Bad IPSC Experience yesterday...

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-terry

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This is a bit long, but I had a very unhappy experience at the range today. My question to you guys is what are your restrictions for use of the part of your range (what I call the Gun Games area)?

Thanks.

-terry
 
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Doesn't seem very long to me. But to your question, the Action Pistol and Cowboy action area of the range here is just that. Rimfire pistol, centerfire pistol, and Cowboy action, mostly pistol cartridges even in the long guns, and shottys. Any thing else is banninated to the rifle ranges due to twits bearing EBG's shooting holes in any steel left on the pistol range.
 
Just wondering what kind a rules other clubs have concerning use of active bays for practicing for IPSC, IDPA, etc.
 
Easy, assuming I understand the question.

If we have a stage set up on a berm, its closed to people that arent shooting the match.
 
I'm a member of Custer Sportsmens Club. We have some Pin bays. Falling plate bays, and several IPSC/IDPA bays that are used for competition. There are no practice sessions unless the the match coordinator has scheduled something. There are several scheduled matches every year. And much of the setup by volunteers takes days, weather and daylight permitting. For anyone to just go shoot any time they want would be a huge disregard for for those people's efforts. There are several police associations that also use one or two designated bays for thier practice. As much as I like to shoot Pins, I don't very often since there is no practice. With coordination with the match director, I have been able to test some lead loads on Pins. But the rules in so many words say that the only time any of the areas at the north end of the club grounds will only be used for matches. Most of this I believe revolves around danger/liability as this is not a traffic area. Not a high use area. Vehicle access is restricted by a gate across the road. There have been theft and vandlism in that section of the grounds so member access is even restricted during the week. Occasionally I'll walk back there to scrounge for brass. Occasionally I'll walk into a police training exercise. -I don't like when they go full auto. I leave immediately.

I shoot Bullseye regularly, and I can't use the indoor range 'just any old time I want to'. If I could, I'd be more competitive. (Although I'm holding first place in the county league anyway)

This is one of the few clubs that doesn't have a range officer on the line full time. We can shoot alone from 9am to dusk at the rifle or pistol range. For ~$100 a year to be able to shoot seven days a week, we're pretty spoiled.

Try to do that at Plantation Range in Bellingham! Try to do that at Kenmore or Paul Bunyan!

Terry, I don't know what happened, but I'm sure that you can still have a good time at the club. There are rules. Most of which are in place for safety sake. I assure you, There really are some great people there.
One must realize though, that there's a strong group of IPSC croud at our club. The new president has many followers. Disagreeing with those that have been members and bring in a lot of money for the club for some 20, 30, or 40 years may not be in anyone's best interest.

Let us know what happened, at least. I'm not a board member, just a fellow member. I am capable of being quite unbiased and will let you know my opinion regarding yours or another member/RO/Match Director's actions.

PM me if you'd like, we can discuss by phone.

-Steve
 
short answer first

There is no universal answer to that question, you are responsible for knowing the rules of the range and abiding by them.

I shoot at numerous local ranges. There's an indoor range where you'd have to get special permission during a dead time of the day to go forward of the shooting boths, there's a private range where the owner doesn't like any rapid fire, firing on the move, etc, so action shooting is only for the match, or a few folks he implicitly trusts. The club I'm a member of has unsupervised bays where action shooting is permitted, all gear is stowed elsewhere, tho there are often a target stand or two left out. Still another is further away, but with membership all area's are open to whatever as long as they aren't occupied.

Really hard to answer the question in it's current (ambigous) state.
 
Bays are usually closed for an event that would otherwise be open to members otherwise. It is set up that evening and over with by mid afternoon the following day. One day a month during the season. Not a big deal, the 25 yd pistol bay remains open as always. Does that answer your question?
 
Hi!

Just as a counterpoint:

My club has a rifle range, indoor pistol range, and seven other pit ranges of various sizes and configurations that are designated for different kinds of arms. (Pistols, shotguns, carbines on some. Pistol only on others, etc. Several have permanently set up steel racks, some have actual firing stations, two have "shoot houses.")

When there is not a scheduled match using those ranges, they are open to the general membership to use. We have just under 1000 members, at last count. Cost of membership is $60/year IIRC. Shooting hours outdoors are 8:00 am to dark, 365, except for some closures for opening day of deer season and such, or if there is a firearms class or training session going on. Indoors is open anytime the bullseye guys or us (IDPA) don't have practice or a match scheduled.

I suppose we're spoiled, but it works for us.
 
Thanks for all the replies, guys. Like everything else, it looks like some ranges are better in this regard than Custer, some arte worse. I'm told that the BOD will raise the issue of practice in the active bays again soon and I'll be interested to see what they decide.

