Eric Scheirer of Bethel Park is almost always right on target. The hawk-eyed sharpshooter proved it Sunday in the 2009 U.S. Practical Shooting Association's (USPSA) Area 5 Regional Championship, where he fired his way to a fifth place finish out of 275 competitors.

The challenge, sponsored by the Texas-based gun manufacturer Infinity Firearms, was held at South Kent Sportsman's Range in Dorr, Mich.. It attracted skilled quick-shot marksmen from states including Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana and Pennsylvania battling each other for the honor of becoming the region's new speed, steel-target shooting champ.

Scheirer trailed first-place finisher Dave Sevigny of Georgia by a total of 316 points, after all scores were tallied according to speed and accuracy.

The challenge required competitors to aim at a series of steel or cardboard targets of different shapes and sizes and hit as many as possible while progressing through a course of predetermined outdoor stages. Contestants could survey their surroundings for five minutes before beginning, during which they could quickly formulate an attack plan and designate locations for re-loading, if necessary.

According to Dave Thomas, executive director of the USPSA, successful competitors like Scheirer tend to exhibit a high level of "mental and physical discipline" far beyond a basic ability to aim correctly or "shoot well." The best, he says, are so well trained that they actually can operate through the courses on "muscle memory" alone, or by instinctively feeling the right methods and moments to pull the trigger.

"There are multiple ways to shoot [a course] successfully," he said. "Competitors should not only have the ability to look at the stage and figure it out, but also to think on their feet."

Created in 1976, the USPSA was inspired by an American love of old Western films and now incorporates over 17,000 members under its umbrella. Thomas remarked that the organization's level of involvement, attention, and competition has increased over the decades, which has led to the presence of more practiced shooters and sophisticated equipment. In other words, today's aspiring Annie Oakleys and Billy the Kids are faced with a new league of opponents and expectations.

Thomas believes they can rise to the challenge, however, if they seek out USPSA recreation and opportunities in their local areas and practice. Such opportunities for involvement can be found at www.uspsa.org.