Competitive Matches at Bristlecone

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If you are looking to have fun and improve your shooting skills at the same time, then monthly competitions at Bristlecone, an indoor shooting range, in Lakewood, might be for you. Shooting matches allow our customers to test the skills they’ve learned through our firearms training classes or practiced on the indoor shooting range as well as build camaraderie with each other.  Listed below are descriptions of our competitions, including what you’ll need to get started.

  • USPSA Matches take place the third Wednesday of each month at Bristlecone at 6 p.m. (We ask that you arrive a half hour prior to the start to attend the shooters meeting.) The cost is $18 for Members, $20 for Non Members. Pre-requisites include a safety card for ECO matches and completion of the “Introduction to Competitive Shooting” class at Bristlecone. The match includes four stages run on our tactical and pistol bay.
  • Bowling Pins Matches take place every Monday at Bristlecone from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (This is often are month popular option.) The cost is $12 (Due to limited capacity, no shows will not receive a refund. To receive a refund, you must cancel prior to 48 hours in advance.)

Bowling Pin matches are bracketed head-to-head double elimination competitions.  There will be two brackets (winner and loser), with the main bracket consisting of 24 shooters. Skill levels of the shooters are determined prior to the match. Participants are given a color-coded card to indicate their experience levels and the number of pins they will be given to shoot during their assigned bracket. For example, Green Card = Experienced Shooter (5 pins on the front row).  Yellow Card = Intermediate Shooter (4 pins on the middle row).  Red Card = Beginner Shooter (3 pins on the back row).

Pins are set on tables 7 yards from the firing line and each head-to-head match-up begins with an audible start.  Shooters are required to wait at the firing line in the “high ready” position with their firearm safely pointed down range, safety on, and index finger outside the trigger guard until the start is signaled.  The competitor that knocks all of their pins completely off the table first wins the bracket. The winner moves to the winner bracket and the loser moves to the loser bracket, but can still compete until he/she has 2 losses.

To get started with Bowing Pins Matches you’ll need a Pistol or revolver (Caliber must be 9mm or greater for semi-automatics and .38 special or greater for revolvers); 100 to 150 rounds; and a brief qualification session with Bristlecone’s Chief Range Safety Officer (to determine your skill level and whether or not a handicap is needed).  Optics, compensators and silences are not allowed.

Bristlecone provides prizes to winners on our weekly match nights. To learn more about Bristlecone or sign up for a match, visit https://bristleconeshooting.com/ or call 303-985-0989.