Currently, it looks like if I can get the approval of the Discipline Chairman, I can practice in the active bays. Just how I (or anyone else for that matter) can get that approval is a bit vague. My current understanding is that I have to shoot some IPSC matches and if the DC is comfortable with my shooting and demeanor he can give me some sort of formal or informal permission. I don't exactly understand.

My concern is that if I can't practice when there is no one around and where I can take as long as I want to figure things out, I can't learn the things I need to know to be as safe as possible when the pressure is on. I did an observation last week instead of trying to shoot. Looks like you can get DQ'd for a lot of things. Some of these I can practice at home, some not.

Overall, however, it looked like fun and the guys I met were fantastic. I think I'll try to shoot next month but probably never in the history of the Custer club will they see a shooter so slow and deliberate as I'll probably be while I try to keep everything in mind with having had no practice. Sigh....
-terry
 
-terry said:
Looks like you can get DQ'd for a lot of things.
Click to expand...

Might I suggest reading over the rulebook. You can download the whole thing at www.uspsa.org

Get out there and give it a try. I cant tell you how many people tell me they arent good enough to compete. They never get out there and even try. We al had a first match.
 
Terry you think too much. We all just jumped in and got our feet wet.

Just go out there with the mission to not shoot yourself or anyone else, not get DQ'ed, and have fun.

No need to go super slow and delibrate. Just walk(not run) through the course and make sure you see something before you pull the trigger. No need to get super tight double alphas. Get a good sight picture on the tough shots and make sure you see something on the easy stuff.

It's suppose to be fun. Don't worry the RO will keep you safe as long as your finger is not on the trigger when it's not suppose to be (when your moving)
 
I'm a bit lucky. My home range, Grafton Fish and Game is a private club and we have a fifty yard bay for pistols. If you're the only one there (which is a frequent phenomenon) you can just go there any time, set up targets and blast away. It's even got some steel against the berm so if you're bored you can bang an IPSC gong at 50 yards with your pistol.

Then again, back when I lived in California there was no place that simply allowed an IPSC shooter to practice whenever convenient within 50 miles.

atek3
 
Regarding private ranges where you have to join there are several places to practice ipsc in So Cal. Raahauges, Rockpile, SWPL, Piru. All within a hour from me in Long Beach.
 
Just asking, why would a club have a range for matches only and not allow it's members to use that range for practice when matches are not scheulded? Is that not the purpose of having the range so hopefully your members will be at the top during the matches. Hope I said that right.
 
Well, it doesn't make too much sense. At Custer, we can use the active bays for practice, apparently, but the hoops you need to jump through are not totally clear.
 
That was part of what I didn't understand Terry. At the local San Juan Wildlife Federation range, if there is no match scheduled, one can go practice in any of the berm areas. I do agree with other posters though. Just take a deep breath, go out there and shoot a match. Here almost all new shooters walk through their first match with coaching by an RO. Had a new shooter here last weekend, wasn't sure if he was good enough, yadda yadda yadda. He had a blast, not fast, but he had a hoot and discovered not all the competitors are GM or A shooters.
 
Frankly, based on your posts on this thread, I would say you are not cut out for IPSC.

It looks to me like you are way to worried about how you will look to others. You wouldn't just post up front what your problem was for fear people would think badly of you and you won't just go shoot an IPSC match for fear that you might make a mistake.

You had to dance around the real issue of your post until someone basically guessed the situation and gave you an answer. And you want to go practice a lot privately before you will go shoot with witnesses.

You WILL make mistakes. That's part of the point. You make mistakes, learn from them and become a better competitor and a better shooter. If you can't stand the idea of making mistakes in front of other shooters then you might want to look into other types of competitions.
 
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Frankly, based on your posts on this thread, I would say you are not cut out for IPSC.
Click to expand...

I disagree. I just think Terry's a bit nervous. I sure as hell was my first time out. He may have been heavily cautioned by someone who put the fear of god in him. It happens.

I don't mind people watching, but when I screw up and there are a bunch of people watching including the President of USPSA, I don't care for it as much. Still, I've seen some major shooters really screw the pooch just like I have in the past. 99% of the time people are VERY cool about it. I've had one impatient jerk yell at me for "sweeping him", which I did in fact, not do, but he thought I did. I let it go and wrote it off.

I was nervous too, I got over at Terry and so will you.

It's like sex, you're nervous the first time, but once you get past that you can't wait to do it again.
 
99% of the time people are VERY cool about it.
Click to expand...
Because they either know they'll be in your position in the not too distant future or they're remembering the last time they were. ;)
 
Well, I'll let you all know in a month whether I'm cut out for it or not. I planto shoot it. If I don't like, I'll try something else (I race radio control sailboats).
If I like it, I'll do it again. If not, then not.

I'm not particularly nervous about looking bad, I'm anxious about the safety aspects. I'll let you know how it turns out.
 
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