This is what will be said when going through the targets after a shooter shoots a USPSA stage. They are the zones within a USPSA target and each impact in these zones is a certain score dependent on which zone is impacted.

Accuracy refers to how close a measurement is to the true or accepted value.

The parts of the firearm that load, fire and eject the cartridge.

Accidental Discharge/Negligent Discharge. This means that either the shooter accidentally discharged a firearm, could be due to firearm malfunction, or was handling the firearm in a negligent way. This can lead to either a stage disqualification or a match disqualification.

Properly aligning the sights of a firearm and focusing the eye on the target to improve accuracy.

Shooter’s jargon for ammunition.

A hole or opening in a sighting device, like the hole in the center of a receiver or peep sight disk.

The ultimate stopping point for a projectile, often an earthen barrier, berm or slope.

This is the back part of the grip of a handgun.

Sometimes match directors will put up two steel targets on one pole. This is just in case one target falls down during the match, the other target can be used. Both targets should NOT be engaged.

The tube that contains and directs the projectile [see also bore, chamber, rifling, muzzle].

A round sight normally used at the muzzle of a shotgun or the front sight of some rifles, in which the sight is viewed as a round bead on a narrow post.

A flat, steady table or surface, used by a shooter to sit behind and steady him or herself for accuracy, prior to discharging their firearm.

At outdoor ranges, a berm is a mound of earth, dirt, or concrete embankment or a wall constructed to restrict bullets to a given area, which serves as a backstop.

A two-legged support that can be attached to the front end of a rifle, or a separate device that the rifle is rested upon, to stabilize the gun while shooting.

The part of a repeating, breech-loading firearm that blocks the rear opening (breech) of the barrel chamber while the propellant burns, and moves back and forward to facilitate loading/unloading of cartridges from the magazine.

A rifle or shotgun that has a protruding handle (bolt) that the shooter uses to feed and lock a cartridge into the chamber so the gun can be fired. It is then used to eject and remove the spent casing and load another.

Channel through which the projectile(s) travel while in the barrel.

A firearm whose barrels are hinged, and rotate perpendicular to the bore axis to expose the breech and allow the loading and/or unloading of ammunition.

The part of a breechloader that is opened for the insertion of ammunition.

Large-size lead shot pellets used in shotshells. Buckshot can range in size from #4 up to 000.

The small metal projectile that is part of a cartridge and is fired through the barrel. Sometimes, but incorrectly, used to refer to a cartridge.

The rear portion of the stock on a rifle or shotgun or the bottom part of a pistol grip.

A covering that protects the butt of a firearm. It can be made of rubber, plastic, metal or other materials.

Diameter of a firearm bore measured in hundredths or thousandths of an inch or in millimeters.

Holding the bow or firearm at a slight angle to the perpendicular.

A shortened version of a service rifle, often chambered in a less potent cartridge or a shortened version of the infantryman's musket or rifle suited for use by cavalry.

The assembly consisting of a bullet, gunpowder, shell casing, and primer. When counting, it is referred to as a 'round'.

The envelope (container) of a cartridge. For rifles and handguns, it is usually of brass or other metal; for shotguns it is usually of paper or plastic with a metal head and is more often called a 'shell.'

A firearm using a primer or battery cup located in the center of the cartridge head.

Rear portion of the firearm barrel, shaped to hold and support a specific cartridge.

Device on a firearm which, when operated, results in the hammer or striker being cocked or moved to the ready position.

This is a tightening, or more commonly constriction, of a shotgun’s muzzle that determines how tightly or loosely the shot fired from a shotshell will disperse after being fired. Common choke constrictions from loosest to tightest is cylinder, improved cylinder, modified, full and extra full.

Fixed or changeable sleeve containing a choke device.

This is a step away from a division and is instead a classification. Usually, this is for young guns (shooters under a certain age), ladies, and Law Enforcement/Military. So shooters will have a division and a classification sometimes, but not all the time if they don’t fall into those specified areas.

