let's be realistic...

[C Philip]

"The guy behind the trigger is 99% of the equation." I agree with 30Cal, however, it is unfortunate that in many sports, it is seen that in order to compete properly, you need the most expensive gun, racket, clubs, etc. IMHO it is mostly newbies that see things this way, and think that a great gun will make up for their lack of practice.

[Eghad]

the equipment can only improve your scores if the basic skills are there.....

I would be willing to bet there are a more than a few masters who could give you thier super race gun take yours and still outshoot you.

Some of the soldiers used to hate one of my ex Battalion Commanders...

A lot of the soldiers who boloed would make excuses...lol. The Battalion Commander would then borrow thier weapon with out zeroing it and then go on the 300m range and qualify....LOL

mad skillz ftw!

[T. O'Heir]

"...Take Olympic shooting, for example...." There's more than one flavour of Olympic shooting. There's everything from air pistol to high power rifle. However, Olympic class shooters and any other good shooter can shoot anything well, given a decent trigger, good sights and good ammo. Most of the 'game players', equipment junkies actually, can shoot a stock .45 just as well, albeit not as fast, as they can their 'space guns' too. IPSC and IDPA usually came after they shot bullseye.
One thing to remember about any of the shooting games is that the 'space guns' are not competing against the stock guns.
Quick draw or rather drawing quickly isn't something you can learn on-line, from a video or a book. It takes repetitive practice with a handgun that fits your hand. Use a full length mirror and try to beat your reflection. Sounds daft as hell, but it's practice that excercises the muscles used to draw fast. You might want to enrole in some classes as well.
NRAhab, join a club shooting NRA or ISSA(used to be ISU) bullseye. You don't have to stop just because you graduated. The camaraderie is there and so is the competition. Usually a good bunch of people too.

[NRAhab]

I would love to, but that would present me with the choice of shooting my Pardini K22 or watching Monday Night Football with my wife.

I am blessed with a woman that puts up with my IDPA and watches football with me. I'm not going to push my luck.

[pittbug]

peacemaker

You could apply the same theory to nascar... it'd be fun to watch Rusty Wallace and friends battling it out in stock cavaliers and neons.. ok.. maybe not that fun

[Brian Dale]

In Service Rifle, you can really only spend a moderate amount on the rifle...

Ammo. At my level, the most important thing to spend money on is lots and lots of ammo.

[Guy B. Meredith]

Well, I insist on shooting revolver in matches so it is obvious that equipment is a nit with me. I am not competitive "must win" type. That is a stress I just don't want.

[deadin]

I completely agree that it's what's holding the gun that counts 99%
However, in defence of a tyro like me shooting an Olympic level pistol. There is no way I can blame any of the bad shots on the gun.
I bought it because I liked its looks and I got a really good deal on it. (it's a Hammerli Free Pistol). I've been trying to master it for several years, I think it's winning. It's probably more pistol than I can handle or am willing to spend the time mastering, but I have a lot of frustrating fun every time I take it out.

Dean

[Double Naught Spy]

looked up fast draw on google today, and got kind of unsettled. i was just looking for tips on how to get a sixgun out of a holster fast, but found out that to be "competitive" you have to have a three screw old model blackhawk with a shaved down lightened frame, lightened action, titanium cylinder and barrel, etc. most of the guns can't even fire live rounds without blowing up.
That got me thinking about how unrealstic a lot of these shooting games are.
Take olympic shooting, for example. They've got these long barreled single shot .22s with skeletonized stocks and psychadelic colors and optics. The pistols look like they belong in a star wars movie, with the wacky sights and the 179 degree grip angle.
Don't get me wrong; i understand the guns are like that for a reason, and if that kind of sport suits you there's nothing wrong with that. But i wish they'd just give them a marlin .30-30 or something and see if they can hit with that.
anybody agree, disagree?

I disagree. A Marlin .30-30 won't cut it in the Olympics. Aside from the caliber issue, it isn't accurate enough to be competitive at the Olympic level.

Besides, why the Americentric perspective that they need a Marlin .30-30? What are you hoping to accomplish by asking them to shoot a wild west gun of the late 1800s and early 1900s design? Why should they be limited to such a crude implement when they can do better with better gear?

I don't know what you mean about shooting games being unrealistic, especially Olympic shooting. They are 100% realistic for what they are. They make no claims about simulating combat or hunting. They are simply a form of competition to make skills. How precise can you shoot given X Olympic rules criteria. They aren't IDPA trying to simulate defensive shooting scenarios.

Whether or not guns are in colors, have skeletonized stocks or look to be out of a star wars movie is immaterial. What is guns look like is relevant to nothing. By the way, I believe Hans Solo had a modified broomhandle Mauser pistol as his personal blaster in Star Wars.