I Have Been Truly Humbled

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • gglass

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    12   0   0
    Dec 2, 2008
    2,313
    63
    ELKHART
    Let me start by saying that I am just about to turn 56, and have been shooting firearms since I was 7. In all that time, and with so many years of experience I have often counted myself as a pretty good shooter... Not the best, but good enough that even other shooters have patted me on the back at various times and at many ranges. I have even posted some of my better groups on this and other forums to show off at times, but those days are now gone for good. Why? Because I just discovered how absolutely mediocre I really am at practical (real life) shooting. you know, the kind of shooting that involves rapid fire while moving.

    You see, I have never been a run & gun type shooter at any point of my life. If I had a shooting type or style it would have to be "bulls-eye" shooting. The kind of shooting that involves only a slow pace of fire at a known distance from the target. I have posted online many 10-yard, 15-yard and 25-yard groups to prove my keen eye and shooting prowess, at least on that given day. I have even posted a video showing my ability to shoot a .22 GSG-1911 at 100 yards and keep all the shots on a torso target. But, even with those skills under my belt, I was completely unprepared for a day of professional training with a SWAT team leader from a Northern Indiana city. This 9-hour training covered various shooting skills and tactics that ranged from a couple of standing drills, where I did quite well, to many types of drills that added speed, movement and multiple activities into the string of fire, where I did from average to poorly... I actually felt like I was new to shooting. I knew that adding speed and movement would show my weaknesses, but damn! This was very hard!

    All I can say at this point is that most of my training for shooting has to be relearned. I have lost confidence that my bulls-eye style skill will count for much in a real-life self defense emergency. I will not be shooting from a known distance at a static target utilizing my tried and true shooting stance... Everything I thought I knew, just went out the window, and it makes me sad that it took nearly 50 years of shooting to figure it out.

    Previous examples of what I once thought made a decent marksman...

    14-Yards, but now worthless:
    FkdLpACl.jpg



    15-Yards, but now worthless:
    FuA90uil.jpg


    10-Yards, but now worthless:
    iPNmR8Xl.jpg


    I have been truly humbled, but now realize that I must change my shooting skills training if I really want to be able to hold my own if I am in a S###-Storm situation.
     
    Last edited:

    flatlander

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    18   0   0
    May 30, 2009
    4,184
    113
    Noblesville
    No big deal. You have the basics. I started taking classes with Coach at 58 after shooting for 50 yrs. Good place to face my aging body and push it to get better.

    Bob
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
    77
    Bloomington
    Like what was said "you have the basics." You are in a much better place than I am. I'll be 60 this year, not a shooter all my life and I have had to accept that I am nowhere near ready for anything with speed. If I go slow, I can hit a target okay, minute of man and all that. But as soon as I try to speed up, I start missing.

    We have a plate rack at my club. Now, I would think shooting an 8" plate from 10 yards quickly would be easy and I'm sure it is for most. Me? Can't clean it.

    It will be awhile, if ever, before I shoot any kind of competition.

    I'm betting it won't take you long to get it.
     

    OakRiver

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 12, 2014
    15,013
    77
    IN
    What you have learned to date isn't worthless, just put it in its proper context. Your original style of shooting works in static defensive situations, for example, if you are bunkering in your home as someone is attempting to force entry.

    You have just identified an area of opportunity for you to grow your skills.

    I was the same as you. I thought I was a reasonable shot, standing on the line, taking time to line up my sights, focus on the front sight, by breathing, and the pressure on the trigger. Then I joined a local pistol league, which included movement and dynamic scenarios, and I took some force-on-force classes. Much like yourself I left many early sessions well and truly humbled. Faced with this new information I could ostrich it, stick my head in the sand and stay set in my ways, or I could be honest with myself and work at it. I chose to work on it, and seeing the progress I have made keeps me going back for more.
     

    rhino

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    30,906
    113
    Indiana
    I get what you're feeling, but having good baseline marksmanship skills is far from worthless!

    What you have really learned is that the world is bigger and there are new elements of skill that you could add that will make you a better shooter. The key now is to be able to deliver the same level of marksmanship regardless of how you standing, sitting, or lying and do it while using/wasting less time.

    You're now aware of what you can do and what you cannot yet do. If you choose to take the journey and you learn, train, and practice as needed, you will make very good progress over time.

    The best part is, there will always be something new for you to learn and master and you'll learn that as you progress, being "advanced" means primarily that execute all of the fundamentals at increasingly higher levels until you don't have to think about it and you can perform on demand at the level you seek.



    Let me start by saying that I am just about to turn 56, and have been shooting firearms since I was 7. In all that time, and with so many years of experience I have often counted myself as a pretty good shooter... Not the best, but good enough that even other shooters have patted me on the back at various times and at many ranges. I have even posted some of my better groups on this and other forums to show off at times, but those days are now gone for good. Why? Because I just discovered how absolutely mediocre I really am at practical (real life) shooting. you know, the kind of shooting that involves rapid fire while moving.

    You see, I have never been a run & gun type shooter at any point of my life. If I had a shooting type or style it would have to be "bulls-eye" shooting. The kind of shooting that involves only a slow pace of fire at a known distance from the target. I have posted online many 10-yard, 15-yard and 25-yard groups to prove my keen eye and shooting prowess, at least on that given day. I have even posted a video showing my ability to shoot a .22 GSG-1911 at 100 yards and keep all the shots on a torso target. But, even with those skills under my belt, I was completely unprepared for a day of professional training with a SWAT team leader from a Northern Indiana city. This 9-hour training covered various shooting skills and tactics that ranged from a couple of standing drills, where I did quite well, to many types of drills that added speed, movement and multiple activities into the string of fire, where I did from average to poorly... I actually felt like I was new to shooting. I knew that adding speed and movement would show my weaknesses, but damn! This was very hard!

