So far, in our Shooting 101: Getting Started In Competitions series, we’ve covered a number of shotgun games. Those are fairly straightforward, especially the equipment needed for getting involved in the shooting sports.

Pistol competitions are significantly more complex, primarily due to the multitude of organizations sponsoring various disciplines, each with unique equipment requirements. That said, we’ll do our best to provide you with the information you need to dive into pistol competitions wholeheartedly.

Jump Into Shooting Pistol Competitions

On a broad scale, for nearly every type of handgun competition, you will need a quality semi-auto pistol, a good holster, at least a few extra magazines, plenty of ammunition, and eye and hearing protection. We will examine some firearms and equipment specifics as we discuss the major competition types. For brevity, we will focus on three of the most popular associations—Steel Challenge, the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA), and the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA)—along with the competitions they offer.

Steel Challenge

Steel Challenge matches are shot under the auspices of the Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA). Its mission is to promote safe, fair, and enjoyable participation in Steel Shooting competitions for individuals of all ages and skill levels through effective leadership, education, communication, and administration. While other popular shooting sports focus heavily on shooting while moving, Steel Challenge mainly emphasizes shooting in one place.

Steel Challenge is a speed shooting competition that involves shooting arrays of steel targets while being timed. Each stage features five steel plate targets of various sizes positioned at different distances. There is a designated “stop plate,” which must be shot last in the sequence of the stage. At the start signal, the competitor fires one shot at each target. The competitor must hit each of the steel plate targets on the stage once during the string. The shooter completes the string by hitting the designated stop plate. Each string is timed, so the quicker a competitor hits each steel plate target on the stage, the better their performance.

To begin competing in Steel Challenge, a competitor only needs a pistol, holster, ammunition and a few extra magazines. There are several divisions within centerfire pistol, which we are addressing here, and most are based on the gun used. Divisions include Open, Limited, Production, Single Stack, Revolver Optic Sights, Revolver Iron Sights and Carry Optics. Check out the Steel Challenge website for specifics before purchasing a pistol or to see which classification your pistol falls within.

IDPA

In IDPA, shot under the auspices of the International Defensive Pistol Association, participants engage in a series of stages, each set up differently with various targets and configurations. The objective is to complete the stages as quickly and accurately as possible while following specific safety rules. Speed is rewarded, while a slower pace is penalized. Similarly, accuracy is valued, and poor shots incur penalties. 

This sport involves moving while drawing, shooting and reloading on the clock. IDPA is based on defensive shooting, so the match designers try to simulate scenarios where you would be forced into using your gun to defend your life or others. IDPA primarily uses cardboard targets and creates scenarios for their stages (like imagining you’re sitting in your living room when three attackers jump over your back fence, etc.).

Necessary gear for IDPA is a centerfire pistol, ammunition, a quality retention holster, a few extra mags and some kind of cover garment, since many scenarios require shooting from a concealed carry vantage point. The game has a slew of rules concerning types of pistols, ammunition, pistol modifications, etc., so before giving it a try, thoroughly study the website so you don’t run into any surprises at your first match.

USPSA

Shot under the auspices of the United States Practical Shooting Association, USPSA is a faster-paced sport with a combination of steel and cardboard targets at various distances, often featuring more targets per stage than IDPA. USPSA matches give participants a chance to engage in dynamic and challenging courses of fire, where speed, accuracy and power are equally tested. Whether a seasoned shooter or new to the sport, USPSA offers a structured, exciting path to elevate shooting skills in a supportive environment. And while winning is fun, elevating shooting skills is always the main goal.

The first step is to find a local club where you can connect with experienced shooters and learn about the sport in a welcoming environment. Some might find attending a match as a spectator to get a feel for the flow of events helpful, while others jump right into the fray. 

Like the other pistol sports, USPSA requires a quality centerfire pistol, ammunition, a good-quality holster, several extra magazines, and eye and ear pro. Since there are many different categories for different firearms, along with ammunition power requirements, those wishing to play the game should spend a good amount of time on the USPSA website to ensure they understand the rules and equipment requirements. USPSA handgun divisions include Carry Optics, Open, Production, Single Stack, Limited Optics, Limited and Revolver, all with different rules concerning qualifying guns.

A Final Note Or Two

Jumping into pistol competition is much more easily done if you can find a mentor, or at least attend your first match with someone who has done it before. That’ll help accelerate your learning curve where you can settle in and have fun. As with all shooting, safety is the number one priority of all pistol matches, and unsafe behavior is usually punished by disqualification.

One last thought: I’ve competed in all of these competitions before and found USPSA to be the most exciting to me. However, it is also the most gear-intensive. At the other end of the spectrum, Steel Challenge requires only a pistol, ammo and a few extra mags. Since it is a more static game, however, I find it the least fun. In the middle is IDPA, which can be entered with less equipment expenditure than USPSA but to me is somewhat more stodgy and not quite as exciting—as well as not offering as many shots per match.