Here is a short article that I wrote and was recently published in Western Outdoor News in California. I love to shoot competitively, and and PRG gives everyone that chance.
As the holidays pass, and the thermometer has finally
dropped back into the normal range, a lot of people feel that their outdoor
activity options are limited. If you are
a fisherman, you might be out throwing big baits at big fish. If you are a gun
guy like myself, you might be getting a little tired of heading to the range to
shoot at static paper targets week after week.
If so, this is a great time to get involved with some fun match shooting
with a club at a local range.
I’ve been shooting for what seems my entire life. Over the past couple of years, I have been
getting more and more involved with my local club called Prado Running Gun out
of Prado Olympic Shooting Park in Chino Hills California. Conveniently located off of the 91 and 71
freeways, this park offers a wide variety of shooting options for the local
enthusiast. Whether its Skeet or Trap,
or long guns and hand guns, they have a variety of options for you, as well as
a nice pro shop for all of your ammo and gear needs. One day a while back, I was looking at local
flyers and postings in the pro shop and saw something about Prado Running
Gun. For more information on Prado
Olympic Shooting Park, please visit
www.shootprado.com.
Prado Running Gun is a fun club that holds monthly matches
for all experience levels. The matches
are held on the first Sunday of every month and are a great opportunity to hone
your skills, and meet some great fellow enthusiasts drawing from 60-100+
competitors at each event.
These matches are a lot of fun, and a great way to learn
some valuable skills. Each match opens
with a new shooter orientation. If you
are new to shooting, or new to match events, this is the perfect opportunity to
learn the rules, and to give you an overview of what is ahead. Once you are through your orientation, you
will be put into a squad, or you can join a squad with your friends. Each squad has a variety of skill
levels. From very beginner, to
expert. You’ll see everything from right
out of the box production model pistols, to some very high tech, high dollar,
competition firearms. Some matches even
include shotgun and AR style divisions.
Most of the matches are set up in to five or six
stages. Each stage has a different set
of objectives and target arrangements. Some stages will have as many as 20 targets,
ranging from static steel, to paper, to pop ups. These are all fun and engaging, and it is a
great experience to watch how other shooters tackle each of these scenarios differently. You’ll be prone, kneeling, standing, bent
over, and even have some hands up, hostage type scenarios. On an average Sunday match, you may have the
opportunity to fire off close to 200 rounds in a fun, exciting atmosphere. Much better than standing at a range at 10
yards firing at the same silhouette.
Everyone I have encountered have been very supportive, offer
encouragement, and give advice if you’d like.
If you happen to be at the range on one of these weekends, swing on by
and check it out. These are a great
group of gun enthusiasts, and you might just make a couple of new friends. The best part, a match only costs $30 for
the day. Considering this is about the
same price as a range fee, it is well worth the experience you will gain from
the different scenarios.
Prado Running Gun also now offers a Wednesday Night Steel
match the last Wednesday of every month.
These are an evening event shooting into the dark. They usually start at about 4pm and run
through around 8pm. During these winter
months, you are definitely shooting into the dark hours. It is a lot of fun, and a great way to
experience a whole new sense of adventure. For more information on Prado
Running Gun, and the monthly matches, please visit
www.prg-ipsc.com/site/
Once you get through a match or two, and realize that you
are really enjoying yourself, another fun way to be involved is to join the
USPSA- United States Practical Shooting Association. The USPSA is a great way to find other clubs,
events, and matches in your area. When
you register for your events with your USPSA number, you will receive a
classification after you shoot a classifier.
This classification is how you are ranked at different events, and
amongst your peers out in the field. It
is a fun way to help you build upon your skill level. The more you shoot, the better, and more
comfortable you will be with your firearm.
For more information on the United States Practical Shooting
Association, please visit
WWW.USPSA.ORG.
