Introduction to Shooting Sports & Competitive Shooting

Shooting Sports are some of the fastest growing pastimes in the US. From “low-recoil” calibers such as the .22LR to Magnum Calibers such as the .338 Lapua Magnum, from Pistols, to Rifles to shotguns and any combination, there is a shooting sport to fit most any interest.

Besides being fun, entertaining, and even gratifying, the shooting sports are a fantastic way to challenge your shooting abilities and to also help mimic some of the obstacles one may possibly face in a defensive shooting situation. Elevating your heartrate, shooting from awkward positions, shooting under the pressure of time within a prescribed courses of fire – all help to induce stress and push your limits. There are many organizations that host shooting sport events with many local matches that you can participate in to see which discipline you may prefer. This session will introduce you to each of the various disciplines (listed below) and help prepare you for your first experience. Knowing what to expect, how to prepare, what gear is suggested and what to stay away from, will make the process smoother and more enjoyable.

Disciplines / Associations

Pistol

USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association) is the governing body for Practical shooting, also known as dynamic shooting or action shooting, is a set of shooting sports where the competitors are trying to unite the three principles of precision, power, and speed, by using a firearm of a certain minimum power factor to score as many points as possible during the shortest amount of time (or sometimes within a set maximum time). While scoring systems vary between organizations, each measures the time of which the course is completed, with penalties for inaccurate shooting. The courses are called "stages", and are shot individually by the shooters. Usually, the shooter must move and shoot from several positions, fire under or over obstacles and in other unfamiliar positions. There are no standard exercises or set arrangement of the targets, and the courses are often designed so that the shooter must be inventive, and therefore the solutions of exercises sometimes varies between shooters.

IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association) is the governing body of a shooting sport that simulates self-defense scenarios and real-life encounters. It was founded in 1996 as a response to the desires of shooters worldwide. IDPA offers an exciting forum for practical shooters in which truly practical equipment, techniques and courses of fire are mandated. Prior to IDPA, there was no place to compete with common service pistols.

Shotgun

Trap is the oldest shotgun shooting sport in America. Trapshooting derives its name from the device, called a trap, which throws clay targets into the air. Participants shoot at the clay targets thrown from a trap house located in front of the shooter. The trap rotates in a random sequence, presenting the shooter with a variety of going away shots, angling to the right, left and flying straightaway.

Skeet uses the same clay targets as trap. Two trap houses are required in skeet-a “high house” at the left of the field and a “low house” at the right. Both traps throw targets at fixed angles. High-house targets start at a point about 10 feet above the ground, moving to the shooter’s right. Low-house targets move in the opposite direction starting from a point about three feet off the ground.

Sporting Clays is a challenging clay target game designed to simulate a variety of field-shooting situations. On a sporting clays course, shooters are presented with a wide variety of targets that duplicate the flight path of game birds, such as flushing, crossing, incoming and other angling shots.

Rifle

PRS (Precision Rifle Series) is the preeminent rifle organization in the world, structuring a yearly point race for both the PRS Pro Bolt Gun Series and the PRS Regional Series. Born out of the Military, Law Enforcement and Hunting scenarios, the practical application of the precision rifle is the underlaying theme utilizing a vast array of stressors to test the full extend of a shooter’s capabilities in unique and challenging ways.

PPR (Practical Precision Rifle) Matches are a local, fast paced long range shooting competition that will test your rifle marksmanship as you manage various barricades and obstacles to engage targets from 100 - 600 yards.  Matches are divided up into multiple stages whereby you will engage steel targets from different supported and unsupported positions as well as managing various barricades for support.  Target sizes are designed to be challenging.  Target distances are usually known so shooters should have a good DOPE out to 600 yards.

Multi-Gun

Multi-Gun, often also called 2-Gun or 3-Gun depending on the types of firearms, are practical shooting events where each of the stages require the competitor to use a combination of handguns, rifles and/or shotguns. Multi-Gun has a lot in common with ordinary IPSC/ USPSA single gun matches, and matches generally have courses of fire where the shooter must move through different stages and engage targets in a variety of different positions.