First off, you should go to the USPSA website and read through it. That will give you a feel for the "rules of the game" and how they do things on their courses.
Second, be aware that USPSA matches are "cold ranges". You can carry your firearm in a holster all day long, anywhere you go, but it need to be clear and unloaded (no mag in the gun). You can carry loaded mags on your belt though...
The Pitt County match site opens at 8am. Registration opens at 9am. They do brief walkthroughs of all the stages starting at about 10:00, and will also include a safety briefing at that time. If you have ANY questions about policy and procedures, ask them at registration, or have them point to to a Range Safety Officer, who will run down the rules for you.
USPSA folks are a REALLY friendly crowd. They are VERY safety conscious. And they will NOT hesitate to let you know (politely) if you do something wrong.
Remember, these are "family" events, and there are lots of women and even a few children present (and competing!).
Just remember these rules, and you'll be OK:
--NOBODY has a loaded gun unless they are actually running through a course.
--when it's your turn to shoot, DO NOT load your firearm until the RSO tells you to do so.
--At the end of the stage, when you are done firing, drop your mag, and open the action so that the RSO can verify your firearm is clear.
--DO NOT take a firearm out of your holster unless you are actually running a stage. If soeone wants to see your gun, do to a designated "safe area", and you can then do anything you want (short of loading it), including stripping and cleaning it.
If this is your first match, be sure to ask LOTS of questions. Look for a a squad member who is friendly and ask if you can pick their brain. Ask LOTS of questions. Most folks are more than happy to help you with pointers, opinions, and even basic coaching.
And if you are new, have the RSO put your scorecard near the bottom of the stack. That way, you can watch several other people run the stage before you do, and WATCH them carefully. Analyze tactics. Build a strategy. STICK to the plan. And be safe.
You probably won't score high your first time out, but that's OK. Don't worry about your scores, or your times. Just have fun and LEARN. You will get better with practice.
My scores were pitiful (good accuracy, but SLOW times), but that didn't matter because 1) I had a GREAT time running the stages, 2) I met some REALLY cool people who were very friendly and helpful, and 3) you don't get your overall scores until the end of the day anyway.
Don't get hung up on the "pros". They compete ALL THE TIME, and practice for this sport weekly (or even daily). There is NO WAY you're going to be as high-scoring as the top competitors. But the cool thing is, it doesn't matter. Even if you're the slowest person on your squad, people will cheer you on, and congratulate you when you do something well. They will point out ways to improve your scores, and they will offer suggestions for future training and competitions.
Be Safe. Have fun. And don't be shy. USPSA people are, by and large, REALLY friendly and cordial. They will help you learn the game. Just don't be a wall-flower...
BTW, I probably won't be at the November match at PCWC. I'll be in the occupied zone of the PRM spending the holiday with my family... But I will DEFINITELY be at the December match (if there is one...)
And I might be going to the matches in Raleigh too, which are on the FIRST Saturday of each month. Probably not this weekend, but I'll probably be going to the match in Dec, if the weather is nice. There is a match on the 4th Satuday in Havelock as well, but it's the same date at the Pitt County matches, so I may alternate...
The NC Section of USPSA has a good website. Check out their "Your First Match" essay:
http://www.ncsection.org/NewShooter/FirstMatch.htm
If you want to see how they do it at the BIG matches (a State Sectional) you can download a PDF that has diagrams and descriptions of the 9 Stages they used at the 2010 NC Sectionals earlier this year. The Stages we ran at PCWC were challenging, but nowhere nearly this tough...
http://www.ncsection.org/Sectional/Sectional.htm
And just so you know, this guy regularly shoots at PCWC, and is one of the top shooters in NC. Don't let him discourage you--he's CRAZY FAST. Just consider him someone to learn from. I'm glad he wasn't in my squad though...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhpKcatJd80