About Us

What is NVSA?

NVSA stands for North Valley Shooters Association. We are a group of like minded people who enjoy shooting. NVSA hosts Sunday shooting events at its Gridley CA location. Below is a breif explanation for each type of event we host. Each presents its own set of challenges. Below I will briefly explain each. Please visit the websites for each discipline to learn more about each one.

USPSA

USPSA stands for United State Practical Shooting Association. 

On the 3rd. Sunday of each month we have USPSA match. USPSA events are simple shoot the targets as you travel through a stage limited by shooting areas. Typically a set of walls, fault lines, and props are combined to present targets in a unique and challenging way forcing you to decide what is the best possible way to score as many points in as little time as possible. Competitors are separated by gun types into separate divisions and within each divisions your scores are tallied in separate classes. USPSA is made up of 5 divisions. Open, Limited, Limited 10, Production and Revolver. USPSA also separates scores by class. Grand Master, Master, A, B, C, D, Unclassified. So when you show up and shoot your first match with your stock G-17 Glock (Production) you will shoot in the class of Unclassified. Each monthly match usually has a single stage that is a "Classifier" stage. That means a classifier stage will be used to determine your class. Classifiers stages are listed here and expected times have been recorded with USPSA. After the match classifier scores are upload to USPSA for tabulation and recording. Once you become a USPSA member in good standing and have shot 4 classifier stages your class will change from Unclassified to one of the above classes based on your times for each classifier. Each subsequent classifier will be used to determine your current class and as you log more classifiers and imporve on each your class will go up. 

 

ICORE

​ICORE stands for International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts

ICORE is the International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts. ICORE serves the international community to promote action shooting competition with revolvers. Well you guessed it. A shooting competition for revolvers. ICORE is designed to be played exclusively with revolvers. It is much like USPSA above but with revolvers and the scoring is done by time plus penalties. Like other sports shoot each target as fast as you can without earning any penalties. The target is made up of 4 zones either earning penalties or bonuses depending on the stage and designers choice. Each stage will be shot using the time plus bonus and penalty scoring method. ICORE has its own Classification system that is used to categorize shooter based on division. 

ICORE was founded in 1991 by Mike and Sharon Higashi, long time active shooters in all the handgun sports. Envisioned as an alternative to the "arms race" that was occurring in the other action shooting sports at that time, a revolver-only competition would allow even the most basic equipment to be used and still provide enjoyment and satisfaction.

ICORE combines elements of the Bianchi Cup, IPSC, and the Steel Challenge into demanding competition exclusively for revolvers. ICORE's standard paper target is the NRA D-1 target with 4 scoring areas.  Scoring is based on time, including time added or subtracted per the scoring rules. Falling and stationary steel plates are also used in ICORE events.  Some typical Courses of Fire here illustrate the type of shooting that is available at NVSA events.

Can I play? Yes. If you exhibit safe revolver handling skills. You need to be able to control the muzzle of your revolver at all times. NVSA is a cold range. That means at no time will any revolver be loaded with ammunition unless you are under the direct supervision of a certified safety officer.  You will also need to be able to load and unload your revolver. You will definitely need a desire to have fun. Feel free to contact a member at the club to discuss what equipment you have and if it will work well for this game. North Valley Shooters Association welcomes all new shooters to come out and watch free of charge.

We meet on the 2nd Sunday of every month. New shooters need to be present for the new shooter briefing so check times and special instructions with each match director using the contact from above. 

 

IDPA

IDPA stands for International Defensive Pistol Association

The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA), founded in 1996, is an organization based in Berryville, Arkansas, that promotes defensive pistol shooting as a sport, using equipment including full-charge service ammunition to solve simulated "real world" self-defense scenarios. Shooters competing in defensive pistol events are required to use practical handguns and holsters that are deemed suitable for self-defense use. The sport came about as a response to many perceived shortcomings of competitions organized by the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC). It was decided by the founders of IDPA (Bill Wilson, John Sayle, Ken Hackathorn, Dick Thomas, Walt Rauch and Larry Vickers), which included some of the founders of IPSC, that IPSC competitions had become too far removed from the reality of defensive shooting situations, using extensively modified guns, handmade ammunition, and speed-draw holsters that were impractical for self-defense. The IDPA founders believed that IPSC matches had become "gun races," which were heavily dependent on equipment. That is, you had to have the latest gun, sighting equipment, and competition holster to be competitive. Since alterations to the sidearm are carefully regulated in IDPA, and magazine capacity is limited to a division-specific maximum of 10 rounds, it is possible to be competitive in IDPA with a greatly reduced outlay of money.

Scoring at each match is based on the time taken to shoot the stage plus time added for any penalties accrued. Penalties are given for poor marksmanship (i.e. posting hits outside the targets' highest scoring area), failure to use cover, failure to follow a Safety Officer's directions, or any violation of IDPA rules. Penalties range from one second per dropped point on targets up to 20 seconds for a Failure to Do Right which is a blatant violation of IDPA rules - i.e. cheating or unsportsmanlike conduct.

