newb considering competitive shooting

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  • gremlin42

    Active Member
    Apr 16, 2020
    696
    variable
    I've been doing a bit of reading on it but I still don't know where to start - I'm a relative newbie to handgun shooting though I recently went out of state for 16 hrs of defensive training from some real expert instructors. After this level-up in skill level I've been enjoying the sport aspect of it so much I thought a good midlife crisis activity would involve some form of organized competition. I read something here about a group that meets at Gilbert though I haven't found any more specific info. I live in central MoCo and have an annual membership at Gilbert. I'm in good shape despite being the wrong side of 40 so something outdoors that involves moving around would be interesting to me. Any good resources or organizations near me that are hospitable to noobs?
     

    rbird7282

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 6, 2012
    18,538
    Columbia
    Check out one of the Outlaw Steel Challenge shoots at AGC. They are listed here under Ranges. They are about a 45 minute drive from Moco. Friendly people always willing to help new shooters. There is a match every month, actually this month’s was today.
    For non AGC members I think it’s $25 for the match which usually runs about 3-4 hours. Just need a pistol, holster, and extra mags.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    gremlin42

    Active Member
    Apr 16, 2020
    696
    variable
    Unfortunately, the last match got cancelled because they literally did not have enough ammo on premises to sell for the shooters.

    Yeah, I really wish they could let people bring their own now (I have a 9mm which is super tight now but I have a decent ammo supply), they're limiting you to one box and it's quite a bit pricier than it was a month ago. But as I understand it that's just the deal he made with the county. I like being out in the elements so the AGC thing might be my thing, thanks.
     

    Stoveman

    TV Personality
    Patriot Picket
    Sep 2, 2013
    27,990
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    Check out one of the Outlaw Steel Challenge shoots at AGC. They are listed here under Ranges. They are about a 45 minute drive from Moco. Friendly people always willing to help new shooters. There is a match every month, actually this month’s was today.
    For non AGC members I think it’s $20 for the match which usually runs about 3-4 hours. Just need a pistol, holster, and extra mags.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


    FIFY

    And +1 on the recommendation. I'd rather shoot outdoors as well and the AGC has built a first class action shooting facility.

    Next OSC match is the first Saturday in August. You'll need to create an account on Practiscore www.practiscore.com which is how you register for the match.

    Very noob friendly and minimal gear requirements. Gun belt, holster, at least a double mag holder, your firearm and enough mags and ammo to get you through 25 rounds per stage.
     

    bigmanindc

    Active Member
    Nov 3, 2018
    463
    DMV
    I've been doing a bit of reading on it but I still don't know where to start - I'm a relative newbie to handgun shooting though I recently went out of state for 16 hrs of defensive training from some real expert instructors. After this level-up in skill level I've been enjoying the sport aspect of it so much I thought a good midlife crisis activity would involve some form of organized competition. I read something here about a group that meets at Gilbert though I haven't found any more specific info. I live in central MoCo and have an annual membership at Gilbert. I'm in good shape despite being the wrong side of 40 so something outdoors that involves moving around would be interesting to me. Any good resources or organizations near me that are hospitable to noobs?

    Who was your 16 hour training with?
     

    photoracer

    Competition Shooter
    Oct 22, 2010
    3,318
    West Virginia
    I hate to be this critical since I like shooting at AGC on occasion but if you think that is a first class facility you need to get out more. Its more a case of your build what you have room for which I don't hold against anybody. First class ranges have every thing possible in the way of facilities based on their locations. Try looking up the satellite view of the US Shooting Academy in Tulsa, OK. You will see over 35 shooting bays including a 360 degree bay. Or the Old Fort Gun Club in Ft. Smith, AR., with 24+ bays. I can name a whole bunch more, some in this area. I think AGC did a good job with what they had in the way of land to use.
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    I hate to be this critical since I like shooting at AGC on occasion but if you think that is a first class facility you need to get out more. Its more a case of your build what you have room for which I don't hold against anybody. First class ranges have every thing possible in the way of facilities based on their locations. Try looking up the satellite view of the US Shooting Academy in Tulsa, OK. You will see over 35 shooting bays including a 360 degree bay. Or the Old Fort Gun Club in Ft. Smith, AR., with 24+ bays. I can name a whole bunch more, some in this area. I think AGC did a good job with what they had in the way of land to use.
    You are not wrong, much as I enjoy shooting at AGC. Some of those places have LONG bays, too. I shoot Tac Scope because I like LPVOs and my fancy pants Razor Gen III, but there is not really a single shot you couldn't make with a quality reflex sight. You basically have to move over to the 200yd range before you even get into hard shots - and even then, with a 50/200, it's still basically point and click if you have a good zero and a decent position.

