The USPSA classification system is a great way for competitors to see how their skills and performance compare with other members shooting in the same division. The system tracks your ranking using your USPSA membership number and your Classifier stage performances.

Your dominant eye is the eye your brain prefers for processing sight information. You need to know which eye your brain prefers so you can position the gun’s sights for your dominant eye. Site alignment usually happens unconsciously without much thought, as your brain already knows which…

Red dot sights are becoming more and more popular in shooting sports competitions. Sight pictures are simplified, and it allows you to stay “target focused” as you move across each target for faster target acquisition.

Any sighting system's accuracy must support the...

Below are some of the best resources on practical shooting sports, that can help you improve all aspects of your competitive performance.

Power factor is designed to help keep the playing field equal in USPSA divisions around ammunition performance and firearm recoil. The Power factor calculation is an effective way to measure ammunition's relative performance from a competitor's firearm and group them into Major and Minor…

Hit factor is the measure of a competitor's performance and how well they can manage the balance of speed and accuracy. Hit factor is exclusively used in USPSA competition and, the number represents how many points you score per second on a given stage. The higher the number, the better your…

TRIGGER ACTION TYPES

Trigger actions refer to how a firearm operates with each trigger press. There are two basic types of trigger actions: single-action and double-action. Some firearms incorporate both.

The trigger action releases the striker or hammer, so it causes the primer on a cartridge to...

Steel Challenge competition is a great way to get started in shooting sports. It's an excellent place for beginners because the rules and targets are simple, and movement is not a significant factor.

Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA) is often just referred to as Steel Challenge. It's a...

If you are serious about pistol shooting sports, you will need spare magazines. Having enough loaded magazines before you start a stage ensures you can reload and complete the course of fire efficiently. Steel Challenge (SCSA) competitions do not require you to carry your spare magazines on your…

Shot timers are essential to measuring performance at speed. A timer is an essential tool for competitive practice during dry-fire or live-fire sessions. The shot timer will provide details around the speed of your draw, transition times between targets, and the timing of follow-up shots. When...

There are several types of Courses in USPSA competition and this article breaks them down so you can understand the differences. Course types help course designers create stages that test competitors’ skills across a wide range of challenging combinations.

In USPSA and SCSA competitions, divisions group competitors by equipment and require them to adhere to a consistent set of rules during competition. There is a specific division that covers almost every type of commercially available semi-automatic pistol caliber firearm.