Lethbridge's Justin Thomson is headed to a world shooting competition. (Photo: Lethbridge Fish and Game Association)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge man to compete at world shooting competition

May 1, 2025 | 2:03 PM

A man from Lethbridge is setting out to prove that he is the best firearms user in the world.

Justin Thomson is set to represent Canada at the first-ever IPSC PCC/Mini Rifle World Shoot, taking place from May 12-15, 2025, in Znojmo, Czechia.

The event is put on by the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), and organizers liken it to the Olympics for practical shooting disciplines.

Thomson is a lifelong resident of Lethbridge and has been a member of the Lethbridge Fish and Game Association (LFGA) for more than 15 years. He is also involved with the Chinook Country Shooting Club and IPSC Alberta.

His foray into shooting began two decades ago with a .22 rifle.

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Today, he is a certified Range Officer and a competitive shooter who trains for more than 10 hours every week. During the IPSC Alberta match season, which runs from May to October, Thomson competes in two matches almost every weekend.

In a news release from the LFGA, they estimate that Thomson goes through as many as 12,000 rounds of ammunition annually.

He won the Handgun Production Optics Team Division at the IPSC Canadian Nationals last year, which is regarded as the league’s most competitive and populous division.

In addition to the worlds event, Thomson will compete in the 2025 IPSC Canadian Handgun Nationals in Taber from July 29 to August 2.

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