A device that is used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit, ready for insertion into the magazine of a repeating firearm. This speeds up the process of loading and reloading the firearm as several rounds can be loaded at once, rather than one round being loaded at a time.

Course of Fire. This will be how you will shoot the specific stage or the rules about that stage. Sometimes this comes in a match book for Precision Rifle type matches and other times during action shooting sports, it is on a piece of paper at the stage.

The part of a rifle or shotgun’s stock where the shooter’s check rests as they aim and prepare to fire.

The drum-shaped part of a revolver where cartridges are loaded. The cylinder rotates as each round is fired or as the revolver is cocked.

Firing a gun.

This is the type of firearm and limits that you will compete against. In USPSA, this includes the production division, carry optics division, etc. In NRL Hunter, you have Open Light, Open Heavy, etc.

A firearm where the trigger performs two actions, firing the round, and cocking the hammer.

The area of a gun range, where firearms are pointed towards the target when they are fired.

Unit of apothecary measure for volume, formerly used in measuring charges of black powder for shotshells.

A velocity or pressure measure giving shotshell performance equivalent to a specified amount of black powder.

The practice of 'firing' a firearm without ammunition. That is, to pull the trigger and allow the hammer or striker to drop on an empty chamber.

Devices used to help reduce the sound of a firearm, to prevent hearing damage. Most commonly earplugs or ear defenders.

Distance at which a projectile remains capable of performing its intended task, determined in rifles or pistols by a combination of remaining energy and trajectory, determined in shotguns by a combination of pellet energy and pattern density.

Device designed to automatically and completely remove a fired case from the chamber.

Device designed to lift the cartridge from the chamber sot he shooter can remove it manually.

For optics such as binoculars or a rifle scope, eye relief is the distance from the eyepiece to the viewer's eye that matches the eyepiece exit pupil to the eye's entrance pupil. Short eye relief requires the observer to press their eye close to the eyepiece in order to see an un-vignetted image. For a shooter, eye relief is an important safety consideration. An optic with too short an eye relief can cut skin at the contact point between the optic and the shooter's eyebrow due to recoil.

These matches are usually held on much larger ranges that allow for different direction shooting and elevation changes. More often, though, they are held on personal property such as a corn field or ranch.

Disassembling a firearm for the purpose of repair or cleaning, without tools. When using tools, this is called a detail strip.

A tool or device that fires bullets, and of such a size that is designed for usage by one individual.

This is where the actual live firing occurs. Ammunition is loaded into the firearm, the firearm is pointed down range in a safe direction, and the shooter fires the firearm at the target. Hearing and eye protection should always be worn while on the firing line.

The part of a firearm that strikes the primer, discharging the round.

A big safety violation in the shooting sports community. Flagging is pointing a firearm at anyone in any way and will lead to a match disqualification.

A device that is attached to the muzzle of a firearm, that lowers the temperature at which gases disperse upon firing.

This is the standard public range that people see. There are berms and each berm is often 100m apart. There are no elevation changes.

The tapered section at the rear of the barrel of a revolver that eases the entry of the bullet into the bore.[13]

The part of the stock located under a firearm’s barrel where the shooter’s forward hand holds the firearm steady.

Powder residue or bits of metal left in the bore or other parts of the firearm as a result of shooting.

Easily broken into pieces; frangible bullets come apart with explosive results.

Choke device nominally delivering pattern densities of 70 to 80 percent in a 30 inch circle at 40 yards.

Like caliber, this is how the size of the barrel’s bore is expressed. The smaller the number, the larger the bore (i.e., a 10-gauge shotgun’s bore is twice the size in diameter of a 20-gauge’s bore).

Unit of measure for bullet weight; one grain equals 1/7000 pond.

Verb:
To grasp or hold the firearm or bow in a manner that enables the shooter to control the arm.
Noun:
1) The stock or handle of a handgun.
2) The area immediately behind the trigger guard on a rifle, musket or shotgun [see also straight or English grip, pistol grip].

Cluster of bullets shot with the same form, aiming point, sight setting and other factors to determine the average point of impact for that combination.

