I just shot my first IDPA

[Samuel Adams]

The range was hot, humid, and full of gnats until the sun came out. As for shooting, this being my first IDPA match, I tried to shoot the first two Courses of Fire too quickly and my accuracy suffered. For the last two, I slowed down a bit and my accuracy was right were I wanted it. My CZ is in the ESP class and my total time for four courses of fire was 67.92 seconds with no procedurals. I don't know yet how that compares to the rest of the shooters. There were 36 shooters which was a good day for them.

I was also there for the IDPA Safety Officer Course. The students performed as Safety Officers with certified SOs watching. Thanks to the Low Country IDPA Club for making this a great experience.

 

[Sunray]

"...how that compares..." Did you have fun shooting? That's what it's about. Not how well or how fast you shot.
Being an RSO is common sense. One thing that you may or may not have been taught, the RSO owns the range. His decisions are absolute law. Nobody, including RO's(Not the same thing. Anybody can run the line, but safety is the RSO's job) has any say about range safety. If a shooter doesn't like it, that's too bad. If a shooter is doing something you think is unsafe, don't hesitate to jump on him. Be fair, but there's no compromising with range safety. You're not there to be everybody's friend. You're there to ensure the range is safe. Period.

 

[Samuel Adams]

Very true and, yes, I had fun.

 

[SureThing]

I love IDPA myself. But I don't get to practice. Most of the time, it is the only time during the month I got to shoot.

Just curious if there were a lot of CZ's out there. I would say %75 around here are shooting Glocks, including myself.

 

[Jim Watson]

Did you have fun shooting? That's what it's about. Not how well or how fast you shot.

It is more fun when you do well.
It is competitive shooting, doing well and improving is the object of the exercise.

 

[SureThing]

What is funny to me, is how many come out the first time. All they want to do is improve their skills in a self defense situation. But then the bug bites them and they want to be a Gamer like the rest of us.

 

[rainbowbob]

Do you ever see anybody shooting a j-frame in IDPA?

 

[Jim Watson]

Ever? Yes, but not often, more like very rarely and seldom if ever a second try.
Not counting BUG shoots, of course.

Our club ran a non-IDPA BUGshoot Tuesday. Non-IDPA because reloads were required. A cut-down service pistol like a G26 is one thing; a J-frame and a speed strip is something else entirely.

 

[rainbowbob]

...a J-frame and a speed strip is something else entirely...

That is sort of the answer I expected. I do wonder why - with the popularity of the 642 and so forth - why there isn't more interest in the BUG matches. I know it isn't up to me - but I'd prefer to compete with what I actually carry.

 

[Pat Cannon]

The deal with IDPA is, the revolver divisions expect a 6-shooter. Stage design considers an 18-round stage to be 'revolver-friendly'.

I carry an SP101. I bought a GP100 specifically to shoot IDPA matches with the closest thing possible to my carry gun. I shoot the SP101 in the BUG side matches. I have a great time with both.

And as I learn about holster options, I think I might start carrying the GP100 sometimes.

 

[rainbowbob]

Do revolvers compete in the same matches with semi-auto? Or do they shoot separate matches?

In either case, it sounds like a K-frame is on the top of my wish list. Along with the gas, ammo, and time to start shooting IDPA.

 

[Pat Cannon]

Revolvers are scored in their own division, but it's part of the same match. You can download the rulebook at the IDPA web site. You'll see there's actually two revolver divisions, Stock for 'normal' revolvers and Enhanced for, basically, the S&W 625s with their full-moon clips (they split off the Enhanced division a couple years ago).

I have a plaque here that says I won the revolver division at my local club last year, which is sorta cool but I was the only guy who shot the whole season with a revolver so it wasn't too hard. Maybe wheelguns are staging a comeback, though: this year there's three of us, so I'll actually have to beat somebody to win.

And though I'm technically competing only with the other revolver shooters, I occasionally manage to beat the time of one or two of the guys shooting 'bottom-feeders', which is fun.

 

[btg3]

One neat thing about IDPA is that you can be in the same "squad" with folks shooting different classes and observe how the course-of-fire is approached by various shooters with different guns and different capacities. The only problem is that it makes me want to shoot in every class.

 

[rainbowbob]

Pat:

Well...that's awfully generous of the "bottom-feeders" let you hang with them.

I'm surprised you were the only wheel guy - but as you say that may be changing.

