What Is Your Skill Level In Shooting?
Unfortunately for most shooters trying to take classes there is no standard definition of skill level when it comes to shooting. Many people decide their skill level by how many classes they’ve taken or how many years they have been shooting.
This is not a very accurate way to determine skill level because someone might take a ton of shooting classes or have years of shooting, but have never really practiced what they learned. Effectively, they are not much better than a beginner and might have some very dangerous habits to boot!
Many people will take an advanced class because of how long they’ve been shooting and they think they’ll get the secret to shooting or learn a lot of complex drills. I’ve been in “advanced” shooting classes with beginners who end up holding up the class or are not ready for the material and are dangerous to themselves and others.
It is for this reason that I will try to provide a definition of skill levels in shooting.
THE NOVICE: The novice is new to shooting and does not know how a firearm works, has never fired a gun or if they did it was without any formal instruction. They do not know how to safely manipulate a firearm and do not know the universal safety rules. Also they do not know the concept of marksmanship.
THE BEGINNING SHOOTER: The beginner has taken at least one formal shooting class and knows how to safely manipulate a firearm. They can land single shots or pairs on a target safely and with confidence from the ready position.
THE INTERMEDIATE SHOOTER: The intermediate shooter can do everything a beginner can do, but also can draw safely from a holster and shoot, can move with the firearm in their hands safely and engage targets from different positions and around barriers. They are also familiar with moving then shooting or moving and shooting.
THE ADVANCED SHOOTER: An advanced shooter can do everything an intermediate shooter can do, but at a higher level. They can move and shoot while maintaining accuracy and speed, combine skill sets safely, confidently, and without being overwhelmed or confused. They can make precision shots from a variety of distances including consistent hits at 25 yards or head shots from 10 yards with speed and accuracy.
When evaluating whether you meet the criteria of a particular class you need to be honest about your skill level and if you will be safe and be able to keep up with the instruction in the class. Maybe you need to work on the fundamentals of shooting more to grow your level.
When in doubt, have a conversation with the instructor to see if it is a good idea to take a particular class or not at your current level.
