This match is perfect for beginning competitors, youth, and people who don’t want to “move & shoot.” No special equipment needed. Minimum 2 magazines (speed-loaders for revolvers) – 4 preferred to make the match run smoother.
5th Saturday of the month (February 29, May 30, August 29, October 31, 2020)
Stages: 4-5
Sign in time: 9:30 AM
Shooter briefing: 9:45 AM
Match start time: 10:00 AM
Max round count: 160 if 4 stages, 240 if 6 stages
Match Fee: $15 (includes lunch for the registered shooter)
Divisions: Rimfire Pistol Iron Sights, Rimfire Pistol Optics, Rimfire Rifle Iron Sights, Rimfire Rifle Optics, PCC Iron Sights, PCC Optics, Center Fire Pistol Iron Sights, Center Fire Pistol Optics
Special Categories: Youth (5-12), Junior (13-17), Senior (65+)
Spectators are welcome. ALL spectators (including children) are required to check-in at the office, complete liability waivers, and wear hearing and eye protection. Lunch for spectators is not included in the match fee, but can be paid separately.
Online registration closes at 9 PM, the day prior to the event. Walk-in registration will be the morning of the event on a space-available basis. Registration will open the first day of the month the match is in. Check back!
All firearms MUST be UNLOADED in a case (hard or soft) or gun rug, AND have a chamber flag, and not handled until under the supervision of the competition range officer or in safety area.
More information below the registration button.
Please contact Sherra at the range if you are interested in volunteering to help with this competition.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT OUR OUTLAW STEEL MATCH
If you still have questions after reading the info below feel free to email sherra@sandhillshootingsport.com.
COLD RANGE
This match operates as a cold range. Your firearm must be unloaded at all times unless on the line under the direction of a Range Officer (RO). Bring your firearms to the range cased and unloaded, preferably with a chamber flag inserted. If you do not have a chamber flag, the range sells them for $1. An inserted chamber flag is a quick, easy visual to others that your firearm is not capable of firing a round. Firearm safety rules should be observed at all times, including when a firearm has a chamber flag inserted. Uncasing your firearm is only to be done in the Safe Area (no ammo) or under the direction of an RO. It is OK to have loaded magazines, just keep them out of the Safe Area.
WHAT TO BRING
- Photo ID (for shooters AND spectators 18+)
- Firearm – Be sure to have the following:
- Firearm, in a case or gun rug
- Magazines (or speed loaders for revolvers), 5 is ideal but at least 2 are required
- Ammo, a typical match will have a minimum round count of 120 but bring extra as makeup shots are allowed
- Loading device, if you have one (i.e. UpLula, speedloader, etc.)
- Eye protection – required for shooters AND spectators
- Hearing protection – required for shooters AND spectators
- Sun protection – even if it’s not warm out, the sun can still burn you
- Hat
- Snacks – We will be serving lunch for match competitors. The match may go until 2 pm or so. We have beverages and snacks for purchase inside if you forget yours.
- Portable chair – There is a LOT of waiting during these matches. Have a seat and get to know the other shooters.
CHECK IN
Please show up by 10:00 am to get checked in. Check-in is inside. Have your photo ID ready.
GET READY
Get your equipment ready. Keep your firearm cased at all times unless under the direct supervision of the RO on the line, or in the designated Safe Area. NO ammunition is allowed in the Safe Area. You may load magazines anywhere except the Safe Area. Now would be a good time to load up if you have not already done so. Magazines should be loaded to a MAXIMUM of 10 rounds.
If you are borrowing firearms, talk to the match director who will provide your loaner equipment. Ask for familiarization of the firearm if you have never used that particular make/model before. Load your magazines as explained above.
SAFETY BRIEFING
The Safety Briefing is mandatory and will take place in front of the building. A lot of important information will be covered to make your match a safe and fun one.
During the Safety Briefing, you will be told which stage each squad will start on and where that stage is located. After the briefing has been completed, head over to your stage with your equipment to start.
THE MATCH
Stage Briefing:
The RO will start by giving the stage brief, which will explain how you will shoot the steel plates, also known as your Course of Fire.
Then, the RO will call out the shooting order. If you are a new competition shooter you should not go first. Make sure there are several people ahead of you so you can get a feel for the course of fire and how things go. Let the RO know that you are a new shooter and would like to be further down the line-up.
Waiting:
While you are waiting for your turn, watch the other shooters to see how things are done.
The scorekeeper will call out who is “on deck,” “in the hole,” and “in the deep hole.” These are those who will be shooting next in that order.
There may be some faster shooters ahead of you. Likely they’ve shot competitions before. No one expects a new shooter to be fast. Take it slow and easy and be SAFE. Your first few matches are about getting familiar and comfortable with action shooting as opposed to the more familiar stationary target shooting. Only once you are comfortable with this new type of shooting should you even think about increasing speed.
Remember, you will keep your firearm cased until you are on the line and the RO asks you to “Make Ready.”
Your Turn:
When it’s your turn, bring your cased firearm up to the line with your loaded magazines (4, if you have that many) and pay close attention to your RO – do not try to get ahead of the instructions. Although you will be timed, your goal is to safely shoot the course of fire.
