Goals and Competition

[rvb]

For those who participate in organized shooting competition events, what is your goal statement? Why do you participate? What brings you to the range? "My goal is to ...."

Can you apply that statement to your participation at all levels of competition, be that local/regional/national level events.

If you do not attend certain levels of competition, why not? How does the level of the match affect you meeting your goal?

What external obstacles keep you from meeting that goal?

If you do not compete at all, what goals do you have? Does organized competition interfere with your goal?

You might find it hard to put into one sentence. That's probably because you haven't thought about the ONE goal that supersedes all others. I think it will be interesting to see if answers to many of the questions really align with the goal statements.

A couple of ground rules for the discussion:
- Be Honest. If you want to win say so. If you want to get away from your spouse, say so (unless they read here, then you might want to just not answer! haha!).
- A goal should be over-arching, not specific like "hit an 8-inch plate at 10 yds from the holster in 0.8 seconds." I'm looking for things like "have fun" or "become national champion" or "help others learn to shoot." No wrong answer.
- Tactical vs gamesmenship is not considered for this discussion. there's a bazillion other threads for that on INGO alone. Please refrain.
- Resource limitations are not considered. Infinite money and time might change everyone's answer.

I'll wait to post my answers to not bias discussion. My goals have evolved over the years. Learning to define my goal has helped me to keep perspective. As my goals have changed, so has the way I approach competition.

This spawned from another discussion located here:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/shooting_sports/64456-cowboy_action_shooting-3.html

 

[bigcraig]

I will make B-class in Limited regardless if I get my new Brazos ordered.

I will get my reloading setup and components this year to accomodate more practicing.

My only hang up is money, I have plenty of time and no other distractions.

I also plan on getting into better shape physically this year as well, I need to do it any way and it will improve my stage times.

 

[smitty12b]

For me it's all about fun. If my name is near the top of a list then that's a bonus but not a goal.

 

[chizzle]

I'd like to shoot at my skill level at matches, get classified in revolver, and push one of my classifications to A class in 2010. I'd also like to schedule a regular airsoft practice session for the winter months, so that I continue to practice.

 

[Cwood]

I shoot for trigger time and to have fun.

 

[42769vette]

this will be my first summer of f class. my goal is to not imbarres myself on my first outing. as long as i get in the top 20% of competitors i will consider it a sucess.

long term goal is i want to win no question. my longer term goal is to win atleast 1 match by the end of my second season

 

[DougBarnes101]

[FONT=&quot]2010 Shooting Goals
[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]1. Have Colt and Les Baer work 100%[/FONT]
2. [FONT=&quot]Win Single Stack Class twice at South Central and twice at Riley
3. [/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Make “B” Class by July, 2010
4, [/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Place in top 10 in Single Stack at IN Production, Single Stack, Revolver in April[/FONT]

 

[Delmar]

I think that a shooting competition is more fun than just shooting at targets. If I shoot better than everybody else, it is even funner.

 

[a zone]

I plan to go back to Production. It is just more fun for me. My practice schedule has slipped to nil in the last few years. I plan to bring that back into my daily routine.

I hope to build a tempo of increasing challenge for folks coming to ACC USPSA matches. Hone my stage desiign skills. And bring some big match type feel to our matches later in 2010.

Do my best to get through the IN Sectional at ACC in June.

Mike

 

[rvb]

So far I'm seeing lots of short term goals. I'm not asking about 2010 goals.
If your shooting "career" had a "vision statement" as most businesses do, what would it be?

If you have been involved in competition for the past few years, and plan to stay involved for the next several years, surly your goal is broader than most of what I'm reading. What brings you to the range?

Immediate and short term goals are important. I'm not trying to say they are wrong, but it's not what I'm asking.... is that your goal for participating?

-rvb

I shoot for trigger time and to have fun.

This is the closest I've seen to the goal statements I'm looking for.
"To have fun."

So going back to my original group of questions, what keeps you from meeting that goal? Surely every time you attend a match you don't meet that goal? (Please, no saying 'because so-and-so is a $#@&')

For me it's all about fun. If my name is near the top of a list then that's a bonus but not a goal.

