A Release Form, Hearing and Eye protection is Mandatory on the Range for Participants and Spectators.


What is Practical Shooting?

U.S.P.S.A. is a International handgun Sport that stresses SAFE pistol handling skills in realistic action settings. It is a place for all reputable persons to have a good time and shoot diverse course designs with many different props and targets. Some courses may call for movement from place to place, others may call for firing around walls, through barrels, doorways, windows, hitting moving targets or steel plates that fall when hit and "no shoot" targets to avoid. Some courses are scenario based and some are just shooting & gun handling exercises. Practical shooting Is not SWAT, Combat Training or for Rambo types. IT LETS YOU TEST YOUR DEFENSIVE SKILLS IN A SPORTING ATMOSPHERE!

It's all about shooting better.... and having Fun!

While matches are not about training, USPSA is a handgun SPORT, You will shoot better just by having people around that shoot well. Example: You could shoot $300.00 worth of ammo (Only approx. 18.5 boxes on 9mm winchester ammo) at the range just plinking at a bullseye target and not be a lot better shot than when you started and $300.00 poorer. Mainly because there was no one to give you pointers and nobody was around that you could watch and pick up training ideas or techniques from. At the matches you will see proper gun grip, proper stance and trigger control and a host of other things that will make you a better shot. By coming and participating in the matches you will learn how to shoot better just by being around folks that shoot well. Isn't the idea that if you are going to shoot, to shoot as well as possible? USPSA style shooting will help you do that.


How does the Scoring Work?

In USPSA you are scored on how fast AND how accurate you can complete the courses. You are scored on how many POINTS PER SECOND you can shoot on each course. (Example: Say you shoot 100 points in a course and do it in 20.00 seconds. To find out how many Points Per Second you shot, divide your time by your points. (100 Divided By 20, which calculates that you were shooting 5 points per second.) Say another person shoots the same course in only 10 seconds but only scores 50 points. He also would be shooting 5 points per second and would tie you. The idea is to shoot as many points per second as you can. Everybody is ranked from first place, shooting the highest points per second, to last place, shooting the lowest point per second in each gun type division / class for each course. Then all the course are added up to give the overall results, for each division, for the match.

Targets

USPSA targets have 5 Scoring zones (2-A’s, C, D) “A” Hits are worth 5 Points, “C” Hits are worth 3 points, and “D” hits are worth 1 point. (if you are shooting a 9mm at minor scoring)   

Steel must fall to score and are worth 5 points in USPSA


What Type of Equipment do I need to Participate?

YOU CAN USE T
HE PISTOL YOU HAVE NOW! If you own a 38, 9mm or larger caliber, either a revolver or a semi auto, then you can participate. You will need a holster that covers the trigger guard, an inexpensive nylon holster is ideal. You will also need a belt, a few magazine or speed loader pouches and 2-6 extra magazines or speed loaders depending on what division you are shooting, Most USPSA courses generally average about 20 rounds. You will generally shoot 5-7 different courses at a match. When shooting USPSA bring about 100 to 150 rounds of ammo just to be on the safe side.

This is a Family Sport?

That's right, bring the family! We have people that are seventy plus in the super senior category, that begins at 65 years old and as young as 11 in the junior category. We have several female shooter that shoot on a regular basis in the female category. The folks at our matches are fantastically friendly and have a good time making new friends and answering questions that newcomers have, because we all were newcomers once. It's fun for the whole family and it's fat free!!! (Just seeing if you are paying attention)

How do the Classes & Divisions work?

In USPSA you will be placed in a division based on the type of pistol you are using like the Production Division which includes box stock Brettas, M&Ps, Glocks, Sigs, Rugers, Sprinfield XD's and most double action guns.

Limited Division which is, higher capacity guns such as STI's,SVI, Para Ordnance and other guns usually in 40 caliber.

1911/Single Stack Division designed for single stack 1911's and is limited to 8 round only magazines.

Limited -10 Division is for any gun (except open div. guns) with no more than ten rounds in the magazine.

Revolver Division with 6 rounds cylinders.

Open Division these guns are the Formula One type guns of the sport, with red dot optics and all kinds of options to make them faster and more accurate.


After determining what division you will be in by the gun you are shooting, we also classify you by your skill level in one of the classes in each division

USPSA: Grand Master, Master, A, B, C, D or Unclassified

You will be unclassified if you have not shot before. This makes the match more fair, since you are only grouped with people in your class, with similar skills in your division with similar guns & equipment.

So, don't be intimated by all the gear and gadgets some of the shooters have in the Open division. Just enjoy watching them shoot and may be after the match they might let you bang off a few rounds with their high end equipment. But you don’t need a high end gun to shoot.

