Perhaps so. When I asked George (Tex) Ferguson, the second most decorated American soldier in WWII, a good friend of mine, what was the best marksmanship training for combat, he unhesitatingly said “The National Match Course”.
He was a gifted shot and instructor, and was the Army coach to the pistol team that went to Russia to compete with the Russians.
He did a great deal after the war. Many have said that he was a CIA assassin. I do not know, but how many people have their own government issued MAC 10? I never saw it, but others did and I have the case that he carried it in, which his family sold after Tex passed on.
Also, Jim Cirrillo, the famous New York City police officer who was such a successful gun fighter said that competition in formal matches was something that should be looked for in selecting personnel that would be at high risk of gun fights.
From the link below:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_3_54/ai_n24232224/
“More than anything else, Cirillo emphasized mind-set and preparedness. He noted hunters made good stakeout men, not because they were accustomed to shooting for blood so much as because they were accustomed to waiting patiently and keeping their focus as they looked for certain signs. Best of all, he said, were the hunters who were also competition shooters, because when the gunfire started, shooting under pressure was already second nature for them.”
“High power matches, or for that matter, most competitive shooting, have very little in common with combat marksmanship, other than the basics.
but then completely ignore the following sentance that I posted:
Though someone with increased skill levels will naturally be at an advantage in combat.
Carlos Hathcock was mentioned in an earlier reply to my posting. He did win at Camp Perry, and I don't think that anybody would try to downplay what an amazing marksman he was. But that wasn't what made him the legendary sniper. His "woodcraft" and steely nerve is what made him one of the best ever. Of course without the marksmanship skills, he never would have been as good as he was, but without the other expertise, he might not have survived his tours of Viet Nam, and he never would have become the legendary "White Feather."
I've known some gifted competition marksmen who did amazingly poorly at bowling pin or USPSA style shooting.
Mark