Next, the RO will ask you to “Make Ready.” At this time uncase your firearm while keeping it pointed downrange at all times. (If your firearm is not pointed downrange when you open your case, TURN THE CASE so the muzzle is pointed downrange.)
If you need to get a sight picture before your course of fire, do so before you load.
Insert your magazine and chamber a round. You are ready to go!
You will start at the “low-ready” which is the firearm pointed toward the ground at about a 45-degree angle – there will be a cone/marker partway between the line and the targets as a point of aim. If shooting a rifle/pistol caliber carbine, shoulder the rifle and point the firearm at the low-ready cone.
The RO will ask “Are you Ready?” – If you are, you do not need to say anything, but if you aren’t, indicate that you are “not ready.”
Once ready, the RO will call “Standby” then the start timer will beep.
Shoot at the targets as described in the stage brief, making sure to hit the stop plate at the end. Your string time will stop when you shoot the stop plate. Failure to hit the stop plate is a 30-second penalty. There is a 3-second penalty for a missed target. You are allowed to make up shots, just be sure to have at least one shot left for the stop plate.
When you are done, follow the RO instructions. If more strings need to be shot, the RO will have you “Prepare for your next string.” At this time you may swap magazines with a full one.
If this was your last string, the RO will say, “If you are finished, unload and show clear” which means to drop the magazine and pull the slide back to show the RO that the chamber is clear. The RO will inspect the firearm. Once the firearm is deemed safe, s/he will respond with “Flag and bag firearm.” You will insert a safety flag and case the firearm. Be sure to do all this while keeping the firearm pointed downrange. Once bagged, the RO will give the command “Range is clear.” Move your equipment off the line for the next shooter.
After Your Turn:
After shooting reload your magazines, watch your fellow squad mates shoot, and help repaint the steel plates after each shooter. Feel free to ask questions of other shooters. Everyone is happy to answer questions and we’ve all been in your shoes before. Every one of us was a new shooter at one time or another. We’re happy to have you come out and try a sport that we love!
Once the entire squad is done with that stage you will move over to the next stage and repeat the process for that stage, until all stages are complete.
End of Match:
After everyone has completed their last stage, please help tear down that stage. Steel is heavy and having more people help with the tear down really saves a lot of time at the end of the day!
Hopefully, you will have had a great day and want to come back for more! If this piques your interest in other types of shooting sports, talk to those on your squad about other matches and what they are about. Most of the experienced shooters also shoot USPSA, 3-gun, bowling pins, and other matches. Sandhill Shooting Sports has a lot of fun matches open to the public. Check our website calendar and the specific match webpages for more info.
FAQ
What if I don’t have a firearm?
Contact the range for availability of loaner equipment. We often have firearms to loan for the match to get new shooters started.
What if I don’t have ammo?
.22 & 9mm ammo is available for purchase at the range.
What if I have a firearm but don’t have 4 magazines?
Having one magazine for each string of fire makes the match move MUCH faster, but if you have at least two magazines someone on your squad will load for you while you are shooting. Let the RO know you will need someone to load and have a box of ammo ready. Then pass your magazine to the RO when it’s empty and they will pass it back to the loader.
I’ve never done any competitive shooting before – am I over my head?
Absolutely not! Local matches are perfect for new competitive shooters. No special equipment is required, you can share a firearm with another shooter, and if you’re shooting a .22LR, it’s a fun, inexpensive round to shoot. Plus, one of the purposes of Outlaw Steel matches is to be a stepping stone to other practical shooting type events. We expect new shooters at our matches and welcome them!
I’m not nearly as fast as the other shooters. Is that OK?
Absolutely! No one, especially an experienced shooter expects a novice shooter to be fast. In fact, it’s better if you take your time, be safe, and get comfortable before pouring on the speed. There is plenty of time later to work on speed. Your goal, in the beginning, is to concentrate on getting familiar with how the match is run and following the RO commands. Your goal for your first few matches is to be safe and have fun while taking as much time as you need.
What if I have a malfunction with my firearm while I am shooting?
Malfunctions do happen and are not unexpected. If you know how to clear your malfunction, then simply do so while keeping the firearm pointed down range and you may continue shooting your string once your firearm is ready. If you have any questions, just ask your RO. They are there to help you in any way that you need. When in doubt, stop firing, keep the firearm pointed downrange, and ask the RO for help. Since malfunctions are not uncommon they are cleared on the clock and a reshoot is not given, but you do get to drop your slowest time on each stage.
How is scoring done?
For each stage, you will shoot 4 strings. You are timed for each string. Any plates missed on a string adds 3 seconds to your time. For each set of 4 strings, your slowest time is dropped. The other 3 times are added together for your total time for that stage. This is done for all the stages and then all the times are added together for a total time for the match. You will then be ranked by your division (Rimfire Pistol, Rimfire Rifle, Pistol Caliber Carbine, Center Fire Pistol, etc.). Special Recognition categories are shown as well (Junior, Senior, Lady, etc). The slowest time you can get for a string is 30 seconds. So if you end up going over 30 seconds your time will still be just 30 seconds for that string. Failure to hit the stop plate is a 30-second penalty. You are allowed to make up shots but be sure to have enough for the stop plate.
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