Sport | Practical shooting |
---|---|
Category | Shooting sports |
Jurisdiction | International |
Abbreviation | SCSA |
Founded | 1981 |
Affiliation | United States Practical Shooting Association |
Affiliation date | 2007 |
Official website | |
steelchallenge | |
Founders: Mike Dalton and Mike Fichman |
The Steel Challenge is a speed shooting competition governed by the Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA) that consists of eight standardized stages with steel targets in three sizes; small circular, large circular and rectangular targets. Competitors are scored solely by the time it takes them to complete each stage, and the match winner is the competitor with the lowest overall time.
Steel Challenge has many similarities with IPSC, but has a more TV- and spectator friendly format because of simpler rules and the stages being the same from year to year. [1] Because of this, Steel Challenge has become a place where speed records are set and broken. [1] The annual World Championship called the World Speed Shooting Championships (WSSC) was held in Frostproof, Florida (2012 and 2013), St. George, Utah (2014), San Luis Obispo, California (2015 - 2017), Talladega, Alabama (2018 - 2023) and draws shooters from around the world. Up until 2011 the World Championship used to be held in Piru, California each year.
The competition was founded in 1981 by Mike Dalton and Mike Fichman. [2] The Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships have grown to one of the largest professional pistol competitions in America. [3] In 2007, more than 220 competitors from the United States and around the world competed for a portion of the $390,000 in cash and prizes - the largest purse in competitive pistol shooting. [4]
Seventy shooters competed in the first Steel Challenge in 1981. John Shaw claimed the first ‘World’s Fastest Shooter’ title along with his share of the $20,000 in cash and prizes.
In the winter of 2007, Dalton and Fichman sold the Steel Challenge to the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) [5] which is the US sanctioning body of IPSC. Since 2007, USPSA has been organizing US National Steel Championship every year in US.
There are 8 stages with 5 steel targets on each. Shooters get five runs on each stage. Each competitor shoots each stage five times, with their slowest run dropped, excluding the stage Outer Limits where only four runs are shot and the top three counted. The counting times are totaled for their stage score, and the eight stage scores are added together to establish the competitor's match score.
For each run, one hit per target is required, with an unlimited number of rounds. The last target to be shot is known as the "stop plate", which stops the timer. Any primary targets that have not been hit after the stop plate has been struck, will be scored with a 3-second penalty each. The maximum time permitted for a run is 30 seconds and a competitor will be stopped and asked to reload if they reach the 30 second limit.
The Steel Challenge comprises eight courses of fire called 'stages.' [6] They are:
All stages have competitors fire from square boxes. In the American Steel Challenge, the boxes have side lengths of 3 ft (91.44 cm), except the stage Outer Limits where the boxes' sides are 4 ft (1.22 m). The European Steel Challenge has used boxes of 1×1 meter on all stages.
Showdown has two boxes, and requires the competitor to make the first two runs from one of the boxes, and the two following runs from the other box. On the fifth and final run the competitor can choose which box to shoot from. There is no movement, so each run is to be shot from one box only. The competitor can choose whether to make the two first runs from the left or right box.
Outer Limits has the longest shots in the match, and is also the only stage with movement. Contrary to the other stages, Outer Limits only has four runs (instead of five), which with one throwaway run makes for three counting runs in the aggregate score. In the American Steel Challenge the shooting boxes on Outer Limits are larger than those on the other stages. The stage has three boxes, and the competitor starts on their weakhand side. For example, for a right handed shooter, the procedure is to start in the leftmost box from where they are to engage the leftmost 12 in (30.48 cm) plate at 20 yd (18.29 m) and the leftmost 18×24 in plate (45.7×60.9 cm) plate at 35 yards (32 m). Thereafter the shooter is to move to the center box and engage the two similar plates on their stronghand side, before engaging the stop plate.
Every stage consists of 5 steel targets, giving a total of 40 targets for a match with all eight official World Championship stages. A World Championship will therefore consist of minimum 195 rounds to complete, since all stages are shot five times except Outer Limits which is only shot four times. The targets must be made of hardened steel. It is recommended that the targets have a completely flat front surface and a pole attachment at the rear, but targets with holes for attachment are also permitted. All targets must be painted with white color before each new shooter, but the match organizer may choose to use another single color due to weather conditions (e.g. snow). Unofficial stages at club matches may be painted in another single color. It is recommended that the target stands of the stop plates are painted in a distinct color, for instance red.
Type and numbers | European Championship [7] | World Championship (USA) [8] |
---|---|---|
Small round plates (9 pieces) | 25 cm | 25,4 cm (10") |
Large round plates (20 pieces) | 30 cm | 30.48 cm (12") |
Square plates (11 pieces) | 40 x 60 cm | 45.72 x 60.96 cm (18 x 24") |
The equipment divisions in Steel Challenge have varied past the years.[ citation needed ] The 2017 Steel Challenge World Championship had the following divisions: [9]
To be considered a world record, the run must come during the annual World Speed Shooting Championship.