I think that a shooting competition is more fun than just shooting at targets. If I shoot better than everybody else, it is even funner.

You guys started a goal statement of having fun, but then caveated that with winning. Does not winning impact your fun? What about larger matches (regional or national) where winning is less likely?

-rvb

I'd like to shoot at my skill level at matches

Man, so much is implied in this statement...

If you are shooting, then is that not YOUR skill level?
If you feel you should be performing better, then what is getting in the way?
when you meet this short term goal, how will it help you accomplish the reason you compete? (which is ... ?)

-rvb

I hope to build a tempo of increasing challenge

Now that's a goal!!
Not just a short term goal of

I can imagine some of the things that block that goal... would like to your thoughts. Is a goal like this one that gets you to participate? It's good to see another goal besides having fun and winning.

-rvb

 

[Cwood]

This is the closest I've seen to the goal statements I'm looking for.
"To have fun."

So going back to my original group of questions, what keeps you from meeting that goal? Surely every time you attend a match you don't meet that goal? (Please, no saying 'because so-and-so is a $#@&')

-rvb

I have fun at every match, the degree of fun depends on how well I do. By how well I do has nothing to do where I place compared to; did a screw a stage because of reloads or did I forget a target. We all would like to win but I am more concerned on how smooth did I shoot. I can have a great match and my scores can have me in the middle of the pack.

 

[riverman67]

I started shooting in June of 2009. My work schedule limits the amount of matches that I am able to attend because I work every other weekend.
Being a new shooter I am realistic about where I place in matches, If I am not last I am happy. My main goals are to Have fun, improve my gun handling skills and My accuracy. The first goal is almost always accomplished the others not so much but I am seeing improvement

 

[m_deaner]

My main goal is to win, even though I'm only a C-class shooter and I normally finish in the middle of the pack. I have fun if I shoot well, and I don't if I shoot poorly.

Things holding me back? Money, lack of time, the distraction of attending to a junior shooter during matches, and a nearly complete lack of practice (but I hope to fix this; I joined Atlanta a few weeks ago).

 

[Litlratt]

For those who participate in organized shooting competition events, what is your goal statement? Why do you participate? What brings you to the range? "My goal is to ...."

Can you apply that statement to your participation at all levels of competition, be that local/regional/national level events.

If you do not attend certain levels of competition, why not? How does the level of the match affect you meeting your goal?

What external obstacles keep you from meeting that goal?

If you do not compete at all, what goals do you have? Does organized competition interfere with your goal?

You might find it hard to put into one sentence. That's probably because you haven't thought about the ONE goal that supersedes all others. I think it will be interesting to see if answers to many of the questions really align with the goal statements.

A couple of ground rules for the discussion:
- Be Honest. If you want to win say so. If you want to get away from your spouse, say so (unless they read here, then you might want to just not answer! haha!).
- A goal should be over-arching, not specific like "hit an 8-inch plate at 10 yds from the holster in 0.8 seconds." I'm looking for things like "have fun" or "become national champion" or "help others learn to shoot." No wrong answer.
- Tactical vs gamesmenship is not considered for this discussion. there's a bazillion other threads for that on INGO alone. Please refrain.
- Resource limitations are not considered. Infinite money and time might change everyone's answer.

I'll wait to post my answers to not bias discussion. My goals have evolved over the years. Learning to define my goal has helped me to keep perspective. As my goals have changed, so has the way I approach competition.

This spawned from another discussion located here:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/shooting_sports/64456-cowboy_action_shooting-3.html

Good questions. Interesting answers.

My main passion was, and still is, NRA Highpower. I've competed in it for approximately 19 years. When I first started, my goal was to be very good. Shortly thereafter, I included shooting a possible score. 800 out of 800, at the time no one had done it. Since then, to the best of my knowledge, 3 individuals have done it once each.
Years later, my goal changed to executing 88 good shots per match, 80 for score. As this seems like a short term goal because it is per match, any long term goal is dependent on this. Once I've accomplished this goal, my long term goals will once again change.

