Can someone help me with info on "Falling Plate" matches?

Well, without knowing who runs and how "your club" puts on these matches, I don't know how anyone could offer you that information. Different clubs, different rules, different formats.

The simple and best answer is to go to one of "your club's" matches, and see and learn for yourself.

Some very general things to expect. Targets no closer than 10yds. You run a real danger from bullet splatter if closer. No magnum ammo or loads over 1200fps; damages the steel. Expect to need at least one reload per stage even if you have hi-caps, more if you don't. Round counts per stage around here hover between 20-32. Figure on at least 9mm to make'em fall. Figure it will be a "lost brass" event. Don't expect much if any movement.

3 gun pretty much covered it SP. Tough to tell specifics for an individual club, they vary.


Cat

The ones I've shot at one of the local clubs are different course each time. Guns are drawn from strong side holster only (no shoulder, behind the back or cross draws) to prevent sweeping other contestants or the judge and must cover the trigger guard.

You sign up to a category depending upon your gun; 10 round mags or less, Unlimited hi capacity, and revolvers. Mandatory magazine changes are often required. Shooter moves to different stations to shoot at varying sets of targets. Some stations may be unique in that you have to fire through a window, etc. The course often requires a specific order the targets are to be dropped.

man vs man

My club runs plate matches all the time. In the winter we start with guns drawn with the muzzles touching a table (low ready) in the summer we draw from a strong side holster. We don't worry too much about gun classifications revolvers shoot against autos. In the winter we'll shoot pistol caliber carbines at the plates also.We shoot non magnum ammo in order to prevent damage to the plates but we can use FMJ bullets.

The fun of it is that it is a race against the guy next to you and there isn't any wait to tally up the score. You lost or won. The format at our matches is that we shoot several rounds to set classifications based on the amount of losses then shoot elimination rounds where if you lose 3 matches you're out. That adds up the pressure in a way that an IDPA match doesn't.

It is similiar to bowling pin shoots but doesn't require a big heavy round. It is faster to reset the targets also at least at my club.

I have lots of fun and you should try it if you have any interest you should try it. pete

I used to shoot those in the early 90s. It was a blast. Go shoot the rimfire match and see if you like it. Plan on liking it, you will.

To me it was like bowling except you get to wear your own shoes.

If it's NRA falling plates, the protocol is as follows.

2 Strings of 6 plates each from 4 positions. 10yds-15yds-20yds, and 25yds.
For a tolal of 48 shots. The first 10yd position allows 6 seconds for each 6 shot string. The time increases by 1 second for each position ie: 7 secs at 15yds, 8 sec at 20yds and 9 sec at 25yds.
All strings begin from low ready. Only 6 rounds are loaded per string. The range commands are:
Shooters to the line. (Insert magazine or close cylinder)
Shooters ready. (Drop slide)
At the beep engage the 6 targets, no shots to be fired after the stop buzzer.
The plates are 8" in dia. and painted white.
Lot's of fun, and can be a humbling experience!
str1
Forgot to mention, lead or jacketed ammo allowed, no magnum or rifle calibers. Great fun, shot one yesterday!

Saxon,
We all quite frequently pause and look for holes in the target or for the steel to fall. I lose a bit of time that way sometimes. I just try to remember where the front sight was when the shot broke. With the plates, a good hit always takes um down, so, no doubt about it. I also shoot action pistol sports, I think the plate shoot makes me a better shot. We shoot an Iron sight and an Any Sight match for both centerfire and rimfire plates. If you shoot them all, it's 96 rounds downrange while watching your front sight and pressing the trigger, all under time pressure. I'm certainly not a great shot, I prove that every week. I think I shoot better because of the experience of the plates.
str1

The one we did was similar to some of these. We only had a single 6 plate rack, and it was an indoor range. So, you'd run the plates as fast as you could against a timer. 6 rounds in the first mag, so if you miss you're forced to reload. Draw from a holster was optional, as some people didn't want to do that (no biggie). After that it was single elimination based on times, I think first vs. last, 2nd vs. 2nd to last, etc. Oddly enough there were quite a few times the underdog won.

Caliber was open, although we usually only saw 9mm, .40 and .45. There was a guy shooting .357 Sig, and one guy would occasionally bust out a Bersa .380 on the plates. The guy that ran it, his son would occasionally shoot the plates with a Mark III hunter, had to make sure you heard six "tings" as 22LR doesn't always knock the plates over (have to hit the very top with a minimag or better).

Good times, I wish they hadn't cancelled it.

what size are the plates you are shooting at? thinking about making my own set up for when im out shooting

There are a lot of plate games out there. My reference was to "NRA Falling Plates" where the plates are 8" in dia.
str1

They are a LOT of fun; the actual rules will depend on the club that's running the match, but they're usually run as a type of shooter versus shooter "shoot-off", with two identical sets of plates and poppers, and the first shooter to knock them down on the signal goes to the next round. Another way is with one set of plates and an IPSC/USPSA timer, that times from the beep to the last shot, so you don't need to have a "shoot-off" (unless you want to have one for the spectators, which is a lot of fun). Starts can be holstered (which sort of limits the pool of shooters you want), or holding the loaded pistol with the muzzle touching a table or rail at about a 45-degree down angle.