Practical Pistol

Practical pistol shooting tests accuracy, power and speed at the same time. It grew out of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), founded in 1976, whose motto Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas means exactly that.

A match is made up of stages, also called courses of fire. On a stage you might start in a shooting box, move between positions, shoot around barricades and through ports, and hit paper and steel targets at different distances. No two stages are the same, so every competitor plans their run before the buzzer goes.

How it is scored

Your score on a stage is your points divided by your time, called the hit factor. Hits closer to the centre earn more points, and missing a target or hitting a no-shoot target costs points. The fastest shooter does not always win: you have to be fast and accurate.

Safety and divisions

Every competitor shoots under the direct supervision of a Range Officer, and the safety rules are strict. The muzzle always points downrange, and the finger stays off the trigger while moving or reloading. Unsafe handling means disqualification from the match.

Shooters compete in divisions based on their equipment, such as Production and Limited, so like is measured against like.