What is great?

[Coach]

How is greatness defined in regards to shooting? What does it mean to be great with a handgun, rifle, shotgun?

 

[riverman67]

I would have to say someone like Jerry Miculek . He has multiple championships in several different discplines and firearms .
You would also have to consider the exhibition shooters . They can do things that most people can't even dream of doing with firearms.
Jeff Cooper has to be right up there he started this stuff didn't he?
It's a good question with many possible answers

 

[rvb]

Is it even the same for everyone?

-rvb
[contributing, without saying anything useful at all....]

 

[downrange72]

Greatness defined? Wow, that is deep. I think it obviously revolves around accuracy. Being able to reproduce your results nearly EVERY time. Being able to push personal limits each time you go to the range. It would be nearly impossible to quantify greatness. I guess you can count the number of trophies or whatever, but does that truely define it?

I agree with RVB, I don't feel it would be the same for everyone.

 

[slow1911s]

For USPSA and the other time-based games, match wins are the measure. Classification means jack.

Point-based games like Bianchi, Bullseye, Highpower and all its forms, are different IMO. Shoot a 1920 in a match and you're a stud. Do something similar in the other sports and I think the same.

Great shooters are winners at multiple disciplines. Doug Koenig, Robbie, Jerry, Max, Piatt, Vadasz are all examples.

 

[rhino]

What is Great:

1. To crush your enemy;
2. See him driven before you; and
3. Hear the lamentations of his women.

 

[gh2]

Greatness is defined as different things to different people. Great and talent are two different things. Those that freely share what they have worked their butts off to learn are great people. Some of the greatest people I've had the privilege to know have lived behind the scenes while other, not so great people, basked in the limelight.

 

[HighStrung]

Basically to me, it's nothing more than someone's ability to repeatedly hit exactly what they're aiming at. Be it a 6" disk while riding on a horse, or putting 10 rds thru a ragged hole at 500yds. People can be great in a single aspect of shooting (which means that I can learn something from them) or in a variety of aspects of shooting (which also means that I can learn). To me greatness would be defined as someones abliltiy to bascially master exactly what they wanted to. It's how good they are at what they do (what ever that is).

 

[riverman67]

What is Great:

1. To crush your enemy;
2. See him driven before you; and
3. Hear the lamentations of his women.

and who else but you could come up with a Conan reference

 

[mongo404]

I feel that what makes you great is your dedication to what you love. And the will to help others. If your are one of the great ones but dont pass along some of what you have learned and are a real D@#* and whine about everything like a few of the big shooters do. Then in my opinion your not that great. My other opinion is what makes you great is constantly wanting to improve your abilities and help others do the same.

 

[rvb]

so a person is not a great shooter if they are not a great mentor, coach, or representative? and regarding dedication, can't a person be 100% dedicated, but still not be great?

...a prime example of why I said "great" is not the same for everyone. I'm absolutely not saying you're wrong. But it's definately a different angle.

"great" strictly applied to shooting is difficult to measure... what is the metric? Trophies? Income (sponsorship or prize money)? A specific score? A specific feat? Surviving while "the other guy" didnt? "Great" applied to dedication and mentoring is even harder to define...

I think in addition to meeting some metric of skill, it also requires consistency.

-rvb

 

[mwmccormick]

Being it, knowing it, yet not letting on to your peers that you are. Consistant, confident, yet still "one of the guys".

 

[mhs]

I didn't recognize you.

What is Great:

1. To crush your enemy;
2. See him driven before you; and
3. Hear the lamentations of his women.

Did you lay off the steroids?

 

[Jay]

I think great is when someone else views you that way.

 

[firecop9774]

GREAT: The smell of Hoppe's -- reminds me of my father (a GREAT man), who taught me shooting and gun safety, who took me and my siblings to Camp Perry every year, regardless of his busy work schedule. Whose guns will be passed down to my boys, and theirs, and theirs......

 

[Coach]

Greatness is hard to describe and explain, but I know it when I see it.

 

[BillD]

Greatness is hard to describe and explain, but I know it when I see it.

Kinda like porn?

 

[rhino]

Kinda like porn?

Only great porn.

 

[Coach]

Kinda like porn?

Larry Flint was what I was thinking of.

 

[slow1911s]

Larry Flint was what I was thinking of.

I am exercising a great deal of restraint at this very moment. Dear lord.