Enter total points and time to calculate hit factor, or use the Points Builder to tally zone hits and penalties by power factor. Hit factor is the standard scoring metric in USPSA and IPSC competition.
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Hit Factor Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the hit factor:
HF = TP / TT
- HF = hit factor (points per second)
- TP = total points (zone hits minus all penalties)
- TT = total time in seconds
The result is always truncated at 4 decimal places, never rounded.
What is a Hit Factor?
Hit factor is a points-per-second metric used in USPSA and IPSC to simultaneously reward speed and accuracy. A shooter who runs a stage in 20 seconds with 100 points and another who completes it in 15 seconds with 75 points both produce a hit factor of 5.0000, scoring identically. Within a stage, the competitor with the highest hit factor earns 100% of available stage points; all others receive a proportional share based on the ratio of their hit factor to the stage winner’s.
USPSA / IPSC Target Zone Point Values
| Zone | Minor PF | Major PF |
|---|---|---|
| A (center) | 5 | 5 |
| B / C | 3 | 4 |
| D | 1 | 2 |
| Steel / Popper | 5 | 5 |
| Miss / No-Shoot / Procedural / FTE | -10 | -10 |
Power factor = bullet weight (grains) x velocity (fps) / 1,000. Major threshold: PF >= 165. Minor threshold: PF >= 125. B-zone scores identically to C-zone in USPSA. IPSC uses the same metric target and identical point values.
Miss Penalty as a Time Cost
Every penalty costs 10 points regardless of power factor. Because hit factor divides points by time, a 10-point penalty is mathematically equivalent to extra stage time. The time cost of one miss at a given hit factor:
Time Cost of Miss = 10 / HF
| Expected HF | Time Cost of One Miss (sec) | Typical Shooter Level |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | 5.00 | D / C Class |
| 3.0 | 3.33 | C / B Class |
| 4.0 | 2.50 | B / A Class |
| 5.0 | 2.00 | A / Master |
| 6.0 | 1.67 | Master |
| 8.0 | 1.25 | Grand Master |
A makeup shot improves your score only if it can be fired in less time than the miss costs. At HF 5, a miss costs 2.00 seconds of equivalent time, so a makeup fired in under 2 seconds is worth taking. At HF 3, the same miss costs 3.33 seconds, giving slower shooters more time to correct.
Stage Points Formula
Stage Points = (Your HF / Top HF) x Stage Max Points
The stage winner’s hit factor becomes the reference. All other competitors’ hit factors are expressed as a percentage of it, then multiplied by the maximum stage points. Match totals are the sum of stage points across all stages.
USPSA Classification Thresholds
A shooter’s classification percentage is their hit factor on a classifier divided by the High Hit Factor (HHF) for that stage in that division. Four unduplicated classifier scores are required for an initial classification. Classification is tracked separately for each division: Open, Carry Optics, Limited, Production, Single Stack, Revolver, and PCC.
| Class | HHF Percentage |
|---|---|
| Grand Master | 95.00 – 100% |
| Master | 85.00 – 94.99% |
| A | 75.00 – 84.99% |
| B | 60.00 – 74.99% |
| C | 40.00 – 59.99% |
| D | Below 40% |