Long Range, 1k shooting is my second passion. Initially, my goal was to be very good. At some point it changed to shooting a 200X20. To the best of my knowledge it still hasn't been done. I believe the National record to be 200X19. Executing good shots is my goal here also, but there are other factors which effect score.

Ultimately, my goal is to have fun. It didn't take long to realize that the better I shot, the more fun I had. I've also found out that I would rather shoot well and lose than not shoot well and win.

This season I started shooting USPSA(again) and Steel Challenge. I'm such a newb at them I haven't set any long term goals. My short term goals are to continue to learn and have fun. At some point, I'll take a realistic look at my skill level and set short term goals based on how much time I feel that I can invest in them.

 

[rvb]

This is the closest I've seen to the goal statements I'm looking for.
"To have fun."

So going back to my original group of questions, what keeps you from meeting that goal? Surely every time you attend a match you don't meet that goal? (Please, no saying 'because so-and-so is a $#@&')

I have fun at every match, the degree of fun depends on how well I do. By how well I do has nothing to do where I place compared to; did a screw a stage because of reloads or did I forget a target. We all would like to win but I am more concerned on how smooth did I shoot. I can have a great match and my scores can have me in the middle of the pack.

Good answers... This is the type of discussion I'm looking for. So if your goal is to have fun, why do you care about your performance? It seems sometimes that keeps you from your goal?

-rvb

My main goal is to win, even though I'm only a C-class shooter and I normally finish in the middle of the pack. I have fun if I shoot well, and I don't if I shoot poorly.

Things holding me back? Money, lack of time, the distraction of attending to a junior shooter during matches, and a nearly complete lack of practice (but I hope to fix this; I joined Atlanta a few weeks ago).

A solid goal. realistic roadblocks that prevent that goal, and a plan to address [some of] those roadblocks. Excellent.

What about major matches? Would you consider or do you shoot regional or national level events? Does knowing it will be harder to obtain that goal impact your answer?

-rvb

When I first started, my goal was to be very good. Shortly thereafter, I included shooting a possible score.
...
As this seems like a short term goal because it is per match, any long term goal is dependent on this. Once I've accomplished this goal, my long term goals will once again change.

I'm curious to understand why your long-term goal changed just because you added a short term goal? I tend to look at short-term goals as milestones... markers that I am on the path of my long term goal.

Ultimately, my goal is to have fun. It didn't take long to realize that the better I shot, the more fun I had. I've also found out that I would rather shoot well and lose than not shoot well and win.

Now you're entering the meat of my topic, along w/ Cwood's comments.
Conflicting goals. What goal supersedes all others?
You have a goal to have fun, and realistically a goal to shoot well. Lot's of people talk about having fun being their main goal... but is it? Or is it a byproduct of achieving your ultimate goal?

Do you attend larger matches? Is their anything different about these matches that keeps you from achieving your goal of having fun (or is it to shoot well?)? How do other shooters (at any level match) impact you meeting your goal?

800 out of 800, at the time no one had done it. Since then, to the best of my knowledge, 3 individuals have done it once each.

Were you one of them!?
If not, is that still a goal? Why did you change it?

Good post.

-rvb

 

[m_deaner]

What about major matches? Would you consider or do you shoot regional or national level events? Does knowing it will be harder to obtain that goal impact your answer?
-rvb

I've only been shooting USPSA, and really, handguns for a little over a year, and during that time I took almost four months off due to work and grad school commitments. I attended my first USPSA match to learn better gun handling skills, but quickly got addicted to the competition.

I have attended one major match - the Single Stack/Production match at Riley this spring.

No, I didn't "win". I didn't even come close. But I had a mid-pack finish that I was satisfied with. I can't say that shooting against better shooters lessened my enjoyment of the match; quite the opposite happened. I enjoy shooting with more skilled shooters; I have much to learn from them.

I think a good short-term goal will be to get to B-class by the end of the next season. I am now slightly above the middle of C.

Another short-term goal is to learn to shoot decent classifiers. I mess them up all the time. The last match I attended I started on the classifer, and had two mikes and a no-shoot right off the bat. I shot a clean match after that, and finished second in limited. I want my classifiers to be indicative of my shooting ability, and for the most part they haven't been...