Stage | Time | Competitor | Avg. Run | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|
Match Record | 74.84 s | Max Michel | 2016 | |
88.62 s | Jessie Harrison | 2018 | ||
1. Five To Go | 8.73 s | KC Eusebio | 2.18 s | 2018 |
11.94 s | Jessie Duff | 2.98 s | 2014 | |
2. Showdown | 7.59 s | BJ Norris | 1.90 s | 2019 |
10.27 s | Jessie Duff | 2.57 s | 2010 | |
3. Smoke & Hope | 6.81 s | Max Michel | 1.70 s | 2018 |
9.05 s | Kaci Cochran | 2.26 s | 2013 | |
4. Outer Limits | 10.95 s | Max Michel | 3.65 s | 2016 |
13.26 s | Kaci Cochran | 4.42 s | 2013 | |
5. Accelerator | 8.70 s | Max Michel | 2.18 s | 2013 |
11.19 s | Jessie Duff | 2.80 s | 2009 | |
6. Pendulum | 9.56 s | BJ Norris | 2.39 s | 2016 |
11.75 s | Jessie Duff | 2.94 s | 2013 | |
7. Speed Option | 9.09 s | Max Michel | 2.27 s | 2013 |
11.65 s | Jessie Duff | 2.91 s | 2013 | |
8. Roundabout | 7.17 s | Max Michel | 1.79 s | 2019 |
9.41 s | Jessie Duff | 2.35 s | 2009 | |
Year | Top Men | Top Woman |
---|---|---|
1981 | John Shaw | Melba Pruitt |
1982 | J. Michael Plaxco | Pamela Morris |
1983 | Mickey Fowler | Linda Zubiena |
1984 | Nick Pruitt | Lee Cole |
1985 | Rob Leatham | Lee Cole |
1986 | Chip McCormick | Jo Anne Hall |
1987 | Jerry Barnhart | Michelle Griggs |
1988 | Chip McCormick | Suzan Cooper |
1989 | Angelo Spagnoli | Shirley Hamilton |
1990 | Jethro Dionisio | Judy Woolley |
1991 | Jerry Barnhart | Judy Woolley |
1992 | Jethro Dionisio | Valerie Levanza |
1993 | Jethro Dionisio | Valerie Levanza |
1994 | (No championship held) | |
1995 | ||
1996 | ||
1997 | Ross Newell | Kay Clark-Miculek |
1998 | Jerry Barnhart | Cathy Levanza |
1999 | Doug Koenig | Julie Goloski |
2000 | Doug Koenig | Kay Clark-Miculek |
2001 | Doug Koenig | Kay Clark-Miculek |
2002 | Rob Leatham | Athena Lee |
2003 | KC Eusebio | Athena Lee |
2004 | Tatsuya Sakai | Kay Clark-Miculek |
2005 | Max Michel | Kay Clark-Miculek |
2006 | JJ Racaza | Kay Clark-Miculek |
2007 | Max Michel | Jessie Duff |
2008 | KC Eusebio | Kay Clark-Miculek |
2009 | Max Michel | Jessie Duff |
2010 | KC Eusebio | Jessie Duff |
2011 | BJ Norris | Jessie Duff |
2012 | KC Eusebio | Jessie Duff |
2013 | Max Michel | Jessie Duff |
2014 | Max Michel | Jessie Duff |
2015 | Max Michel | Jessie Duff |
2016 | Max Michel | Jessie Duff |
2017 | BJ Norris | Jessie Harrison |
2018 | KC Eusebio | Jessie Harrison |
2019 | BJ Norris | Jessie Harrison |
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | KC Eusebio | Todd Jarrett | Max Michel |
2008 | Max Michel | BJ Norris | KC Eusebio |
2009 | Max Michel | BJ Norris | Dave Sevigny |
2010 | KC Eusebio | Max Michel | Dave Sevigny |
2011 | Max Michel | KC Eusebio | BJ Norris |
2012 | KC Eusebio | BJ Norris | Max Michel |
2013 | KC Eusebio | Max Michel | Muneki Samejima |
2014 | Max Michel | Jerry Barnhart | Doug Koenig |
2015 | KC Eusebio | Max Michel | BJ Norris |
2016 | KC Eusebio | BJ Norris | Max Michel |
2017 | Max Michel | KC Eusebio | BJ Norris |
2018 | Max Michel | BJ Norris | KC Eusebio |
2019 | Max Michel | KC Eusebio | BJ Norris |
Since at least 2003, the Shooting Gallery show on the nationally syndicated Outdoor Channel has covered each Steel Challenge championship. It has also been covered in other press, including notable articles in American Handgunner , [11] [12] GunWeek, [13] and Outdoor Life. [14]
Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms and bows/crossbows.
