Went to my first IDPA match - time well spent

I went to my first IDPA match yesterday. The match was held at the The Rod & Gun Club of New Bedford. A great group of shooters and a nice facility. The variety of the five stages proved challenging and interesting, making me do some things I would not have thought of on my own. They had an assortment of targets, including numerous action targets that were activated by shooting/dropping a metal silhouette.

We were divided into squads, and went seamlessly through the five stages, led by the same Range Officer (who was terrific) throughout the event. Total time for the match was about two hours.

IMHO, if you want to tune and tweak your shooting skills a little, then go to one of your local IDPA matches. For me, it was time well spent. :smile:

-

I agree for tweaking your shooting skills IDPA will help but for fighting skills in a gunfight I have my doubts. Things you learn and do there will get you shot in a real world gunfight.

Just my thoughts on IDPA, I do them for fun not for learning of the how to's of a gunfight.

Yep, IDPA is fun and can help maintain some of your fundamentals under some pressure.

I can't see spending roughly $450.00 for a basic two day professional training session for a perishable skill. Another $450.00 for the advanced pistol class, and even more if you want to do the same thing with shotguns and rifles.

The odds are extremely low a person will ever need to draw a weapon. The odds are 100% I can shoot hundreds of dollars of ammo at any given time.

In my experience, unless you're subjected to the daily stress of mutual combat, the average Joe is going to forget the hundreds / thousands of dollars spent on the training anyway when and if the situation ever presents itself.

A scientific study conducted by the Dennis1209 institute in 2011 concluded; thousands of dollars in over priced training and muscle memory went out the window when an actual situation occurred and reverted to primal instincts of survival. This study was funded by the conservative Dennis1209 fund for fun :wave:

Funny. I just attended my first one yesterday, too and had the same experience. I had to check your location to see if we were in the same match. That would have been funny....unless you were the guy who had the M&P malfunctioning gun.

One can question the "authenticity" of IDPA or other action/combat matches relative to real-life incidents. There's no "one-eighty" rule in real life, and in a match the targets don't shoot back. Matches create a static situation which may represent one millisecond out of a ten second event. And to be sure, no matter what the game, there are competitors who will "game" it with competition-only gear, ammo and mindset.

But to dismiss action matches as being a waste of time or not worth the money IMHO throws the baby out with the bath water. Nearly every shooter I know who participated/s in these matches runs his gun better as a result of clearing malfunctions under the clock. More attention is paid to readiness of gear - e.g., is that magazine fully seated, and was there a chamber check to ensure the gun truly is loaded? The specific skills of running from one shooting box to another and reacquiring a sight picture, or shooting past an oscillating no-shoot target are indeed perishable, but they do no harm. They are far more valuable for the potential benefit of learning to shoot acceptably well with adrenaline coursing through your veins and a little breathless from the target-to-target dash than simply banging at silhouette or bullseye targets from a stationary position.

I do think it's important to keep the shooting games in perspective, and not consider yourself ready to confront a wave of armed BGs simply because you're a Grand Master. However - if I was cast into that extremely unlikely situation, you bet your sweet butt I'd like a Rob Leatham or Angus Hobdell next to me, even though they're "just" real good at a shooting game.

ANY gun game is a GOOD GAME! If you don't like the ones we have, go INVENT one! Trigger-time, trigger-time, how I love my...TRIGGER TIME! :1syellow1:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dennis1209

Yep, IDPA is fun and can help maintain some of your fundamentals under some pressure.

I can't see spending roughly $450.00 for a basic two day professional training session for a perishable skill. Another $450.00 for the advanced pistol class, and even more if you want to do the same thing with shotguns and rifles.

The odds are extremely low a person will ever need to draw a weapon. The odds are 100% I can shoot hundreds of dollars of ammo at any given time.

In my experience, unless you're subjected to the daily stress of mutual combat, the average Joe is going to forget the hundreds / thousands of dollars spent on the training anyway when and if the situation ever presents itself.

A scientific study conducted by the Dennis1209 institute in 2011 concluded; thousands of dollars in over priced training and muscle memory went out the window when an actual situation occurred and reverted to primal instincts of survival. This study was funded by the conservative Dennis1209 fund for fun :wave:

---

Then why carry at all? Since the chances of needing a gun are so low, why not just leave it at home?

