USPSA Membership Hits Record 45,000, and Why That’s Important
The shooting sports have come and gone steadily over the past two centuries. Back in the 1890s, Schuetzen matches (which, ironically, are making a bit of a comeback) and festivals reached their golden age and drew entire towns to bask in the precision marksmanship.
Speaking of festivals, rimfire Gallery Shooting was a staple of carnivals, state fairs, and boardwalks across the first half of the 20th Century.
Hunting was a rite of passage going back to Colonial times but reached its modern peak in the U.S. in 1982, when measured participation hit an all-time high of 16.7 million hunters, well over 7 percent of the total population, while community Turkey Shoots began to nose-dive around the same period. Today, only about 4 percent of the population actively hunts, and turkey shoots are all but gone.
I grew up with DCM Rifle shooting, but, except for the National Matches, CMP and the Garand Association, the pastime is all but forgotten. Peak attendance for the National Matches occurred in 1962 with 7,762 registered competitors participating. Today, attendance hovers at about 4,500, even though the U.S. population has more than doubled since the 1960s.
Bullseye shooting reached its peak popularity during the 1950s and 1960s.
Then came the emergence of dynamic, faster-moving action shooting sports, like IPSC and IDPA, in the 1970s, which drew competitors away from static bullseye matches.
As a sign of the times, there are no fewer than 516 USPSA clubs and 304 Steel Challenge clubs right now, and they just hit a record.
As of April 2026, USPSA and Steel Challenge reached a major milestone: 45,000 members. That’s the largest our organization has ever been, and it’s more than just a number, it’s a testament to the passion, growth and dedication happening across every level of the sport. Whether you’re running a club, working the timer or showing up for your first match, you’ve played a part in this.
To hit 45,000 members is exciting, but what’s even more important is what it represents. It reflects increased engagement at the local level, full squads at major matches, a surge of interest from new shooters and a wave of volunteers stepping up to keep everything moving. We’re averaging more than 46 new members every single day, and that trend shows no sign of slowing down.
While I am a fan of all of the shooting sports, practical shooting improves firearm handling, speed, and accuracy under pressure in a way that many other disciplines don’t. Plus, the core benefits of enhanced gun safety, stress inoculation, and refined mechanical skills can’t be beat.
If you aren’t partaking in some practical shooting, try it.
You’ll probably become 45,001.