    All I can say at this point is that most of my training for shooting has to be relearned. I have lost confidence that my bulls-eye style skill will count for much in a real-life self defense emergency. I will not be shooting from a known distance at a static target utilizing my tried and true shooting stance... Everything I thought I knew, just went out the window, and it makes me sad that it took nearly 50 years of shooting to figure it out.

    Previous examples of what I once thought made a decent marksman...

    14-Yards, but now worthless:



    15-Yards, but now worthless:


    10-Yards, but now worthless:


    I have been truly humbled, but now realize that I must change my shooting skills training if I really want to be able to hold my own if I am in a S###-Storm situation.
     

    Bigtanker

    Cuddles
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Aug 21, 2012
    21,688
    151
    Osceola
    Was this class open to the public?

    I'll also mention that BORCC in Niles holds IDPA, USPSA , Steel challenge and maybe a few more. I don't know what part of Michiana you're in but it's not from SB.
     

    Trapper Jim

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    22   0   0
    Dec 18, 2012
    2,676
    77
    Arcadia
    All I can say at this point is that most of my training for shooting has to be relearned.

    And this my friend is what the bulk of every gun owner should realize. You are way ahead of the game for your practice in Bullseye. PM me and I will be glad to give you some pointers at my range in your area.
     

    gglass

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    12   0   0
    Dec 2, 2008
    2,313
    63
    ELKHART
    Was this class open to the public?

    I'll also mention that BORCC in Niles holds IDPA, USPSA , Steel challenge and maybe a few more. I don't know what part of Michiana you're in but it's not from SB.

    Bigtanker,

    This was not a free or open class. It was a specially designed class for myself and two others to prepare for a response to an active shooter situation. The training was very tailored, and designed to fit as much into one day as possible. Even though one day is not even close to enough, it did give each of us an idea of tactics and some basic skill building blocks to at least give us a foundation for future training.

    Your suggestion of IDPA, USPSA and Steel challenges is welcome and something I had thought about in the past. I now know that I will have to do events like these if I want to measure my skill against myself and others. I will also need to change training areas since most indoor and outdoor ranges are not setup for, not do they allow any sort of run and gun... I think my son who has a shooting range on his land will be seeing a lot more of me.

    Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and encouragement. I know that my use of the word "worthless" was a bit of hyperbole, but it actually does describe my exact feelings while I was in the heat of each of the movement shooting exercises...There were many times that I don't recall if I even had a proper sight picture, which goes against 50 years of bulls eye shooting experience. I won't keep saying that my previous skill sets were worthless, but I will say that those skills were underutilized at this training event... My brain needs to be rewired to pick up a sight picture far faster than I'm currently able.
     
    Last edited:

    ol' poke

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    7   0   0
    Jan 14, 2010
    633
    28
    IDPA, Steel Challenge, USPSA, Cowboy Action Shooting, etc. should be on your radar. It's a fun time! Everyone is/was in the same boat. It's amazing how you can miss a 12" plate at 10 yds. when you add movement. The best part is you are mainly working against yourself and your own limitations. Be safe, and do your best!
     

    Hookeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Dec 19, 2011
    15,039
    77
    armpit of the midwest
    Grew up shooting and hunting. Had good eyes.
    Was told IHMSA woukd shame me. No spotter or clicks, .22 rf first time was a 28. And i was not happy

    Forget what IPSC deal was, again told dont expect much. Shocked em when i whupped em on a few stages.

    First up.....know the game. Next, think about what your plan is....and then just do it.

    Most folks screw stuff up in their head
    Not their ttigger finger
     
    Last edited:

    Hookeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Dec 19, 2011
    15,039
    77
    armpit of the midwest
    Learning new stuff is fun.
    Dont let the learning curve get you down.
    Its different. Learn why and be confident that you will.
    Dont be bummed.
    Juat figure out whats going on and improve
     
    Rating - 75%
    3   1   0
    Jan 7, 2012
    1,720
    83
    Porter county
    I would not beat myself up over this. There are many shooting disciplines. Your particular facet was handgun target shooting: there is nothing wrong with that. I imagine that it took a lot of time and effort to reach your skill level now. If you applied that same level of determination and patience, there is no reason why you can't improve in whatever discipline you wish to pursue.
     

    migunner

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    14   0   0
    Jul 4, 2011
    444
    28
    DeMotte
    A truly wise person readily recognizes areas for improvement. I am pretty sure I could use some run and gun training to improve skills. I was schooled by a fellow shooter at a steel challenge. Humble pie for me!
     

    700 LTR 223

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Apr 5, 2008
    919
    63
    I would not beat myself up over this. There are many shooting disciplines. Your particular facet was handgun target shooting: there is nothing wrong with that. I imagine that it took a lot of time and effort to reach your skill level now. If you applied that same level of determination and patience, there is no reason why you can't improve in whatever discipline you wish to pursue.

    Exactly , most will never shoot as good you have in the above targets. You have just entered into a new shooting discipline. But as my bullsye shooting friend told me many years ago- already having marksmanship skills will serve you well in any new shooting sport. He is primarily a bullseye shooter but entered the unlimited Glock match at Camp Perry this year and shot a 500-36X for second place.
     
    Top Bottom