What is the difference between a firearms competition and a video war game?

This past weekend was the Texas Carbine's annual Pirates of Texas Championship Carbine match in Corpus Christi, Texas.  The Texas Carbine members volunteer countless hours to set up fun stages where we have to do acrobatics to shoot.  At the end of this post is a video of last year's shoot.

The only casualty is the zombie pirate eating what is left of a worn out volunteer's brain.

This year we were fighting evil aliens who had come down to take over our peaceful planet.  For those of you I just frightened, we won.  Rest assured  the planet is safe for another year. I fear what we might have to fight next year.

It was hard not to notice how much fun everyone was having.  Although with a large match like this, the event attracted some rock star shooters like Benny Hill from Triangle Shooting Sports and me... well maybe I am not a rock star shooter, more like a groupie.

When we look at why violent video games breed aggression  depression and hinted at encouraging kids and adults to violence.  Both firearm competitions and video games include guns, targets to kill, and heavy competition  there are some very distinct differences:

You can lose a competition  Video games are made for people to not lose, to feel competent even when you are not and be rewarded even if you do not deserve it.  This guarantee of success is the built in element to get you to continue playing and paying for more games and editions.  You choose the level of difficulty.  You turn the game off when you want to.  You choose your playing field.  You choose your enemies.  You never have to deal with the reality of your level of skill, knowledge and reality.  No one sees you do poorly.

In firearms competitions you can lose if you shoot badly and you feel bad.  When one of your competitors in your squad is a SWAT trainer, you have to learn to deal with these feelings of "Oh, pooh!", buck up and try hard to shoot better.  Your performance is up to you and you have to deal with the accomplishment level of your opponents to test yourself and work harder.   You have others who see you shoot well or badly.  You have to be a good sport if you win or you lose.   You have to keep up your self esteem, practice more and come back to the next match and hope your squad has a bunch of newbies.

The reality of the power of firearms.  In a video game, you can get killed and buy yourself back with bounty you earned in battle. If you shoot a good guy or shoot up someones house there is no responsibility for your actions.  You don't feel the incredible shove from the recoil, experience the exhaustion of holding a weighty firearm in multiple matches, or see the true impact of what damage the firearm can do.  You don't experience hot, cold or discomfort.  You do not know how hard it is to shoot matches in 100 degree weather, unpredictable wind gusts, blaring sun, cold and rain.  If you shoot kneeling, from a prone position, run to your next target, or do anything physical that you would feel if you were really chasing bad guys.

In competition, you shoot at targets that are close, within a couple feet where you can feel the full impact of the bullet hitting a target as the vibration and noise plows through your body..  You not only feel the impact, you can see the bullet penetrate the target and continue on to hit the berm well beyond the target.  Bullets don't stop.  You also see that the same firearm can hit steel targets 110 yards away.  You use the wrong ammo the bullet will easily destroy the $200 steel targets even at that long distance.  You also get kicked out of the match.  In the seconds you have to shoot and make split second decisions to save a hostage target you end up shooting the hostage instead of the bad target.

You have a clear reality of the damage a firearm can do and the physical discomfort and satisfaction of an day of shooting with friends and competitors.  You feel a plethora of emotions, conditions and challenges.

Safety  In a video game you do not have to purchase safe equipment, check your firearms to be sure it is in good working condition.  You have no safety rules, restrictions on how you can carry your firearm safely, or rules to follow and consequences if you break safety rules.    You can be wearing gravity defying heels, clothes that expose too much and hair that elegantly covers half your face blocking your puerperal views.

In competition, if you are not dressed in clothes that are safe, you may not shoot.  You have to have sturdy shoes, pants that allow you to move quickly, and shirts that protect you from ejecting shells.  Shooters must wear extremely uncomfortable ear and eye protection at all times. Your equipment: holster, belt, firearm, ammunition, loaders, pouches, etc. has to meet strict safety standards.

During the competition, firearms cannot be loaded until you are ready to shoot with a safety office right behind you.  If you accidentally point your firearm anywhere but directly down range, you are expelled from the match...no argument.  Competitors must be in a safe area when someone is shooting, everyone must be attentive of what is happening around them and firearms that need inspection must be in a specified safe place.  Safety officers are trained on the rules.  Every shooter has a safety officer behind them during the entire shoot.  One safety violation can result in a point penalty or asked to leave if it is a serious violation.

When you leave a match you have experienced physical discomfort, satisfaction, personal reward, laughter, defeat, and frustration.  You have experienced all of this with folks who have volunteered their time to create the skill building competition, competitors who have dedicated time and money to learn how to shoot safely, and those who have developed self worth and accomplishment as they gain speed, knowledge and sills.  These are all life lessons that affect how successful you will be at work and at home dealing with the same range of emotions from bad to super good and still accomplish your goals.

So, when your kid or friend wants something to do, get them involved in a real life competition.  Now watch the fun video below: