MATCH RULES
Safety
- Violation of any safety rule will result in match disqualification (DQ).
- USPSA safety rules are the baseline for safety at this match.
- Competitors shall practice good muzzle control and firearm
safety at all times. Competitors that do not handle their weapons
safely will be disqualified from competing further in the match with
no refund of match fees.
- Do not ever allow the muzzle of your weapons to point at anyone.
- Do not load your weapons until directed to do so by a range officer.
- Do not put your finger on the trigger until your sights are aligned with your target.
- Obey all Range Officer commands immediately.
- In addition to the USPSA definition of an Accidental Discharge, the stage RO may call an A.D. using his own judgement. Example: if the competitor was clearly not engaging a target. Any round that does not impact within 10 yards of the target the competitor is engaging is declared to be an AD.
- The entire competition area is a "cold range."
- No firearms may be loaded at the match site except under the direct command of a RO.
- Long-guns shall be kept unloaded in cases or on a designated rack, and carried muzzle up or muzzle down and the action open.
- "Sweeping" any person with a weapon's muzzle will result in immediate D.Q.
- All firearms must have a functioning safety, subject to verification by an RO at any time. (A pistol that has not had any factory safety devices disabled will be considered to have a safety for the purpose of this rule.)
- Any firearm or ammunition deemed by any RO or match staff to be "unsafe" for any reason may not be used in the match until a determination is made by the match director that it may continue
- Any firearm that can be demonstrated by any RO or match staff to have a hammer/striker that will fall without the trigger being pressed shall be deemed unsafe and may not be used in the match until repaired.
- Any rifle slung must have an empty chamber, unless directed by the stage RO.
- No person shall consume or be under the influence of alcohol or non-prescription drugs at the match site. Any person found to be impaired and unsafe as a result of legitimate prescription drugs may be directed to stop shooting and requested to leave the range.
- Eye and ear protection is mandatory.
- This match includes dynamic shooting in natural terrain. Match staff will communicate what are safe directions to point firearms while shooting, or while waiting. This will typically be presented during a stage or match briefing. The competitor shall note and obey the safe muzzle direction guidelines.
Teams
- Each team shall be comprised of two competitors.
- One shooter shall be designated the "rifle shooter," and one shooter shall be designated the "carbine shooter."
- Targets designated as rifle targets may only be engaged by the rifle shooter, with his rifle.
- Targets designated as carbine targets may only be engaged by the carbine shooter, with his carbine.
- Each shooter shall shoot the same firearms for the entire match.
- For the purposes the preceding rule, the "same firearm" shall be defined by a specific combination of caliber, receiver, barrel, stock, grips, sighting device.
- Unless otherwise directed by the stage RO, team members will stay within arms'-reach while shooting on all stages. Every shot fired without team members in this proximity will incur a procedural penalty.
- For a team to be scored as "completed" for a task or nav point, both team members but be present within arms' reach.
- While travelling, team members must be within 7 yards of each other at all times, unless directed otherwise by match staff or briefing.
Equipment
- All equipment on the Required Gear List must be carried at all times.
- Rifle
- Minimum caliber: .243/6mm
- Maximum caliber: .338LM
- Maximum muzzle velocity: 3200fps
- Ammunition subject to verification by chronograph at any time
- Carbines
- Minimum caliber: .223/5.45
- Maximum caliber: 300WSM
- Loaded cartridge OAL not to exceed 2.90"
- Barrel length not to exceed 20"
- Maximum muzzle velocity: 3200fps
- Ammunition subject to verification by chronograph at any time
- No bipods.
- Pistols
- Minimum caliber: 9mm Luger
- Must be carried in a holster that will retain the pistol during vigorous activity.
- Holster may be "mounted" to your person or to your pack only. If it is mounted to the pack, it may only be mounted on a waist belt in such a manner that it can be drawn by the competitor without removing his pack. Any holster connected to the pack waist-belt must be a closed retention-style flap holster*. Cross-draw configurations are not allowed regardless of where the holster is mounted. (* For the purposes of this rule, a holster is a flap holster if it has a movable part that covers the rear of the pistol and physically prevents the pistol from leaving the holster, and is held in position by some mechanism such as a hook, latch, button, etc. A retention holster without a rear flap does not qualify.)
- Pistol must be in safe operating condition
- Pistol must not exceed USPSA's "Limited" division specifications. Pistol-mounted lights are allowed.
- When selecting your rifle and carbine choices, keep in mind that the majority of targets will be reactive armor steel plates. If your load does not have enough momentum to cause a hit indication that is detectable by a spotter, your shot will be counted as a miss. For reference, .243 is known to have acceptible target indication for rifle, and .223 is known to have acceptible target indication for carbine targets.
- Any shooting accessories may be used provided they are carried by the team during every stage. Accessories
include but are not limited to:
- bipods (rifle only), bags, shooting sticks, slings, jackets, gloves, or other shooting support devices
- optics such as spotting scopes, binoculars, and range-finders
- secondary optics for use on rifle or carbine
- Ammunition that must be "fired" to be unloaded once chambered is declared to be unsafe and may not be used in this match. All firearms must be able to be completely unloaded without firing a round.
- No steel core, steel jacketed, armor piercing, incendiary or tracer bullets are permitted.
- Teams violating Equipment Rules will be subject to scoring and/or monetary penalties. Fines will be assessed if target damage occurs due to: forbidden bullet types (AP, steel, tracer, etc); disallowed calibers; or exceeding the muzzle velocity limits.
- In the interest of fairness to all competitors, active night vision devices (night vision optics) are not permitted.
- GPS devices not permitted for land nav.
- Electronic maps are not permitted.
- All two-way communications devices are prohibited, other than SPOT trackers and radio gear provided by the match. This means cell phones are prohibited. One-way PLB's are permitted.
- Each team must bring a GPS to be used for emergencies only. It will be sealed pursuant to the following rule:
- GPS, cell phones, and other communications devices may be brought and used for emergencies only, or to coordinate extraction if a team quits. All such devices shall be powered off and sealed in a container by match staff prior to the event. Use of any such device during the match shall incur an extreme scoring penalty. If the sealed container is opened, that is considered proof of use. The Match Director has sole discretion to waive this penalty for any team that uses these devices to render emergency aid to any person during the match.
- Note: there is nothing that prohibits "PDA" style ballistic computers, provided that they have no two-way communications capability, no GPS capability, and no stored maps. (For the purpose of this rule, hardware support for a capability means the device has the capability even if it can be disabled in software.)
SCORING
The objective is to obtain the most points while completing the course or within the time limit. The match packet that you get during check-in will detail the point values for completing different parts of the course and what conditions must be "met" in order to receive points. Likewise, it will detail the penalties for skipping or otherwise failing to follow the briefing and meet the objectives. In general, the way to obtain the most points will be to achieve the mandartory checkpoints in order without skipping any; to do well at the shooting stages and challenges; and to achieve as many of the bonus checkpoints as you can.
Note: rules are subject to change up until the match date.