IDPA style matches - Stupid question-what level of practice?

[frazzled]

Potentially looking at taking up some shooting competitions if it fits my flaky schedule. Before I gear up I am trying to see what sort of commitment is involved here. I am trying to get a gauge on what level of practice is required to be moderately competitive at a local level weekly or monthly tournament? Not uber state champ winny, but good enough not to be laughed at level. For a normal person are we talking about 200 rounds a month, a week, or erp day?

Any help or link to discussions on this would be most helpful.

[LarryH]

frazzled --

Assuming you're still in Harris County, PSC Range ( http://www.psc-range.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) has an IDPA match this coming Saturday.

Just show up and ask questions.

Someone will probably invite you to join in (you don't need to belong to IDPA to shoot your first match).

And, above all, remember this bit of wisdom, "It's a game."

The primary person you should be competing against is how you shot during your most recent competition. (IMHO)

[frazzled]

frazzled --

Assuming you're still in Harris County, PSC Range ( http://www.psc-range.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) has an IDPA match this coming Saturday.

Just show up and ask questions.

Someone will probably invite you to join in (you don't need to belong to IDPA to shoot your first match).

And, above all, remember this bit of wisdom, "It's a game."

The primary person you should be competing against is how you shot during your most recent competition. (IMHO)

Ayah I saw several, including weekday events, which would be the best for me. She Who Must Be Obeyed has given the green light so just now starting to look at this.

[Skiprr]

If you comport yourself and shoot with safety paramount, not only will no one laugh at you, but you will make a bunch of friends and be welcomed back every time.

Seriously, the way IDPA CoFs and strings are constructed, unless you simply decide to stop and field strip your gun on a particular stage, differences in string-times between even Master-class shooters and newbies isn't all that great. Remember, a maximum of 18 rounds is permitted on any single string; some strings are only a few rounds. So if SRVA shows up and shoots a clear run in 5 seconds, and it takes a new shooter 35 seconds, the new shooter really ain't slowing things down perceptibly.

Show up to have fun, to absorb information, and be Mr. Safety. You will be loved by all.

On many ranges, it's actually very difficult to practice for IDPA. A public range probably won't allow you to draw, move, and engage multiple targets. So as you start shooting IDPA, you'll probably find that dry-fire practice in your own home (or Airsoft in the garage) is going to provide better practice than static paper-punching.

[Plato]

I cannot recall ever seeing new folks show up and get laughed at, and I've been shooting a bunch of IDPA the last couple of years. The more experienced regulars would/should shut that attitude down pretty quick. We all start somewhere and whether folks show up as new shooters or just new to IDPA -the only standards you must meet involve safety. In fact most of us would prefer a new guy go slow the first few times out so we can confirm those safety standards are understood and followed.

Now to try and answer your question, it has a lot to do with the club -but I think most folks can make Marksman even with minimal round count and practice. One's age and health and prior handgun training obviously will greatly influence the starting point and how hard it may be to climb the ladder. But most Marksmen who know the rules and start learning the game will look fine and can enjoy the match just for the shooting and even focus on the defensive basis of IDPA.

If the competition gets your juices flowing then you can still push yourself to Sharp Shooter with low monthly round count (100 or less) by practicing the non-shooting movements at home. Smooth reloads, lotsa dry fires, and a smooth (safe) draw -just to name a few.

BTW, there are plenty of Marksmen shooting at the big time sanctioned matches. Sometimes folks overlook that its really at the larger sanctioned matches that the whole Division/Classification system starts to make sense. At local clubs you may not ever have more than 2-3 shooters in the same Division/Classification. But at the big matches you actually get to compete with a larger group who are generally on your same (current) level. -Well until those dirty rotten SANDBAGGERS showup

[CWOOD]

I, too, have been doing IDPA for a number of years and have NEVER seen a new person get laughed at. Now, after you have been there for a while there can be a fair amount of 'ribbing' but it is all in good fun and not to hurt or embarrass anyone.

If you show up with a good attitude for safety and a respect for the rules of the game you will find a welcoming and fun experience.

Like many things, you get out of an experience about what you put into it. If you show up trying to abide by the two main precepts of 'BE SAFE & HAVE FUN". You will have a great time. You will want to come back and you will be welcome to do so.

Seriously, show up with your gear and shoot. That all it will take to find out.

After a year or so you will be amazed at how much better a shooter you are and how many folks know you by name and are glad to see you.

[frazzled]

Thank you guys. That is very helpful.

[MoJo]

When I joined IDPA I was told it stood for "I Don't Practice Anymore." of course it was from one of those "Irritable People Squabbling Constantly" guys.

[Plato]

When I joined IDPA I was told it stood for "I Don't Practice Anymore." ...

I was gonna say that but held back

A bunch of folks view the local IDPA match as their monthly practice session, and in many ways that's a reasonable approach. Ammo cost alone (for folks shooting factory ammo) -dictate that the monthly match is all the shooting they will do with their carry gun. But that limited approach to the "game" still puts them way ahead of the average CHL holder, and is in many ways is the primary goal of IDPA -to get LACs some solid practice with their carry gun.

Shooting 50 rounds at a public range which requires slow fire only at a bullseye target 15 yards away is only gonna get you good at shooting slow fire 15 yard targets. While that's an excellent skill to maintain and is the foundation for all pistol shooting it still only goes so far. Whereas IDPA matches let the average Joe get a chance to shoot and often experience for the first time such things as shooting on the move, behind a barricade, rapid fire up close, along with targets that move, and multiple targets at various ranges for speed, etc...

[frazzled]

When I joined IDPA I was told it stood for "I Don't Practice Anymore." ...