Vickers Count: Most IDPA stages are scored using Vickers Count which means that shooters may fire as many rounds as they feel necessary to make the specified number of hits. The best hits on the target are the only ones that count for score. If a stage calls for 2 hits on each target, a shooter may fire 2, 3, 10 or however many rounds he needs to make those hits and no penalty will be given beyond the amount of time taken to make those shots. The best 2 hits will count.

Limited-Vickers Count: On a standards stage (an exercise intended to test marksmanship and gun handling skill as opposed to being a scenario) it is common for the course of fire to specify Limited-Vickers scoring. On this type of stage, the shooter may fire no more than the number of rounds specified. Firing more rounds will earn a procedural penalty and only the lowest scoring hits on target, of the number specified in the course of fire, are counted. For example: a Limited-Vickers stage calls for two shots fired; the shooter fires one round into the -0 zone and one round into the -1 zone; dissatisfied with a less-than-perfect score they fire again, hitting the -0 zone; when the target is scored, only the -0 and -1 zone hits will count. The "make up" -0 shot will be thrown out (not because it is the make up, but because is a higher score and the rationale is there should be no possible advantage accrued from failing to follow the stage procedure) and the shooter will be assessed a procedural penalty for firing more shots than the course called for. In addition, the shooter will have also added to their score by taking the time to fire the extra round.

Points Down: The current standard IDPA target is a cardboard humanoid shape with scoring zones perforated onto its surface. There are two areas marked as "-0" or "down zero" (the head and center-mass of the body represented by a circle, which has been moved up from its original position to be higher in the target body, thus more closely approximating the location of the heart and surrounding arteries) and one each marked "-1" and "-3."

Hit in each zone are added to the total points down. A target calling for two hits, with one hit in both the "-1" and "-3" zones would be scored as "-4" and called as "down-4." Only the shooter's best hits are scored unless a stage is specified as Limited Vickers Count. A Limited Vickers stage specifies the number of shots that can be taken at a target. Additional shots taken past the specified number results in a procedural penalty, in addition to which only the lowest-scoring shots are recorded.

A miss on a target is scored as down-5.

The points down are converted into time by multiplying by 1 (each point down incurs a 1 second penalty) and added to the total time taken to shoot the stage.

Procedural Penalty: A procedural penalty is a 3-second penalty given for breaking the rules of IDPA or failing to follow the directions of a course of fire.

Procedurals may be assessed by the safety officer for thing such as: • Failure to use cover. • Shooting targets in the wrong order. • Failure to follow the directions for the stage. • Leaving ammunition behind after performing a tactical reload (reload with retention).

FTN: A failure to neutralize is a 5-second penalty for not getting at least one shot within the down-0 or down-1 zones of a threat target. If a shooter lands only peripheral hits on the target, or misses the target altogether, the threat target is still considered viable and a potential threat to the shooter. This penalty does not apply in Limited Vickers stages or for targets that completely disappear.

Can I play? Yes. If you exhibit safe gun handling skills. You need to be able to control the muzzle of your gun at all times. NVSA is a cold range. That means at no time will any gun be loaded with ammunition unless you are under the direct supervision of an IDPA certified safety officer.  You will also need to be able to load and unload your weapon. You will definitely need a desire to have fun. Check out the entire rules section at www.IDPA.com Feel free to contact a member at the club to discuss what equipment you have and if it will work well for this game. North Valley Shooters Association welcomes all new shooters to come out and watch free of charge.

NVSA's IDPA club meets on the 4th Sunday of the month. You should arrive before 8:30 to get your holsters on and be ready for the new shooters meeting 8:45 - 9:00.

 

Steel Matches

NVSA Steel

NVSA Steel is a series of shooting competitions. They are designed to attract mom, dad, and the kids. NVSA Steel is open to everyone. If you are a serious competitor come on out and shoot the event we would be happy to see you. However it is keyed towards people that are not sure what shooting events are about but they want a reason to get out and shoot.

The matches are open to most any handgun claiber pistol and rifle. This can vary from a .45ACP 1911 to the more popular 22LR handgun and rifle. It is kind of a "shoot-what-you-brung" to the match event. Ideally it would be nice to have 5 magazines for each gun you wish to use. However it is not necessary, you could use a buddy or another member to assist in loading your magazines for you while you are on the firing line. Typically you are going to shoot each stage 5 times. So rather than having to reload in between strings it is nice to just pop in another fresh magazine. It also keeps the day flowing nicely. If you only have one or two magazines for your gun don’t hesitate to come on out. Good chance there will be plenty of loaner magazines already there at the match.

The match is open to all classes of guns. On the handgun side there are some people shooting double action revolvers. Definitely the most popular is any auto loading handgun.  For rifles there are single shot pumps, lever action, and sometimes even single shot rifles. Again the most popular rifle would be the semi-auto. Whatever you have there is a division for you to shoot in.

If you don’t have all the guns to shoot an NVSA Steel match at some matches there will be guns available. Please contact our steel coordinator and discuss what options he may have available for you. Sometimes it is great to try out other guns before you go an buy anything.

Every match director is allowed to setup courses the way they want, as long as there are safe and simple. It is our policy that our NVSA Steel matches will refrain from getting overly complicated. We don’t want to design stages that trick people, or cause mistakes to be made. Bottom line is we want everyone to have fun and stay safe. Hope to see you at the range.