Practical shooting, also known as dynamic shooting or action shooting, is a set of shooting sports where the competitors try to unite the three principles of precision, power, and speed, by using a firearm of a certain minimum power factor to score as many points as possible during the shortest amount of time. While scoring systems vary between organizations, each measures the time of which the course is completed, with penalties for inaccurate shooting. The courses are called "stages", and are shot individually by the shooters. Usually the shooter must move and shoot from several positions, fire under or over obstacles and in other unfamiliar positions. There are no standard exercises or set arrangement of the targets, and the courses are often designed so that the shooter must be inventive, and therefore the solutions of exercises sometimes varies between shooters.
The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) is the world's largest shooting sport association, and the largest and oldest within practical shooting. Founded in 1976, the IPSC nowadays affiliates over 100 regions from Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania. Competitions are held with pistol, revolver, rifle, and shotgun, and the competitors are divided into different divisions based on firearm and equipment features. While everyone in a division competes in the Overall category, there are also separate awards for the categories Lady, Super Junior, Junior, Senior, and Super Senior.
Robert Jennings Leatham is a professional shooter who is a 24-time USPSA National champion and 7-time International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) World Champion.
The United States Practical Shooting Association(USPSA) is the national governing body of practical shooting in the United States under the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC). Its over 35,000 active members and over 500 affiliated clubs make USPSA the largest practical shooting organization in the United States and the second largest region within IPSC after the Russian Federation of Practical Shooting. USPSA publishes a monthly member magazine called Front Sight.
Power Factor (PF) in practical shooting competitions refers to a ranking system used to reward cartridges with more recoil. Power factor is a measure of the momentum of the bullet, which to some degree reflects the recoil impulse from the firearm onto the shooter.
The Bianchi Cup is a major action pistol tournament in the United States, usually held over three days in late May. Since 1984 the National Rifle Association of America has designated it their National Action Pistol Championship. It is normally held in Columbia, Missouri, at the Green Valley Rifle & Pistol Club. It has the largest purse of any tournament on the action pistol calendar and is the premier action pistol championship tournament in the world. The Bianchi Cup is the only major shooting tournament that has retained its original course of fire since its inception.
Todd Jarrett is an American competitive shooter, firearms instructor, and filmmaker. He has both national and World titles within practical shooting, holding four world titles, nine national titles and has won more than 50 US Area championships, as well as many other action shooting events. Jarrett is the only USPSA Triple Crown Winner and holds four USPSA National titles - Open, Limited, Production and Limited-10. Jarrett lives in Virginia.
Tori M. Nonaka is an American sport shooter with two IPSC Handgun World Shoot silver medals in the Standard division Lady category. She was one of three members of Team GLOCK. She grew up in Woodbridge, Virginia, where she began shooting at age 3. At age 12, Tori attended the US Shooting Academy, which sparked her interest in becoming a professional shooter and led her to begin shooting competitively. On March 2, 2011, GLOCK, Inc announced that 15-year-old Tori would be a member of Team GLOCK Shooting Squad. In March 2017 Tori went independent and left Team Glock. She was replaced by Ashley Rheuark.
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Jessie Harrison, formerly known as Jessie Duff, is an American sport shooter from McDonough, Georgia who took silver in the Open division Lady category at the 2017 IPSC Handgun World Shoot in Châteauroux, France and bronze at the 2011 IPSC Handgun World Shoot at Rhodes, Greece. In the IPSC US Handgun Championship she took gold in the Open division Lady category in 2015 and silver in 2013. She also has 16 USPSA Handgun Championship Lady category gold medals.
The IPSC Handgun World Shoot is the highest level handgun match within the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) which consists of several days and at least 30 separate courses of fire. The Handgun World Shoots are held triennially on a rotational cycle with the other two main IPSC disciplines Rifle and Shotgun.
Multigun, Multi Gun or Multi-Gun, often also called 2-Gun or 3-Gun depending on the types of firearms used, are practical shooting events where each of the stages require the competitor to use a combination of handguns, rifles, and/or shotguns Multigun has a lot in common with ordinary IPSC/ USPSA single gun matches, and matches generally have courses of fire where the shooter must move through different stages and engage targets in a variety of different positions.
KC Eusebio is an IPSC/ USPSA and Steel Challenge action shooting competitor from the US featured on the Hot Shots TV-series.
BJ Norris is an American sport shooter who in the 2005 IPSC Handgun World Shoot took silver in the Open division Junior category. He started shooting competitively in USPSA late in 2000 at age 11, and became really serious about shooting in the 2005 season. Besides being known as an IPSC/ USPSA shooter, he is also well known for his Steel Challenge participation where he became World Champion in 2011.
Benjamin Thomas Stoeger is an American competition shooter and firearms instructor who started competing actively in 2005. He placed first in the 2017 IPSC Handgun World Shoot, second behind Bob Vogel in the 2011 IPSC Handgun World Shoot, and placed third in the 2014 IPSC Handgun World Shoot behind Eric Grauffel and Simon "JJ" Racaza. He is also three time IPSC US Handgun Production Champion, eight time USPSA Handgun Production Champion.
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