Phoenix area advice, january-feb 2023

[motosapiens]

Looking for advice for a 2-3 week shooting and sun vacation from idaho next winter. Wife is an elite steel challenge shooter and both of us enjoy USPSA. Scouring practiscore I seem to have found:

3rd sunday 8 stage steel challenge at Ben Avery

4th Sunday 8 stage steel challenge at Rio Salado

Mondays USPSA at Cowtown

3rd Saturday Rio Salado USPSA

 

We would like to compete 2-4 times/week while we are down there. Anything else I need to know about?

 

Also, we have found some attractive and reasonably priced airbnb's for 2 people and 2 dogs, but if anyone here knows of anyone with a rental that might be interested in a private arrangement, and not paying the fee to airbnb, that would be good to know about too. tks.....

[belus]

There's definitely more.

 

At Rio Salado: https://www.rsscaz.com/divisions/practical-pistol

USPSA is 2nd Sunday, 3rd Saturday, 3rd Sunday, 4th Saturday
There's a steel match (not steel challenge) every Tuesday

 

At Phoenix Rod & Gun: https://phoenixrodandgun.org/practical/practical-schedule

USPSA is 1st Saturday, 3rd Sunday, 4th Sunday

steel (not steel challenge) every Thursday

Steel Challenge 3rd Tuesday, 5th Sunday

 

At Ben Avery: https://www.cactusmatch.com/matches

USPSA 1st Sunday

Steel Challenge 3rd Sunday

 

edit: I think you'd be able to shoot both Rio Tuesday Steel and Phoenix R&G Steel Challenge on the 3rd Tuesdays. Rio TNS starts at 1pm and Phoenix R&G SC starts at 5:30pm.

Edited February 17, 2022 by belus

[motosapiens]

1 hour ago, belus said:

There's definitely more.

 

At Rio Salado: https://www.rsscaz.com/divisions/practical-pistol

USPSA is 2nd Sunday, 3rd Saturday, 3rd Sunday, 4th Saturday
There's a steel match (not steel challenge) every Tuesday

 

 

thanks for the helpful link. Is there any substantive difference between the various uspsa matches at RIO? Or are they all pretty much normal?

[belus]

7 hours ago, motosapiens said:

thanks for the helpful link. Is there any substantive difference between the various uspsa matches at RIO? Or are they all pretty much normal?

I don't think there's any difference, but I haven't shot at Rio in a long time. Hopefully someone with more current knowledge can chime in.

[Dan Sierpina]

Prescott shoots USPSA on the 1st Saturday and 3rd Sunday. Abreviated USPSA-ish matches on the Thursdays before that. I'm not a steel shooter, but the club also has Steel Challenge matches and what they call Thursday Steel, which are not Steel Challenge stages. 

PRESCOTT ACTION SHOOTERS aka YAVAPAI RECREATION LEAGUE

It's cooler than in the valley by about 15 to 20 degrees. I think it's warmer than Idaho though.

 

Edited February 20, 2022 by Dan Sierpina

[pjb45]

Yes, there are differences in the matches.

At Rio, the matches can have different Directors, stage designers and set up crews. Rio probably has over 5,000 members across multiple shooting disciplines.

There are matches after matches at Rio---the calendar is your friend. For TNS you will need to go through their brief orientation.  PracitsCore is used.  There are specific dates and times to book many matches. They fill up fast.

A small group of Rio shooters show up to PRG matches.  Their matches have a very comfortable feel to them.  Very nice crowd.

There are indoor matches also in the Area.

[belus]

21 hours ago, pjb45 said:

Yes, there are differences in the matches.

At Rio, the matches can have different Directors, stage designers and set up crews.

But do they do anything weird, or would it be pretty familiar to a USPSA shooter coming from another region?

[Sarge]

3 hours ago, belus said:

But do they do anything weird, or would it be pretty familiar to a USPSA shooter coming from another region?

By organizational laws a USPSA match is a USPSA match no matter where you go. They can be tough or easy, big or small, but they can’t be “weird”. That is supposed to be the beauty of it.

[broadside72]

Phoenix USPSA on the 3rd Sunday is a smaller match catered to newer and old-timer type shooters. At least is what I was told when i was asking about it and what I experienced when I went. I'd rather not shoot there again on that weekend next time I am passing through.

 

Steel Challenge there was totally fine though

[motosapiens]

18 hours ago, Sarge said:

By organizational laws a USPSA match is a USPSA match no matter where you go. They can be tough or easy, big or small, but they can’t be “weird”. That is supposed to be the beauty of it.

to me, catering to newer and old-timer type shooters is weird, but I get what you are saying. Some matches just have a different flavor, less interesting stages, easier shots, etc...

 

2 hours ago, broadside72 said:

Phoenix USPSA on the 3rd Sunday is a smaller match catered to newer and old-timer type shooters. At least is what I was told when i was asking about it and what I experienced when I went. I'd rather not shoot there again on that weekend next time I am passing through.

 

Steel Challenge there was totally fine though

very useful information, thank you. I know AZ has alot of elite shooters, and we'd prefer to be shooting against them as much as possible.

[CHARLES D]

If you’re in the White Mountains area (North-East AZ) (Show Low)  we run a steel match the 1st Sunday of the month. A USPSA match the 2nd Sunday of the month and another USPSA match the 4 Saturday of the month. Of course in in January/February we could have snow on the ground. Everyone is welcomed to come and enjoy the fresh mountain air with us.