How did you get drawn into the matches you attend regularly?

[obx22]

Lotta threads popping up recently as we reflect on the last year, and try to look at growing the sport and increasing event attendance.
Let’s step back a second and share how we came into this sport. Perhaps we’ll learn something.

A few years ago I was plinking at the public range, and was approached by a fella asking if I’d like to start a precision rimfire club. Just like that. He has the gift of gab, travels a bit, and is great at networking. While we started with events at a short range club, he eventually secured us a 400 yard single lane property. Many others came, and brought in materials, targets, barricades, etc. and it’s taken on a life of it’s own.
I could only offer time, started a Facebook group, and ended up meeting and shooting with folks through that resource.

How about you?

 

[OREGUN]

I had $1/2 million sitting on a shelf and thought to myself, “well me, I need an expensive and time consuming hobby that can steal time from my family and will burn through that half mil in a year or two”.

Since I’m not that in to cars, I already spent the other million getting trained so someone else pays me to fly airplanes, and I don’t live near water and so don’t need a boat, shooting matches seemed like the best choice.

 

[BurtG]

Took a 4 day course at k and m. To get better at shooting. They had a mini comp at the end. I was hooked.

My schedule is busy so if I have time off Il take whatever I can get.
Prefer Pigg, mkm , Tremont. But there’s a few local matches that are ok too.

Just bought a .22 so i have more match options.

 

[Rob01]

Started back on the Hide around 2000 and then it's reboot in 2001 and been shooting precision rifles for about 8 years at that point and then around 2002 saw info for the ASC match in WV and said "that looks like fun". Field match where you had to range all your targets with the reticle. Was a lot of fun and I was hooked. Shot the SH Cup at Rifles Only in TX and then just started shooting around the country from that point on. And to answer some people's question that is running through their head now, yes there were plenty of matches before the "PRS". LOL

 

[kindabitey]

The friend of mine has a son that was in the same class at VMI as the owner of my local range. I got conned into going to a one day match
a few years ago.
It's also helpful that said range is 20 min. from home.

 

[OREGUN]

In all seriousness though, I was shooting some 600 yard benchrest and f-class and then moved to a place where there just isn’t a whole lot of that going on anywhere convenient.…at the same time I got tired of reloading and the constant fiddling with loads and other such hassle when tiny groups is the goal.

Conveniently, there’s a ton of PRS style shooting going on around my new location and factory ammo just keeps getting better to the point of being beyond competitive. I started going to monthly matches at a local club and the rest is history.

 

[ECK]

I blame my USPSA shooting buddy. He convinced me to start shooting rifles.

Seriously, the best way to recruit more people into any sport is to convince your friends to give it a try. Loan them guns and gear for their first couple matches to sink the hook. Then practice and travel together. Share dope, tripod, LRF, bags, stage strategy… wives are off the table unless you’re into that…. The sound of an impact on steel at distance will do the rest.

We can learn a lot from drug dealers. “Here take a hit, first times on me.”

 

[superde]

Bought a precision rifle and steel 20 years ago (after shooting ARs and some IPSC) and realized there was a lot more to this than shooting things that are close. As Terry Cross says, "Little things matter at distance". I was on Snipers Paradise, and then here in the early 2000's. After getting instruction at Rifles Only in 2004, shot SHC there in 2005 and the rest is history. The first SHC was a team match and a blast. We did a lot of shooting that you would never see now. Partner supported shots, walking while engaging targets with a pistol, and some of the match was at night once the sun went down. Met a lot of good people there and was hooked.

 

[Rob01]

Yeah old Snipers Paradise and also Snipers Country. They were good sites too. A side note I was searching for my Tubb FF and TMS review I wrote years ago and it came up at Snipers Country site claiming to be written by someone else. LOL Lists Jeff Hicks as "his" smith, who he probably has no idea who he is. LOL

 

[SanPatHogger]

Buddy of mine at work traded a car for an AR. After sighting it in and shooting it a few times he said "now what?" WE went and shot the Texas carbine match with another buddy of ours. That was pretty sweet. Then I saw a wilson combat sticker on an F150 I was working on. Talked to the owner and nect thing you know I'm shooting a little indoor USPSA style match down the street. Then had breakfast with a cupple buddies on Sunday morning, one of them shoots a PRS style 22 match. The other guy goes an dhe gets hooked, puts a scope on an extra gun for me to shoot and now I'm hooked too.
I always saw the shooting sports on TV on the weekends and thought it was cool but never knew anybody that did it.
The people in the shooting sports for the most part are some of the friendliest, welcoming, helpfull and patriotic people I've ever met.

 

[todd]

I play drums semi-professionally (I have a day job that pays the bills, so I don't have to teach drums in order to make ends meet from music only.) It got to a point where I was playing at 3 different churches, plus 3 or 4 different theater companies and I was working playing drums almost 150 days a year. My wife told me she noticed that drums had ceased being a joy for me and had become just another job, and I needed to get a hobby. She said, "You like guns. You should start shooting guns."

I bought a Remington 770 in 243 with a scope for $450 from Bass Pro (Yeah, I know, have your little laugh now) and was shooting at a public 300 yard range. Another guy there and I started talking while walking out to check targets. He invited me to shoot a Nor-Cal 1,000 yard paper practice day. I came out, and was hooked immediately. Upgraded to a Remington 700, which I still shoot that action today. Started shooting matches, made some friends, shot more matches, met people from other clubs a few hours away, started shooting their matches, and on and on. It's all about the friends you make along the way.

 

[Roksliding]

YouTube rabbit hole one night at work. Check book had been smoldering since.