A hammer position midway between the fired and fully cocked position, often used as a safety device.

A spring-loaded striker that provides the force, directly or by transferring it to the firing pin, needed to detonate a primer, percussion cap, battery cup or priming compound in the rim of a cartridge.

A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand, with the other hand optionally supporting the shooting hand.

A term used to describe pistols, either auto-loading, single shot or cylinder types held in either one or two hands. Impact Area: The area behind a target on a backstop or bullet trap where bullets are expected to impact. This term may also refer to an area down range at an outdoor range where bullets will impact if not captured by a backstop.

Delayed ignition of ammunition or a muzzle loading charge.

Identifying information on the head of a cartridge case.

Term to signify velocities above target load levels in shotgun ammunition or above some minimum velocity (approximately 2500 feet per second) in center-fire rifles.

This will be said when a round impacts steel. The shooter will shoot, and the R/O will say 'hit' or will not respond, meaning you missed the steel.

Often stated in Precision Rifle, this means that the target needs to be hit to move onto the next target in the stage. If you miss you have to keep shooting at the target that you missed.

1) position of the aligned sights relative to the target or the intended point of impact.
2) Relationship of the hands and archery equipment to the intended point of impact.
3) Pause at full draw to check alignment, aiming point and form before release.

Holding the sights, sight pin or other reference point above the intended point of impact to compensate for projectile being below the line of sight at the distance to the target.

Holding the sights, sight pin or other reference point below the intended point of impact to compensate for the projectile being above the line of sight at the distance to the target.

A sheath-like carrying case for a firearm, worn on a belt, in a shoulder sling, or a scabbard saddle. A holster serves to protect the gun's mechanisms and finish, to provide security by covering the trigger so it cannot be pulled unintentionally, and to present the grip of the gun at a constant angle for easy access.

The area in which the projectile(s) strike the backstop or ground.

The most open or least constricted of the commonly used field chokes; nominally patterns about 45 to 50 percent of the shot charge in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.

Choke often used in the bottom barrel of over/under trap guns; nominally patterns 65 to 70 percent of the shot charge in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.

1) Aligning the cylinder of a revolver with the forcing cone on the barrel.
2) Aligning the plug of a scoring gauge with the hole made by the bullet.

Deactivated, non-functional, incapable of action.

Dummy ammunition or ammunition loaded with deactivated or non-functional materials; action-proving ammunition.

A system of aligned markers used to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in a scope. Iron sights are typically composed of two component sights, formed by metal blades: a rear sight mounted perpendicular to the line of sight and consisting of some form of notch (open sight) or aperture (closed sight); and a front sight that is a post, bead, or ring.

A cleaning device designed to hold a patch on the cleaning rod in a specific sized bore.

Moving the trigger or shooting fingers with a brief, violent motion. (Also known as Jerking the Trigger)

Anticipating the flight line of a shotgun target and moving the shotgun in that direction before the target emerges.

Keep in Mind Stage. This is a sniper concept. If the stage is a KIM stage it will be a memorization-type stage.

Rifle shooting position; shooter sits on one foot or heel with the lower leg on the other side held vertically; the elbow of the forward hand rests on the knee providing support for the rifle.

KYL and TYL plate racks. 'Know your Limits' and 'Test your Limits.' This is a plate rack that has a row of targets, each getting smaller as you go to the next target on the rack— same distance, but different sizes of targets. In the Precision Rifle Series organization there used to be a KYL stage in which if you hit the first target, and decided to move on to the next smaller one and missed, you would lose your points for that first made target. Now, it is a Test Your Limits type stage, just testing how far you can make it on the rack.

Raise, spiral ridges left when rifling is cut in a barrel.

Sight that projects a laser dot onto the target.

Deposits of lead left in the bore of a firearm.

Distance from the butt to the trigger.

A type of rifle whereby a lever is worked to feed new cartridges and expel fired shells from the chamber.

The term long gun is used to describe classes of firearm with longer barrels than other classes. In small arms, a long gun is designed to be fired braced against the shoulder, in contrast to a handgun.

