What's your favorite handgun sport?

[pmer]

If you use your handguns for competitions and activities I'd like to read about it. Like how it's scored and some of the rules. I don't know what the alphabet names stand for so if you can... please and thank you.

My local shop has an indoor range and my wife and I are shooting the bowling pin league there. They have classes for rimfire, center fire handgun and pistol cartridge carbine. The most pins in the least amount time gets the class. I barely got her to try it and I have to go to dance classes with her but she really likes using the Browning Buckmark in the rimfire class.

[Bwana]

USPSA.

http://www.uspsa.org/

[ReloaderFred]

My wife and I shoot Cowboy Action matches all over the country, with about 80,000 of our closest friends. It's as much social as it is competition, which is why there are so many women involved in it. It's expensive to get started, but once you've got the gear, it's a blast to shoot. It takes two revolvers, a leveraction rifle and a period correct shotgun. They can either be originals, or replicas. My wife shoots an 1897 Winchester shotgun that was made in 1899, and still going strong. My shotgun is a more modern Model 1897, built in 1912..

Cowboy Action was started from the beginning as a fun sport, which is why there aren't any big awards, such as guns, cash, cars, etc. For the most part, you shoot for ribbons. That takes a lot of the pressure off and promotes comradship. I've seen people competing in the same class loan guns and ammunition to someone who has a chance to beat them, when the other person's firearm has broken, etc. In fact, I've loaned a gun to a person I was shooting against, and he did beat me with my own gun, but I was glad I helped him out when he needed it.

At our local matches we shoot five stages and then have a potluck dinner after the match. We never, ever leave hungry, and sometimes tell people we only shoot so we can have a great meal with good friends afterwards.

Over the years I've shot most of the alphabet venues, but the only one that I've found that is truly fun is SASS, the Single Action Shooting Society. I very highly recommend it.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Whiterabbit]

Sit-shoot-talk.

Great sport. I go to the range, sit down, and enjoy some shooting. Eventually, based on set of unfathomable and arbitrary rules, I'll stop shooting and enjoy a fine conversation, sometimes with a fine stranger.

It's a great sport.

[DaveCampbell]

My preference is for almost anything that involves pulling a trigger. As far as disciplines, I like 'em all--cowboy, practical, plinkin' and huntin'. When involved with the "social" shooting games, it's more important to me as to who I am shooting with. I'm not too enamored with those whose compulsion is to fill their "I love me" walls with plaques and trophies. If you held me down and tickled me sensless I'd probably allow that hunting is my favorite.

Why does the government give away a slew of F-16 fighter jets to the muslim brotherhood for free but wants to deny me the right to possess a semi-automatic rifle?

[BRobertson]

I hunt with a revolver, I have since I was 18 yrs old(I am 61yrs now)
I have never hunted with a rifle


Bob

[pmer]

Thanks guys I went to the USPSA site and SASS looks nice too. I can do recreational plinking at home and don't get out much to shoot. I have tried a little Metalic silhouette but that was a while ago.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I Shoot a local IDPA match once a month in Santa Barbara CA. It is pretty informal. It is also mutating into a Three gun match after the IDPA portion is over. That was really fun.

I am a rifle shooter first, with shotguns being my second choice, however I shoot pistols, (Glock 21 and 35) way more than I shoot the rifles or shotguns.

I want to expand my IDPA shooting out to Piru CA which is about 50 miles from my home in Ojai. This is not an informal shoot, it is a bigtime competition and all of the big boys from LA and the surrounding areas come to play.

I have noticed that I shoot much better when challenged and figure that place should be a big enough challenge.

What I really like is the smell of gunpowder, and anything that delivers the smell,,, is a good thing.

Randy

[ItZaLLgooD]

USPSA here as well. It's the only local game but it is an absolute blast. It is fairly informal. No big names, but a lot of good friendly competition. Everyone gets along great and we learn from each other. I made it out every month this last year and I intend to make to all of them this year including a few not so local events.

