IDPA

[Kodiac]

I am wanting to try IDPA shooting... I understand you dont have a "MAJOR" thing there and what you carry is what you shoot. This sounds interesting. What is the course of fire like? What are things a newby needs to know about this sport?

[MarkCO]

IDPA has a minimum power floor for Stock Service pistol and Revolver classes of 125 (bullet weight times velocity/1000) and 165 for Custom Defensive pistol and Enhanced Service pistol. The sub-gun category allows .32s, .380s, .38 spl. on up. Courses of fire are intended to simulate defensive pistol use scenarios. Use of cover, engagement in tactical order, tactical reloads. It is not as much a game as IPSC but is more angled towards development of defensive pistol craft skills. For a newbie, take it slow, hits are the most important (after of course safety) practice tactical reloads and remeber to use cover. Good Shooting, MarkCO

[Steve Koski]

Kodiak,

Check out the IDPA web site at www.idpa.com. I read a couple articles about the IDPA in the gunzines and started up a club. My club (the Utah Defensive Pistol League) has a web site at www.slpsa.org/udpl which contains some information on getting started. I'm sure it's pretty accurate information no matter which club you end up shooting with.

I've really enjoyed the 14 or so IDPA matches I've been to. They tend to teach good tactics and emphasize proper shot placement.

If there's a club shooting IDPA matches near you I highly recommend joining it and perhaps serving as a club officer. If not you can start one with about $80. You need $50 for the club affiliation fee and $30 for a box of targets. If you only charge $5 or $6 a match you'll pay for your up front costs after a few matches. It's surprising the interest that people have in this type of pistol competition.

I think the biggest draws are:
1. You can use the gun you actually carry with no disadvantage.
2. The equipment isn't expensive.
3. The Courses of Fire (COF) mimic real world defensive pistol use, or they test gun handling skills.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

[motorep]

MarkCo- some how I knew I'd find you on the IDPA topic.........maybe one of these days. Nick J.

[Dan C]

Is anyone holding matches in the Seattle area? The Chehalis matches are a long ways away.

[Tony N]

I think there's matches being held at either Wade's or WSI.
Call to confirm.
Mr. Dane Burns was running a monthly match out in Redmond, I'm not sure if he's going to start that back up again in the spring.
I'll find out and let you know.
There are several shooters who drive down to Chehalis from Snohomish county and points even further.
If you'd like to check out a match this spring at FAS, you are more than welcome to ride down with me.
I usually end up riding down with world renowned gunwriter and combat pistol extrordinaire Duane Thomas.

[Dan C]

Your offer is a most generous one. I do have some questions for you: 1. Can I bring the missus? She would love to try IDPA. 2. We have Safariland "IPSC" style mag pouches (model 0771, I think). Are these okay for use in IDPA? We do have some of the Glock mag holders we can use if we need to.

Thanks for the offer and we would enjoy the chance to take you up on it.

Thanks!

Checked the IDPA web site and answered the question on mag pouches.

[This message has been edited by Dan C (edited 11-07-98).]

[Talove]

I want to shoot IDPA / IPSC , but stock only,trying to choose between the Tanfolio,Beretta stock Gold series or a sig. the Tanfolio is in available 7 calibers on the same steel frame. I 'd like to stick with the 9mmm but will shoot 40 s&w if i'm forced into a major power catagory.

[Greg2]

Hi- we live in Reno, Nv. and am looking for clubs in Sacramento Ca. to try out IDPA.
thanks Greg

[Matt K]

Greg,

Im in Stockton and unfortunatley there are no IDPA clubs near here currently. The clostest I know of is up in Yuba. You can go to www.idpa.com and check out the club listing to see where the closest club to you is.

matt K

[gdeal]

I have been shooting for a couple of months now. I want to join the IPDA and participate but I want to get more familiar with my revolver and get more comfortable firing it. It would almost be a waste of other people's time if U didn't have good groupings at 25 yards and then wanted to go play army. IMHO.

[Jim Watson]

Like the shoe commercial, just do it.

Gdeal, if you can operate, handle, draw, shoot, and reload your revolver well enough to be safe while you follow course of fire procedures, you are ready to shoot IDPA. It will bring out things you need to practice.