Yes the skills are perishable, that is why you practice. Training teaches you what and how to practice.

To say that someone who has extensive training and somebody that has zero training will perform exactly the same in a dangerous encounter seems ignorant.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dennis1209

Yep, IDPA is fun and can help maintain some of your fundamentals under some pressure. Agreed.

I can't see spending roughly $450.00 for a basic two day professional training session for a perishable skill. Another $450.00 for the advanced pistol class, and even more if you want to do the same thing with shotguns and rifles. Is it a money issue for you?

The odds are extremely low a person will ever need to draw a weapon. Thank God The odds are 100% I can shoot hundreds of dollars of ammo at any given time. That's not, IMHO, a BAD thing.

In my experience I'd sure be interested in hearing more about that., unless you're subjected to the daily stress of mutual combat What is "singular" combat? , the average Joe is going to forget the hundreds / thousands of dollars spent on the training anyway when and if the situation ever presents itself.

A scientific study conducted by the Dennis1209 institute in 2011 concluded; thousands of dollars in over priced training and muscle memory went out the window when an actual situation occurred and reverted to primal instincts of survival. This study was funded by the conservative Dennis1209 fund for fun :wave:

---

I'm not sure the point you're trying to make. Don't compete, don't carry, don't train, don't practice, it won't matter, don't spend money...what?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bill MO

Things you learn and do there will get you shot in a real world gunfight.

---

Call me a Little confused? I agree that everything is not realistic, but get you shot? Please explain, maybe I have been missing something.

Sounds like a good time. I would love to get out to any shooting match, will some day in the future. I have to agree with ghost trackers thinking, trigger time is trigger time - and trigger time is good.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bill MO
Things you learn and do there will get you shot in a real world gunfight.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 40Bob

Call me a Little confused? I agree that everything is not realistic, but get you shot? Please explain, maybe I have been missing something.

---

To name a couple,

(1) Shooting more than one target without moving off the X or going to cover. If there is more than one BG and you stand still you most likely will die. My thoughts is if there is only one BG with his gun already drawn and you stand still you will die. MOVEMENT is your friend.

(2) The gaming way of using cover is not good for real life fighting. You are showing way to much body, but when you are thinking speed and time in a game making the hit fast is all that matters.

My suggestion is when you think you are good and can win the fight most times put it to the test in a FOF scenario. Yes plastic BBs hurt but nothing like real lead bullets. Shoot those same scenarios that you shoot in IDPA against live BG who actually shoot back, with airsoft.

It's target practice, without the target or shooter always remaining still. It's a fun way to spend a morning, afternoon with good people. I love the smell of gunpowder in the morning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMnECIUz0bw

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bubbiesdad

It's target practice, without the target or shooter always remaining still. It's a fun way to spend a morning, afternoon with good people. I love the smell of gunpowder in the morning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMnECIUz0bw

---

Don't know if that's your vid, but with all due respect, the music is highly irrelevant and distracting.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bill MO

To name a couple,

(1) Shooting more than one target without moving off the X or going to cover. If there is more than one BG and you stand still you most likely will die. My thoughts is if there is only one BG with his gun already drawn and you stand still you will die. MOVEMENT is your friend.

(2) The gaming way of using cover is not good for real life fighting. You are showing way to much body, but when you are thinking speed and time in a game making the hit fast is all that matters.

My suggestion is when you think you are good and can win the fight most times put it to the test in a FOF scenario. Yes plastic BBs hurt but nothing like real lead bullets. Shoot those same scenarios that you shoot in IDPA against live BG who actually shoot back, with airsoft.

---

Moving and using cover is required in IDPA. Perhaps you're thinking of USPSA

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chevy-SS

I went to my first IDPA match yesterday. The match was held at the The Rod & Gun Club of New Bedford. A great group of shooters and a nice facility. The variety of the five stages proved challenging and interesting, making me do some things I would not have thought of on my own. They had an assortment of targets, including numerous action targets that were activated by shooting/dropping a metal silhouette.

We were divided into squads, and went seamlessly through the five stages, led by the same Range Officer (who was terrific) throughout the event. Total time for the match was about two hours.

IMHO, if you want to tune and tweak your shooting skills a little, then go to one of your local IDPA matches. For me, it was time well spent. :smile:

-

---

Glad you had fun, IDPA is something everyone that carries a gun should do one time.