[462]

Killing golf balls.

[Bullshop]

Hunting coyotes

[black44hawk]

I love shooting steel targets, and the sport that complements my favorite firearm (a Ruger Super Blackhawk) is undoubtably silhouette shooting. When I knock down a ram at 200 standing I get a feeling of satisfaction that is hard to beat. The emphasis on accuracy is good for the caster/reloader too.

[375supermag]

Once upon a time, many years ago, I shot competitively Bullseye. But then my eyesight became a bit too fuzzy and I was no longer improving and eventually started to regress.

Now I shoot informal matches with my son and friends at ranges from 7yds to 200yds. We shoot everything from empty shotgun shells at 25yds to claybirds at various distances to a 10"steel plate at 200yds. Much more fun than organized matches ever were...no trophies, just bragging rights and good fun.

[9.3X62AL]

The hyper-competitive nature of a lot of the organized shooting sports turns me off completely. The gamesmanship and rules-bending annoys me, too. I've enjoyed IPSC-type shooting with my duty rigs when I was working, since the clubs I shot at weren't all "hard-core" or gun-game oriented. The layouts and courses were realistic and practical. Mostly though, I enjoy a saunter through the woods or desert with a good sideiron, taking shots of oppurtunity at varmints, small game, or whatever might be in season and tasty. Like mule deer, for example. Point of fact.......much of my range time is prep work for the hunting fields of many types, and that was true even when I was working as a LEO.

[1Shirt]

I hunt a lot of paper!
1Shirt!

[Forrest r]

I like to shoot the issf 50m free pistol. It's nothing fancy, 60 shots in 60 minutes but it's some of the hardest pistols shooting there is but it's also the most rewarding/relaxing.

I also like to shoot the issf 10m air pistols & the 25m sport pistols events. I bought a 1911 this year to shoot the nra bullseye 50ft & 25yd lines & so far I couldn't be happier with the 45acp.

[Woody3]

We like to play Dirty Cracker

Put 5 crackers per shooter on a dirt berm.
Each shooter gets 5 rounds.
After each shooter has fired their 5 rounds, the shooter with the most crackers left has to eat the ones he missed.

If your not a good shot, I pretty much guarantee you will do all the dry work you have to at home so your not the one eating the dirty crackers. Bwahahaha!!!!

[BCRider]

Check out your local clubs to see what sort of handgun matches they have. What we're shooting out our way doesn't help you out that much. It's the clubs within a hour or so drive of you which are going to provide you with the options.

Standing and perforating paper gets old pretty quickly. Handguns simply beg to be used in a fast, run around sort of event.

Me? I shoot cowboy action, IDPA, IPSC and my local club's monthly Speed Steel event.

www.idpa.com
www.ipsc.org/

The nice thing about our local Speed Steel event is that it's like the national Steel Challenge event in that it allows for the use of rimfire handguns and pistol caliber carbine setups. It really opens up the options for the folks that would otherwise not be elligable or don't want to shoot center fire for whatever reason. Steel challenge is also revolver friendly as is our local Speed Steel version of it.

[Calamity Jake]

I like reloaderfred, CAS

[Wolfer]

Huntin, deer, coyote, rabbit, grouse.

[W.R.Buchanan]

BC Rider: I didn't think they allowed Pistols or Revolvers in Canada? Please explain.

Randy

[pmer]

62232

Some might think I have a problem. I'd say yea I pulled a few off but I was holding on the nose and then tween the eyes. There was also a pint sized diet coke bottle full of water that had a good number done on it too.

USFA, .452 Lyman SWC with 8.0 unique.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

The conversation on Cast Boolits.com

[wv109323]

I keep coming back to NRA Bullseye Pistol. It is not a spectator sport but is the most relaxing for me. Equipment is expensive but you get to shoot with some of the best pistol shooters in the country. The recent NRA Distinguished Revolver has broadened the sport to include revolvers.
But I can settle for anything that involves burning gunpowder.

