Houghton Lake Sportsmen's Club

Houghton Lake Sportsmen’s Club Steel Challenge

Welcome to Steel Challenge at the Houghton Lake Sportsmen Club!

Welcome to the Houghton Lake Sportsmen’s Club’s official Steel Challenge Match! Whether you’re an experienced shooter or just getting started, this Match is designed for all skill levels to enjoy safe, fun, and competitive shooting on our steel target courses. Check out https://scsa.org for more details!


What is Steel Challenge?

Steel Challenge is a speed shooting competition that emphasizes accuracy, timing, and precision. Competitors move through a series of steel target arrays, firing as quickly and accurately as possible. Each hit counts, and the goal is to complete courses in the fastest time without penalties. Click here for more info! https://www.theuspsa.com

Weekly Steel Challenge Matches

  • When: Every Tuesday, May 5th through September 29th
    • Setup: 4:00 PM
    • Sign-up: 5:30 PM
    • Shoots: 6:00 PM
  • Where: Houghton Lake Sportsmen’s Club Pistol Bays
  • Equipment: Handguns or Pistol Caliber Carbine/rifles. Eye and ear protection MANDATORY.
  • Format: Timed runs across multiple steel arrays. Scores are recorded weekly with a season leaderboard.
  • Cost: $5 per HLSC member shooter, $3 per family member, $5 per guest, $8 per non-member, $3 per gun for shooters shooting more than one gun.
  • Registration: Pre-registration is encouraged when possible to help with planning. Walk-ups are subject to squad availability. Sign up on Practiscore or see Chuck Gafner.
  • Stages: 4 total stages with one as a classifier. 5 Strings per stage.
  • Rounds: Plan to shoot 100+ rounds 

Summer Steel Challenge Matches at the HLSC:

In addition to our weekly Matches, we’ll host two full Steel Challenge Matches in 2026 at the Houghton Lake Sportsmen Club range:

  • May 30th. 2026
  • August 29th 2026

Match Format

  • Stages: 6 stages with 2 classifiers
  • Rounds: 300+ rounds for matches
  • Divisions: All Steel Challenge divisions welcome — production, carry optics, open, limited, etc. Let us know if you need clarification about divisions.

Fees & Registration

  • Match Fee:
    • HLSC Members, Friends, Family: $15
    • Non-Members: $25
    • Additional Gun: +$5
    • RO Discount: -$5
    • WORK HOURS for match set up and reduced match rate TBD by Match Director 
  • Registration: Pre-registration is encouraged when possible to help with planning. Walk-ups are subject to squad availability. Sign up on Practiscore or see Chuck Gafner.

What to Bring

  • USPSA appropriate handgun & magazines
  • 300+ rounds of ammunition
  • Eye and ear protection (earmuffs or earplugs + safety glasses) — required at all times.
  • Range bag with tools, extra batteries, holster, magazine pouches, hat, sunscreen, water.

Safety & Range Rules

Safety is our top priority. All matches begin with a mandatory safety briefing. Follow Range Officer (RO) instructions at all times. Unsafe firearms handling or failure to follow RO directions may result in disqualification and removal from the match.

    Helpful Notes

    • Expect to be on your feet and moving — wear comfortable footwear.
    • Classifier stages are a great way to check or improve your classification.
    • New to Steel Challenge? Let us know at check-in and we’ll do our best to squad you with experienced shooters who can help.

    Questions/Contact:

    • Chuck Gafner – ‭(517) 673-1455‬
    • Don Shaw – (231) 942-2132

    For match questions or classification help contact Chuck.

    Come out, have fun, and shoot safe — we’ll see you on the line!

    Houghton Lake Sportsmen Club — promoting safe, competitive shooting in our community.