have heartburn with abdominal-inside-the-waistband holsters; the best idea is to bring a traditional belt holster as a backup. They're cheap enough. Avoid leather holsters that don't have reinforced mouths. If you can't easily insert the gun into the holster without touching the holster, don't bring it. You run the risk of being disqualified (BT,DT).

Do your part to help run the match. Help tape up the targets after each run and, when the match is over, help put away the targets, holders, stands, and obstacles.

It's a good way to tune up your skills.