The hot topic of competitive shooting versus tactical shooting concerning the most effective way to train for a real armed encounter is something that comes up in conversation on a daily basis here on the range.

Given the high level of interest toward what is known as competitive practical shooting as well as the explosive growth in ‘everything tactical,’ it’s no wonder why the local enthusiast would have difficulty discerning between what is truly practical toward their personal protection. The fact is that one doesn’t really have much to do with the other, except for a common emphasis on shooting technique.

For many enthusiasts, the appeal of what competitive practical shooting offers is plentiful; cool looking weapons, cool gear, shoot house-style trappings, fast paced, fast shooting courses and plenty of sponsor clad apparel; all of which is reminiscent of NASCAR except that vehicles have been replaced by firearms in this case. And just as NASCAR requires a high skillset, competitive sport shooting should not be cast aside as a viable means of training for actual practical situations.

For armed encounters, the practical side of what competitive practical shooting provides is a focus on shooting technique. Top level sport shooters demonstrate this with their keen ability to acquire targets and achieve successful impacts in little time. These are individuals who, in order to perform at the level of proficiency in which they shine, have gone through painstaking measures to ensure a solid foundation in marksmanship as well as a high level of expertise in the handling and manipulation of their firearm.

Conversely, what competitive practical shooting does not effectively address is tactics. Many of the tactics used in sport shooting matches are not effective for actual armed applications and, in many cases, are detrimental to the intent and safety of the shooter under these circumstances.

Shooters in the competitive world are not scored for tactics. Barricades and obstacles are used to mimic live settings; however, they mainly serve to game the course rather than to underscore the effective use or negotiation of these objects. In competition, they serve to affect accuracy and, importantly, time. It is for this very reason that the professional tactical community does not recognize this as being tactical or practical, but rather, a sport that has certain applicability to tactical shooting.

In addition to a high emphasis on shooting technique, competition has other benefits.  The ability to perform under stress is critical in building the proper mindset for a well-rounded shooter.  The stresses in competition are induced by time constraints, demands for critical accuracy and the aspect of the unavoidable audience that is constantly watching and analyzing your performance.

Accomplished competitive shooters are able to compensate for these stresses, maintain their focus, apply the proper shooting fundamentals, and still perform nominally. For tactical training, time is only considered one of a number of methods used to introduce stress into the shooter’s environment.

It is the tactical shooter who understands that optimum performance requires more than training with time constraints. As competitive sport shooting concentrates on time and accuracy, tactical shooting goes a bit further. Here, great attention to form, fluidity and best utilization of your existing surroundings (or a lack thereof) is equally important as the balance between accuracy and speed. History has proven that from the smallest skirmishes to the largest battles, victory against an opposing force is achieved through effective fire and maneuver.

There is a common point of view that the experience in competition will greatly aid any shooter in any tactical situation.  However, in training for competition a ‘game the game’ mentality prevails.  Simply put, this means that competitive shooters will be given a specific set of parameters to abide by, and preview of the course in which to prepare.  A zero-defect mentality is also commonplace to a competitor, who strives for perfection.  This contradicts the very nature of tactical and realistic training, because no one really knows when and how a real shooting situation will play out.

In tactical training, the main focus is on three key elements:

• Fundamentals,
• Mindset, and
• Muscle memory

A tactical shooter may not know what is coming up or may not train for a specific set of obstacles.  However, a tactically-minded shooter can always resort to a variety of fundamental skillsets and always exercise a combative mindset to survive.  As a Force Recon Marine, we have a saying that says it all, “You train the way you fight and you fight the way you train.”

There will be times when your weapon malfunctions, you must resort to making effective use of available cover while continuing to engage your target(s), your threat is presented at extremely close quarters and you must react quickly with extreme aggression in order to draw your weapon or other situations of this nature. In tactical training, we learn that there are no worst case scenarios as every situation that puts your life at risk is a worst case scenario so we train for just one thing – win at all costs. Understanding this, the tactically-minded shooter is accustomed to having to adapt and improvise in order to accomplish the task.

With a great deal of interest and enthusiasm toward both competitive practical shooting and tactical shooting, the lines separating what is tactical and, even more so, what is practical has become blurred.  My advice to our students is to understand specifically what each represents, their similarities and differences, and put things into the proper context of what it is that they wish to achieve.

I do not disagree with the need to experience the stresses inherent to competitions, nor the fun to be had.  However, I would strongly encourage any shooter to put their focus more on tactical training than they do competition if proficiency in a practical application is a priority.  A well-rounded shooter should be able to adapt to any situation and perform well, with or without prior knowledge of the scenario or drill. This, my friends, is the true meaning of practical shooting.

Train hard, train often