Editing Practical shooting (section)

== Scoring methods ==
Various scoring methods are used:
* Hit factor scoring
* Comstock scoring - Total available points on a given stage, minus penalties earned, divided by the time spent to score those points. Sometimes called "points per second" scoring, each competitor is graded against the shooter who, at the end of the competition, scores the highest "hit factor". Courses of fire utilizing the Comstock scoring method are allowed to shoot as many shots as needed to neutralize the targets, but not scored more points than each target allows, allowing a shooter to correct or "make up" points, albeit at the cost of the time taken to score the points.

* Virginia Count Scoring - Total available points on a given stage, minus penalties earned, divided by the time spent to score those points. Virginia Count or "Virginia" scoring prescribes the exact order of and total number of shots that may be taken during a stage, with shots taken and hits scored outside of the specified order penalized. Virginia Count can also specify specific shooting positions, strong, weak, or freestyle (two handed) shooting styles, and may mandate reloading the pistol on the clock. 

* Time plus, similar to points down, scores a competitor's raw time to finish a course of fire, plus any additional penalties accrued. One of the simplest scoring methods, Time plus oftentimes is found in outlaw (unsanctioned) matches. 
 
* Points down is the standard scoring method for IDPA. Shooters under points down score their time, plus their points down, plus any penalties incurred for their final score. Similar to time plus, Points Down progressively penalizes progressively worse marksmanship. 

* Fixed time (par time) sets a time limit for each course of fire, and mandates shooters to score as many available points within the specified limit. Shooters do not typically incur penalties for not engaging targets (as these points were not scored within the time limit) but may incur penalties for taking shots outside of the time limit. 

Two primary paper targets are recognized by IPSC and the USPSA and are named for each organization. 

The USPSA Target (or Headbox Target) is the classically recognizable target for practical shooting. The modern USPSA target includes two Alpha (A) zones, one Charlie (C) zone, and one Delta (D) zone. 

The IPSC Target (or "Turtle" Target) is a target designed specifically to not resemble a human being, and includes only one Alpha, Charlie, and Delta Zones. IPSC Targets are physically smaller than their USPSA counterparts and are subsequently considered harder targets to hit. 

USPSA uses both IPSC and USPSA targets on their courses of fire, while IPSC only utilizes the IPSC target.

Modifiers to the scoring are controlled by a shooter's power factor, which is calculated based on projectile velocity times the projectile weight, divided by 1000. Each shooting organization controls the minimum floors for qualifying for "major" and "minor" power factors -- this prevents competitors from competing with lightly loaded ammunition, sometimes colloquially called "powder puff" ammunition. 

USPSA awards an extra point per scoring zone outside of Alpha for competitors shooting "major" power factor.

<ref>https://nroi.org/rules-history/from-the-beginning-the-evolution-of-the-uspsa-target/</ref>
<ref>https://uspsa.org/viewer/2024-USPSA-Competition-Rules.pdf</ref>
<ref>http://rrgc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/idpa_scoring_for_dummies.pdf</ref>