I’m compiling examples of how competitive shooting experience went wrong. Coming from a competitive background, my bias tends toward competitive shooting being a good thing. That’s why I’m reaching out to folks that can provide counter examples.
Please submit specific examples (names, incidents, etc.) of known skilled competitive shooters that have been injured or killed in fights due to mistakes caused by their competitive experience and I’ll post them. It will be a good exercise in learning how things can go wrong so we can all benefit.
I’ve asked for this in the past and have had zero responses so far. I make it a point to ask for specific examples from authors claiming competition causes problems and they continue to fail to cite any proof illustrating their claim. If something was causing actual problems there would be examples. I’m still looking for a single incident.
Thanks for reading, commenting, and for anything you send in!
Firearm User Network 
Dec 21, 2015 @ 14:43:09
Still waiting for the first example to surface….
LikeLike
Apr 13, 2016 @ 08:44:35
Still waiting…
LikeLike
May 31, 2016 @ 23:30:25
Nov 06, 2016 @ 07:48:25
Dec 07, 2017 @ 13:10:31
We continue to wait. If all these anti-competition folks have so many concerns, there should be at least one solid example.
Standing ready to publish that first example when (if…) it finally materializes.
LikeLike
Jan 30, 2019 @ 11:54:07
Any update on this? Have you ever received a solid example of a “training scar”?
How about the corollary? Which is, do you have any data on how competitive shooters fare in real gunfights? Preferably, statistical data. Not anecdotal. I.e, out of, say, 100 shootings involving competitive shooters, how many did the good guys win, and how many did the bad guys win?
LikeLike
Jan 30, 2019 @ 12:11:58
>> Any update on this? Have you ever received a solid example of a “training scar”?
Still nothing.
>> How about the corollary? Which is, do you have any data on how competitive shooters fare in real gunfights?
Here are examples of people that I personally know (and this isn’t all of them)
https://firearmusernetwork.com/combat-readiness/
https://firearmusernetwork.com/combat-and-competition/
https://firearmusernetwork.com/sniper-training-history/
Also look into the history of:
Cyrus Clark (first Distinguished Rifleman awarded by Philip Sheridan), George Patton, Harry Reeves, Horace Wayman Bivens, Frank Kruk, Lones Wigger, Tommy Pool, Bill Kriling, Jim Gilliland, Walter R. Walsh, Maj. “Iron Mike” Eddson, Bonnie Harmon, Ryan and Jason Benedict, Daniel Duitsman, Leroy Brink, William Skiles, Bill Allard, Jim Crillo, Charles Askins, Simo “Simuna” Häyhä, Arthur Terry, Carlos Hathcock, Jim Land, Dick Culver, Herbert McBride, Sam Woodfill, Kyle Lamb, Frank Proctor, Pat McNamara, Brian McKibben, Jim Gilliland, and Jack Arcularius.
TL;DR and spoiler alert: All are decorated combat/gunfight vets with competitive experience that credited that experience with their success in the field.
LikeLike
Jan 30, 2019 @ 15:43:33
I completely believe that competition is valuable for combat or street encounters, but the critic could still claim that these “decorated combat/gunfight vets” have had their “training scars” surgically removed by their military and/or LE training. Do you know of any incidents involving “good guys” who shoot competitively, but have no military or LE experience? I’ve searched for such incidents, but apparently my google-fu is inadequate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jan 31, 2019 @ 07:25:54
Karl Rehn has by-name examples of this.
https://www.krtraining.com
https://firearmusernetwork.com/competition-shooters-and-techniques-win-fights/
LikeLike