What is Dynamic Shooting/IPSC?

Are you a shooter who’s driven by power, precision and speed? Then Dynamic Shooting is the right sport for you! In this article we take a closer look at Dynamic Shooting – what the sport means and how it works. Dynamic shooting has, since the first competitions in California back in the 1950s, exploded in both popularity and difficulty and in this article you find out why.

What is Dynamic Shooting/IPSC?

The rapid development of the sport

It didn't take long before the competitions in California gave rings on the water. The sport of shooting quickly spread to other continents and in 1976, the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) was formed at the International Pistol Conference in Missouri, more specifically Columbia. Under the leadership of Colonel and Conference Chairman Jeff Cooper, later known as "The Founding Father of IPSC", 40 participants from as many countries were able to meet, determine the form and set the direction for the future of IPSC together.

The goal there and then included improvements and developments of the sport, to safeguard its principles and "regulate its international practice in order to contribute to safe weapon management and safe sport shooting among people with good character and manners", as the Swedish Dynamic Sport Shooting Association describes it. Speaking of Swedish Dynamic Sport Shooting Association, a year later in 1977, our Swedish shooting association was formed and has grown strong into what we today call Swedish Dynamic Sport Shooting Association.

What started small are now conducted into five different categories:

  • One-handed weapons (pistol and revolver) - exercised at distances up to 60 meters.
  • Shotgun shooting – exercised with a shotgun at a distance of up to 90 meters.
  • Rifle shooting - exercised with rifles at distances up to 350 meters.
  • Dynamic short-range rifle (PCC) - exercised with a 9 mm caliber rifle at a distance of up to 100 meters.
  • Miniature rifle shooting - exercised with a .22LR caliber rifle at a distance of up to 100 meters.

How competition in IPSC works

The part 'Dynamic' in the name is there for a reason. The cornerstone of the sport is that every challenge should be different from before, as well as the sport should be endless in variation possibilities. Therefore, it´s up to the organizer of the competition, given that safe shooting is put into account, to conduct the competition however they like. The organizer can choose to place the boards at any distance, in any angle and demand any shooting position they want. They are also allowed to place the targets how they want – tilted, obscured or cropped to appear smaller. The organizer does everything in its power to make all the competitions different and to challenge the shooter in new ways. The sport is dynamic and classed as one of the most challenging sports there is.

Scoring points

Even though the boards can be placed how ever the organizer want, there is a guideline for which size they are allowed to be in. The target have to be 57x45 cm and contain three different scoring zones where the middle one (Zone A) is the hardest.

IPCS-license

To be allowed to practice Dynamic Shooting – both in Sweden and abroad – the shooter has to have a valid IPSC-license and this is demanded for IPSC-competition and training as well as at your local shooting association. The license is obtained after a completed education and approved examinations in two parts; a theoretical part in form of rule knowledge and a practical part in form of safe weapon management.

separerande linje

Today, IPSC affiliates around 100 different regions all over the world including Africa, America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania. In Sweden alone we have more than 120 associations affiliated to the Swedish Dynamic Sport Shooting Association. Click into www.sdssf.se to read more about dynamic shooting in Sweden.

Of course Norma offers a wide range of ammunition suitable for this sport, everything from caliber 22 and 9 mm to heavy-caliber weapons. Click »HERE« to get to our product range for Dedicated Precision, get your license and start practicing!

dynamic shooting IPCS