A good day shooting, IDPA classifier

1-DAB · June 7, 2015, 06:41 PM

shot my second classifier yesterday, with my VP9 (CCP), scored 130.66. best score i've ever shot, including practices. that makes SharpShooter for CCP, SSP, and ESP. had to abandon my classifier with my 1911 due to weather (wind was blowing the targets over), will reshoot that another day.

gun ran great, too many down for my liking, so something to work on.

only been shooting IDPA for a year, so i'm pleased overall.

1-DAB · June 8, 2015, 02:59 PM

i have read several websites that described and explained the Classifier, offered tips on how to shoot it to the best of your ability, and some also counseled against practicing it.

i disagree.

90 rounds (2 boxes of ammo, with a few spares), 14 draws, 4 reloads. shooting from standing still, shooting on the move, shooting after turning, shooting from cover (standing and kneeling). it's a pretty good mix of speed and precision from different distances and stances.

and if you think you are getting too good at it, challenge yourself. move back a few paces. replace body shots with head shots. shoot more one handed. shoot it weak handed. it's just you and your timer and your targets when practicing.

and keep notes. i shot stage 3 several times, some faster, some slower....and after adding in the down points - my score was the same. slow down and aim better!

MrBorland · June 8, 2015, 05:28 PM

The general gist of the advice is to avoid solely practicing the classifier merely as a means to move up the classification ranks. How you shoot matches is more important. Getting in over your head can quickly take the fun out of it. Ideally, your match performance should be in-line with your classification.

The classifier is, however, a pretty good well-rounded set of skills, which individually are well-worth practicing, keeping in mind they're not the only skills you ought to be practicing.

Nice work on your classifier. Congrats.

RickB · June 9, 2015, 02:30 PM

Shooting the classifier is great practice.
The skills tested are certainly IDPA skills, but they're not in proportions that would allow the classifier to serve as a good indicator of match performance.
Only eighteen of the 90 shots are fired around vertical cover, when I'd say 80% of match shots are around vertical cover.
You move out of cover once, and into cover twice, and you might do both two or three times on a typical 12-15rd match stage.
Thirty shots are fired at 15 yards or 20 yards, when you might go an entire season of match shooting and not shoot thirty rounds at those distances.

1-DAB · June 9, 2015, 02:42 PM

we had one COF before getting busy with the classifiers. 17 round stage.

start with 3 targets at 5-10 yards, 2 shots each while retreating (6 total so far).

i chose to do head shots at these, and not the easier body shots. made all 6 with zero down.

then around cover at a steel (1 shot), and 2 more on a stomp activated swinger (2 shots) at 5 yards (steel at 10 min).

9 so far

then thru a door, to cover, 2 more targets at 5 yards, 2 each and a steel (5 more, 14 total so far). steel activated a swing out and a disappearing target (optional), for 4 more possible shots at 7 yards, 17 shots and done.

6 in open, 11 from cover. longest shots were the steels at 10 yards and the T3 if you retreated far enough to reach cover.

a fairly complicated stage. if you search on IDPA website, there is a quite a mix of stages they have posted, some use lots of cover, others are more standards stages without cover.

1-DAB · June 9, 2015, 08:30 PM

High senior and most accurate. Woot.

June 7, 2015, 06:41 PM	#1
1-DAB Senior Member Join Date: May 5, 2010 Location: Santa Fe, NM Posts: 474	A good day shooting, IDPA classifier shot my second classifier yesterday, with my VP9 (CCP), scored 130.66. best score i've ever shot, including practices. that makes SharpShooter for CCP, SSP, and ESP. had to abandon my classifier with my 1911 due to weather (wind was blowing the targets over), will reshoot that another day. gun ran great, too many down for my liking, so something to work on. only been shooting IDPA for a year, so i'm pleased overall.

June 9, 2015, 02:30 PM	#4
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	Shooting the classifier is great practice. The skills tested are certainly IDPA skills, but they're not in proportions that would allow the classifier to serve as a good indicator of match performance. Only eighteen of the 90 shots are fired around vertical cover, when I'd say 80% of match shots are around vertical cover. You move out of cover once, and into cover twice, and you might do both two or three times on a typical 12-15rd match stage. Thirty shots are fired at 15 yards or 20 yards, when you might go an entire season of match shooting and not shoot thirty rounds at those distances. __________________ Runs off at the mouth about anything 1911 related on this site and half the time is flat out wrong.

June 8, 2015, 02:59 PM	#2
1-DAB Senior Member Join Date: May 5, 2010 Location: Santa Fe, NM Posts: 474	i have read several websites that described and explained the Classifier, offered tips on how to shoot it to the best of your ability, and some also counseled against practicing it. i disagree. 90 rounds (2 boxes of ammo, with a few spares), 14 draws, 4 reloads. shooting from standing still, shooting on the move, shooting after turning, shooting from cover (standing and kneeling). it's a pretty good mix of speed and precision from different distances and stances. and if you think you are getting too good at it, challenge yourself. move back a few paces. replace body shots with head shots. shoot more one handed. shoot it weak handed. it's just you and your timer and your targets when practicing. and keep notes. i shot stage 3 several times, some faster, some slower....and after adding in the down points - my score was the same. slow down and aim better!

June 8, 2015, 05:28 PM	#3
MrBorland Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 2,614	The general gist of the advice is to avoid solely practicing the classifier merely as a means to move up the classification ranks. How you shoot matches is more important. Getting in over your head can quickly take the fun out of it. Ideally, your match performance should be in-line with your classification. The classifier is, however, a pretty good well-rounded set of skills, which individually are well-worth practicing, keeping in mind they're not the only skills you ought to be practicing. Nice work on your classifier. Congrats.

June 9, 2015, 02:42 PM	#5
1-DAB Senior Member Join Date: May 5, 2010 Location: Santa Fe, NM Posts: 474	we had one COF before getting busy with the classifiers. 17 round stage. start with 3 targets at 5-10 yards, 2 shots each while retreating (6 total so far). i chose to do head shots at these, and not the easier body shots. made all 6 with zero down. then around cover at a steel (1 shot), and 2 more on a stomp activated swinger (2 shots) at 5 yards (steel at 10 min). 9 so far then thru a door, to cover, 2 more targets at 5 yards, 2 each and a steel (5 more, 14 total so far). steel activated a swing out and a disappearing target (optional), for 4 more possible shots at 7 yards, 17 shots and done. 6 in open, 11 from cover. longest shots were the steels at 10 yards and the T3 if you retreated far enough to reach cover. a fairly complicated stage. if you search on IDPA website, there is a quite a mix of stages they have posted, some use lots of cover, others are more standards stages without cover.

June 9, 2015, 08:30 PM	#6
1-DAB Senior Member Join Date: May 5, 2010 Location: Santa Fe, NM Posts: 474	High senior and most accurate. Woot.