Some of the competition matches available at GCPC!

ACTION MATCH (Pistol):

Action Match is a dynamic handgun shooting discipline catering to revolver and self-loading pistol shooters. While international rules dictate that the firearm’s caliber must be at least 9mm, due to Australia’s handgun regulations, Action Match competitors can use either a .38 Super or 9mm Parabellum self-loading pistol or a .38 Special/.357 Magnum revolver. The discipline includes four firearm classes and four main courses of fire, with each course having its own time, distance and scoring conditions. Action Match also has a subdiscipline called Steel Challenge, which caters to both rimfire and centerfire handgun events.

AIR (Pistol & Rifle):

10 metre air pistol is an Olympic shooting event governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). It is similar to 10 metre air rifle in that it is shot with 4.5 mm (or .177) caliber air guns at a distance of 10 metres (11 yards), and the programme consists of 60 shots within 75 minutes for men, and 40 shots within 50 minutes for women. If Electronic Scoring System (EST) is not available, additionally 15 minutes for men and 10 minutes for women are added to the time limit. Preparation and sighting time of 15 minutes is the same for both men and women. It is also similar to 50 metre pistol despite the shorter distance and the use of air guns, and most top-level male shooters compete in both events.

ISSF:

Pistol shooters use a standing position and must hold and fire the gun with one hand, with the wrist clearly free of support. Pistol sights: Only “open” sights are permitted. The open sights consist of a post or blade sight at the front and the notch at the rear. Optical, mirror, telescope, laser beam or electronically projected dot, sights are prohibited. The rear sight usually has fine adjustments for windage and elevation.

NRA:

WA 1500
This is a 150-shot course where the maximum possible score is 1500 points. Like the other Service matches, WA1500 has varied distances, varied shooting positions (standing, standing supported, sitting, kneeling, prone), varied grips (two hands vs single hand, right vs left), and you can use either revolvers or semi-automatics.

RIFLE:

Try your hand at rifle shooting on our 50-metre ranges.

Rifle Matches

The firearm categories are very detailed, with each having its own classes and subsections. The rifle events are shot from the offhand, cross-sticks/prone, bench rest and sometimes kneeling/sitting positions

Lever Action

Lever Action match allows you to utilise any lever action rifle .as long as its a pistol caliber round. metered at 1000 ft a second. Targets vary from the 50-meter international target to paper silhouette targets of feral animals.

IPSC:

See IPSC in ACTION at the recent Gand Slam June 2025

In practical competition, a variety of target types are used (both paper and steel, stationary and moving, scoring targets and penalty targets). There is no set way these targets are arranged, nor even how many targets are used in a single match. A competition organiser creates a number of “stages” (conforming to a set of IPSC design rules), each using different numbers and arrangements of targets, to create a shooting challenge that the competitors have to solve as accurately and as rapidly as possible.

The other major difference from other shooting competitions is the way in which the final score is calculated for a competitor. In most other competitions, the score is calculated simply by adding up the values of the scoring zones hit by the competitor. In Practical competition, the time taken is also part of the final score. The sum of the scoring zones is worked out, and this then divided by the total time the competitor took to engage the targets. Thus the quicker the competitor completes the stage, the better the final score will be.

WESTERN:

If you have successfully completed your three basic range school safety sessions, you may like to have a shot at Western Action Matches, using modern versions of the types of firearms which helped tame the wild west. Coaching for this discipline is provided on the third Saturday of each month, starting at 9 am, but be sure to mosey on in around 8.15 am to secure a spot. You will have more fun than a kid with a cap gun, trying your hand at everything from the .357 single-action revolver, to the .357 lever-action rifle and 12 gauge shotgun.

We also offer a new member Western Action Match on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, so sign up to join the posse at 9.30 am for a 10 am start. The cost is $20 to cover the price of your ammunition.

Service Pistol

Gold Coast Pistol Club hosts a range of events for a stream of service departments, including QLD Police, AFP, Customs and more. SERVICE PISTOL and SERVICE PISTOL UNRESTRICTED. The Match is exactly the same for both, with the only difference being that in Service Pistol Unrestricted, the match is not shot from the holster, and there are no minimum load restrictions. The match comprises 90 shots, at varying distances from 50 yards to 7 yards, with variations in grip (both hands vs single hand, left vs right hand).

25 METRE SERVICE (aka Short Barrel)?
25 Meter service is an informal, friendly match shot with pistols. They can be revolvers or semi-automatics with the minimum barrel length of 4? allowed. The match is shot at timed, turning targets, with 65 shots fired at distances that vary from 25 meters down to 7 meters, and is for calibers from .32 to .38/.357.

STEEL CHALLENGE

Steel Challenge is a speed shooting competition that consists of eight standardized stages with steel targets in three sizes; small circular, large circular and square targets. Competitors are scored solely by the time it takes them to complete each stage, and the match winner is the competitor with the lowest overall time. Steel Challenge is a rimfire and centerfire handgun shooting event. Rimfire firearms are to be chambered in .22 Long Rifle caliber only, while centrefire handguns must be chambered in the minimum caliber of .38 Special (9mm). All rounds must travel at a minimum of 750fps. Multiple-projectile and Magnum loads are not permitted.The use of holsters is permitted and they shall be mounted in the general vicinity of the waist and must retain the handgun. Triggers may not be fully exposed, with the exception of western holsters for single-action revolvers. Rimfire competition does not involve the use of a holster.

Steel Challenge comprises eight stages, in which competitors are required to shoot from a stationary position at static steel plates.

BOWLING PINS MATCH

The course of fire will consist of 6 full-size bowling pins shot at a distance of 10 yards on a steel 8” x 5 ½’ table. All six pins must be off the table. The course will be shot 4 times, with the best 3 times being added up for shooter’s total score. Pins will be staggered on the table for centerfire shooters, and rimfire shooters will have all pins on the back edge of the table. No more than 10 rounds may be loaded in each magazine, magazine changes are allowed as needed. All shooting is to be off-hand, no rests or supports allowed.

Black Powder

Black Powder is a more primitive type of shooting using a muzzleloader firearm. Members enjoy black powder shooting due to it’s unique challenges where firearms are loaded one shot at a time by hand and ignition is delayed. The term “Black Powder” refers to muzzle-loading pistols and revolvers, which employ a black-powder propellant, round or conical lead projectiles, and percussion caps. These are the type of pistols that existed in the 19th Century and many people find great fascination and satisfaction in this type of historically-based shooting. Modern black powder pistols are well-made replicas of the original pistol type or can be of modern design made for black powder. A relatively large number of accessories are necessary for this type of shooting eg, powder measures, starter rods, ramrods, cappers, nipple wrenches, cleaning equipment, and ball/bullet removal equipment.