The Gateway Performance Standards were developed as a way to measure on-demand shooting performance, regardless of your level of skill. We believe that the ability to shoot them with a passing score demonstrates a high level of skill and consistency, but we encourage you to think of them as a way to see how you measure up. We have taken a page from practical shooting and structured these like traditional USPSA classifier stages, so that you can see where you fall in terms of your current level of skill compared to others. Competition breeds greatness!
There are three strings to the Performance Standards. For each passing run on any given string you will recieve a corresponding patch for that string. You can earn a patch two different ways:
1) Shooting them in-person, on-demand. Passing score is the "A Class" threshold for each string, detailed below. Each shooter will receive two attempts to pass. You only need to pass once per string to earn a patch. Each shooter must pass String 1 (in-person or online) before shooting String 2, and must pass String 2 before shooting String 3. Successful completion of all three strings in a row (in-person only) will earn the coveted Gateway Performance Standards Coin!
2) Online video submission! Since nothing on the internet is real, we hold these runs to a higher standard since we know you will shoot it a bunch of times before you get that one perfect run to post. We know because we've been there, done that. So since you're going to do that anyways, passing run for video submission will be the "GrandMaster Class" threshold for each string. Video must show clearly marked yard lines, clean target to start, timer, and all hits counted. Send us the uncut video, and if it's good to go, feel free to cut it up and post an edited, shorter version online. Tag @gatewaydefense and use the hashtag #gatewayperformancestandards and we'll get a patch in the mail to you! (You cannot earn a coin by online video submission.)
String 1
Setup: 1 USPSA target, referred to as T1
Start Position: both wrists below belt.
Course of Fire: From 7 yards, draw and engage T1 with exactly 6 rounds, perform a mandatory reload and reengage T1 with exactly 6 rounds. No make up shots allowed.
Hit Factor Scoring: 60 points possible. Divide total points by total time. A: 5 pts C: 3 pts D: 1 pt M: -10 pts
A Class: 12.0 HF (in-person passing score)
M Class: 13.6 HF
Grandmaster: 15.2 HF (online submission)
HHF: 16.0 HF
String 2
Setup: 2 USPSA targets, placed side by side within 12” of each other edge to edge. Left target is T1 and right target is T2.
Start Position: both wrists below belt
Course of fire: from 10 yards, draw and engage T1 body, T2 head, T2 body, T1 head, T1 body, T2 body IN THAT ORDER with 2 rounds each. Best 2 per headbox and best 4 per body will score. No make up shots allowed.
Hit Factor Scoring: 60 points possible. Divide total points by total time. A: 5 points C:3 points D:1 point M:-10 points.
A Class: 10.87 HF (in-person passing score)
M Class: 12.32 HF
Grandmaster: 13.77 HF (online submission)
HHF: 14.5 HF
NOTE: each head box will be treated as its own target. Thus, any shot aimed at the head box that drops below the bottom of the head (shoulder perf to shoulder perf) will count as a Miss. The inverse is true for any shot aimed at the body that goes high into the headbox - counted as a miss.
String 3
Setup: 2 USPSA targets, placed side by side within 12” of each other edge to edge. Left target is T1 and right target is T2.
Start Position: both wrists below belt
Course of fire: From behind the 25 yard line, draw and engage both T1 and T2 body with 2 rounds each static. Move to the 10 yard line and from behind the 10 yard line engage both T1 head and T2 head with 2 rounds each static, and then engage T1 and T2 body with 2 rounds each on the move forward of the 10 yard line. No make up shots allowed.
Hit Factor Scoring: 60 points possible. Divide total points by total time. A: 5 points C:3 points D:1 point M:-10 points.
A Class: 4.2 HF (in-person passing score)
M Class: 4.76 HF
Grandmaster: 5.32 HF (online submission)
HHF: 5.6 HF
NOTE: each head box will be treated as its own target. Thus, any shot aimed at the head box that drops below the bottom of the head (shoulder perf to shoulder perf) will count as a Miss. The inverse is true for any shot aimed at the body that goes high into the headbox - counted as a miss.
We do not make any allowances for your gear setup. The scoring is the same regardless of gear: no handicaps for Level 3 holsters or concealment, etc. No Major vs Minor scoring. Do what you want to give yourself whatever advantages you want. You choose to run what you want, it's up to you to perform with that equipment.