Becoming a competitive shooter has both recreational and practical advantages. Competitive shooting is an enjoyable pastime and if you’re good enough, can even lead you to places such as the Olympic Games. It also teaches you how to operate a firearm safely in high-pressure situations. These three tips will help you get started.

1. Determine Which Guns You Find Most Appealing

There are many different competitive shooting sports to choose from. You could choose a sport and then purchase competition handguns that best suit that sport, but it may be better to take the opposite approach. Figure out which guns you like the best and then choose a sport that suits those guns. A good place to start is with the guns you already own.

2. Research the Disciplines

The three main categories of shooting sports are pistol, rifle, and shotgun. If you have Olympic hopes, you probably want to focus on the specific events recognized by the IOC. Pistol events include action shooting, precision, silhouette, and cowboy shooting. Rifle options include action, cowboy, muzzleloading, position, bench rest, precision, and silhouette. For shotgun enthusiasts, there are skeet, action, trap, and sporting clays. A good way to get a feel for which sports you might like the most is to watch videos or televised events.

3. Don’t Be Afraid To Try

Don’t shy away from a sport because you think it will be too difficult. Every shooting sport has multiple levels to accommodate shooters with varying levels of skill and experience. Nobody would expect a Little Leaguer to compete on the same field as Major League players and as a beginning shooter, you won’t be expected to go up against Olympic caliber competitors either.

Whatever your current skill level and interests are, shooting sports can be a rewarding experience for you. Do your homework and then try out a few sports until you find one that you like.