I was gonna say that but held back

A bunch of folks view the local IDPA match as their monthly practice session, and in many ways that's a reasonable approach. Ammo cost alone (for folks shooting factory ammo) -dictate that the monthly match is all the shooting they will do with their carry gun. But that limited approach to the "game" still puts them way ahead of the average CHL holder, and is in many ways is the primary goal of IDPA -to get LACs some solid practice with their carry gun.

Shooting 50 rounds at a public range which requires slow fire only at a bullseye target 15 yards away is only gonna get you good at shooting slow fire 15 yard targets. While that's an excellent skill to maintain and is the foundation for all pistol shooting it still only goes so far. Whereas IDPA matches let the average Joe get a chance to shoot and often experience for the first time such things as shooting on the move, behind a barricade, rapid fire up close, along with targets that move, and multiple targets at various ranges for speed, etc...

Thats interesting. I knew a guy (since moved). he reported he shot something on the order of 1,000 rounds a month for practice for competitions. He was "enthusiastic" though, hence my initial query (and worry about having to shoot that much).

[Plato]

1000 rounds a month is what you tend to start doing when you get hooked on the competition side of it.

I stepped into IDPA with quite a bit of handgun training under my belt. Shot 127 on my first classifier with a Glock 19 and factory ammo -and had the intention to just using IDPA for defensive practice sessions. But I now am a mid-range Expert and a bit of a "gamer". Between matches and practice I average around 750 rounds a month.

I do believe pushing yourself to improve by becoming a "gamer" will also improve your abilities to "run the gun" in a (God-forbid) real world scenario. But there is still a huge benefit to just coming out and shooting the matches once a month for fun and self improvement with little regard for your score and overall rank in the match.

[frazzled]

1000 rounds a month is what you tend to start doing when you get hooked on the competition side of it.

I stepped into IDPA with quite a bit of handgun training under my belt. Shot 127 on my first classifier with a Glock 19 and factory ammo -and had the intention to just using IDPA for defensive practice sessions. But I now am a mid-range Expert and a bit of a "gamer". Between matches and practice I average around 750 rounds a month.

I do believe pushing yourself to improve by becoming a "gamer" will also improve your abilities to "run the gun" in a (God-forbid) real world scenario. But there is still a huge benefit to just coming out and shooting the matches once a month for fun and self improvement with little regard for your score and overall rank in the match.

Are you able to practice in a similar manner to the competition? ie rapid fire etc?
Would you say if someone were able to practice with a similar .22 pistol (example Ruger MII) that that would be helpful?

[Jeremae]

1. If you have a range where you can do any of these activities: Draw from holster, shoot more than 1 shot per second, shoot on the move, shoot from prone/sitting/kneeling/behind cover, shoot at moving targets (including the dreaded swinger) you should take advantadge of it even if you don't shoot any of the combat pistol sports. Even if you don't have a range where you can, as has been said previously, these skills can be practiced via Dry-Fire or Air-Soft.

2. Practice with a suitable rimfire is good practice. It is even better using a conversion kit that uses as much of your full size gun as possible (for example a 22 conversion kit on your normal 1911 frame that has the same sights as your regular slide is great). You can't practice recoil management/followup shot with a 22 but you do tend to cure a lot of flinching using the 22.

The one thing the actual IDPA (or IPSC, SASS, GSSF etc) match will let you practice is dealing with the adrenaline. The artificial adrenaline dump from running against the clock in front of an audience is NOT that same as when the lead is whistling around your ears but it still will affect your heartrate, fine motor skills, time sense, sensory exclusion etc.

ANY amount of practice trigger time is good. The more the better.

There are quite a few idpa shooters who rarely fire a round outside a match and then there are those who shoot 10 times as many rounds in practice as they do at matches. With the right expectations and attitude, they all improve their gun handling skills and most importantly have FUN.

Like LarryH said, come out to the PSC match this Sat, or to the TTS weekly Wen night match/monthly Sat match, or to the Shiloh weekly Thur night match etc. Bring a suitable gun, a belt holster, at least 3 mags (4 speedloader for wheel gun) eye and ear protection and jump right in. You will be welcomed and extra care will be taken to make show you have a safe and fun match. The only people whom I have ever seen shoot just one match and never come back had ego issues with accepting that they had some work to do before they could shoot with people who have been playing this game for some time(People who are the FIRST to offer advice/help).

[gringop]

The first 5 years that I shot IDPA, I had no range where I could practice live fire drawing from the holster, shooting at multiple targets, shooting on the move, etc. The only place I could do those things was at the matches. I was able to practice starting from retention posistion (the last half of the draw stroke), target transitions (put multiple 4" dots on one target), reloads and other techniques allowed at my indoor range. Of course I dry fired draws, transitions, shooting on the move and other stuff at home. I was able to classify high Marksman/low Expert during that time.

Once I joined a range where drawing from a holster was allowed, I got a little better but was still a high Marksman/low Expert shooter.
Once I started training seriously (written training plans, set goals, specific shooting drills to improve weaknesses, etc.) I noticed big improvements and am now knocking on Master classification.

My point is that you don't need to shoot 1000 rounds a month live fire to do pretty well in practical shooting. The big gains come from training in a smart manner, dry firing, having a plan, setting goals and not wasting time and ammo by plinking and farting around. Just shooting 50 rounds per range session on drill like Dot Torture will allow you to improve quite a bit.
http://pistol-training.com/drills/dot-torture

Gringop

[Skiprr]

My point is that you don't need to shoot 1000 rounds a month live fire to do well in practical shooting. The big gains come from training in a smart manner, dry firing, having a plan, setting goals and not wasting time and ammo by plinking and farting around.

You win the weekly prize for message specificity and succinctness!