[DontShootMe]

Okay, I've heard people talking IPSC, IISC, ABCD leagues. Some of them sound interesting.

But the question is:

How much practice should I get before I join one? What are the main differences between the leagues? Is there a fee to compete in each match? Do you win money or prizes?

These are some of the questions I have.

Thanks in advance for any input or assistance!

and please,

DontShootMe :cool:

[duckfoot]

Get a good working handgun, lots a ammo for gun, holster for the gun, belt for holster, and just go.

Or take what ever you got and go.

Or just go.

You might not win prizes, but will win some friends for sure.

IDPA and IPSC have lots of rules.

You already know how to shoot safely so that's enough practice. Shooting under stress is a whole different ball game.

Advise, first time through, go really slow, gotta walk before you run, and for god sakes be safe!!!

Front site, squeeze

Front site, squeeze

Front site, squeeze

Did I mention to just go?


just my .02 and is as worthless as yours

[Sheldon]

I have shot a little IPSC in the past. It is a lot more exciting than just shooting for group at the range on a single target. It is a good progression for your skills in regards to getting experience with shooting fast, reloading on the run, enaging multiple targets, shooting from the draw, around barricades....and all sorts of other things that your regular range probably doesn't allow........unless your lucky enough to have a range nearby that does allow all that. You will also see where your skill level stacks up against others.

As I mentioned before, the local range doesn't allow most of the things you will be doing during a compeition. So in my case the competition itself was a practice session for me. I had a lot of fun doing it and wish I could still do it. The club I shot at charged $25 or so per match. A match was typically 6 or 8 stages and used about 200 rounds or so. Winners per class won plaques. Bigger matches might cost more but have better prizes. Do find a local match and try it out at least.

[243_shooter]

I thought I could shoot until I tried IPSC.. The speed factor throws in a whole new dimension. The matches I go to are usually ~100 rds, 4 stages. Cost is a meager $12. Not to bad for a mornings fun.

I try not to take it to seriously, and go for A's only, and it's a blast. Still kind of bummed because the last match rained out as a matter of fact :(

Try it, even if you don't like it you won't be out much, and it'll be a good experience either way. I really think it's helped my handgun skills.

I'm betting you'll like it though!

Leo

[Art Eatman]

Always remember that nobody started out as an expert anything. Those guys may look impressive, but they all started from zero.

Even if you don't actually enter, the first time you go to a match, you'll learn a lot from just looking. And you'll find a bunch of folks willing to help a Newbie--feel free to say that's what you are.

Going against the clock and other competitors induces more stress than a lot of folks believe. It's some of the best low-cost training toward self-defense proficiency, so long as you realize it's not the be-all, end-all of the learning process.

Go for it!

:), Art

[Werewolf]

I shoot IPSC...

I never rate higher than the bottom third of competitors and probably never will... (but then where I shoot there are 3 Masters, about 10 A class and 20 or so B class shooters who show up every month. I'm doomed from the get go).

I always have a whole lot of fun and doing it has improved my speed (though not my accuracy - accuracy wise I'm always in the top 3 - speed wise I'm in the bottom 3 - I'm really slow). Some of the guys are even willing to help me improve my skills though surprisingly - to me at least - some are very jealous of their skill and will impart none of it to anyone).

So just go out and do it. Have fun. That's what it's all about. And if you want to compete seriously you will need to devote the time and effort to it that those Master rated guys where I shoot do. One guy shoots a thousand or more rounds a day 5 or 6 days a week (and still comes in 2nd or 3rd sometimes).

[10-Ring]

Go & have a good time!! I haven't done alot of matches, but the few IDPA matches I've taken part in are more fun than you can imagine! :cool: :D

[ysr_racer]

Where in CA are you? I live in So. Cal. and we have a few IPSC & IDPA clubs here. Beginners are always welcome, as long as you are safe. I shoot at Raahauges. What you'll need to shoot a match are:

1. A handgun of 9mm or larger.
2. 4 magazines
3. A gun belt & holster & mag pouches.
4. 250 rounds of ammo.
5. Ear & eye protection.
6. Sun Screen & hat
7. A bag to carry your stuff around in.
8. A lawn chair.
9. $25
9. Your brain with the 4 rules of safety fully ingrained.

Here's a link to "our" club: http://jvdynamics.com/nrg/

Here's a link to Raahauges: http://www.raahauges.com/

Here's a link to find USPSA clubs near you: http://www.uspsa.org/main.shtml

If you or anybody else would like to come out and try a match, drop me a line. I've got extra gun belts, holsters and mag pouches.

Once you shoot a match of any kind, you'll never go back to shooting at static targets.

Here's a link to some pictures of an IPSC match

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=1627499&uid=883856

[Mike Irwin]

Just go. Watch the shooters before you, and then shoot.

The best way to figure out a particular game is to shoot it a couple of times.

Then you can concentrate on the specifics of becoming competitive in your class, and starting working your way through rankings.

[Black Snowman]

I've done some miscelanious informal shoots like pin shooting and a local "combat match" that was sort of a run what ya brung, simplified IDPA/IPSC hybrid. Both WAY fun. Don't worry about how you compare to others. You'll have the most fun and get the most benefit focusing on self improvement.

In pin shooting full size pins with 22s I went from 5-15 second times to consistantly getting under 4 seconds and my recored being 1.89 seconds (from buzzer to last shot, PACT timer, .5 second of that is getting to the 1st shot).

