Northern Illinois Shooters' Association
NISA
P.O. Box 544, Mundelein Illinois, 60060
This page was last updated: March 22, 2014
New Shooter Information
What's needed to participate in a NISA event?
First of all the most important thing everyone MUST bring is safety!! Safety comes in several forms. Eye and ear protection, gun handling and safe target engagement.
- Eye and ear protection are mandatory for all participators and spectators. Yes, spectators are welcome, as long as they have eye and ear protection. Just ask, usually someone will give you some foam plugs for free.
Safety
This sport involves drawing from a holster and shooting on the move. While some courses may shoot all targets from one position, many require you to move to several locations or engage targets as you complete the course. For this reason safety and gun handling is paramount!
- The gun must always be pointed in a safe direction -- this means "downrange" toward the back berm of the bay, never allowing the muzzle to cross the imaginary 180 degree boundary. You must not allow the muzzle to "sweep" any part of your body.
- You must keep your finger away from the trigger except when actively shooting at a target -- particularly during when drawing, moving, reloading, and holstering.
- As a new shooter, you should be focused 100% on safety, not speed. We have a zero tolerance policy for safety violations, and unfortunately must send you home if you violate the policies.
You can help yourself by becoming familiar with USPSA's rulebook -- download the PDF from the USPSA website and especially study Chapter 10, which deals with penalties and disqualifications. We don't want anyone to ever get DQed but the sport cannot sacrifice its excellent safety record to avoid hurting your feelings. Until you know the rules, ASK before you act. No one will mind answering your questions.
Equipment
- A 9mm or larger auto loading (semi-automatic) or revolver are required. The most common calibers are 9mm, .40 caliber, .45 caliber. Some of the most common handguns are Glocks, Smith and Wesson M&P, Springfield XD, etc. Any factory handgun of 9mm or greater will work. Higher calibers such as .357, .44 etc. are not appropriate for this type of action shooting. We will help you select a Division when you check in.
- A sturdy belt with a strong side (hand you would draw with) holster with a guard that completely covers the trigger. Most holsters such as Uncle Mikes, Fobus, etc. fit this requirement and are available from most retail outlets. The holster must completely cover the trigger. Cross-draw and shoulder holsters are not permitted.
- At least four magazines (six speed loaders for you revolver shooters) will be needed, as some stages can be up to 32 rounds -- not counting misses! Simple kydex magazine pounches are recommended.
- Ammo -- courses run about 120-200 rounds, so bring enough ammo, and some extra in case you need to reshoot a stage. Ammo is not for sale at the range.
Registration opens at 7:30 am and closes at 8:30 sharp. After registering, you will proceed with your squad to build the stages we'll all be shooting for the day. The shooting starts at 10:00am with a mandatory shooter meeting at 9:45. You must be in the check in line by 8:30. If this is your first time, please be sure to tell the registration desk so you can be placed on a squad with veterans who can teach you the ropes. Oh, and we don't take plastic, so cash only.
No gun handling (including un-casing/holstering) is permitted outside of the Safe Area, so check in at the registration desk first thing and we'll get you started in the right direction. Simple rule of thumb -- handle your gun ONLY at the safety table, and only handle ammo AWAY from the safety table. Never touch ammo, loaded mags, snap caps, dummy rounds at the safety table.
Bring snacks and water, as it can get very hot from June-October. Other months you may need a sweat shirt, so dress appropriately. Shooting usually finishes around 1:30-2:00pm. When finished, we ask that you
and your squad mates "tear down" your last stage. This takes 10 minutes or so.
Appropriate dress not only means for the current weather, but for presence as well. Torn shirts, gang related articles, rude or vulgar printings on shirts and inappropriate language will not be tolerated. The Match Director has full control over the determination of these items and has the right to refuse anyone from participating.
For more detailed rules information, visit the USPSA website at www.uspsa.org.
Now, come on out and have some of the most fun you can have with a handgun! We promise you'll be hooked!