Can be either a permanent part of the firearm, but most often is detachable, and holds the cartridges to be fired. Magazines are typically spring loaded to feed a new cartridge into the chamber after the previous round has been fired and is being unloaded.

For a detachable magazine, this is the opening in a firearm where the magazine is inserted.

Very hard shot made with a lead alloy containing a high percentage of antimony.

The spring that is cocked to provide energy to the hammer or firing pin.

Failure of a firearm or ammunition to perform as designed; legally defined in the rules of shooting games.

Process of selecting the appropriate choke for the intended use of a shotgun.

Match Director. While each match is under an organization, oftentimes that organization will have different match directors that run the match. This is usually the owner of the land or range. The MD will set the course of fire including targetry, prizes, finding R/O, etc. There can be good match directors and bad ones and oftentimes this will decide whether competitors have a good time or not.

'The shooter had two Mikes.' This means the shooter had two misses on the target. It could be that they impacted the white of the target or missed the target entirely.

Angular change in aim that moves the point of impact of an artillery projectile one meter at a range of 1000 meters.

This is an angular measurement of how scope adjustments are made. A MOA is 1/60th of a degree. 1 MOA spreads about 1 inch per 100 yards. (Actually 1.047 inches).

A firearm that fails to fire, or fails to discharge ammunition properly. Treat a misfire like a hangfire, keeping your firearm pointed down range and in a safe direction for at least 30 seconds before attempting to eject the round.

Shotgun choke patterning approximately 55 to 65 percent of its shot charge in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards; also known as half choke.

A gun barrel’s open end where a bullet exits when fired.

Devices that are fitted to the muzzle of a firearm to redirect propellant gases with the effect of countering both recoil of the gun and unwanted rising of the barrel during rapid fire.

Maintaining adequate control of the firearm so the muzzle is never pointed at anything the shooter does not intend to shoot.

This is often a two-day match held by a national-level organization. These matches are held in different parts of the country and have a prize table or payout. Each match will usually go toward a series standing. The expectations for these matches are good R/O and a well-run match.

'The shooter had two Mikes and a no shoot.' The shooter had two misses and impacted a no-shoot part of the target.

Open rear sight using a notch or a V-shaped slot as a reference point for sight alignment.

National Rifle Association, the governing body for rifle, pistol and international shotgun shooting in the United States.

The Nation Skeet Shooting Association, the governing body for American skeet in the United States.

National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade organization of the arms and ammunition manufacturers in the United States dedicated to the promotion of shooting sports.

Rear sight with a flat or curved upper surface with or without a notch or groove as a reference point.

Sights using lenses with or without magnification.

These are matches that do not fall under a larger organization. However, the course of fire may mimic a sanctioned match. Say it is a USPSA-type match but the USPSA does not recognize this club. The match held by that club is a non-sanctioned match. Sometimes clubs also make up a type of match, such as a team pistol match, and it is simply a fun club match that doesn’t follow any national level match rules—that would be an outlaw match.

Cluster or cloud of projectiles fired from a shotgun using shotshells.

Use of chokes, buffering materials or loading techniques to modify the pattern of a shotgun.

Rear sight consisting of a perforated disk through which the front sight is viewed, also called a receiver or aperture sight.

1) Projectiles developed for use in pellet rifles and pistols, consisting of a hollow-based lead cup.
2) Shooter’s synonym for shot in shotshells.

Depth to which a projectile will travel in a given substance before stopping, a measure of energy and momentum.

Power Factor—Bullet Weight (gr), multiplied by Muzzle Velocity (fps). In both Precision Rifle and USPSA/IDPA there will be a PF. This is to set a standard in the type of ammunition that people are using and keep the match fair.

A firearm capable of being held, aimed and fired with one hand. Also known as a revolver or hand gun. Plinking: Informal shooting of any kind at inanimate objects.

Downward curved gripping surface immediately behind the trigger guard on many firearms.

A rack with steel plates on it. All targets on the rack will be at the same distance but some will be of different shapes or sizes.