How much does it Cost to Participate in a Match?

You don't have to be a member of the range to participate in the handgun matches. The normal match fee is $20.00 dollars per person for a USPSA Match. This fee Covers: The Targets, Tape, Target Sticks and Stands, Staples & Staplers, Tablets, Timers, and Dues to the National org. and a host of other expenses that it takes to put on a high caliber match.

So ask the Match Director If you can help.

Sound Great! When and Where are these Matches held?

The Double Tap Ranch will host a USPSA match the 2nd Saturday of each month Starting at 10:00 am.  Held just a few miles west of Wichita Falls, Texas. (click "Map" link above for a map and directions to the Range) It generally takes about 3-4 hours to finish a Club Match.


What do I do when I get to the Match?

Go to the Stat Shack (the white container) before 10:00am to get signed up, pay your match fees and sign the release form. The Match Director will introduce you to a gentleman that will give you a safety check and the safety rules. (see the Safety page on this web site for the safety rules).
Then just relax, hang around and look over the courses of fire, we will have a course description posted at each bay to let you know what the start position is and how you are going to shoot that course. Talk to any of the folks around if you have a question about a course. We will host a shooters meeting that is held just before we begin of each match, make sure to attend this meeting. After the Shooters Meeting, We will then assign each person at the match to a "SQUAD" with other shooters, to speed up the match. We generally have 2 to 3 squads and will assign each squad to start on a particular course in a particular Bay. When all the shooters have finished shooting their first course, they move as a group to the next higher number course as posted on the course signs.


This being a club we strongly encourage all the members of a squad to help tape targets, reset the steel targets and such, after the "Range Officer" with the timer has said "the range is clear". But not before the RO has come by and scored the target. Continue helping until your name is announced as being in the "HOLE" ( which means you are two shooters away from it being your turn to shoot , this is your time to get your gear ready for your turn. Try to be ready when it is your turn to shoot). After your turn shooting, resume helping reset the course for the next shooters. Generally you have some time when you first come to a new course to look it over and practice (Without anything in your Hands ) the way you are going to shoot it, before you actually do this is called the “WALK THRU”. Watch other shooters practicing for ideas on the best way to shoot that course.

Safety is the first Priority always, for all Participants!

You may load magazines / speedloaders anywhere on the range, except the "SAFE AREA" (There will be a sign designating this area), but NO magazines, loaded or unloaded, may be in your gun at any time until your turn to shoot. (when it is your time to shoot, load your gun ONLY when told to do so, by the range officer) There will be NO AMMO handled in the SAFE AREA at any time and the Safe Area is the ONLY place that you may handle your gun, otherwise it must be in your Holster, Gun Rug or Shooting Bag Hammer down  When in the safe area always keep the muzzle of your gun pointed at the back berm of the Safe Area. When in the safe area you may dry fire, practice drawing your gun and practice reloading with EMPTY magazines, always keeping the muzzle pointed at the back of the berm. There is a 180 degree line and fault lines designating the safe area .

Will there be matches for other guns?

Yes. We host 2/3 gun Matches (2 Gun is Pistol and rifle only) on the 2nd Saturday of each month where you will use  a shotgun, a semi automatic rifle and a Handgun in a match. Usually you will shoot 1 handgun only course, 1 shotgun / (Pistol for 2 gunners) only course, 1 Rifle only course and then 2 that will use 2 or all three firearms on the course.

Are there Other Matches Around this Area and National Events?

Yes, there are other clubs with in an hour or so drive of Wichita Falls.....Duncan OK, Duke OK, Cresson TX, Collin Co tx, OK City / Arcadia OK

Is there a National Governing Body for this Sport like there is for the Olympics?

Yes, U.S.P.S.A. United States Practical Shooting Association is the governing body for the United States. The International Practical Shooting Confederation (I.P.S.C.) is the World Governing Body and holds a World Shoot Off every three years. We encourage every member to join USPSA there are many benefits to being a member of this larger organization. One benefit is USPSA keeps a record of your classification scores that you can access on the internet and a Bi-Monthly high quality Magazine called Front Sight. and you must be a member of the organization if you want to shoot any of the larger matches

Any Questions?

Questions... E-mail us at scorch@doubletapranch.com or come to a match and watch and talk to the folks shooting, they are some of the most friendly people around.

Practical Shooting is great Fun to watch and to participate in. It's a good way to develop a higher degree of proficiency in the use of your pistol and a great way to spend a afternoon. Because your Gun Should be Fun!!!!