IDPA

[Agave]

I've shot IDPA for a bit. Yesterday, I shot out of my duty belt for the first time.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Saber]

No, but I wish I did. I guess I'm just pretty much a closet gun slinger'.
Regards,

[NC Buckeye]

I think with the interest we should have a forum for these games.

[sgtD]

No, I don't do it.

I have been wanting to for a couple of years now and just don't have the time given my current situation.

As soon as I get out of law school and get a job, I fully plan to get started in some IDPA shooting.

[Miggy]

ranburr, you are right. there are shooters that have no experience or training shooting IDPA but IDPA becomes the training that otherwise they would not get and that beats no training at all.
Example: The first thing that a shooter learns in IDPA is the use of cover. If the first rule of a gunfight is to have a gun, the second should be no to get any holes in your body that were not present prior to the gunfight. Realistically, How many shooters in this forum train and can practice at their local ranges shooting from cover/concealment? After a few matches, the use of cover becomes second nature. That a shooter might not use cover "perfectly" as Blackeagle states is secondary IMHO to making oneself a much difficult target by reducing the amount of exposed body to a Bad Guy. If the only cover out there in the street is a fire hydrant, I will take it without hesitation. Will a fire hydrant be enough to cover my less than svelte body? Hell not by a mile, but beats having no cover at all or wasting time and risking getting shot while looking around for the perfect bunker which will permit me shoot back at my leisure while drinking a smoothie and talking to the 911 operator.

Also, I have seen trained LEOs, military and operators come apart during IDPA matches. I am talking very well trained people here with all the tactical gear in the world that get humbled badly by either a guy who just learned how to operate a gun 6 months prior or an overweight grandfather in his late 60's. The smart ones realize that they were training in a bubble and seek to remedy the situation by shooting more matches and changing their mindsets. But the not so smart ones are never seen again because their egos were hurt by the match.
Another thing that IDPA does is to create a thirst for further knowledge and training to the shooters. Average Joe realizes he ain't as good as he thought he was and seeks further training outside IDPA. He asks other shooters about classes and instructors and goes on to get better with an a credited trainer.

[Miggy]

I think with the interest we should have a forum for these games.

Buck, if you think .45 v 9mm arguments are bad, you have no idea how nasty IDPA v. IPSC, IPSC v. PPC, Everybody v. Cowboy Shooting, etc can get

[Landric]

I really enjoy shooting IDPA. No, its not training. Anyone who goes into it thinking it is training has the wrong mindset. It is supposed to be fun. Real training shouldn't be fun most of the time. If it is, its not intense enough.

That said, it does provide excellent experience with gun handling under stress, fast and accurate shooting, at least considering cover and concealment, etc.

My only real gripes with IDPA are the somewhat silly reload rules when a gun is empty (if its empty its time to start reloading, IDPA requires the reload to wait until one is behind cover, it makes a lot more sense to start the reload while moving to cover rather than to wait until one gets there to start) and the points down system. I think we could do away with a lot of the gaming if we assigned a more significant penalty for -1 and -3 hits. I think each scored hit in -1 should be a full second penalty (not a 1/2) and a scored hit in -3 should be a 3 second penalty.

Other than that, I have no real complaints about the sport and I find it to be a tremendous amount of fun.

[jualdeaux]

I shot the monthly match on Saturday. And I'm considering going to another this sunday as a friend is taking over the match director position there for the first time.

[Amp Mangum]

Would like to know if anyone knows if there is any near my location (Fayetteville, NC)??

Coharie Shooting League 2 times a month at Clinton and once a month near Angier.

[Miggy]

My only real gripes with IDPA are the somewhat silly reload rules when a gun is empty (if its empty its time to start reloading, IDPA requires the reload to wait until one is behind cover, it makes a lot more sense to start the reload while moving to cover rather than to wait until one gets there to start).

From the Rule Book, page 44:

All reloads must be executed from cover (if cover is available) and must be completed before leaving cover.

[HeadHunter]

Here's a video of the Florida 2011 IDPA Championship. It was a lot of fun.

I like to think of IDPA as a testing ground to find out what you suck at. Many folks come and find out they suck at a lot of things.

[Orive 8]

As a former US Army Officer and full time LEO (and Firearms Instructor), who has had the privilege of training with MANY of the country's top instructors and schools; here is my take on IDPA.

I think if one goes to an IDPA "Event" with the proper mindset, one can get lots of useful "training/practice" out of the event. (I like to call it that instead of match, cuz for me match means competition, i.e. trying to win, and if that is the case, then anything goes - within the rules of course )

Shoot with you carry gun, using your carry gear, always use your cover garment (even if they wave it for really hot summer days - you can put your cover garment on for the 2-5 minutes that you'll be shooting each stage!). Try to shoot each stage as "tactically or realistically" as you can (as long as you are safe). Don't worry about any score or times, heck when you're done with the "event" toss that score sheet in the garbage.

With that said, I have found that when I tell people this, many shooters have very little training, and what they think they are doing at an event/match IS "tactical". I believe that one should get good training first (and going to one or two classes just isn't enough folks), then use the IDPA Events to supplement their practice/training programs.

I look at each event as a place where I can practice shooting from cover, shooting on the move, shooting strong/weak hand, shooting multiple targets, shooting on stages with shoot/no shoot targets, using my carry gun and gear, etc... for a mere $10-15 fee.

Now, if you want to go and just use IDPA for competing or a social event, I find nothing wrong with that either, you are out shooting with like minded individuals having a good time and some just like to get the competition juices flowing!

To all who haven't yet; give it a try, you might just like it!

[Bubbiesdad]

I've shot IDPA a couple of years and as others have said it is not training. It is timed target practice with rules and differing, and sometimes, moving targets.

[DoctorBob]

I've been trying to shoot IDPA twice a month. I think there are some valuable skills to learn albeit some are contrived and not practical in a real life situation. It's a bit hard to replicate real life to the Nth degree in a game...

[glockman10mm]

I had shot IDPA since its inception until a few years ago. It is really not traing at all, but gaming in the guise of training, in my opinion. The reason I say this is that slicing the pie, clearing rooms, and all that are more of an LE technique. Back when IDPA first started, the scenarios were more realistic for what the armed citizen would be faced with, and should engage in. My las couple of years doing it were used to be an addition to my LE traing.

But there are useful things that are benefiicial to everyone who participates. But, its important to know the difference.