It took 3 years to get that good and I learned a LOT for the guys who were already doing it. I coundn't repeat those performances now but it wouldn't take long to get "back in the groove".

Punching paper gets old after a while and compeditive shooting is a LOT of fun but does suck up a lot of ammo. If you don't reload I hope your rich, if you do reload I hope you have a progressive :)

[cracked butt]

Just go to a shoot. The first few times out don't expect to do really well, but expect that you will get alot better once you get used to the rules and actually getting practice with a handgun under mild stress. Take your time, aim, squeaze the trigger- you can't miss fast enough to win:D

[Pendragon]

I have yet to do it, but I bet:

Even being in the bottom 1/3rd still puts you in the top 2% or so of people who use handguns. Especially if you have to use it in SD - I doubt most BGs have that kind of ability - a few, maybe - but most probably just learn how to shoot from rap videos :P

[C.R.Sam]

Go
Be aware
Have fun
Learn
Have fun

Sam

[Terminus]

I'm a pretty new shooter as well.

I had fewer than 500 total rounds fired in my life before I decided to try IDPA. It's a whole lot more satisfying and educational than standing still at a range...and fun. I've only competed (if you can call my performance "competing") three times, but here are a couple of newbie suggestions to add to the others listed above:

Brush up on the rules and rituals posted on the web.

With an unloaded firearm, practice loading, reholstering, drawing, and safing the weapon at home before you compete.

Ask the Safety Officer to put you at the bottom of the batting order so you can watch the more experienced folks before you go to the line.

GO SLOW AND SAFE!!! None of the other shooters will judge you by your score, but they won't be happy if you're unsafe.

Enjoy it!

[Navy joe]

Please just go try it, don't worry about all the equipment needs, am I good enough, etc. Equipment you will figure out from observing your first few matches. Many improvements are eventually necessary, but always ask if the improved piece of equipment will buy as much an increase in score as an equivalent dollar amount of practice ammo would.
I will make one equipment exception, and that's the holster. You don't need a race holster, but please, no nylon holsters! :cuss: I've seen way too many new shooters show up with a flimsy Izod leather weave belt and a cheap nylon holster that won't stay open. Re-holstering usually involves holding it open with the weak hand and thus covering yourself with the muzzle or opening the holster with the muzzle while again usually covering themselves. A cheap Fobus or UM kydex holster will be fine for now or any reinforced top leather holster. Remember, strong side only and points to the ground within 1 meter of the competitor. Trigger guard fully covered.
As for accuracy, a good beginners standard is can I keep all my shots on a 8.5X11 sheet of paper easily at my pace? If you can you will survive the first match and can build from there.

You'll love it, lots of folks will try to help you, maybe write down what they say so you can digest it later. It will give you a goal to focus on when just punching paper and you can work on specific skills you see employed in the matches.

You will become addicted. I'm shooting USPSA, IDPA and whatever 3-gun or Steel Challenge I can find right now. That only leaves me to try my hand at Pin shoots, plate shoots, Bianchi Cup, Bullseye, GSSF, CAS, skeet, trap, sporting clays, highpower, etc. I will try them all, bank acount or not.

243, you need to toughen those guys up. Still kind of bummed because the last match rained out as a matter of fact Several clubs near me cancel only in the event of a named hurricane. Clear bags over the targets and steel still goes ding! in the rain. You find out who really loves the sport when its 45 deg, raining, and enough wind to knock down 9mm calibrated poppers.

[Jeeper]

I didnt see anyone else say this but:

YOU WILL IMPROVE SO MUCH FASTER BY COMPETING

I thought I was a good shooter before I started competing. Man was I wrong. You will be amazed at how good some people are. It will help you so much that it really isnt even funny. That is why most competitors are so far ahead of the average shooter.

[Standing Wolf]

I've never seen any group of hand gunners that didn't welcome newcomers with open arms.

[blades67]

Like Jeeper said, competition is the best practice.

[Harold Mayo]

Let me add a word of warning to what many have said:

Competition is a great place to hone your skills. Make sure that you are honing the RIGHT skills, though. A guy can be a Master-class shooter because he's fast and accurate and obeys the rules of the game but that does NOT make him a gunfighter, though he likely thinks that it does. I have seen a lot of high-ranked competitors do things that aren't really sound techniques.

Make sure that you know what is the (God help me for saying this) "tactically correct" way of doing things (use of cover, movement, etc.) and THEN practice doing them.

Also, if you are going to game, then go ahead and game. If you are practicing for a possible real confrontation, then don't worry about winning because you probably won't. There will be some rule that gets in the way of that. Remember that you don't wear gaming rigs on the street, you don't carry a racegun, and that real bad guys shoot back.

When I do participate in the gun games, I wear street clothing and street gear and carry my EDC gun(s). This is not conducive to me winning over guys who are shooting comped guns (like the longslide Glocks) out of OWB holsters with, at most, a vest as a covering garment. Still yet, I hold my own and I've practiced with my carry gun in as realistic a manner as I am able.

[LeonCarr]

Go to a IPSC/IDPA match, and shoot the match. The first match I went to I went to just watch, and everybody there started handing me stuff and told me to shoot. Some of the best people and best shooters you will ever meet, you will meet at a match. It is also fun to see the guns that folks show up with, anything from a pencil barrel S&W model 10, to state of the art raceguns. Just go.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[DontShootMe]

Welp, I'm gonna look up my local IPSC club and try it out...

thanks for the encouragement!

:cool: