Stage Design

Everyone talks about competitive equity when it comes to things like moving targets, the angle of the sun, or even the weather (stupid rain bags). The first one is something range staff can manage and hopefully prevent. The last two, well most of us shoot outdoors and have to deal with the weather variation. When designing and building stages there is one thing that occasionally gets forgotten and that is we have quite the range of competitor heights in our sport and we need to make sure to keep that in mind.

[Read more…] about Vertical equity

The 2024 rulebooks release today (February 29th) and that means we have new rules to discuss! If you look at the USPSA Competition Rules you will see a new rule about not overlapping scoring targets directly on top of each other. Let’s look at the new rule, discuss why it was added, and some example target layouts.

[Read more…] about Layered targets in Virginia Count and Fixed Time

Last week we covered the different scoring methods. This week let’s look at the different USPSA stage types and the differences between all of those.

[Read more…] about The different stage types

Last year, we had a Fixed Time stage at nationals and quickly learned that many folks have never seen that scoring method and were confused about how Fixed Time works and is scored. By using that scoring method at nationals, we are now seeing it pop up more in local matches and other major matches. But what are all the differences between the different scoring methods in USPSA?

[Read more…] about The different scoring methods

Our rules do allow for scoring and no-shoot cardboard targets to be cut, but there are some rules about the cut edge that need to be followed. Let’s look at some examples and the rules which are involved.

[Read more…] about Cutting targets

There’s a short video in the level one presentation that shows a competitor in a different country leaning on a wall while he engages targets. The wall subsequently falls down as he shoots and he rides it down to the ground, hammering away at the targets. He doesn’t drop his gun, and seems to get a kick out of the experience, as does his fellow competitors in the peanut gallery.  The point of the slide is that props need to be built to withstand their intended use, as specified in the rules.

[Read more…] about Build It Right

Every once in a while you get a question and just have to go hmmmm? Recently during set-up at an all classifier match, the issue of what is the shoulder of a USPSA cardboard target when the specified target height of “5 feet at the shoulder” is used. If you think about it, there could be two answers. Is shoulder height the top of the main body of the target or is the shoulder where the lateral edge of the target breaks down at an angle? I would guess most people would say the former rather than the latter example but is it as cut and dried as that?

[Read more…] about Which shoulder?

No, not a post discussing treasure maps, sorry. In this case, it is regarding the placement of firearms on a surface prior to the start signal as part of the make ready routine. Let’s grab our shovels anyway and and see what we can find.

[Read more…] about X Marks the Spot