[1911beast]

how do you get into competition shooting and how old do you have to be

[Gatekeeper]

Depends on what type of competition you are looking to try.

For action pistol/multi-gun Check out this site--------->Welcome to USPSA.org - Home of the United States Practical Shooting Association

There are links for finding local matches, information, and how to get started. Its how I got my start last year. I'm not sure about age requirements, that would be probably dependent on your states laws. Here in PA I've seen kids as young as 10 or 12 shooting matches with their parents or guardians.

From the USPSA site, click on the "Find Clubs" link and contact one of your local clubs, they should be able to answer all your questions and help you get started.

[Overkill0084]

Best way is to show up and watch an event and get a feel for what goes on. Talk to the people participating and get their opinion on what it takes to get going.
If you don't already, consider reloading for anything centerfire. Just about anything you try will require a good supply of accurate ammo. Practice, sighting in, and actual match. It can add up to a lot of ammo.

[BillM]

Originally Posted by 1911beast

how do you get into competition shooting and how old do you have to be

What kind of competition? There are literally DOZENS of different diciplines,
from air rifle through F Class rifle competition, all kinds of shotgun stuff,
USPSA, IDPA, SASS etc. etc.etc..

What specifically are you interested in? You are in Las Vegas. One of the
local ranges is Desert Sportsman's Rifle and Pistol. Here is the "active
diciplines" list from their website. As you can see, there are a BUNCH and
that's just one club. If you aren't sure what you want to do, go watch a
match or two.

.22 Rimfire Benchrest * .22 Rifle Silhouette * American Rimfire Association * Ground Hog Benchrest * IHMSA (International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Assoc) Big Bore * IHMSA Small Bore * Lever Action Big Bore * TCL Hunter Benchrest * Paladin Match * IPSC (International Practical Shooter Confederation) Practical Pistol * IPSC 3-Gun * Manual Precision Rifle * USPSA 3-Gun * Cowboy Action Shooting * Machine Gun Match * CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program) Service Rifle * Barnyard Benchrest * IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Assoc) * Steel Challenge * VIMBAR (Vintage Issue Military Bolt Action Rifle) * VIMSAR (Vintage Issue Military Semi-Auto Rifle)