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My buddy has talked me into trying a USPSA match.... just a small local deal held every other Sunday..... are their any good forums dedicated to that and steel challenge?

Here's one. I haven't competed in a long time so not sure if that place is still OK or not.
Good luck and above all have fun.

https://forums.brianenos.com/

You could learn all you need to know right here if you ask.

To get started anyway.

Everything else of any value you'll likely learn at the match.

Brian Enos is definitely the place to go for topics related to USPSA shooting.

I’m sure it doesn’t matter much for a newbie but I’m a little confused on the minor/major power factor and how it affects scoring? Seems the preference is to shoot major so you can get more points….I ain’t hung up on it…. Just going to shoot the ammo I have but it is confusing.

I'll come back in a bit and watch video above.

I'll be looking for mention of equipment racers that always show up at local matches.

Video talked to equipment racing early on. Good deal, well done.

I have not shot any USPSA so I'm not qualified to give any advice whatsoever. But matches at local clubs I have competed in had the handful that upped the game by spending.

That's good to I suppose.

First some background. Originally IPSC was started to bring several concepts together involving handguns. A few gunsmiths, Clark, Heine, Wilson to name a few were changing the 1911 type of handgun to make it better in self defense situations. Olympus arms had started milling of the carring handles and started using regular scope bases, bringing the AR into the picture. IPSC is/was an-international organization at that time and many countries participated in it. (were the Mozambique came from).
The basic concept was practical shooting, because at that time PPC was really big, and used as the qualifier for most law enforcement agencies. IPSC was an isosceles triangle with speed, power and accuracy as the basic.
Shoot fast enough, with a caliber power full enough to hit, the three having equal importance. Power was determined by mass x velocity or momentum and was based on 45 ACP hardball, because of its history in war, (note knockdown, not wound damage). Accuracy is something like an 8 in paper plate, and the speed is the time from the presentation to do this. Gunsight had just started up and had a large role.
Equipment improvements occurred rapidly, some of which become the standard in everyday handguns today.
Gun control had started and politically correct (no human torsos) targets become standard, as well as large round counts in each stage. The gamers had taken control and split the US off from IPSC forming the USPSA. Some of the more important basics were being pushed aside for the sake of getting more people involved.
Shortly after this, Wilson, invented IDPA and still owns the rights to it as far as I know, to keep some of the fundamentals.

20 years ago the equipment race was brutal. If you didn't have at least certain guns or mags you were at a disadvantage from the start.

Now there are several different classes & the rules are more refined. If you don't want to play the equipment game, just compete with a stock or nearly stick gun, there is likely a class for that.

USPSA is an addicting sport. Brian Enos' forum is an excellent place to learn. There is also "Practical Shooting Training Group" if you don't mind a pay wall. USPSA is 90% mental. Don't let gear race discussions scare you.

I still have to get rid of all my gear from twenty years ago.

Everyone's recommending Enos, but it's just a shadow of what it once was. A once amazing resource, pretty much ruined by just a handful of people.

I think that is some of it, but also Facebook pages have drawn a lot of people away from BE. The Classifieds on BE are still pretty good.

The loads should be tested before each sanctioned match. Random rounds pulled from the ammo box as presented and the same ammo must be used in the match. Many ranges just take the shooter's word. The 9x19 can no longer make the major power factor by rules. The gun configurations are self explanatory.
The major factor is to simulate actual loads that would be used for defense. The minor factor is for those that want to use light loads. The "penalty" is actually a class separation situation and the difficulty associated with controlling recoil at the major VS the minor loads. No need to be confused,

Have not shot IPSC or USPSA since I had my shoulder surgery. Can no longer draw a gun as fast as I could before the rebuild. Was a Match Director and RO for 40+ years. Had monthly, state and Region matches at our range. I shot a Colt 1911 45 ACP Coogan, hinged trigger, triple comp gun, with bronze slide tightness. They run about $3,500 today, plus the gun itself, of course. Plus my 9x19 Major comp gun, built on a Tarus 92 sngle action frame with a fully supported chamber and a Browning style frame safety. That is where or how bad the equipment race got to, $4,000 custom guns, 20 years ago and I had four.

The most popular division in USPSA currently is Carry Optics. With the advent of reliable and reasonably priced slide mounted red dots it's easy to mount one on a relatively stock factory pistol and compete. Carry Optics is minor power factor so most standard factory ammo works. Generally, power factor is not checked at Level 1 matches.

Another easy option is to shoot Production which uses essentially stock factory pistols and is minor power factor.

PCC is also becoming fairly popular. I have shot Production and Carry Optics quite a bit but have recently been shooting PCC. It's fun and again you can use regular minor power factor factory ammo.

The whole race gun thing is not as dominant as it used to be, but some people still shoot Open division.

I also shoot Carry Optics and PCC in IDPA. IDPA is a different game with more emphasis on accuracy, but I like it, and we also have some related spin off matches that happen at my club.

I think USPSA and IDPA are both going strong. Either is a good way to develop skills and learn to shoot under stress.