Match FAQ

The Four Rules of Gun Safety- they apply all the time, everywhere:
One:  All guns are always loaded.  Always!
Two: Never allow the muzzle of your gun to point at anything you are not willing to destroy immediately.
Three:  Always be absolutely certain of your target, and what is behind it.
Four:  Never touch your gun's trigger or allow your finger inside the trigger guard unless you have a legitimate target in your sights.

NPCCC's matches are open to the public.  Spectators are welcome and there is no charge to observe.
As for the competitor's age, for minor children to compete, they should be physically capable of the tasks required in the course of the match and have the level of maturity to understand the nature of the sport.  They must be under direct parental or guardian supervision except when running a stage under the supervision of the Range Officer.
Persons with infirmities that might result in a safety hazard to the staff, the competitor, or bystanders should refrain from placing themselves in a position where they could expose someone to harm.  We do, however, want to see that everyone get a chance to participate and so we are willing to make special accomodations to suit anyone who feels they can find a safe and appropriate solution.  Please see a club or match official with your special needs.

Specific Match Disciplines:
Cowboy Action Shooting /SASS
IDPA
Steel Plates
Trap
USPSA

The Safe Area is the designated area just west of the Bay Three (largest) canopy and adjacent to the rifle bay berm.  On match days, this is the only place on the property anyone may handle a firearm, except for under the specific and direct command of a range officer at a specified firing line.  This is part of what is meant by having a "cold range."
The other part is that no gun is loaded at any time except under the specific instruction of a Range Officer.
If repairs or adjustments to your gun are needed,  they may be done at the Safe Area.
No ammunition is permitted in the safe area.

If you are wearing a gun when you arrive, please go immediately to the Unloading Table just west of the Safe Area and unload and case or holster it.

The First Aid Kit is kept at the west wall of Bay Two, right underneath the big red cross.
If there is an emergency or injury, call 911 at once to secure assistance, and then notify club or match officials when it is safe to do so.

What you need to bring:
Eye protection, especially in the form of safety glasses with side shield to guard against side spatter and fragments.  We usually can help with providing some if you or a visitor arrive without some.
Ear protection: Good muffs, plugs, or both.  We can also help with these in a pinch.
Equipment:  Action matches like Cowboy, Steel, IDPA, and USPSA require a suitable handgun, rifle, and/or shotgun, ammunition, magazines or speedloaders, and carriers to hold them.  Some disciplines require more or less; please see the individual pages for more information. 
Trapshooting requires a shotgun and shells, and perhaps a bag to hold the shells.
What to wear:  NPCCC is an outdoor range, so dress for the conditions.  Remember, we are only a few miles from Lake Michigan and things can change fast. Even though we have canopies at the tops of all the bays, it can get very hot and sunny in summer.  Remember to bring  sunscreen and a hat.  Sturdy footwear is a good idea on the gravel when moving around quickly. 

The Range Master is the club official who is in charge of all of the property and everyone on it, including all range officers, competitors, firearms, ammunition, props and club property.  All decisions on safety and procedures are made by the Range Master.

The Match Director is the official in charge of the design and execution of the match, including scoring and interpretations of match rules.  Often the Range Master and Match Director duties are performed by the same person.

Range (or Safety) Officers  are the officials of a match, like referees or umpires, but there is more to the job than just running the timer and calling the scores.  They are the people who directly supervise the shooters, guns, and all shooting activity and are responsible for the safety of everyone present in a stage.  During the course of a match, no one, and there are no exceptions to this, may handle a firearm on the property without an express command from the supervising Range Officer or unless they are at the yellow Safe Area table.

Scorekeepers are the assistants to the Range Officers and handle the papers, shooting order, recording of scores, and help with backup observation of the shooter.
Pitching in on scorekeeping, even for the newest shooter, is a great way to learn the ins and outs of scoring and the discipline rules in general.

Squads are the method by which competitors are arranged into groups so as to allow an orderly progression through a match.  Squads are formed more or less informally after signup and the mandantory shooter's meeting prior to the start of the competition.  Squads stay together throughout the match and are a way of keeping the pacing organized.  Your squad will shoot the numbered stages in the order that you start. If you start on stage two, in bay two, your next stage will be in bay three, then four, and finish in bay one. There will be no jumping ahead of other squads. This way everyone should start and finish around the same time.

Tear-down: When you finish your last stage your Range Officer will check with the Range Master to  see if the stage can be taken down and all the props put away. Please don't leave until your stage is done.  Setting up and taking down match stages is a lot of work and all clubs depend on the help of the competitors and volunteers to get it done.  Please be considerate of your fellow attendees and pitch in whenever you can to make it go easier and faster for all.

Resetting and pasting targets:   When it is not your turn to shoot you should be helping by picking up brass, resetting reactive targets, or pasting the cardboard targets (putting the patches on the scored targets that cover bullet holes).
Don't reset or paste any targets, though, until you are sure the Range Officer has scored them.  Ask if you're not sure.  Also, don't touch or handle the targets, either, until the scoring is complete so that there won't be any scoring errors.

Weather:  We will shoot in inclement weather, too, if it is safe to do so, so bring rain gear.  Normally, as long as the footing is sound and safe for the particular event (and it varies with discipline), and the temperature is at all within the bounds of reason, we will carry on.
We make every effort to keep the front page of this website updated with cancellations.  E-mail notification is available in some instances if the match director has your e-mail address.
Sometimes you just can't make a weather determination in advance and so we may have to cancel or postpone right up until the last minute.  It's just a fact of life with outdoor sports.
Sometimes if there is weather, we will alter plans to accomodate our guests so we welcome suggestions on alternates.
Safety will always take precedence in cancellation decisions.

We are always happy to help new competitors understand the ins and outs of competing in our matches.  Be sure to ask an official or veteran competitor if you have any kind of uncertainty at all.
Shooting sports are some of the safest sports of all and it depends on the understanding of just a few basic rules and conventions.
If you have any questions that may be answered by e-mail, please do so at this address.  The only dumb question is the one that doesn't get asked!

NPCCC does not discriminate against anyone regardless of race, gender, creed, color, or origin.