USPSA is not for everybody. But it also depends on the stages. There are “hoser” stages where everything is pretty close (<7 yds) and then there are other stages where there are plenty of no-shoots (penalty targets), hardcover (simulating a target hiding partially behind a wall or something solid, or just longer distance shots out beyond 25 yd. It varies by the stage designer as well as the club. At the clubs I shoot at, we try to balance it out. An all-hoser match is fun now and then, but most people don’t want to shoot that kind of stage for the entire match. Similarly a match that is full of hard shots is not fun either on the lower class shooters, especially when you’re trying to do it fast.
That said, at the end of the day the person who wins the stage or match is the person who shot the most points, least penalties, and in the shortest amount of time. I usually average about 90-92% of the available points, dropping a few Charlies here and then, with the occasional Delta while going full-tilt boogie speed. Even so, there are times I have to slow down and make sure I get good hits. My goal is to shoot a clean match with zero Mikes (misses) zero penalties (hits on No-Shoots) or procedurals (doing something dumb). Some stage designers love to clutter up the targets with liberal use of partial hardcover and No-Shoots targets which increases the accuracy component since Mikes and NS cost you penalty points which hurt your score.
USPSA is not a tactical game anymore. It may have started out that way in its roots, but anymore the game has shifted to where speed and accuracy are both emphasized, based on how your score is calculated using Hit Factor scoring. I suppose there is some correlation to real-life in that you can be super accurate and make good hits on your adversary, but if it takes you a long time to do so you run the risk of a) being shot yourself, or b) your target runs away.
The other thing you may have run into is Major PF vs Minor PF scoring. For both, a hit in the A-zone and steel is worth 5 points. But once you start getting into the C and D zone hits, minor costs you more points down. C zone in minor is 3 pts, D zone in minor is 1 pt, vs 4 pts for C and 2 pts for D in Major PF. So when shooting Production, Carry Optics, and PCC you have to make your hits count if you want to do well in the upper echelons.
Shoot another match or three, at a different club if one is available to you before making up your mind. I used to think PRS rifle matches were like watching paint dry, then I shot a few matches and realized that’s entirely not the case.