Shooting at safe and legal targets of opportunity; informal shooting.

Location at which a shooter has the firearm sights aligned with a target.

Location at which a projectile strikes another object or the surface of the earth.

The power of the scope is the same as magnification.

Precision refers to how close measurements of the same item are to each other.

1) Act of pulling the trigger back smoothly to fire the arm.
2) Tool used in hand loading ammunition.

Object like an arrow, bullet, shot or stone propelled by mechanical, pneumatic or chemical forces.

Rifle shooting position where the shooter lies belly down on the ground, supporting the rifle with the arms braced firmly on the ground.

Most often found on a modern shotgun more so than rifles. It is an action type that feeds new cartridges and expels spent ones via a slide located on the forend of the firearm.

Person responsible for the safe operation of a shooting range. Each stage usually has one or two R/Os to help run the stage.

1) Safe shooting area; may be further defined by the rules of formal shooting games.
2) Maximum distance a given projectile may travel; 3) Distance to a target; 4) Effective shooting distance of a projectile or firearm.

Part of a firearm to which all other parts connect; housing for the action, fire control and safety mechanisms.

Aperture rear sight or peep sight.

Reaction of the firearm to the force of a projectile being fired; expression of Newton’s law: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Stock construction, action design, structures or mechanical devices designed to reduce the amount of felt recoil or to spread it over a longer time frame.

Hollow or solid attachment to the butt of a firearm used to cushion the recoil.

Hand loading, remanufacture of ammunition from basic components.

Firing noises produced by a firearm.

A matrix of dots, posts or lines, visible inside a rifle’s telescopic sight, normally adjustable via exterior knobs for windage and elevation.

This is a pistol with a rotating cylinder that holds cartridges and rotates to line up each chamber with a barrel and firing pin.

1) A modern firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, generally having a barrel more than 15 inches long. Its main characteristic is a rifled (knurled grooved) barrel that imparts a spin to a single projectile as it travels through the bore.
2) Some rifles designed for military or law enforcement use will have a pistol grip in lieu of a shoulder stock.

A shotgun projectile that has rifling or groves cut on the projectile to put twist on the projectile as it travels down the barrel. Commonly used on smooth bore shotgun barrels. Also know as a Foster Slug.

Spirally arranged lands and grooves that impart a spin to the projectile or modify the dispersal of shot.

Flange at the base of a cartridge case; may be used as a location for a priming compound (rimfire cartridges) or for headspacing and extraction purposes.

Cartridge with priming compound sandwiched between the layers of a folded rim, fired by striking the rim and crushing the priming compound between the metal surfaces.

A single cartridge.

A split sleeve to hold a bullet or ball.

During an action shooting sports match there will be a safe table near a berm with a sign saying 'no ammunition.' This is the only place where you can holster your empty gun before the match. No ammunition is allowed on the table.

Designed to prevent the trigger from being pulled or the gun fired when not intended.

Term used for shotgun.

A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is an optical device used to give additional accuracy using a point of aim for firearms, air guns and crossbows.

Interlocking surfaces that hold a mainspring, hammer, firing pin or similar device in place until released by moving the mating surface.

Spring that holds a sear in place.

Self-loading firearm design in which some of the energy developed by the fired cartridge is used to operate the action; may be operated by gas or recoil.

1) Safe place to shoot.
2) Shooting field or location developed according to the rules of a specific event.

Weight of shot in a shotshell.

Airborne shot charge or shot cluster.

A long gun typically with a smooth-bored barrel that is held to the shoulder to be fired and holds shotshells instead of cartridges in order to send multiple projectiles (shot) downrange. For this reason, shotguns do not possess the long-range capabilities of a rifle.

A shotshell designed to be used in shotguns. It is composed of a hull or shell, a primer, powder, shot cup or wad and shot. Shells are normally composed of paper or plastic.

Device to assist in aligning the eye with the bore or bow and pointing the aligned system at a target.

Combination of a properly aligned set of sights and a target.

