HERETAUNGA PISTOL CLUB

What is IPSC?

Founded in 1976, the International Practical Shooting Confederation is the world's largest and oldest practical shooting organisation  and in 2026, it's celebrating its 50th anniversary. IPSC now spans over 100 affiliated Regions worldwide. Competitors progress from local club matches all the way to National and Continental Championships, with the pinnacle of the sport being the triennial World Shoot, practical shooting's equivalent of an Olympic final.

Accuracy. Power. Speed. All at once.

IPSC's motto, Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas (DVC), captures what makes the sport unique: competitors are rewarded equally for precision, power, and speed, not just the fastest gun, and not just the most accurate. Scores are measured as Hit Factor: points scored per second. The stage winner takes full stage points; everyone else is scored proportionally against that benchmark.

No two matches are ever the same.

Course diversity is central to IPSC — you'll never shoot the same stage twice. Every match presents a fresh tactical puzzle: memorise nothing, adapt to everything. It's what separates the IPSC shooter from a one-trick specialist, you need to be fast and precise and able to solve a new problem on the fly, every single stage.

Safety first, always.

Behind the speed and adrenaline sits rigorous training, discipline, and the tireless work of course designers and Range Officers. It's why IPSC maintains one of the best safety records in the shooting sports.

Something for every shooter.

IPSC covers rifle, shotgun, and pistol disciplines, split into Divisions to keep competition fair:

• Open – optically sighted, race-ready guns
• Standard – metallic sights, box-limited
• Production – service-style pistols like Glocks and SIGs, off the shelf
• Revolver – wheelguns

On top of Divisions, Categories recognise Junior, Lady, Senior, and Super Senior shooters — so whatever your age or background, there's a place to compete on your own terms.