When it comes to many action-shooting disciplines, speed is the name of the game. If you can shave precious seconds from your stage times, you will see your name move up on the leaderboard. In his article about building stage speed, Field Editor Chris Christian argues that to achieve better times in USPSA, IDPA or ICORE competitions, you need to focus on more than just shooting faster. Check out his article to learn three ways to improve your times by performing non-shooting tasks quickly and more efficiently, along with avoiding wasted motion.
The Glock G17L Gen5 MOS striker-fired, semi-automatic, polymer-framed handgun chambered in 9 mm Luger is made for competitive shooting. Sporting a 6.02-inch barrel and a lighter trigger pull, this handgun is also equipped with Glock’s MOS optics mounting system. Author P.E. Fitch paired the G17L with the Vortex Defender-XL red-dot optic for a match, and said the combination was “a good call—it was certainly an asset sitting on top of the G17L Gen5’s slide.” Read his review of the Glock G17L Gen5 MOS in Product Focus.
Our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide takes the guesswork out of gift giving for the competitive shooters in your life. This year, we’ve compiled a list of 26 items, including many of the top guns and gear released in 2024. There’s something for everyone, from lever-action rifle fans to action shooters, clay target competitors and more. If there’s a shooter on your list, have a look through these great gift options they might love.
In the October 2024 issue, Maggie Kelch provided her match report from this year’s Scholastic Clay Target Program Nationals, and this month she brings us all the action from the 2024 Scholastic Action Shooting Program Nationals. Both competitions, administered by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation and held back-to-back at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio, this past July, attracted a record number of student-athletes.
The proliferation of modern “personal” chronographs, especially units in small form factors like the Garmin Xero C1 and Labradar LX, have revolutionized the process of gathering data for competitive shooters and plinkers alike. These diminutive chronographs can determine bullet velocity painlessly and simplify the load development process with easy-to-use interfaces and companion apps. However, it wasn’t always such an easy task. In his article “Chronochart: Measuring with Math,” Field Editor Art Merrill looks back at the Chronochart, a simple vertical graph printed in the May 1948 issue of American Rifleman magazine that once served as a useful tool for estimating muzzle velocities and muzzle energies.
John Parker
Editor-in-Chief, Shooting Sports USA
Are you a subscriber?
Not receiving the monthly digital magazine announcement in your inbox? Become a subscriber. Not only is it completely free, it only takes a minute to sign up and it guarantees you’ll never miss a single issue of the NRA’s competitive shooting journal. Subscribe here.
