Intro to Competitive Pistol
Develop your pistol shooting skills further in our advanced pistol training in Austin, TX. The session serves as an introductory course to competitive shooting, with the participants gaining confidence drawing a pistol from a holster, engaging multiple targets, moving to multiple shooting positions, reloading, avoiding non-threat targets, and shooting while moving. Interested parties must have completed the Self Defense Pistol class or get approval from the instructor for any previous shooting experience.
The course will not include rules specific to any competitive discipline (IDPA, USPSA, etc). Rather, it will introduce the basic skills needed for students to enter their first competitive match. Specifically, the participants will need to gain specific knowledge for the event they wish to enter (IDPA, USPSA, etc.).
Required Equipment
- Pistol
- Holster (either hip or appendix)
- Eye/ear protection
- 3 magazines (mag carriers required)
- 200 rounds of ammunition
- Accessories to accommodate weather conditions in an outdoor range
- Bottled water
Training Location
Our Intro to Competitive Pistol class is held at the Texas Shooting Academy (300 US Hwy 183, Florence, TX), a private outdoor range with restroom facilities. A gate code will be provided to the participants when they register for the class. Participants should be prepared for the weather (hot, cold, raining, etc.).
Basic Safety Rules
- Keep the finger off the trigger until on target and ready to fire.
- Index finger immediately after firing the last round at a specific target.
- Keep muzzle pointed at the range berm at all times.
- If moving, muzzle must point downward, and finger must be indexed on the frame.
- Keep pistol flat and level at all times.
- Never break the 180-degree safety line.
- Obey all commands from the Range Safety Officer (RSO).
- Only manipulate/handle the firearm at the “safe table” or per the direction of the RSO.
Basic Range Commands
- “Load and make ready” (charge the weapon and safely holster).
- “Finger” (remove the finger from the trigger).
- “Muzzle” (point the pistol in a safe direction).
- “Stop” (FREEZE and wait for directions from the RSO).
- “Unload and show clear” (remove the magazine and show the RSO that the pistol is clear).
- “Point the pistol at the berm and press the trigger” (prove the gun is empty and safe).
Typical Course of Fire
- Fire multiple rounds at a single target, reload, and re-engage the target.
- Engage multiple targets with two or more rounds.
- Engage multiple targets, reload as required to engage each target.
- Engage first target, safely move to a second shooting position, and engage additional target.
- Engage a single target while moving forward.
- Engage a single target while moving to the rear.
- Engage targets while shooting around a barricade.
- Engage targets with shooter moving right (then same stage moving left).
- Engage a single target with strong hand (dominant hand) only. Note: All strings will start drawing from a holster.
Final Exercise
With the pistol holstered, the participant must draw and shoot a typical IDPA/USPSA stage using all the skills previously demonstrated (this will be broken into several iterations).
Important Reminders
The RSO may say “STOP” because something has become unsafe on the range, and it may have nothing to do with the current shooter. Do not assume anything (clear pistol/unload); simply wait for instructions from the RSO.
If, for some reason, the RSO directs the participant to stop shooting (safety violation, etc.), the latter will not receive a refund but is welcome to attend another session. The safety issue will be clearly explained by the RSO, and the participant is encouraged to act as an observer for the remainder of the class (but will not be allowed to shoot).