Practical shooting
Encyclopedia
Practical shooting is a sport
which challenges an individual's ability to shoot
rapidly and accurately with a full-power handgun
, rifle
, or shotgun
. To do this, shooters take on obstacle-laden shooting courses called stages, some requiring many shots to complete, and others just a few. While scoring systems vary between practical shooting organizations, each measures the speed with which the stage is completed, with penalties for inaccurate shooting.
. The researchers were an international group of private individuals, law enforcement officers, and military people generally operating independently of each other, challenging the then-accepted standards of technique, training practices, and equipment. The work was, for the most part, conducted for their own purposes without official sanction. Even so, what they learned has had a great impact on police and military training forever.
Competition had begun with the leather slap quick draw
events of the 1950s, which had grown out of America's love affair with the TV westerns of that era. However, many wished for a forum that would more directly test the results of the experimentation that had been going on at the Bear Valley Gunslingers at Big Bear Lake
, California
and many other places. Competitions were set up to test what had been learned, and they soon grew into a distinct sport, requiring competitors to deal with constantly changing scenarios.
. From that meeting came the International Practical Shooting Confederation
(IPSC). In 1984, the United States Practical Shooting Association
(USPSA) was incorporated as the US Region of IPSC. After many years of established IPSC competition, some shooters, including some of the original founders, became dissatisfied with IPSC, as more specialized equipment was allegedly required to remain competitive. The International Defensive Pistol Association
(IDPA) was formed in 1996 with the aim of returning to the defensive pistol roots of practical shooting. Soon after this split, the USPSA devised a series of competition "divisions" with varying limits on type and modification of equipment, including a "Production" division with rules similar to the IDPA's regulations. Today USPSA and IDPA matches are two of the most popular forums of practical handgun shooting in the United States, with more than 17,500 and 11,000 members respectively.
In 2003, a new shooting organization, The Polite Society
was formed. The organisation's events combine handgun shooting matches with actual training events to create a shooting "event" rather than just a shooting match, and are intended to be an "additional" shooting sport rather than a "replacement" for any existing sport.
In 1977 the U.K.P.S.A was formed to promote and regulate practical pistol shooting in the UK. The association proved very popular, gaining international respect within the practical shooting community, and hosted many National, European and International competitions. The UKPSA selects the National Teams, affiliates clubs, organises training and maintains discipline and rules. The UKPSA is England's regional affiliate of the IPSC.
Despite the 1997 Firearms Amendment Act
in the UK, worldwide practical shooting is currently the second most popular international target shooting discipline and now the fastest growing. Most pistol shooting in the UK suffered severely after the handgun ban, which wiped out many shooting disciplines by removing the ability to participate. Practical shotgun has gained much popularity since the handgun ban, with numerous graded matches each year, and large entries to the European Practical Shotgun Championships.
Shooting sports
A shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...
which challenges an individual's ability to shoot
Shooting
Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
rapidly and accurately with a full-power handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
, rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
, or shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
. To do this, shooters take on obstacle-laden shooting courses called stages, some requiring many shots to complete, and others just a few. While scoring systems vary between practical shooting organizations, each measures the speed with which the stage is completed, with penalties for inaccurate shooting.
Origins
Practical shooting evolved from experimentation with handguns used for self-defenseSelf-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
. The researchers were an international group of private individuals, law enforcement officers, and military people generally operating independently of each other, challenging the then-accepted standards of technique, training practices, and equipment. The work was, for the most part, conducted for their own purposes without official sanction. Even so, what they learned has had a great impact on police and military training forever.
Competition had begun with the leather slap quick draw
Fast Draw
Fast Draw is a sport based on the romanticized art of the gunslingers in the American Old West, using traditional single action revolvers. Unlike Cowboy action shooting, Fast Draw is shot with special blanks or wax bullets...
events of the 1950s, which had grown out of America's love affair with the TV westerns of that era. However, many wished for a forum that would more directly test the results of the experimentation that had been going on at the Bear Valley Gunslingers at Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the San Bernardino Mountains, in San Bernardino County, California, United States. At a surface elevation of , it has an east-west length of approximately 7 miles and is approximately 2.5 miles at its widest measurement, though the lake's width mostly averages a...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and many other places. Competitions were set up to test what had been learned, and they soon grew into a distinct sport, requiring competitors to deal with constantly changing scenarios.
Organizations
In 1976, an international group of enthusiasts, interested in what had become known as "practical shooting", met in Columbia, MissouriColumbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
. From that meeting came the International Practical Shooting Confederation
International Practical Shooting Confederation
The International Practical Shooting Confederation is a shooting sport based on the concept of practical shooting. Accuracy, power and speed are all required to achieve a maximum score.-Founding and organization:...
(IPSC). In 1984, the United States Practical Shooting Association
United States Practical Shooting Association
The United States Practical Shooting Association, or USPSA, is the national governing body of one form of Practical shooting in the United States, and is the US Region of the International Practical Shooting Confederation...
(USPSA) was incorporated as the US Region of IPSC. After many years of established IPSC competition, some shooters, including some of the original founders, became dissatisfied with IPSC, as more specialized equipment was allegedly required to remain competitive. The International Defensive Pistol Association
International Defensive Pistol Association
The International Defensive Pistol Association , founded in 1996, is an organization based in Berryville, Arkansas, USA that promotes defensive pistol shooting as a sport, using equipment including full-charge service ammunition to solve simulated "real world" self-defense scenarios...
(IDPA) was formed in 1996 with the aim of returning to the defensive pistol roots of practical shooting. Soon after this split, the USPSA devised a series of competition "divisions" with varying limits on type and modification of equipment, including a "Production" division with rules similar to the IDPA's regulations. Today USPSA and IDPA matches are two of the most popular forums of practical handgun shooting in the United States, with more than 17,500 and 11,000 members respectively.
In 2003, a new shooting organization, The Polite Society
The Polite Society
The Polite Society is an American organization that holds shooting events designed to test defensive skills with a handgun. This organization was formed primarily by Tom Givens of Memphis, Tennessee and Jim Higgenbotham of Kentucky, both of whom have military and law enforcement experience, and...
was formed. The organisation's events combine handgun shooting matches with actual training events to create a shooting "event" rather than just a shooting match, and are intended to be an "additional" shooting sport rather than a "replacement" for any existing sport.
In 1977 the U.K.P.S.A was formed to promote and regulate practical pistol shooting in the UK. The association proved very popular, gaining international respect within the practical shooting community, and hosted many National, European and International competitions. The UKPSA selects the National Teams, affiliates clubs, organises training and maintains discipline and rules. The UKPSA is England's regional affiliate of the IPSC.
Despite the 1997 Firearms Amendment Act
Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997
The Firearms Act 1997 was introduced by the Conservative Government of John Major following the Dunblane Massacre.It effectively banned the possession of all handguns other than those chambered for .22 Rim-fire cartridges by civilians in most of the United Kingdom by making them subject to Section...
in the UK, worldwide practical shooting is currently the second most popular international target shooting discipline and now the fastest growing. Most pistol shooting in the UK suffered severely after the handgun ban, which wiped out many shooting disciplines by removing the ability to participate. Practical shotgun has gained much popularity since the handgun ban, with numerous graded matches each year, and large entries to the European Practical Shotgun Championships.