First IDPA Match

[tarrigoni]

I shot my first IDPA match today.
I had a great time. I used my Glock 19 with my Threat Solutions UCR holster. I was going to use my BladeTech belt holster but decided to use what I carry most.

I learned a couple things about myself and about my shooting :

1) It's not so much fun to shoot in sleet and freezing rain.
2) The timer makes a difference in how I shoot. The very first stage, I was so flustered by being timed that I completely sucked it up. I ended up getting something like -31 points. It was heinous. Once I slowed down and paid more attention to my sight picture I did pretty well for my first time, I think.
3) It's fun to get out and meet people that are into the same things as you are and to have 18 of them doing IDPA for the first time so you don't feel singled out as the one new guy. It's also nice to have the SO's be as helpful as they were. Made the learning curve much less steep.
4) Shooting while moving is not as easy as it looks on TV.
5) How do revolver guys do this? I'd think they'd be at a severe disadvantage with capacity. There wasn't a single guy shooting a revolver in my group of ten and I was the only one shooting a Glock. Most were 1911's.

I enjoy this and hopefully I'll be able to do it much more and I really can't wait for the spring when it starts to warm up a bit.

Was anyone else at the NWPPA-IDPA shoot at RFGC?

 

[GPappy]

Tarrigoni,

Welcome to the sport (not just training, sport). I see that in your first outing you have learned the number one rule I tell new shooters at our club; You can not miss fast enough to win. Get your hits first and speed will come later. Check with some of your local clubs to see if any of them have a leaque or practice day.

Our club has practice every Saturday morning in the winter months and on Wednesday night in the summer. Each practice we set up a different scenario that let you practice different skills, moving forward, backward, sideways, baracades, barrels, failure drills, bill drills, you name it. We normally have about 10 shooters on each bay, 16-18 round scenarios, and everyone shoots 6 to 10 times each. It is a lot of fun to watch the new shooters improve their skills week by week. It was 9 degrees here yesterday and we still had about 35 shooters show up including 6 or so female shooters. In the summer months we get as many as 50 shooters.

I started out in CDP, added ESP and SSP and finally switched to SSR last spring. You are right, you have to be very carefull when shooting a revolver due to the capacity limitation. It does help improve your trigger control and accuracy as you master it. I noticed dramatic improvements when I shot my Glock after shooting revolvers for 6 months.

Keep at it, you will enjoy it. Don't let all the controversy over the rule changes spoil your fun. Those of us that the changes have negatively affected will deal with it our own way but just ignore us and keep going back.

Greg

 

[gigmike]

Tarrigoni,

I too shot the match at Renton on Saturday and it was also my first time shooting IDPA. Your observations are right on. Moving while shooting is definitely a different skill. I was in the group that started in Bay 2, the stage with the popper tied to the swinging target. That was a tough stage to start on considering the butterflies in my stomach. It was all downhill from there though. I shoot a 1911 in a Sparts VM-II holster so it looks like I'm safe from any of the rule changes. I'll take the freezing rain/ snow to our usual rain anytime! Good luck.

In case your interested we have a small informal group that practices defensive pistol at Tacoma Rifle and Revolver. We will begin the new season on the 2nd Saturday of March. It's loosely based on IDPA, and may move to full on IDPA in time. It's really in it's infancy as we're gauging interest from the members and board. If you're interested let me know and I'll put you in touch with the fellow running it.

 

[tarrigoni]

I started on stage 5, the ATM stage. I can't believe that I actually missed the targets multiple times. I ended up being down 62 points total. 31 of which were on that first stage. I would have done quit well had it not been for that.

I didn't like the swinging target too much on #2 but I had a great time.

Let me know about the other group. I'd definately be interested in that.

It's nice too, to start a different activity where I actually don't HAVE to buy any new gear if I don't want to.

 

[gigmike]

Tarrigoni- I found that shooting with an elbow tucked into your side on the ATM stage to be surprisingly difficult. That's what I liked most about this first match. This type shooting is so different from just stepping up to the line at the range.

The web site for Tacoma Rifle and Revolver is, http://www.tacomarifle.org/[/URL]. Go to upcoming events and it will give you the name and e-mail address of the guy running it. Or if you'd like you can shoot me a PM and I'll send you his e-mail. It's the 2nd Saturday of each month, it's set up like this so you can practice with us and shoot the IDPA match on the 3rd Saturday.

 

[Old NFO]

Welcome aboard guys! You'll find that the large majority of shooters at any IDPA event are very helpful. The reason it looks so easy on TV is they don't actually have to HIT anything.