[xacex]

We like to play Dirty Cracker

Put 5 crackers per shooter on a dirt berm.
Each shooter gets 5 rounds.
After each shooter has fired their 5 rounds, the shooter with the most crackers left has to eat the ones he missed.

If your not a good shot, I pretty much guarantee you will do all the dry work you have to at home so your not the one eating the dirty crackers. Bwahahaha!!!!

That's great! Already got a resounding "no" from the wife and kid. Oh well. I need someone else to play with anyway.

[pmer]

I have been reading about these different handgun matches and events and done some searching about NRA Bullseye. I came across Oakdale Gun Club. http://www.oakdalegunclub.org/events They even have Cast Bullet Association Benchrest.

They are about an hour away, I herd about them but never went out there and just looked at their web site today. Looks like they are busy during the summer months. Oh and I have to leave the cat food bags at home. :-)

[cbrick]

See if there is a handgun metallic silhouette range near you, the challenge of reactive steel targets will change your life.

Rick

[Lloyd Smale]

I havent shot competitively for about 5 years now. After all my back problems it just isnt in the cards anymore but i did enjoy plate shooting, ppc and bullseye. Plate shooting was probably my favorite out of them.

[bobthenailer]

Reactive targets at any distance ! shooting fast or slow with handguns

[ubetcha]

I.H.M.S.A metallic silhouettes. Used to do Bullseye when a local sports shop was in business.They had a nice range in the basement. 6 shooting points

[Norbrat]

BC Rider: I didn't think they allowed Pistols or Revolvers in Canada? Please explain.

Randy

I don't know the laws in Canada for handgun ownership, but I assume they are a lot like here in Oz.

Very generally, you CAN own handguns, but only for the purpose of shooting competition within a club.

Here in the state of South Australia, handguns are split into 4 categories; air pistols, .22's, sub-38 caliber and over 38 caliber. You cannot own a handgun over 38 calibre unless you shoot silhouettte, black powder or cowboy action.

You need to have a license, renewable each year with proof that you did in fact shoot competition in the previous 12 months. Depending on how many categories of handguns you own, you need to compete at least 6 times for one category, and 4 more for each other category, each year.

If you are late with paying your license renewal, you are considered to be in possession of a handgun without a license, for which the penalties are extreme; up to $35,000 fine and up to 25 years in prison.

You CANNOT carry a handgun for the purposes of self defence. In fact, you can only take the handgun out of the safe where it needs to be kept, take it to the club for competiton, and bring it straight back to be put back in the safe. There have been instances where folks have stopped off on the way home, had the handguns stolen from their car, and the police have given them the option of being charged for insufficient security of the handguns, or to surrender their license. So YOU get treated like the criminal, even though the crime was committed against you!

Mind you, the outlaw bikie gangs ignore all these laws and do pretty well as they like.

Back to the OP's question, I shoot IHMSA Silhouette.

[fecmech]

I like to shoot reactive targets and have the most fun when our club runs a 100 yd Silhouette league in the summer. I have steel swingers at home on my 50 yd range and some that I carry to the club to use at 100 and 200 yds. Love that bang, pause "clang"at 200 yds!

[pmer]

I don't know the laws in Canada for handgun ownership, but I assume they are a lot like here in Oz.

Very generally, you CAN own handguns, but only for the purpose of shooting competition within a club.

Here in the state of South Australia, handguns are split into 4 categories; air pistols, .22's, sub-38 caliber and over 38 caliber. You cannot own a handgun over 38 calibre unless you shoot silhouettte, black powder or cowboy action.

You need to have a license, renewable each year with proof that you did in fact shoot competition in the previous 12 months. Depending on how many categories of handguns you own, you need to compete at least 6 times for one category, and 4 more for each other category, each year.

If you are late with paying your license renewal, you are considered to be in possession of a handgun without a license, for which the penalties are extreme; up to $35,000 fine and up to 25 years in prison.

