Even though August is designated National Shooting Sports Month, there’s a whole range of shooting sports to try any month of the year. Shooting sports offer something for everyone, from low-movement sports where the competitor stands still or lies prone with a firearm, to the aggressive movement needed for some of the more active practical shooting sports, like IPSC. Here are three that are easy, require minimal gear and ammo, and can even be performed on your own at the range.
Steel Challenge
Steel Challenge is a shooting sport that is often recommended for new competitors, or those who have not used firearms very much. The courses of fire consist of eight official courses with measurements and target sizes and are pretty simple—master shooters can complete the sequence of targets in seconds. It’s a popular shooting sport and can be found all over the United States. You don’t actually have to have a lot of gear and accessories, just a gun, a few mags, along with eye and ear protection will get you started. Outside of officially sanctioned Steel Challenge matches you can find other steel matches, often dubbed “falling steel,” because they are not officially affiliated, but just as fun nonetheless.
Pros:
- Low gear requirements
- Safe and well-established rules that are easy to follow
- Popular and accessible
- Opportunities to learn basic range commands and practice firearm safety
- Low round count
- Can be shot with a .22 long rifle or pistol (.22 LR and 9 mm are the most common calibers)
Cons:
- You can progress rather quickly and might want a new challenge
- The only movement is from one box to another, so once you master that skill, you might prefer more challenging stages
USPSA
The United States Practical Shooting Association is the American region for another world organization called IPSC, or the International Practical Shooting Confederation. Both have similar rule sets with subtle variations. USPSA is what you find in the United States and IPSC tends to be more international. Practical shooting is a sport where competitors race against each other while being timed, and see who can get the best hit factor (points earned for their hits divided by the time it took to shoot the course of fire). USPSA has mostly pistol events, but some multi-gun or 2-gun events. It’s going to require more gear than steel challenge and usually a match will take all day for a local, club-level event, or two to three days for a large event. You will need a gun, a belt and a holster that’s suited for the division you want to compete in, a few magazines and mag holders for your belt, as well as eye and ear protection.
Pros:
- Fun and fast-paced
- Room for improvement and furthering skills is almost limitless
- A wide variety of skills will be developed; from basics of shooting and safety to moving with a firearm, and learning economy of motion and other skills required to get hits accurately and quickly.
- Some divisions for entry-level guns (Production division) are friendly to new competitors.
Cons:
- “Race guns” for some divisions can be an investment.
- Ammo to train and compete can add up quickly.
- Competitions are so enjoyable that you might end up spending a lot on a new hobby.
Trap and Skeet
Shotgun sports are a HUGE part of shooting sports and the high school and local level of these sports are sort of “feeders” for larger, regional and national events. The skill required to hit a flying clay target is a useful one for the hunters of the world, and it is honestly just fun for those who want a challenge. If you are interested in shotgun sports, most local clubs have a league night, which is a great way to test out shotgun sports. And the Scholastic Clay Target Program is a great way to get youth started in shotgun shooting sports.
Pros:
- Shotgun sports can usually be found at your local club.
- Low gear requirements: a shotgun, a set of chokes, and some ammo are all you need aside from eye and hearing protection.
- Low round count.
- Skills learned on the shotgun range will help hunters be more ethical and have better shot placement.
Cons:
- As you progress in shotgun sports, it can require better guns, and that can be costly.
- Competition is so plentiful it might feel like you have a long way to go to shoot a course of fire “clean.” (But that should really just encourage you to try!)
No matter what sort of shooting sport you might decide to try, always follow the rules of firearm safety. Shooting sports can be a tool to teach safe gun handling skills and basic shooting skills to everyone. Even if you don’t plan to become an addicted competitor, you can still learn from the process and participation in events. For anyone who might not be looking for an aggressively physical hobby, the shooting sports can be a great avenue to get moving and do something active. The shooting sports also offer time outdoors with family and friends, and give opportunity to pass down skills and knowledge from one generation to another.
So don’t limit yourself to the month of August to give these sports a try. Even if you don’t go to an official match, you can set up a course of fire on your local range or attend a league night and dip your toe into something new!