I know a lot of people who will not compete because they do not feel they are good enough to be seen in public. That is not the right attitude, everybody had to start somewhere and we will not make fun of you if you are safe and attentive.

[frankt]

Kodiac, Go to the www.idpa.com website and download the rule book. It will answer all your questions about equipment,courses of fire and there is just a bunch of good info there. It will make your first visit to a match more fun if you are a little familiar with what is going on.

Also you can go to this web site and watch a video and pictures of one clubs match. It will give you a good idea of what you may see. Especially the video.

http://www.parmarng.org/Pix/Pix-2005...IDPAState.html

[RickB]

Is anyone holding matches in the Seattle area? The Chehalis matches are a long ways away.


NWPPA (nwppa-idpa.com) conducts a monthly IDPA match at Renton Fish & Game Club (rfgc.org). We usually shoot six or seven stages, 65-85 rounds, often with a BUG or shotgun side stage, and have about 50 shooters in attendance. Next match is Dec. 17th.
There is also an affiliated club in Puyallup, shooting at The Marksman indoor range.

[Old Shooter]

IDPA has a minimum power floor for Stock Service pistol and Revolver classes of 125 (bullet weight times velocity/1000) and 165 for Custom Defensive pistol and Enhanced Service pistol. The sub-gun category allows .32s, .380s, .38 spl. on up.

I'm sure that it's just an oversight but the power floor for Enhanced Service Pistol is 125 not 165 ... it is 165 for Enhanced Service Revolver.

And not to mislead a newbie, of the 4 clubs that I shoot at and others that I'm aware of, none on them have a BUG (sub-gun) category. IDPA states that it is on a club level to allow a BUG. BTW, a .38sp. can be shot in Stock Service Revolver and does not have to be relegated to BUG. So if you show up at a match with your .380, they may let you shoot once since you are new, but you can't compete with it on a regular basis.

[Humbled]

You asked what the courses of fire are like here you go. There about 1100 of them here http://www.hcgc.net./IDPA/COF/index.htm

[WESHOOT2]

I shoot my Witness 40 S&W loaded to Minor.

[melissa ann]

I have been shooting for a couple of months now. I want to join the IPDA and participate but I want to get more familiar with my revolver and get more comfortable firing it. It would almost be a waste of other people's time if U didn't have good groupings at 25 yards and then wanted to go play army. IMHO

IDPA isn't anything like playing Army. And it is for newbies. If it wasn't, I would never have started. I shot my first match after firing about 50 rounds through my dad's pistol. He invited me to a match when I was visiting him in Utah and I thought he was crazy - I hadnt' shot enough. So I went to watch, and kicked myself for not having gear with me. "I could do that!" I said to myself over and over again. I maybe woulnd't have done so great, but I could have done everything any of those COFs called for. So I waited a few months and flew to Texas to shoot my first match, with a bunch of great people. To this day, I don't recall how I placed. I just knew I had a great time, made a lot of good friends, and was hooked. Came home to NJ and found a couple clubs to go to in PA, and now I shoot several matches a month, SO at various clubs including the IDPA Nationals.

IDPA is for anyone who wants to have fun shooting their handgun, who will listen to the Safety Officers, and who is safe.

The nice groups at 25 yards and the fast times will come with time and exerience. For now, come out to a club, be safe, and have fun.

Melissa

[melissa ann]

We've got a "new IDPA shooter manual" on our webpage. It's a little dated since we got a new rulebook this year, so we need to make a few changes, but the range commands and safety issues are still good. It still gives a good idea of what IDPA is about and how to get started. You'll want to check the rulebook though, for IDPA-legal gear and guns and such.

New Shooters' Manual There are some COFs, pictures, and other things of interest on the website as well... www.EastonTacticalOps.com

Melissa

[Dust_Devil]

I too wanted to know more about IDPA and so I recently watched a match that they set up indoors at Scottsdale Gun Club.
I was suprised at how relaxed of an atmosphere it was. It wasn't like you would think with a bunch of people all dressed up in expensive gear and clothing and have the best guns, these were just regular shooters in who enjoy an IPDA match just for fun. The most extra I seen anyone buy is a concealed carry/tactical vest, but others just wore a regular jacket and some didn't wear a jacket or vest at all. There were around 20 competitors total.

