0140 – FF What USPSA Is and Isn’t
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I keep talking about the fact that spring is here. Â Yet, mother nature keeps sticking her thumb in my eye and throwing winter back in my face. Â I should know better than to get too excited about summer until about mid July… Â Any way, the point is that it’s time to get out to the range and get some training in. Â One of the ways I work to extend my training time is to compete in USPSA matches.
For years I have heard the debate about what competitive shooting is and isn’t. Â It is kind like sighted fire vs. target focused shooting, .45 vs. 9mm, 1911 vs. Glock and AR vs. AK. Â The point is that all of the debates are non issues as there are positives and negatives to BOTH sides of ALL of these arguments. Â It all comes down to context!
Today lets talk about what USPSA is and isn’t. Â Follow the link to the video watch and listen. Â Then head out to a local match!
Jordan Ohlmann at the 2009 USPSA Production Nationals
I don’t know Jordan and nothing that I say is a comment on Jordan, his ability level, or his technique. Â The video is simply very effective at giving an overview of USPSA.
What USPSA is not:
- Just like any other shooting game, it isn’t combat.
- It isn’t a lesson in tactics
- It isn’t a replacement for other training
What USPSA is:
- An opportunity for some trigger time under some stress
- A testing ground for your equipment
- A freestyle competition
I agree with your comments. USPSA shooting in NOT about tactics. But it does do many positive things that you mentioned. Besides getting trigger time (always good) and working on your fundamentals. It also forces you to do problem solving with a gun in your hand with time restrictions. I just RO’d a match at a new club with 70 new shooters. On simple courses of fire 80% had multiple misses on targets. They had never drawn fast from a holster and fired at target before. The scary thing was many of them had CCW permits. I will be at the NRA show in Pittsburg working the USPSA booth on April 29th if anyone is interested in shooting a match in there area.
Thanks for the comments Tom. It is amazing what happens to our cognitive processes when we subject ourselves to the stress of the clock isn’t it? Thanks for taking the time to work the USPSA booth at the NRA Convention. How is your revolver shooting coming?