How long to make master

I'm just curious how long it has taken the ones that made master to get there. I realize everybody is different, but I'm just curious. Making master is my personal goal.

8 years,  Still need marksman and high master.
Dave C.

7 years. Knowing what I know now, I would have shot iron sights and worked at getting distinguished before trying to climb the classification ladder.

From the start of BE shooting to Master card was 4.5 yrs.
YMMV

Clarence

I made master my first year, high master my second.

So far, about 50 years........... Still working on it, though......................

It took me about two years, but I had a lot of advantages.

It took me 15 to go from Master to HM (outdoors), but I was focusing on other things during that intervening 15 years.

@Pistol Champ- Please tell us there's a reason you rose so quickly. You're shoulder joint is frozen? Annie Oakley was your great, great Grandmother?

If no special circumstances, then can you share some of the secrets of your success?

I believe the appropriate unit of measure is "good trigger pulls".   After 3 years, I'm  expert  because I spent a year not really understanding bad trigger pulls. In this metric, you must -2 for each bad trigger pull so I'm still working to overcome the negative training.  I would love to hear what the Master/HM say but I think 100,000 good trigger pulls will get you there.  
Glen

Three years (2008 to 2011) and a hundred-fifty thousand rounds (and a lot more dry-fires), shooting four or five times a week, to go from Marksman to Expert to Master (skipped Sharpshooter) with my wheelguns, then I switched to semi-autos because I could maintain my proficiency without the need for constant practice (and I took up bicycle racing). Now I'm sorta gravitating back to revolvers, and trying to really learn iron sights (NRA International Air Pistol is starting to take my fancy now), and being re-humbled by just how difficult things can be on "hard mode".

I shot Expert my first match and made Master 12 months later. I had a lot of help.
  Standing in formation one morning in May of 1971 I volunteered to shoot a pistol match. It was a friendship match with the US Army shooting against German Army, Polizie and German civilians. Shot a 271. Someone was watching. I got orders to go TDY and try out for 7th Army pistol team. Made the team and spent the next 6 months shooting up thousands of rounds of ammo paid for by Uncle Sam and had class room instructions by some of the best shooters in the world. Like I said. "I had a lot of help"

Len

Master 16 months
High Master 37 months

In October of 2014 I missed HM by 2 points at the last outdoor match in Ohio that year. I went home very devastated.  In June of 2015 when I finally got it I made the comment to Brian Zins to the effect of "It took me long enough"  He reminded me that for someone with zero military background to make HM that fast is extremely rare. 

What do I attribute to my success?  Sacrifice.  Nine hour round trips to shoot a 2700, lots and lots of dry fire.  Being willing to make drastic changes in my shot process and my life.  Buying a turning target machine.
This year after Perry I ripped my shot process out of my notebook and threw it away.  I took up Yoga and spent the money on a C-Pap machine to help me sleep at night.  The yoga has been wonderful.  I take private lessons to focus on my stance and breathing.   I have put fewer rounds downrange this fall and still managed to shoot a 2628-129 because I am more well rested and can control my muscles and breathing better. 
Next goal 2670

With some effort and training, a person can make Expert, once the proper fundamentals are ingrained. For most folks the jump to Master requires extra determination, sacrifice and proper training. I think the mental part of it is most important to make the jump. Most folks never reach that level, but anyone with good eyesight, coordination and grit can do it. The folks who make it quickly are usually put on the fast track with excellent coaching and having the best equipment at the outset. If you are handicapped by a poor self-image, no coaching and so-so equipment, it can take a lot longer because you will have to overcome learning to unlearn bad habits, and you will lose unnecessary points and lack of confidence by using less than top notch equipment and ammo. IMHO, it helps to have a lot of support and understanding from one's family.

IMO speed of making master or high master is based on natural talent, as you can see its considerably less time for some and can be never for others no mater what they do. Those that work hard to move up and learn how to advance will take a few to many years to evolve to those levels.

My 7th match I made Master(less than year). My 14th match I broke 2600(17months) My 16th match I broke 2650(18 months). Made Master with self cast bullets and welded up barrel .45 pistol. Broke 50 using Federal Match.
Jon

That's like asking how many basketballs do I have to shoot before I'm just as good as Micheal Jordan? It's not how  long it takes or how many shots one takes whether with a gun or basketball. Some people have the hand eye coordination and some don't, doesn't matter the sport. If everybody was the same talent wise we would all be Brian Zins or Micheal Jordans at some point in our lives but the truth is very few people ever reach the talent of these guys no matter how hard they try.

There are many that have been shooting for decades and have never gotten a higher classification than Marksman. That doesn't diminish the fun and joy they have shooting and competing.


Virgil

Jon Eulette wrote:My 7th match I made Master(less than year). My 14th match I broke 2600(17months) My 16th match I broke 2650(18 months). Made Master with self cast bullets and welded up barrel .45 pistol. Broke 50 using Federal Match.
Jon

THAT, is exceptional!!!!
Joe Chang had a similiar success curve, I don't recall the exact time frame.. He broke 2600 within a year..2650 followed but I am not sure of the time frame, and at this point he is the most decorated Air Force bullseye shooter ever,  as far as I can research. He came close to the 50 mark again last summer.
My lady shooter broke 2600 as an expert at year # four, and a few months later got her master card..
2600 is elusive for many .. Quite few masters never acheive that mark.

My first classifications were master - both indoor and outdoor pistol. I had shot in a weekly league for several years before I started shooting in NRA matches. The indoor matches were .22 only 900's and I only shot the .22 portion of the outdoor matches which skewed my results and took me straight to master. When I started shooting the full 2700's it took a while for my scores to get back to master level. It took 20 years to make high master indoors.

This is great info. I made outdoor expert in about 14 months but I was shooting a Sig 1911 with combat sights when I started. Getting a Springfield Range Officer with target sights made a big difference. Going to a red dot in January of this year made a really big difference. I think starting with iron sights was a benefit in my case. Once I get my indoor expert card I think I'm going back to iron sights for a few months as an experiment.

Hello,

As a single dude many years ago....I believe it was three years.

If I had to do it with wife and family....it probably wouldn't have happened.

Jim

Started competing in '79.  Shot double hardball until I got my distinguished badge.  Got the distinguished badge in '84 picked up a wadcutter gun and immediately shot 2600.  Master card came close behind that same year.