Smith & Wesson team captain Julie Golob shot her first 3-Gun match earlier this month! On her blog she has listed some advice for anyone interested in going to their first 3-gun match. The most important thing to take away from her article is that there is a first time for everyone, and the best you can hope for at your first match is to have fun and learn a lot. The shooting sports tend to be a very welcoming environment, as a community at large we are excited to have new people involved and will do what we can to give new shooters a positive first experience.
Here are some tips for your first practical pistol match:
Let a range officer know this is your first match. Most ranges give first-time shooters special attention, they want to give you a safety check and walk you through how the match and the day will occur. It’s important to them to know that you are going to be safe. They will also want to walk you through how their range operators, where and when you can handle your gun and will be happy to explain the sign up process to you. Because of this it’s also a good idea to show up early.
Always ask questions. During the course of the match, especially during the walk-through, it is a good idea to talk to the RO or more experienced shooters and find out what their advice might be for that particular stage. There may be something you’re not thinking of, a place where it’s easy to make a safety violation or a particular way to shoot the stage that may be easier.
Be over-prepared. Pack extra mags, extra mag pouches, and extra ammo. Make sure you have your holster and a sturdy belt, don’t leave your gun at home. Assure that your gun is well lubricated and dress appropriately for the weather. Bring food and water, expect to have a long day.
Have the right attitude. A first match in any discipline is going to be a learning experience, just like 3-Gun was for Julie. Go with the mindset to learn a lot and have a good time and that’s exactly what you’ll do.
Great advice, have fun and don’t worry about your score. Safety first.
…and in the case of USPSA matches, it is a good idea to reach out to the club contact first. Some places (such as the Northwest Section) do a “safety check” program for new shooters before they shoot their first match. It’s an overview of rules, safety principles and equipment and puts the new shooter on a solid base for their first match.
We had a squad of morons last week at our local USPSA match (that is supposedly a no-newbie match), all of whom were members of the club where the match is held, so I guess some politics allowed them to shoot it as first timers.
They were the single most unsafe squad I have ever witnessed. Their “leaders” were guys who have shot a handful of matches, and who are not known to the match regulars – this is a small, high level match where we all know each other. There are lots highly rated shooters and it is the home club of a multiple title world champion.
So this squad of idiot first timers did everything wrong – played with guns behind the line repeatedly (after being admonished numerous times), 360s with loaded guns, and I think someone in their group managed to muzzle every single other squad. One guy only had one mag and guys handed him rounds to reload, you name it. Some weren’t wearing belts or didn’t have mag pouches. They talked really loud while others were shooting and made lewd comments about the female shooter (her MSA Sordins ears work really well). They held up the whole match for everyone else.
Because it’s a self-squadding match where everyone is supposed to know what they are doing and we’re all on the honor system, nobody was DQ’d. They all should have been sent home early.
The best part is when a cop in the cop squad (waiting for a stage) went ballistic on a guy in the idiot squad who was walking the course, gun in hand (but the slide was locked back so he thought he was being safe), while others were taping and scoring. He was explaining how to shoot the course to another shooter. This was one of the “experienced” squad members. So this tough cop chewed them out about gun safety, how they were unsafe, and he’d recently seen a coworker shot and it was serious business. It was an awesome speech but I’m not sure it sunk in.
Anyway the fault did not lie on the newbies, it lied with the idiots who brought them out and did not follow protocol. So don’t bring people out you’ve never shot with. Don’t bring people out without equipment. And yes, call the club contact to ask about bringing new shooters. The super big match in our area is newbie friendly, and I was told to shoot that match a few times first, which I did.
I really hope they don’t come back. Every single squad complained about them to the match director, but because they were club members (and I think they were volunteering too), they might have gotten the soft hand. I have the email of one of the “leaders” of the idiot squad and I’m tempted to politely ask if he is aware of what he did wrong and perhaps ask that he not do it again.
My first match was a great experience and very humbling as well. Myself and 4 other new shooters were given a safety check and did some live fire drills to give us a feel for how the match flowed. When it was time to start, I was very comfortable and had a great time.
You mention to prepare for a long day. That wasn’t something I was expecting and the match lasted several hours when I was expecting one or two. Next time, I’ll be sure to pack extra items (snacks and plenty of water) to make sure that I remain comfortable.