Heath Clevenger is a police officer and competitive shooter. Here’s a bit of his background:
I have a pretty extensive background in law enforcement and firearms instruction for law enforcement. I have been on the SWAT Team for 14 years now and have made more entries than I could attempt to count. I am also the lead training officer for the SWAT Team.
So, what does this SWAT Team member and trainer think of competitive shooting?
I began shooting competitively about nine years ago. A great firearms instructor once told me that if you want to be a good instructor, you have to compete. He said it didn’t really matter what you competed in, as long as you competed. I started in IDPA. I think that is a pretty good starter competition. It does not require a lot of special equipment and it is not gear heavy to begin. Then I moved on to 3-Gun as it became more popular and I was looking for a way to test my rifle skills. I was looking for some more overlap training from my work to a hobby. And I believe competition has made me a much better shooter and instructor.
So why not spend time only working on self-defense skills? Because, shooting competitions gives you a place to test your skills under stress. For most people, shooting under any kind of stress is hard to create. Most law enforcement officers do not get the amount of training under stress that they need. Shooting competitions offer that every weekend around my area. The stress of performing on the clock, performing in front of other people, and performing to your own expectations is difficult. Where else can you get tested like this?
When you get pretty good at shooting competitions, you then are not thinking about gun operation. That just happens. You think about where you need to be, where to put your foot to set up a good position, how to best transition from one gun to another, what is your holdover for each long range target. Being a good competition shooter does not make you a master gun fighter. But, taking “tactical” classes and watching the best Special Forces operator’s videos does not either. There is nothing wrong with learning from tactical guys. I love teaching tactics. But if you are thinking about how to shoot your gun when you should be thinking about tactical advantage or you are thinking about tactics and can’t hit the target without the conscious thought of how to shoot, you will probably not do well in a gunfight.
Competitions push you to operate your firearms’ systems at a subconscious level. That is the level you want to be able to shoot when you are faced with a deadly threat. I want my mind free to think about the closest point of cover, whats behind my target in case of over penetration, and where to go to draw them away from my family or friends. If you are reacting to violence occurring to you or around you, then you should act to stop that violence as quickly as you possibly can. You will operate at the lowest level MASTERED. That is correct, MASTERED. Not “I did it a couple of times in training” or I practiced this one day. You will be able to do the things that you never make a mistake with.
So the short version is, competition shooting makes you a better all-around shooter. It adds depth to your abilities. I highly encourage you to go compete. You will learn to operate your firearms at a subconscious level and be better prepared for trouble when it comes.
More:
http://beyondthesights.us/from-the-world-of-competition-to-self-defense/
Anonymous
Oct 26, 2015 @ 18:29:21
Clevenger was also a pretty good bullseye shooter (2650 club, Distinguished Pistol Shot, Prez Hundred, etc) with the All-Marine Team. The guy can shoot, which is his point. Learn to shoot, then learn to fight. Trigger control and sight alignment are on auto pilot when you’re engaging an adversary, if you’ve learned the basics and tested them in competition. Crawl, walk, run. Too easy.
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John M. Buol Jr.
Oct 26, 2015 @ 18:33:15
Great point.
Consider this means Clevenger was greatly understating his skill and experience in his article. Contrast that to the tactical community with people having zero competition and combat experience trying to boast up non-existent accomplishments while deriding people that actually went out and won something.
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Brian
Oct 28, 2015 @ 16:14:31
I’m really surprised he didn’t mention his bullseye background. There is no better place to hone fundamental shooting than plain jane, boring, out-moded, the sport is dying, one hand is not realistic, yellow glasses, is anyone under the age of 60, bullseye shooting.
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John M. Buol Jr.
Oct 28, 2015 @ 17:30:27
Nice summary. And great point! I think the lack of popularity is due to Bullseye being one of the most difficult shooting challenges and having a steep learning curve. That’s where its value is.
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Colorado Pete
Oct 29, 2015 @ 01:08:38
Brian hits an X. When I re-started my handgun shooting in the early ’90’s after a years-long hiatus, it was with one-handed bullseye to force me to recover and refine my fundamentals.
I find Clevenger’s conclusion of needing to attain subconscious shooting reflexes heartening as it mirrors my own experience and belief, from one who is far beyond my own modest skill.
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Niki Clevenger
Jun 02, 2016 @ 07:01:01
I am just now seeing this article, so I am not sure if people who previously commented will see this but… I think you have my husband, Heath Clevenger, confused with a different Clevenger. My husband, who wrote this article for Beyond the Sights, was never a marine, and has not competed in bullseye shooting competitively. Though he has not shot bullseye competitively, his qualifications and background in law enforcement and competitive shooting are still legitimate and I feel give him the credentials to speak on the matter above.
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John M. Buol Jr.
Jun 02, 2016 @ 07:20:38
Yes, all of these Clevengers are very legitimate.
Shane Clevenger is the former USMC team shooter: http://cabotnrapistol.com/shane-clevenger
Heath Clevenger is the LEO, SWAT, 3 Gun competitor, and author of the article above: https://www.facebook.com/teamclevengershooting
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Team Clevenger Shooting
Jun 02, 2016 @ 07:26:07
I apologize that I am just now seeing this, and those who commented may not see this post, but my husband, Heath Clevenger, who wrote this article for Beyond the Sights, is not the same Clevenger you mentioned with the bullseye shooting background. Heath has never been a marine or in the military, however in my opinion, I feel his qualifications and background in law enforcement and competitive shooting present the proper credentials to speak on a matter such as this.
Be sure to check out Beyond the Sights for his latest article on the emotional aftermath of using deadly force. http://www.beyondthesights.us
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John M. Buol Jr.
Jun 02, 2016 @ 07:30:29
No apology needed! There just happens to be two high-level shooters from two different backgrounds and competitive disciplines sharing the same last name.
Hopefully my post above clears this up.
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