Post, pin, or other shape used as the actual sighting device.

Cutout area on a bow to permit the arrow a straighter path to the target and to permit the use of a sight.

Shots fired to determine and adjust sight settings.

Device designed to reduce noise by dampening vibrations of the string or cables or by muffling the report of fixed breech firearms.

Shooting games where metallic silhouettes are the targets and knocking them over is the criterion for success.

A type of gun where only a single cartridge or shotshell can be loaded and fired at a time and then manually removed after firing.

Normal single trigger.

Shooting position when the shooter sits on the ground supporting the elbows with the knees.

A shotgun sport that has a high house and a low house, throwing targets at different angles on a field with 8 different shooting stations, arranged in a semi-circle. A round of skeet consists of 25 targets.

External operating parts of a semi-automatic pistol.

Strap used to carry a firearm or steady it in some shooting positions.

These provide the spot - on or near the forend and on the stock - where the sling attaches.

Firearm lacking in rifling.

Jerking the trigger to make the firearm fire while it seems to be lined up with the intended point of impact.

Sharply pointed bullet with a tangent or secant ogive.

A shotgun sport that combines elements of skeet and trap, and is designed to simulate field and hunting conditions. A full sporting clays course consists of 50 to 100 targets, depending on the number of stations.

This is who you will shoot the match with and is only there for match flow purposes, it will not impact your scoring. Dependent on the type of match it can be 10-18 people. You will walk through the match as a squad and your squad will be shown in Practiscore. Other divisions and classifications are free to squad together. In some matches, the Match Director will put new shooters in a squad with experienced shooters to help them through the match.

Grossly under-powered load.

Matches are made of stages. Each stage will have a round count, points, time allotment, and different course of fire. For example, in precision matches, a one day match will consist of 10 stages.

Disqualification (DQ). Certain safety violations will lead to either a stage DQ, meaning a zero on that stage, or a match DQ. That means that you pack up your gear and are no longer allowed to shoot that day.

Shooting position where the shooter stands upright and supports the firearm with the arms and shoulder alone.

The part of the firearm the action and barrel fit into, which the shooter holds and/or shoulders in order to shoot the firearm. Most often, firearms that have a stock are long guns (rifles or shotguns), but a pistol could have a wooden stock and grip (these are usually for hunting, often used by hunters with physical restrictions).

Failure of a spent ammunition case to completely eject from a semi- automatic or a pump action firearm. The case usually stands on end while stuck in the ejection port instead of being thrown clear after the shot, resembling a stovepipe or a smokestack.

A series of shots, normally five or 10.

Shooting targets are objects in various forms and shapes that are used for pistol, rifle, shotgun and other shooting sports. The center is often called the bulls-eye. Targets can for instance be made of paper, self-healing rubber, or steel. There are also electronic targets that electronically can provide the shooter with precise feedback of the shot placement.

Optical sight with or without magnifying lenses, adjusted either internally or externally and containing a reticle or sighting device.

Shooting match including stages fired from the prone, stand and kneeling positions.

Bottom edge of the butt of the firearm.

The curved flight path of the projectile.

shotgun sport that has five stations which the shooter faces toward the trap house, which is in the center of the field. The trap machine randomly rotates and throws clay birds, presenting the shooter with a variety of going-away shots at different angles and elevations. A round of trap consists of 25 targets.

Lever used to release a sear and fire a firearm.

1) Keeping the finger off the trigger except during a shot.
2) Pressing the trigger straight back through a firing sequence without disturbing the sight alignment and sight picture.

Protective device surrounding the trigger.

The speed at which a projectile travels (usually measured and reported in feet per second or meters per second).

Material used to seal a bore, to cushion a shot charge or projectile or to prevent shell components from moving within the case, usually made of treated paper (card wads), fiber, felt or plastic.

The setting on the sights of a firearm’s scope or iron sights that controls the horizontal placement: the way to move the bullet impact left or right at the target.

The act of setting up a telescopic or other sighting system so that the point of impact of a bullet matches the sights at a specified distance.