Today I decided to make the leap from keyboard commando to actual competitive shooting. I was invited to participate in a defensive shooting match, and I have to say as a beginner to the pistol world, it was a hell of a lot of fun. We shot four courses of fire, and in ~60 rounds I learned more about how to shoot, move, reload under pressure, and where my weaknesses were than I have in hundreds of rounds of static target shooting. Everyone was very nice, welcome, and helpful, and no one made me feel bad for being a beginner.

There was a good representation of guns, but the majority were glocks and 1911's in 9, 40, and 45. All of the other participants had been at this sport a lot longer than me, so it was great to see some really good shooting.

I highly recommend if you are a beginner and plan on ccwing, take advantage of any shoots or matches in your area. It will give you some idea how you will react while under stress, you get to try out different scenarios, and have a good time doing it. I went into the match with an attitude that I wasn't there to try and really compete, so I didn't get frustrated or discouraged when I missed or went slowly. I figure that will all come with time and practice.

Next up is some real training, and hopefully more shoots!