Shooting Leagues

The United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) is the largest practical shooting organization in the United States.

It was formed after years of independent efforts around the country to build upon handgun skills and training for self-defense. The early days of the sport can be traced back to the 1950s and the quick draw “leather slap” competitions that grew out of America’s love affair with the TV westerns of that era.

Practical shooting challenged the then accepted standards of technique, training practices and equipment. Its early pioneers developed scenario-based competitions to accurately measure the effectiveness of their own shooting techniques and equipment. The rapid shooting on-the-move style of Practical Shooting gave birth to the term “Run and Gun” so commonly used today to describe the sport.

Practical shooting is an exciting, fun, safe sport.

The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) is the governing body of a shooting sport that simulates self-defense scenarios and rea l-life encounters. It was founded in 1996 as a response to the desires of shooters worldwide.

One of the unique facets of this sport is that it is geared toward the new or average shooter, yet is fun, challenging, and rewarding for the experienced shooter. The founders developed the sport so that practical gear and practical guns may be used competitively. An interested person can spend a minimal amount on equipment and still be competitive.

The main goal is to test the skill and ability of the individual, not equipment or gamesmanship. “Competition only” equipment is not permitted in this sport.

One of the fastest growing shooting sports in the country right now is the action-packed multi-gun competition commonly known as “3-gun.”

The reason for the name is that competitors use three different firearms — a modern sporting rifle (MSR), that is, a rifle built on an AR-platform; a pistol; and a shotgun. Matches generally involve courses where the shooter must move through different stages and engage targets in a variety of different positions. Each stage will generally require the use of different firearms and require the shooter to transition between them.

The targets might include cardboard silhouettes, steel targets of varying sizes and anything else the match organizer designates as a target. Distances of the targets might vary from 1 yard to 25 yards or anything in between. The shooter who hits the most targets — and avoids certain “no shoot” ones — in the least amount of time is the winner.

Just as it is with the practical pistol matches, 3-gun simulates combat or self-defense situations. A stage provides a certain scenario for using one or more of the guns in a specific sequence. Each stage in each match will usually be different than any you’ve shot before, and the ability to adapt is what makes 3-gun competition dynamic and exciting.