    AGC action shooting is also constrained in that the leadership appears to be heavily populated by "traditionalists" who are terrified of people carrying loaded guns around and holstering hot pistols. They are coming around and the situation is improving, but it's a lesson on management being an important factor. If you were at Outlaw Steel this past Sunday, you would have seen what I believe is their first non-single-direction stage. Wasn't a full 180, but you did do a real 90 degree turn.
     

    DZ

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 9, 2005
    4,091
    Mount Airy, MD
    What type of matches are you interested in and are set up for shooting? Good advice given above on getting a practiscore account. I follow MGPA, PNTC, York IWLA and New Holland.
     

    davsco

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 21, 2010
    8,607
    Loudoun, VA
    gremlin, there is a two gun match saturday and idpa match sunday just up above frederick at thurmont if you want to check out some action.

    this link has the address. both matches should run 9 - 1 or thereabouts. good chance to talk with folks, check out guns and gear, and see if you would like any of these games. visitors welcome, but find the match director and you'll need to sign a waiver.

    https://practiscore.com/thurmont-2gun-series-jul-11/register
     

    Stoveman

    TV Personality
    Patriot Picket
    Sep 2, 2013
    27,990
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    AGC action shooting is also constrained in that the leadership appears to be heavily populated by "traditionalists" who are terrified of people carrying loaded guns around and holstering hot pistols. They are coming around and the situation is improving, but it's a lesson on management being an important factor. If you were at Outlaw Steel this past Sunday, you would have seen what I believe is their first non-single-direction stage. Wasn't a full 180, but you did do a real 90 degree turn.

    I don't think this has anything to do with the leadership of AGC being traditionalists.

    I have certainly not been to every style match in a hundred mile radius of Marriottsville but the ranges that I have been to (Peacemaker, Thurmont, Frederick IWLA, Delta and more) have never allowed participants to walk around with loaded guns. And even with that policy one of those ranges listed had someone shoot themselves in the leg a few years back.

    I'm not sure how many matches you've shot at AGC but the reason for not shooting sideways is due to the berm construction. If you noticed bay 7 has a fresh load of dirt all down the LH side which didn't use to be there. Until recently it was natural woods and rocks and there is a house right up the hill that AGC owns so there was good reason not to shoot that sideways on that stage.

    When all the Hesco's get covered up, which is in progress, we will be able to shoot sideways on all the bays.
     

    photoracer

    Competition Shooter
    Oct 22, 2010
    3,318
    West Virginia
    Those of us who compete regularly in this part of the country knew that about the AGC bays the first time we shot there. Like I said you do the best you can with what you have. Normal plowed bays would have narrowed them down to nothing. Although I would like to see them remove dirt from the left side of the bays and put it on the right side to level them off. Good to know that about the bays. We were mulling over methods to do just that the first time we shot there. Kudos to them.
     

    Bikebreath

    R.I.P.
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 30, 2009
    14,836
    in the bowels of Baltimore
    You're probably going to go watch a match or join in and find you are terrible...(or maybe you're not. I was baaaad). It doesn't matter. We all started there. No one is going to make fun of you, but maybe you will wise crack on yourself. It's a lotta fun and worth near embarrassment. You'll get better. Don't miss out on the fun.
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    I don't think this has anything to do with the leadership of AGC being traditionalists.
    You were assuming I was referring to doing this at matches. You would be incorrect. Obviously, you do not holster loaded pistols at USPSA or 3GN matches. However, AGC leadership has decided you cannot even do this at PISTOL CLASSES there. It makes them much worse than they need to be.
     

    davsco

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 21, 2010
    8,607
    Loudoun, VA
    You were assuming I was referring to doing this at matches. You would be incorrect. Obviously, you do not holster loaded pistols at USPSA or 3GN matches. However, AGC leadership has decided you cannot even do this at PISTOL CLASSES there. It makes them much worse than they need to be.

