Want to start shooting 'Steel Challenge' - any advice?

[Maple_City_Woodsman]

A club within driving distance of me is offering 'Steel Challenge' competition. It sounds like a blast, and an affordable one at that. I plan to shoot in the .22 pistol divisions.

The next normal match isn't for 2 months, so I have some time to practice. I already have a few steel poppers of my own (not regulation though), but I'm at a loss as where to practice? It's not like you can just do this anywhere.

 

[mbopp]

A club near me holds matches, I have a lot of fun shooting them. If you have a range where you can set up multiple targets you could set up paper plates and / or cardboard rectangles. Here are some stages:

http://steelchallenge.com/sc-world-match/stages/

 

[Hk Dan]

Check the USPSA website. They own Steel Challenge now and they have been adding clubs since Day One. I believe they have 80 clubs now, and USPSAarea coordinators have a DEAL on the targets.

 

[waktasz]

You can practice shooting at paper plates. Waiting to hear the ding is a bad habit anyway. Shooting paper plates make you use the sights and not your ears to confirm a hit.

 

[Smokin Gator]

If you are going to be shooting 22's you could also check to see if there are any Ruger Rimfire matches near you. They are very similar to Steel Challenge stages but you shoot handguns and rifles. Our club just added Ruger Rimfire to our slate of matches during the month. Shot it this month and really enjoyed it. Mark

 

[Kwanger]

You can practice shooting at paper plates. Waiting to hear the ding is a bad habit anyway. Shooting paper plates make you use the sights and not your ears to confirm a hit.

Big +1 on that; paper plates will serve you well for the reasons given. The other good thing with them as well is that they don't fall....so you don't have to set up that many, just a small row or pattern of them, then shoot them multiple times on a string moving back and forth between them - helps improve your target acquisition skills.

Same with all these action shooting sports though, the best practice is the practice you will get in the match! When you have shot your first one, you'll have a much better idea of what you want to work one and can devise some training accordingly.

 

[Jenrick]

Airsoft works wonderfully especially if your shooting a .22lr. The recoil is the same, and you can do it in your living room. Great training tool.

They go a pretty high end in Japan/Hong Kong as they can't have real firearms. On the other hand these guys would probably do pretty dang good with a .22lr.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tfSIf0uUGc&feature=related

-Jenrick

 

[1SOW]

What I do:

I cut "poppers", "plates" and "gongs" from the white (no-shoot) side of USPSA targets--stiff and easy to handle. I made simple ($2 ea) target stands and holders from 1x2's. White target tape or "First-Aid" tape works to patch the holes. With .22 you can shoot these a lot before replacement is needed. P.S. they don't blow down as easy as the typical steel stands.

Find a range that will let you place targets at any range out to 25 yds. I can set up two cardboard poppers and two 8" plates OR six paper plates OR two small gongs and two plates with three of my homemade stands. With four stands I can set up a fairly typical S.C. stage

I shot 9mm Steel Challenge this morning. . It is a blast.

 

[parsimonious_instead]

I tried it for the first time when I attended the Gun Blogger Rendezvous out in Reno a few weeks ago. At the Washoe Regional Shooting Facility, event organizer Mike Gallion had some sample Steel Challenge stages set up, and I did a lot better than I expected.
Since I lack a way to practice Steel Challenge at an outdoor range on regulation targets, I cut grey stationery paper into squares and circles of varying sizes and pasted them onto my wall.
I think Waktaz is onto something: My impression of this sport or any speed shooting is that shortening your times means flattening or even eliminating the visuo-audio feedback loop.