You CANNOT carry a handgun for the purposes of self defence. In fact, you can only take the handgun out of the safe where it needs to be kept, take it to the club for competiton, and bring it straight back to be put back in the safe. There have been instances where folks have stopped off on the way home, had the handguns stolen from their car, and the police have given them the option of being charged for insufficient security of the handguns, or to surrender their license. So YOU get treated like the criminal, even though the crime was committed against you!

Mind you, the outlaw bikie gangs ignore all these laws and do pretty well as they like.

Back to the OP's question, I shoot IHMSA Silhouette.

Thank you for posting. Does it ever look like the gun laws may turn in your favor at some time? And what is a bikie gang, do they watch for people leaving the matches?

[BLTsandwedge]

See if there is a handgun metallic silhouette range near you, the challenge of reactive steel targets will change your life.

Rick

+1 Handgun silhouette. Our club doesn't have enough silhouette shooters to have truly fair categories (two of us shoot against scoped handguns and rifles with our iron-sight wheelguns) but it is still the best thing I've found. Truly a competition against yourself to find the flattest shooting, most accurate round. An unsupported hold is required- a challenge beyond 100yds (for me anyway).

[Norbrat]

Thank you for posting. Does it ever look like the gun laws may turn in your favor at some time? And what is a bikie gang, do they watch for people leaving the matches?

No, laws are unlikely to get more relaxed. In fact, the last round of suggested changes included forcing all handgun owners to shoot each pistol they own in competition 6 times a year. Some blokes with 20+ handguns would have to set up a trailer park at the club to be able to shoot that much, quite aside from the admin nightmare for the club to keep records to that degreee of detail!

Bikie gangs are the Hells Angels/Comancheros/Finks, etc, who run a lot of the illicit drug trade and other organised crime. They usually get off with gun posssession crime because they can afford expensive lawyers.

Shooters have been followed home from gun clubs. We've had a member robbed when his son made some comments to a workmate who seemed to be extremely interested. A few days later, he was robbed; they had to break through a strong room to get to the guns, so it was not a random thing.

The last time I bought a rifle, the previous owner did not want to go to a particular police station to get the handover witnessed (yes, we have to do that!) as he had been followed after leaving that police station where a lot of parolees go for their regular check-ins.

While I do mention that I am a shooter to people I think I can trust, I have no stickers or anything on my truck to advertise that I am involved with shooting. Just not worth the risk.

[Awsar]

IDPA was fun and i love shooting steel

[warboar_21]

I no longer do anything competitive as I don't have the time nor the money to do so. However I used to compete in bowling pin and reactive steel target matches and later shot a little IDPA. I had a lot of fun with the bowling pin matches with my 10MM. The 200gr bullets hitting them really knocked them down. Most of the crowd that I was shooting against had either .40 S&W or 45acp in the auto class. A couple of them complained when I started using the 10MM and the whining is what turned me off to it.

[BruceHMX]

Plinking and reloading off our deck with 32 S&W Longs!!

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w58/BruceHMX/K-322.jpg

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w58/BruceHMX/EnjoyingTheEndResult.jpg

Top post first box of 32 S&W Longs with a S&W K-32 5 screw. Bottom my son with a 32 S&W Long Webley.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w58/BruceHMX/K-321.jpg
Not to shabby at 25 yards.

[gunfan]

The hyper-competitive nature of a lot of the organized shooting sports turns me off completely. The gamesmanship and rules-bending annoys me, too. I've enjoyed IPSC-type shooting with my duty rigs when I was working, since the clubs I shot at weren't all "hard-core" or gun-game oriented. The layouts and courses were realistic and practical. Mostly though, I enjoy a saunter through the woods or desert with a good sideiron, taking shots of oppurtunity at varmints, small game, or whatever might be in season and tasty. Like mule deer, for example. Point of fact.......much of my range time is prep work for the hunting fields of many types, and that was true even when I was working as a LEO.

I really appreciate the way you think. We must meet in the flesh someday!

Scott