    U generally don't RE_holster loaded handguns at uspsa etc but u absolutely do holster loaded at the start of your run.
     

    Stoveman

    TV Personality
    Patriot Picket
    Sep 2, 2013
    27,990
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    You are not wrong, much as I enjoy shooting at AGC. Some of those places have LONG bays, too. I shoot Tac Scope because I like LPVOs and my fancy pants Razor Gen III, but there is not really a single shot you couldn't make with a quality reflex sight. You basically have to move over to the 200yd range before you even get into hard shots - and even then, with a 50/200, it's still basically point and click if you have a good zero and a decent position.

    AGC action shooting is also constrained in that the leadership appears to be heavily populated by "traditionalists" who are terrified of people carrying loaded guns around and holstering hot pistols. They are coming around and the situation is improving, but it's a lesson on management being an important factor. If you were at Outlaw Steel this past Sunday, you would have seen what I believe is their first non-single-direction stage. Wasn't a full 180, but you did do a real 90 degree turn.

    You were assuming I was referring to doing this at matches. You would be incorrect. Obviously, you do not holster loaded pistols at USPSA or 3GN matches. However, AGC leadership has decided you cannot even do this at PISTOL CLASSES there. It makes them much worse than they need to be.


    Dude, then use your words. You did not reference PISTOL CLASSES in your original post. And if they are "much worse than they need to be" I'm sure you can find others. WTF?
     

    MEGARMS

    KnowNothing
    Jun 3, 2012
    3,843
    Carroll County
    I hate to be this critical since I like shooting at AGC on occasion but if you think that is a first class facility you need to get out more. Its more a case of your build what you have room for which I don't hold against anybody. First class ranges have every thing possible in the way of facilities based on their locations. Try looking up the satellite view of the US Shooting Academy in Tulsa, OK. You will see over 35 shooting bays including a 360 degree bay. Or the Old Fort Gun Club in Ft. Smith, AR., with 24+ bays. I can name a whole bunch more, some in this area. I think AGC did a good job with what they had in the way of land to use.

    I think that most of this is fair. The AGC will never be a WORLD class facility like the US Shooting Academy, but I do believe we will be FIRST class within the next 5 years. We will also never be a for profit business that is open to the public 7 days a week or have shooters travel across the globe to partake in our events.

    I know you are not being critical and you are correct by saying that we a limited in what we have to work with in terms of space and grade. There were many conversations about trying to level out the fields, but after studying that, it was determined that the price tag would have swollen from roughly $150,000 to well over $1,000,000.

    So, here is what I think we ARE today. A centrally located facility that is in Maryland where the property values are probably 5+ times what they are OK or WV. Most of our participants are within a 45 minute commute and never dreamed that they would be able to partake in the types of events this close to home. We are an all volunteer organization that strives to keep our match fees reasonable so as to welcome novices to get into the sport. The Action Shooting team is 100% financially self sufficient and never asks the AGC for money to buy equipment or props. We manage our meager resources generated by the low fees very tight and have been able to stretch those dollars very far. We do have a 200+ yard range that we are able to use 6+ times per year for our 3 gun matches, which is normally a big hit with most of our shooters.

    We have come so far over the past five years and we have a lot planned for the next five. We are so grateful to the AGC trustees and EXCOM for their support and giving us the leeway to do what we do with zero interference. We are so proud of our team and what we have been able to accomplish thus far. It is truly amazing to us and we could not be happier.
     

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    MEGARMS

    KnowNothing
    Jun 3, 2012
    3,843
    Carroll County
    We have made so much progress that I cant get all the photo in one post
     

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