What to Expect at Your First Shooting Competition

“I guess all the little pops and bangs of the firing range just got boring after awhile,” that line from a Fallout New Vegas NPC named Pete stuck to me after so many trips to the range began to feel repetitive. I felt that shooting at static targets was simply not as fun nor as realistic as what it would be like to be in a real gunfight. That’s when I decided to try competition shooting.

Few things will humble a shooter faster than being in a falling steel run and gun competition with a bunch of SWAT operators and active military shooting 5x5” plates at 20 yards. Accuracy on a range involves taking your time with every shot, and does not translate into accuracy on a live fire course with dynamic movement. Some might shoot better under pressure, but others might be so nervous they shoot watermelon-sized groups at five yards.

Fortunately, I entered my first competition with a couple of others who weren’t new to shooting, but were new to competitions, with the only one of us who wasn’t new being Chris French, Sightmark’s social media manager. As they say, it’s better to suck with others than suck alone. (I don’t know if anyone actually says that, and if they don’t, they should.) As expected, we didn’t come out on top, but we put our heads together and analyzed what we did right and what went so wrong so that hopefully, if you find yourself in our shoes, you’ll learn from our mistakes.

Pre-Match Expectations

Going into our first shooting competition, we had pretty low expectations. Like most beginners, we were mainly there to figure out what we needed to work on. A lot of us were just expecting to lose and learn. Nobody really thought they’d be standing on the podium after their first match – if there was even going to be a podium. It was more about coming away with the knowledge of where we were lacking—kind of like a trial by fire. Honestly, failing fast was part of the plan; in general, we just wanted to absorb as much as we could on the fly and see how we stacked up.

The Most Surprising Thing

One of the biggest surprises from the competition came when one of us ended up scoring more A's than anyone else, completely surpassing his own expectations. Another shooter was caught off guard by performing his best on the very first stage—despite going in cold with zero experience, he somehow shot better before warming up than in the later stages.

The diversity in skill levels also stood out. The competitors ranged from highly skilled professionals to those just starting out, with little in between. It became clear that there was no "average" shooter in the mix. Perhaps the most surprising observation came from someone who noted that you couldn’t tell who the best shooter was just by looking at them. Before the competition started, it was anyone’s game.

Challenges Faced

The challenges faced during the competition were varied but revealing. For some, speed and footwork proved to be the toughest obstacles, with moving quickly and maintaining accuracy being harder than expected. Another common issue was trigger control, with one competitor struggling to pull the trigger smoothly and reacquire the target after each shot, especially during recoil. Running short distances and then immediately reacquiring the target also turned out to be a difficult task. This is where red dot sights like the Sightmark Mini Shot M3 Solar truly shined, showing their advantage over iron sights. One of us ran a soon-to-be released closed emitter red dot from Sightmark just to put it through its paces, and the optic proved itself well, landing him in the top 10 scorers of his division.

Many of the other shooters had problems such as shooting unfamiliar guns that they borrowed from friends, guns that ran only iron sights, or used firearm platforms that could not be reloaded quickly or magazines that simply didn’t want to function. These were great mistakes to have in a competition, because having them happen in a real firefight would be catastrophic.

Issues with Equipment and Gear

When it came to equipment, experiences were mixed. Some competitors didn’t face any issues, with one stating his gear and ammo performed perfectly—any shortcomings came down to his own skill. However, the drum magazine I used was a different story. Apparently, depending on the firearm, the larger one’s magazine capacity is, the higher the chance of a jam. It seems painfully obvious now, but the balancing act between the spring, ammo, and magazine housing often collapses when there’s too much ammunition for the spring to feed reliably, proving that bigger isn’t always better.

The author experiences a critical malfunction with his drum magazine.

For others, there was no equipment failure, just the realization that competition-specific gear exists for a reason. It became clear that having the right tools can make all the difference in high-stakes scenarios.

What we’d do Differently

When we compete again, we’ll take a slightly different approach. First and foremost, dry firing practice would be a priority—especially from awkward positions. Many of us realized the importance of getting more rounds downrange in general. One competitor felt that running a stock Glock with basic magazines and no optic didn’t do him any favors, and next time he’d opt for a red dot and magazine extensions. I found that while my Sightmark Mini Shot M3 Solar performed flawlessly on my PCC, my sling and drum magazine didn’t hold up as well, and I’ll choose more reliable attachments next time. In the end, the consensus was simple: dry fire more, shoot more, and, well… try not to suck.

Advice and Takeaways

For anyone looking to compete in their first shooting competition, the advice is simple: just do it. No amount of reading articles, watching videos, or practicing on a static indoor range will truly prepare you for the real thing. Dry fire practice is crucial—keep at it until your trigger pull is smooth and the act of shooting becomes second nature. Be mindful of safety, go in with zero ego, and be ready to learn. Failure is inevitable, but that’s part of the process. One thing everyone agreed on: don’t wait until you’re “ready” because you’ll never feel fully prepared. Just jump in and learn on the go.

As for lessons learned? Pacing turned out to be a key takeaway. Some shooters realized how quickly accuracy fell off beyond 25 yards, while others saw their trigger pull inconsistency rear its head under pressure. Planning was another important lesson—having a strategy for each stage and sticking to it made a big difference. The competition made it clear where each shooter’s weaknesses lay, giving us all the chance to research, practice, and come back stronger for the next round.

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