Been off THR for a long time now, but coming back since I started shooting more. I shot in my very first IDPA match this weekend at Tri County Gun Club in Sherwood. I shot the day using a Springfield XD 5.25". Managed to do okay, slow and went 18 points down. Managed to flat miss a couple targets shooting weak handed, leaning around a wall. Ended up 42 out of 60 shooters overall, but 3rd or 4th best of the new shooters there shooting SSP. I did almost get disqualified on a muzzle high reload (pointing over the berm), but the guy running our squad said "I'm 99% sure that you were high, but I'm not 100% sure, so correct it or your day is going to be very short." Happened on my third string, so that would have been very disappointing. Looking forward to doing it again next month!
First IDPA match
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1KPerDay
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Congrats and welcome back. Is the muzzle high reload in the IDPA rulebook? That's a new one on me. At my club every shooter would be disqualified. But I shoot in the boonies. Maybe at clubs near towns it's a different story.
Not an IDPA rule that I know of, but is local to the club. There is at least a possibility of a round landing in a populated area if you were to accidentally fire it over the berm. They're pretty well out in the boonies but it's always wise to keep the neighbors happy 
1KPerDay
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Hope the berms are high... hard not to point the muzzle over the berm at least once in a while.
At my club if you FIRE a round over the berm it's a DQ. But not if you muzzle the air.
At my club if you FIRE a round over the berm it's a DQ. But not if you muzzle the air.
1KPerDay
Member
Weird
Straight up will get you DQ'ed a lot, since the 180° goes up and down, not just left and right. Holding the gun straight up is basically putting it on the 180 and daring the RO to bounce you.* I have also seen (new) shooters navigating a tight wall with a vertical gun point it right at their own chin/head! Of course, that gets a "STOP."
That's a different issue than having the muzzle angled over the berm during, say, a reload, which is definitely what most proficient shooters would be doing in absence of very high berms.
* Straight down is not better, and brings in the likelihood of sweeping your legs/feet during the course of fire.
That's a different issue than having the muzzle angled over the berm during, say, a reload, which is definitely what most proficient shooters would be doing in absence of very high berms.
* Straight down is not better, and brings in the likelihood of sweeping your legs/feet during the course of fire.
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I totally get the 180° rule and it was a fairly obvious DQ to all of us. All in all was a really good day. I learned alot and got to watch some really good shooters. One of the top 3 overall was in my squad, so it was good to be able to watch them work. I'm still learning the game but I really like competing. It was might first move and shoot type event, so there were some nerves but I shot well and I was happy with the day.
It is usually a Range Rule. At Sanctioned matches that would have to be announced during the match announcement for it to be enforced.
This limitation isn't unusual in IPSC competition
You can imagine how that might affect your technique if you were a revolver shooter...but if everyone is shooting to the same limitation, it is still a level playing field
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Captains1911
Member
I hate those club specific muzzle high reload rules, and try to avoid shooting at clubs that have them. When you have trained and practiced that technique to the point where you do it sub-consciously, it's nearly impossible to change, especially under the "stress" of shooting a stage. As long as the finger is clearly outside the trigger guard, it shouldn't matter.
Regarding revolvers, I didn't get to see anyone shooting them, but I imagine keep the muzzle level or down on a revolver reload would be awkward.
The problem I had was that we were enough distance from the berms that rolling my right hand palm up and taking the weight of the gun while I thumbed the mag release would always leave me dangerously close to pointing over the berm. I've seen the competition guys that leave their guns in place, on target, drop the mag and bring the new magazine up and in. I'm simply not there yet and will have to practice that for these situations.
The problem I had was that we were enough distance from the berms that rolling my right hand palm up and taking the weight of the gun while I thumbed the mag release would always leave me dangerously close to pointing over the berm. I've seen the competition guys that leave their guns in place, on target, drop the mag and bring the new magazine up and in. I'm simply not there yet and will have to practice that for these situations.
Not as much as you'd think, just a different technique...take a look at how ICORE shooters reload
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