Of course, this being an indoor course, it was probably more of a tighter course and not as difficult as an outdoor course where you really have to run to each station where you fire from.

The ranges were set up in 4 different stages. An example of how a stage would be set up in an indoor IDPA match would be the first station would the shooter standing behind a bench with their weapon laying on the table, when the buzzer starts, the shooter will pick up their weapon and shoot 2 shots each into 3 targets about 10-15 ft away and try to avoid a no shoot/hostage target then the shooter will move to the next station where they will kneel behind a barrel and shoot at 2 other targets set up at various distances and shoot 2 shots into each target in a tactical priority fashion and that ends that stage. So a total of 10 rounds fired and with a 10 rnd mag, you don't even have to reload.
Then the other stages were more complex with targets moving towards you, walls you have to stand behind or kneel down under, more no shoot/hostage targets you have to avoid and more targets where you have to reload at least once.

The targets are all close so if you are a fairly good shot it wouldn't be hard to hit the center of the targets. Where the shooters had to concentrate on is the how quickly they could aim, place their shots into the center of the target and move quickly to the next station to get the best time recorded.

Watching the competitors, many of them looked like the never shot IDPA before or only done it a few times as they were taking slow fired shots and walking to the next station rather than running over to it and were more or less just going through the motions and having fun rather than rushing through it like they were going for a cash prize or medal. I saw some shooters who seemed to go to matches alot and were more in a competitive mindset and then I saw others who were just beginners, but at the end they were all there to have fun and everyone there was friendly and answered questions to new competitors. There weren't any arrogant people there acting like they were the best.

Firearms used by these shooters were anything from a 1911s, Glocks, Berettas, SIGs, etc in 9mm, .40 and .45. They all used range ammo and nothing expensive or fancy reloads. I am not very sure of the exact IDPA rules, but it looked as if the shooters were separated in different handgun classes and if they were using hi-cap magazines or not.

Like I said, this was a smaller course in an indoor range so it is probably a bit less intense than an outdoor course and more setup for the novice or casual competitor and great for beginners.

I'm going to go and participate in my first match there the next time they have one. I first was somewhat intimidated by the thought of being in a competition, but after watching one I will feel quite comfortable going to my first match and for the first time just go through the course slowly and safe, have some fun and not worry about being in first place.
I was questioning if my Glock 23 or Beretta 92 were good enough for IDPA competition and after watching this match, either of them were just fine to use in the match as many competitors were using the same guns.

[Ken O]

You dont have to be good to shoot, Ive been shooting IPSC for about 12 years and I'm still terrible.
Every club is a little different, our club (IDPA) encourages BUG and each stage has different round counts for BUG, we also encourage bringing more than one gun.
Last sunday I shot our IDPA match, it was 12ºF out, light winds, snowing with 8" of snow on the ground. We had 6 stages, I figured with the weather we wouldnt have much of a showup... wrong..... we had a good turnout, I just shot one gun, the 625 revolver, it was definatly a loss brass match with all the snow, I was the only revolver shooter and of course I came back with all my brass. It took about three hours to shoot the stages, I was real cold, didnt wear enough cloths figureing there would be just a few of us and it would be real quick. Another lesson learned!
Anyways, just get out there and try it and dont worry about how good or bad you shoot, just have fun.

[glockopop]

i've shot IPSC more than IDPA, but I prefer IDPA. right now my local club is on hiatus til the snow melts. IDPA is the most fun you can have with a pistol. As if that wasn't enough, it teaches you very useful fundamentals. my accuracy has improved greatly since i started competition shooting. my draw and reload times have improved greatly. Now when i go to the range, i have specific things I can work on instead of just hitting cans at 20 yards all day. i encourage anyone to join IDPA ESPECIALLY IF YOU CARRY.

[Jim Watson]

Dust D,
Just because it is inside, doesn't make it easier. One thing, indoors we can turn out the lights!

Leafing through a magazine at the grocery store, I read Walt Rauch to say he took a new gun to a match and found out that solitary practice is not enough. The stress of competition made it a lot harder to shoot. Of course he IS one of the IDPA founders.

[wahsben]

What catagory would the Walther P99 come under? Thank you.

[Jim Watson]

Decocked, it is in Stock Service Pistol.