IDPA

[Ram Rod]

Thanks

They are all more then a hour away from me.

As things are now, I drive 65 miles one way to go to my club matches. I pay $100 per year membership fees. I know things are tough, but it's worth it in my book. Even once will put a smile on your face and something to talk about for the next three months. It's rough sometimes. I did my first ever GSSF Glock Challenge last year that I thought I'd never get to do. I took two days of vacation PTO to do it....and burned up some precious ammo. Right now I know several people that are willing to drive 60+ miles to a Wal Mart that has pistol ammo alone. I'm just sayin'. I'd rather go to a shooting match than on a Bahama cruise. That's just me though. If you need a few bucks for gas just PM me.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[retsupt99]

You are in the middle of 3-4 clubs and all far away? Darn!

Something closer than Orlando or Leesburg? (To Gainesville...)

[Dal1Celt]

As things are now, I drive 65 miles one way to go to my club matches. I pay $100 per year membership fees. I know things are tough, but it's worth it in my book. Even once will put a smile on your face and something to talk about for the next three months. It's rough sometimes. I did my first ever GSSF Glock Challenge last year that I thought I'd never get to do. I took two days of vacation PTO to do it....and burned up some precious ammo. Right now I know several people that are willing to drive 60+ miles to a Wal Mart that has pistol ammo alone. I'm just sayin'. I'd rather go to a shooting match than on a Bahama cruise. That's just me though. If you need a few bucks for gas just PM me.

No worries RAMROD.

I just figured since this is a military town that there would be one closer to me.

Maybe something I need to try and push for around our area.

Thanks for the gas offer, not needed but appreciated.

[HK Dan]

I'm going a step further next month, and taking the level I NROI seminar to become a range officer.

Atta boy Ram. I run a USPSA club and an IDPA club. There ain't no substitute for people who are willing to help. The old axiom that 10% of the shooters do 90% of the work holds true in our sports: 10% help set up (though almost 100& help tear down). Thank you, and I salute your contribution, Sir!

As far as IDPA being valuable? Eh. Depends on the club. We run USPSA as it's meant to be run, and do solid, defensive stages in IPDA. That's all--we don't try to be USPSA-lite.

We have something called the Wolf Creek Start. At the beep they flinch, identify the threat, and then draw (thanks Rob).

We run stages where all of the shooting is done from the ground, sometimes with a 110 pound dummy on top of the shooter. We run stages where it takes 2 shots from retention, sometimes with a disarm move (drop me an E Mail and I'll sent the stage diagrams).

Now, heck yes, we run "fun" stages. I built 20 cobras from 1/4" plywood and cut a slot for 60mm clays. The shooter had to break the clay for a kill shot, and some were at 20 yards. They could run up, but they'd be shooting to either side if they did. That was "Snakes On A Stage", but the bulk of them are solid defensive skill building stages that the shooter can take home and use for valuable practice.

If the local club asks what your time on the El Pres is? Take 'em with a grain of salt...LOL

Dan

[Ram Rod]

Maybe something I need to try and push for around our area.

You said it.

[Miggy]

Blackeagle: I don't know what kind of shooting match your friend saw, but it was not IDPA. Some of his comments (such as "Infrequent use of a concealment garment", "Use of a "match gun" and equipment", "Conditioning shooters to use two hands to re-holster" and other comments make me think he has never attended an IDPA match.

You may find this article interesting. Specially the people mentioned in tha article and the one in the picture in page 3
IDPA Shooting

[Miggy]

Something closer than Orlando or Leesburg? (To Gainesville...)

Darn... The closest would be Jacksonville
Maybe you should open a club! Talk to Lance, I bet he knows people in your situation and living area.

[Blackeagle]

Blackeagle: I don't know what kind of shooting match your friend saw, but it was not IDPA. Some of his comments (such as "Infrequent use of a concealment garment", "Use of a "match gun" and equipment", "Conditioning shooters to use two hands to re-holster" and other comments make me think he has never attended an IDPA match.

My friend shot IDPA for many years (and IPSC/USPSA before that). While I have not been shooting nearly as long, I have seen every single one of those bad habits in play at IDPA matches, and usually see at least a majority of them at each match.

The match I shot today provides some excellent examples of some of the very things you mentioned. Due to the heat, they entirely removed the requirement for the cover garment for all stages. I and one other shooter used concealment regardless, but everyone else shot from open carry. As far as the 'match gun' goes, at the end of the match, the vast majority of participants routinely strip off the guns they used for the match and switch to smaller guns, more concealable holsters and mag pouches, or even go without a carry gun entirely. I am one of the minority of shooters who simply switch mags to carry ammo and leaves the range carrying the same equipment I shot the match with.

[Bunny]

Yes, but not IDPA. Our range hosts a monthly 3-Gun competition, and I just found out about IPSC here, too! Will try that next month and hope I don't get laughed off the range.

[mlong623]

nope not yet, but I will.

I didn't know there was a match today. Where in CLT was it held?

[Blackeagle]

Yes, but not IDPA. Our range hosts a monthly 3-Gun competition, and I just found out about IPSC here, too! Will try that next month and hope I don't get laughed off the range.

I find most folks in the different shooting games are very friendly to new shooters. Get out there, have fun, and don't worry about getting laughed off the range!

[sniper58]

I used to and enjoyed it a lot. Our local club stopped offering matches as the same people would volunteer all the time and the same crown would just show up and shoot. The northern contingency of the club do hold matches, but the range is a good 2+ hours north and report time is around 0700.

[Miggy]

My friend shot IDPA for many years (and IPSC/USPSA before that). While I have not been shooting nearly as long, I have seen every single one of those bad habits in play at IDPA matches, and usually see at least a majority of them at each match.

The match I shot today provides some excellent examples of some of the very things you mentioned. Due to the heat, they entirely removed the requirement for the cover garment for all stages. I and one other shooter used concealment regardless, but everyone else shot from open carry. As far as the 'match gun' goes, at the end of the match, the vast majority of participants routinely strip off the guns they used for the match and switch to smaller guns, more concealable holsters and mag pouches, or even go without a carry gun entirely. I am one of the minority of shooters who simply switch mags to carry ammo and leaves the range carrying the same equipment I shot the match with.

Then the problem is not IDPA but the club you are shooting with.

[Blackeagle]

Then the problem is not IDPA but the club you are shooting with.

Could be, but from what I've seen and heard most of these issues are pretty universal. Some of these are things that ought to be incorporated in the rules, but aren't. Some is just the fundamental nature of shooting games, particularly timed ones: what gets you the best score will inevitably sometimes diverge from what would actually be best in a fight.

[Miggy]

The use of timers is a great stress inducer. It tries to add some pressure to the shooter's preformance which is a great learning tool. Most shooters starting IDPA soon find out that those perfect bullseyes at the static range disappear when they have to move and they running under a clock. And let's face it, the stress induced by a timer is very very small compared to the stress created by a self defense situation. So you may have gone to all the tactical schools and trained in the latest whiz-bang ninja techniques but if not practiced under some sort of stress to see if the shooter can actually procure a combat hit, all that training is wasted time and money.
Now, not everybody can shell big bucks to attend a tactical class every month but they sure can shell $10 to $20 on a monthly IDPA match which will provide them with a modicum of techniques that otherwise would not get.