 

[chizzle]

Man, so much is implied in this statement...

If you are shooting, then is that not YOUR skill level?
If you feel you should be performing better, then what is getting in the way?
when you meet this short term goal, how will it help you accomplish the reason you compete? (which is ... ?)

-rvb

My original post was:

"I'd like to shoot at my skill level at matches, get classified in revolver, and push one of my classifications to A class in 2010. I'd also like to schedule a regular airsoft practice session for the winter months, so that I continue to practice."

If you fail to implement, you can shoot below your skill level. My goal is NOT to magically shoot above my skill level and score well at matches, it is to raise my skill level, and then exhibit those skills at matches to see how I compare to others.

My "reason to compete" is to get out of the house on Sundays, and to have a good time with my friends.

 

[erik7941]

My goals would include:
Become a "B" or "A" class shooter in 2010.
Compete in the State Skeet shoot in 2010.
I would like to become skilled enough to either be sponsored by a manufacturer or to somehow get a job with a manufacturer using my shooting skills.
I compete because:
I enjoy competition
I like to win
I like to use the competitions as practice for hunting seasons.

 

[Litlratt]

I'm curious to understand why your long-term goal changed just because you added a short term goal? I tend to look at short-term goals as milestones... markers that I am on the path of my long term goal.

I feel that I accomplished my initial long term.
It didn't change because I added a short term, it changed as a result of my experience in the sport.
I agree with short term achievable milestones, they are like little ego strokes. I always considered them cookies from the Shooting Gods.

Now you're entering the meat of my topic, along w/ Cwood's comments.
Conflicting goals. What goal supersedes all others?
You have a goal to have fun, and realistically a goal to shoot well. Lot's of people talk about having fun being their main goal... but is it? Or is it a byproduct of achieving your ultimate goal?

I wouldn't consider it a byproduct as I have fun whether I shoot well or not. If it was a byproduct of your ultimate goal, you would only experience it at that time.

Do you attend larger matches? Is their anything different about these matches that keeps you from achieving your goal of having fun (or is it to shoot well?)? How do other shooters (at any level match) impact you meeting your goal?

I've shot at the Nationals 16 of the last 17 years. Countless State and Regional Championships. Participation by other competitors has no impact on my performance. The conditions at Camp Perry has an effect because they are normally harder than they are locally. The fact that the targets are physically higher also has an effect on my performance in standing only.

Were you one of them!?
If not, is that still a goal? Why did you change it?

Good post.

-rvb

No, my best is a 796X39. The 800 is still a goal. It was included, never changed.

 

[BillD]

I started out shooting IDPA strictly to improve my shooting and gun handling for SD. That has changed over the years to loving the competition for competitions sake. I like to do well but I really like to win. Most of the time, if I don't win, I can point to something (usually no shoots and misses) that I need to work on.

Short term I want to get to B. Im close.
SINGLESTACKClass:CCurrent Pct:59.919High Percent:59.919

Long term, I'd like to win a local match HOA. I've done it several times at IDPA matches but it's a different story in USPSA. By and large, the shooters are better. It will be tough to do with a SS but I sure would like to. I'm sure I would have to get to A to pull this off. It would be great to make master with a SS but, man, that's a long way away. Hopefully my eyesight and knees will hold out. I'm 55 and I realize that there is going to be a day when my physical skills start to go downhill. I used to do triathalons in my early 30's. I wish I could bring that physical ability to my shooting.

Big matches, I've been to several. I've brought home first in division once. I've got half a dozen plaques but had given up on major matches until Mr. Barnes invited me to the Indiana State. I thought I had done very poorly but apparently not as poorly as everyone else. I got a plaque and I got excited about the sport again and really started practicing and hitting matches every weekend.

Now, I'm liking the excitement and chance to compare myself to shooters in other states. I'll hit those now as I can.

I like the excitement matches bring and the skill one must have to do well.

Helps not to be married when you go to 4-6 matches a month.

Bottom line, I'll shoot until I can't shoot anymore and I wished I had started earlier.
I get a great sense of satisfaction from running a stage well.