Tired of shooting at static targets at the range?

Shooting sports is a collective group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using various types of ranged weapons, mainly referring to pistols, rifles and shotguns. Different disciplines of shooting sports can be categorized by equipment, shooting distances, targets, time limits and degrees of athleticism involved.

Going to the range is an enjoyable pastime, but do you sometimes feel like there could be more to it?

If you’re like me, you might wonder how you can figure out if you’re actually getting better at shooting or how you stack up against other shooters.

One way to do it is competition.

t might sound scary, but that’s okay.  Anyone who competes remembers what their first matches were like and isn’t interested in laughing at you….at least until we know you better!

Competitive shooting can be accessible to anyone who knows how to handle their firearms, whether they are on a shoestring or lottery winner budget.

You can use it as an occasional leisure activity, pursue it to the highest levels of international championships, or find a happy medium that fits your life and goals.

Competition is also a great way to get more time on the range, often with setups that might be difficult or impossible for you to put together on your own.  All you really need to get started are the guns you’ll be shooting, some ammo, and maybe some range bag essentials.

Getting to run around and blast targets, shoot interesting challenges, or master new skills are all exciting and fun.

They might not be “real life,” but they can also be a useful way to benchmark your progress over time and against shooters you don’t already know.  In some shooting sports, you can even track how you’re doing directly compared to the very best in the world.

Plus matches can be fun social events to spend time with people with similar mindset and interests whether you just want to hang with new friends or battle for wins in good-natured rivalries.

As for the fame and money the big shooters bring home?  Fame might be limited to your local club or the sport you compete in, and you might win no more than a pat on the back or a trophy for your mantel, but the sky’s the limit.  Haven’t you heard of Jerry Miculek or Julie Golob?

However, many types of competitions have separate divisions or sibling sports that are nearly identical but use other guns.  Make sure you investigate all FRPC shooting clubs even if you think you’re only interested in competing with one type of firearm.