Adaptive Consulting & Training

What handgun competition can do for you.

Aron Bright

There are at least two very divergent opinions about handgun competition within the shooting world. Those who favor handgun competition are one group and those who do not favor competition are the other. There are many different hand gun shooting sports. Each of these sports has their own distinct character, and with that distinction are advantages and disadvantages in how they relate to the use of the handgun in self-defense situations. One could engage in many passionate debates about which type of handgun competition is best, and provides the most realistic practice for the self-defense with a handgun. Such debates can be healthy and have their place. However, getting too caught up in such a debate could make it easy to lose track of the most important thing about handgun competition, that it will help you to improve many aspects of your shooting and therefore improve your odds of prevailing in a self-defense situation.
If a shooter is putting lead down range, that is a positive thing and should be supported by the rest of the shooting world. The model of gun, choice of caliber, or shooting discipline is irrelevant to the big picture. Getting out on the range and aligning the sights and pressing the trigger is better preparation than reading an article, surfing the websites, watching a dvd about shooting. It is important to do those other things in order to know what needs to be practiced but knowing is not enough. The ability to do is paramount. This is where handgun competition comes into the equation as a valuable training tool. Handgun competition is not enough by itself to insure a shooter is properly prepared for using a handgun in self-defense. However, many times competition is dismissed prematurely by the “tactical” crowd and not given its due credit if it is given any credit at all. For those who have pondered the value of competition the following should be considered. Why compete?
1) Because it is fun! We do things in life because we have to do them, and we do other things because they are fun. Handgun competition is fun, and there are many different disciplines from which to choose. Find the one that suits your style and interest and get off the couch and give it a try.
2) Competition is a crucible that tests your gun, holster, ammunition and other gear. If your gear will hold up and perform in competition you know it will hold up in more serious situations. How can you trust your life or the lives of your family to gear that has not been properly tested? One full season of competition will tell you all you need to know about any piece of equipment, and inferior gear will usually surface in one or two competitions.
3) The best gun handlers in the world are the competition shooters. When it comes to draws, reloads, malfunction clearing, movement, safety, competition shooters stand out. If you are not comfortable handling and manipulating your gun how successful can you really expect to be in a self-defense situation? How do you get comfortable with handling your gun? By doing it! Does that mean competition is the only way? No it is not, but it is a very good method of improving gun handling.
4) Competition provides stress in two ways. The first is the timer, and the other is the audience. The thought of stepping up to the line and loading and making ready, and having to perform on demand in front of other people who are watching and judging you is a pressure situation. Using a handgun for self-defense is a pressure situation. It is better to practice than to not practice, but it is best to practice with the added pressure and stress that competition supplies.
5) No matter what type of competition accuracy is going to be a factor, and most likely a big factor. It is not possible to miss fast enough to win in any competition. Accuracy is absolutely essential in self-defense scenario. Competition will help you to improve your accuracy, and therefore competition is a good idea.

6) Measure you abilities against others. Are your skills improving? Is your practice routine effective?Competition will provide honest and real feedback in this way. Jeff Cooper once said, “You don’t have to be a champion shooter to be able to defend yourself and your family.” This is a true statement, but being a champion shooter isn’t going to hurt either. Striving to improve will prepare you for self-defense situations.
7) Competition can assist the shooter in becoming a more complete shooter. USPSA, IDPA, NRA Action Pistol and these types of competitions require different things but they all force the shooter out of their comfort zone. Drawing from concealment, strong hand only and weak hand only shooting, moving targets, shooting on the move, speed, accuracy, surrender positions, table draws, and empty starts are some of the challenges that a shooter will have to successfully be able to perform. If you have a weakness it will be made obvious in competition there is no place to hide. However, it is better to know your capabilities before you have to take the most important shot of your life on the street or in your dark bedroom.

The point is rather simple. The skills being tested and developed in handgun competition carry over into defensive use of handguns. The shooter who carries or owns a gun for self-defense and does not practice with that gun is operating under a flawed system. The shooter who discounts competition as a valuable training tool is likewise operating under a flawed system. Shooting to save your life or the life of someone else is a competition and the stakes are very high. In the big picture all the competitions are simply practice for the moment of truth. Practice needs to occur and it needs to be realistic, and competition provides such an opportunity. So get out to the range and compete.