It brings up something that I hadn't thought much about.

I realize I'm probably opening a can of worms here but...

Who can tell me why a semi-auto has such an advantage over a revolver in IDPA?

 

[Jim Watson]

Technically, revolvers don't compete with autos in IDPA, they are in separate Divisons, each with their own trophies at a match.
Realistically, everybody looks at their overall standings.

The reason the revolver scores lower than an auto (all else being equal, yak, yak) is mostly because it holds fewer rounds and is slower to reload. Also, shooting a DA revolver requires more skill and practice than an auto, especially one with a consistent trigger pull like a 1911 or tuned Glock.

 

[Samuel Adams]

Just curious if there were a lot of CZ's out there. I would say %75 around here are shooting Glocks, including myself.

Correct on the Glocks. I had the only CZ on the range that day. Even though I'm still unclassified, I had the 10th fastest time of all 36 shooters.

 

[pwrtool45]

Technically, revolvers don't compete with autos in IDPA, they are in separate Divisons, each with their own trophies at a match.
Realistically, everybody looks at their overall standings.

I thought only the revolver guys did that. It's tough down there on the bottom.

Of course, if you've only got six bullets at a time, there's only so much you can do.

 

[Pat Cannon]

Who can tell me why a semi-auto has such an advantage over a revolver in IDPA?

What Jim said: there's reloads on the clock.

On an 18-round stage I've gotta do 2 reloads if I don't have a single miss, where a guy shooting a 1911 in ESP, with (at least) 8 + 7 +7 = 22 rounds, can shoot a little quicker because he can afford 4 misses. Also his reloads take 2 seconds, vs. my 4 to 8 seconds, depending on how awkward I am that day. The guys shooting in the other auto divisions can have 10-round mags and only have to do one reload -- unless they get really wild. So they're properly embarrassed if I do manage to beat them.

 

[Atla]

IDPA is allright, but keep in mind it's just a game.

(After all in real world scenarios you load your gun to capacity, the bad guy doesn't get an advantage if you drop a mag with one round in it without retention either.)

The Magazine rules piss me off the most. On top of the 'only 10 rounds max BS', is the magazine retention crap.

For instance, and I'm the only one I know this has happened to before, I dropped an empty mag without pocketing it, but I had a round in the chamber. So I got a procedural.

I'm making rude jerking motions with my hand right now.

 

[Atla]

I should add, that Glocks and 1911's pretty much rule IDPA.

You see some XD's, a few M&P's, very few CZs, and ZERO Rugers. From my experience atleast. ;>

 

[Jim Watson]

The "only 10 rounds BS" was based in law when IDPA was organized. Unlike some other shooting groups, they did not want to suborn a Federal felony.

"Magazine retention crap" was based on the thinking of some of the top gunfighting trainers of the day.

The AWB has expired (for now) and the tactical reload is no longer as emphasized in training as it used to be, so I guess you can say IDPA is living a bit in the past. But they are not making stuff up to inconvenience you.

Dropping even an empty magazine with a round in the chamber is not allowed because the top brass thinks it would lead to counting shots, which is feasible in a game but a bit unlikely in real world violence. And they don't care what Jeff Cooper said.

 

[skinewmexico]

I love IDPA myself. But I don't get to practice.

Doesn't IDPA stand for "I Don't Practice Anymore"?

 

[rduckwor]

Doesn't IDPA stand for "I Don't Practice Anymore"?

It that written somewhere is the USPSA rule book? I hear that all the time at their matches!

Actually, both contest are great fun.

RMD

 

[Justin]

The Magazine rules piss me off the most. On top of the 'only 10 rounds max BS', is the magazine retention crap.

I once had it explained this way: Without the magazine capacity rules, you'd have to see scoring developed that's based on something similar to the power factors that you see in USPSA.

While the explanation is kind of a retcon, it does make sense if you think about it. If everyone's limited to roughly the same number of rounds (8-11) it evens the playing field somewhat between the guys shooting 1911's and the guys shooting wondernines.

The magazine retention rules are goofy, but I'm willing to play by them.

For instance, and I'm the only one I know this has happened to before, I dropped an empty mag without pocketing it, but I had a round in the chamber. So I got a procedural.

That makes two of us.

 

[jetrecbn]

Please clue me in on what is bad about the "mag retention rule". Not trying to start a pissing contest.