SCSA – Handgun & PCC Matches

The Southwest Pistol League, the Practical Shooting division of the Gopher Flats Sportsmen’s Club, is a member of The United States Practical Shooting Association and The Steel Challenge Shooting Association. The Southwest Pistol League (SWPL) is the originator of Practical Shooting. Each month, SWPL hosts a USPSA Handgun & PCC (Pistol Caliber Carbine) Match and an SCSA Steel Challenge Match open to members of all the clubs at our range and to the general public.

The Steel Challenge is a speed shooting competition governed by the Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA) that consists of eight standardized stages with steel targets in three sizes; small circular, large circular and square targets. Competitors are scored solely by the time it takes them to complete each stage, and the match winner is the competitor with the lowest overall time.

Steel Challenge has many similarities with IPSC, but has a more TV- and spectator friendly format because of simpler rules and the stages being the same from year to year.[1] Because of this, Steel Challenge has become a place where speed records are set and broken.

SWPL 2021 STEEL CHALLENGE SCHEDULE

SWPL SCSA Announcements

On the fourth Saturday of each month, SWPL hosts a SCSA sanctioned handgun & pistol caliber carbine match. Paper registration and score sheets are quaint artifacts of a bygone era and scoring is done entirely in the Practiscore App. At least a week before a match, Pre-Register on the Practiscore website and familiarize yourself with the Practiscore App on your mobile device, or risk becoming an artifact yourself.

COVID-19 Safety Precautions

1. While on the range, practice Social Distancing by staying at least six feet from anyone not from your household. If you are in close proximity to others outside your household, wear a  face covering for their protection, whether in the registration line, in the bays, walking between stages, or whenever near anyone outside your household.
   
   
2. Due to safety considerations, while on a stage, face coverings may be lowered or removed while Shooting, RO’ing, Scoring, Resetting Steel, Pasting targets, etc…. anywhere breathing through a face covering may fog shooting glasses and impair vision. Just remember that there are others close by during a stage.
   
   
3. ALL REGISTRATION IS ON PRACTISCORE. There will be NO WALK ON’s !!!!!
   
   
4. This event is limited to 90 Shooters.
   
   
5. There will be no more than 15 shooters per squad.
   
   
6. MULTIPLE ENTRIES are again allowed. Please shoot and reset the stages promptly, as we don’t want squads backing-up, making Social Distancing impossible.
   
   
7. If you register, but can’t make it to the shoot – – WITHDRAW ON PRACTISCORE or Email Dave. IF YOU DON’T SHOW UP, YOU JUST MADE IT SO SOMEONE ELSE CAN’T SHOOT. ALSO, YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO GET SPECIAL APPROVAL TO REGISTER AND SQUAD FOR FUTURE SWPL EVENTS …OR PAY EXTRA TO SHOOT THOSE EVENTS. Please, BE CONSIDERATE During The Pandemic.

Beginning January 2021 – Pre-Registration Is Required For All Shooters

1. Create a free Practiscore account and search for “SWPL Steel” to find the next Steel Challenge Match.
   
   
2. Enter your shooter information and join a squad. You can still shoot with your friends or family, but as part of a squad that will include other shooters. This is a great way to meet other shooters and will also reduce the number of squads moving through the stages.
   
   Registration for the match on the morning of the match (Walk-On Registration) is no longer offered. If you somehow aren’t able to Pre-Register on Practiscore, your dog ate your computer, or your life is in complete disarray, make your case to the Match Director before 8:00am on the morning of the match. If you’re allowed to register, the entry fee will be substantially higher and you’ll be placed in whichever squad isn’t already filled. Because this will also slow the progress of the squad you join, there’s no guarantee that squad will complete their stages before the match ends…which could be awkward.
   
   
3. Download the free Practiscore App to your mobile device and become familiar with it. Each shooter is required to have a mobile device running PractiScore and a shot timer. You’ll use the App to score your stages. Remember to download the App before coming to the range, as there is no public WiFi or Cellular coverage on the SWPL ranges.
   
   
4. On the morning of the match, arrive before 8:00am to pay the entry fee, complete the liability waiver, and other paperwork required by the range management.
   
   
5. Join the other members of your squad before the 8:00am Shooter’s Meeting. Everyone must attend the Shooter’s Meeting to shoot the match.
   
   
6. Immediately following the Shooters Meeting, each squad will start shooting on the stage matching their Squad Number.
   
   Example: If you are on Squad 1 you will start on Stage 1 with your squad and move sequentially through the six Stages. Changing squads during the match (Squad Jumping) is no longer allowed, as this would slow the other squads and extend the completion of the match.
   
   
7. Shoot a brilliant match and sync your world-beating scores to the match tablet before the match ends at 12:00noon. This allows the match crew to tear-down the Steel Challenge stages and the set-up crew for the next day’s match to begin building their stages.

New Shooters

Introduction

Traditional shooting practice limits you to slow, deliberate, and intermittent shooting at bland, non-reactive targets. Practical Shooting frees you from those limitations, emphasizing both movement and as much speed as you desire. The Steel Challenge, well, challenges your swiftness and accuracy with arrays of reactive steel targets that clang loudly with every hit. For even more movement and speed, USPSA mixes static, reactive, paper, and steel targets to test your vision and reflexes. SWPL’s outdoor ranges are designed for Practical Shooting, allowing you to move and shoot safely. And though SWPL is a private club, club membership isn’t required to shoot The Steel Challenge and USPSA matches.

If you’re new to shooting, we recommend either the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) First Shots Program or the National Rifle Association (NRA) First Steps Basic Pistol Orientation to get you started. Once you’ve mastered gun safety and handling, you’re ready for the Steel Challenge, or USPSA, or both!

The Steel Challenge matches consist of 150 rounds fired in Six Stages. Each stage is its own bay, with five Steel Targets of varying sizes. You have a choice of shooting either a centerfire handgun or pistol-caliber carbine, a .22 rim-fire handgun, or a .22 rim-fire rifle. Each stage starts with the firearm held at a low-ready position, or by drawing a handgun from a holster. You’ll engage the targets from a designated spot, but move your firearm to engage all the targets. You’ll shoot each stage five times, reloading off the clock between each string.

Your First Match

Nervous about your first “public performance”? Most people are! Relax and enjoy it! Everyone you’ll meet at SWPL matches had a first time, too. You’ll find that both experienced shooters and Range Safety Officers (RO’s) are friendly and helpful to new shooters. We all enjoy Practical Shooting, and want to get you started right! Matches are just as much social gatherings as they are shooting contests. Here’s how we suggest you approach your match, either The Steel Challenge or USPSA:

First – Concentrate on Safety while handling your Firearm. Nobody wants to see you disqualified for a safety violation. This can happen, as the saying goes, if you run before you learn to walk. Learn safe gun handling first. Increased speed will come with practice. Slow or fast, you should always pay attention to where the muzzle of your gun points and where your trigger finger rests!

Next – Don’t worry about your stage times. Instead, slow down and concentrate on hitting the targets. Focusing on a clear sight picture and precise trigger control will make you a better shooter.

Finally – Get out on the range and have fun!