To each his own!

I commend The Irishman for his work with the data on recovery shots. He has done us a service by compiling this information.  However, I would reach opposite conclusions from his data.

It is clear that recovery shots are a very small portion of shots fired, somewhere in the area of 1%. It is really not a problem. But the data does show a problem.

The accuracy rate has been going down. It is getting to be more and more acceptable to miss.  We have been devaluing the miss.  To me this stems from a basic misunderstanding of the sport.  It is a gunfight.  It is not a speed contest.  WOW correctly points out that all of the top shooters take recovery shots.  That is because they understand it is a gunfight and not a speed contest.

It is bothers to me to see all of the three shooters that can not hit the broadside of a barn even if they are inside.  If you practice enough to be quick, you practice enough to be a 80% shooter.  These shooters don't hit because they don't understand that it is a gunfight.  They practice missing in their relentless pursuit of speed.  

I would not brag too much about never taking a recovery shot.  What you are saying is that you have intentionally thrown a match, have intentionally lost, have intentionally manipulated the standing, apparently out of a false sense of sportsmanship.  If it is okay to intentionally lose then it okay to intentionally lose.  Powder Keg and Marshall Cooper both had the opportunity to intentionally lose in round 13 of the Nationals and thereby eliminate three other mid 3 shooters. They did not do it but they had the opportunity to do so.

Intentionally not taking a shot when you are entitled to do so, devalues the miss.  If you miss you ought to lose.  It is not okay to miss.  It is also disrespectful to your opponent.  You don't find this among the top shooters because they respect their opponent.  They know they better take the shot when they have the chance because their opponent is not going give them another chance.  They respect their opponent.
 
Saying it is alright to intentionally not shoot or intentionally not hit is the problem.  My shooting partner at nationals had 3 x s and so did his opponent. He did not take a recovery shot. On the very next shot his opponent did.

Time limits will only create more problems.  Then there is the problem of what is a "slip cock", what is a recovery shot.  I was given a sportsmanship warning for what appeared to be a slow recovery shot, (I am just slow) when in fact it was a provisional shot after host provided defective ammunition.  Can of worms!

There is an easy solution!  It is a gunfight folks,  not a speed contest. Simple Rule: Every competitor must fire a shot in each match without regard to time or technique except for gun malfunctions.  Every competitor must use his best efforts to hit the target.  Every competitor must load sufficient to complete the match.

Let's put this nonsense to bed!