Idpa classifier

[sauer1911]

Well I finally made a classifier on Saturday! Missed the previous 2 due to work and travel.

I thought I was gonna be smooth and efficient. Calm and collect. Well my ego thought that. I however found I need alot more work and patience. I just made Marksman category. I was expecting to get classed atleast sharpshooter maybe higher.

Some say its good I am marksman, I will be able to place good in matches!

Nah, I really thought I was better shooter than what I did. Oh well, time for more practice and training.

No sandbagging here. Just not as good as I thought I was.:banghead:

be safe.

 

[GJSchulze]

If you're like me it was the third part at the greater distance that caused too many misses that cost you. Next time I'll take a little more time to be accurate.

 

[MrBorland]

I was expecting to get classed atleast sharpshooter maybe higher.

What did you base this on? Have you had practice drawing and shooting and hitting your mark while the timer's running? If not, you simply didn't know what you didn't know. Once you get some practice with the skills involved, you'll shoot with more control, improve and be a better shooter for it. We've all been there.

If you're like me it was the third part at the greater distance that caused too many misses that cost you. Next time I'll take a little more time to be accurate.

+1. To a large degree, stage 3 is the classifier. Consider it a target shooting match. Here are some pretty good tips for shooting the classifier:

http://www.ccidpa.org/classifier-tips.html

At the end of the day, though, what really matters is how you shoot matches. Don't get too hung up on how you classified unless it's not indicative of your normal match performance.

 

[sauer1911]

Yeah it was the first classifier I have shot. I did have misses on the 20yd third stage. Still learning to balance the accuracy/speed dynamic. Just need more practice.

I feel that I shoot better matches than in the beginning. So in time my classifiers will get better.

The best part is I want to shoot better.

be safe.

 

[Hk Dan]

I've shot the classifier more times than I can count. I am an MA class shooter and here is the advice I can offer you:

Make the head shots on stage 1, even if you have to slow down. Practice shooting in a bam-bam-bam rhythm, with no break between the chest and head. When you can make that work, you're golden.

Practice the El Pres shots. This is the only time I would advise someone to practice the El Pres, as I think it's about worthless as a defensive maneuver, but it will pay off here.

Lastly? TAKE YOUR TIME on the long shots. I have seen people go down 60 points on that stage alone. It's the single best thing you can do to up your time.

G'luck!
Dan

 

[sauer1911]

I dont know what El Pres shots are? UPDATE I did a you tube search and found many, Back to the target, turn, 2 shots each, reload 2 more, total 12.

The bam bam bam timing is a great idea for 2 to the body one to the head. I need to spend more time at outdoor ranges that allow double taps and faster shooting.

and yes the patience for the 20 yd shots.

Your prayer for the grandfather is one we scare people with. I work in the Transportation Union in the film industry.

"I want to die peacefully in my sleep, not yelling and screaming like everyone else in the back of the van as we go over the cliff"

be safe

 

[twofifty]

There's a video out there of a top-ranked competitor who is shooting a stationary stage, with target pairs arrayed from up close to mid-distance to way out there.

You can hear the shot interval or cadence increase incrementally as the distance to target increases.

 

[waktasz]

Practice at 25 or 30 yards while off balance or using a barricade and the 20 yard shots become easy

 

[Uncle Richard]

... I just made Marksman category. I was expecting to get classed atleast sharpshooter maybe higher.....

For your information, initially being classified as a marksman is a good thing depending upon how you look at it. Having skills equal to a "marksman" category indicates that you can handle a handgun better than the average firearm owner (IMHO).

 

[sauer1911]

Thank you to all for your support and critiques of the stages. I really appreciate the input.

Time for more practice.

be safe.

 

[wally247]

I know that feeling. I went to my first classifier this spring thinking I'd do pretty good, after all I've been shooting my whole life and think of myself as a pretty decent shot. But when you get in the box and that timer starts it's a whole different ball game.

I've been shooting more matches this year and this past weekend was the first time I felt really competitive. I don't know that for sure yet as the scores haven't been posted.

 

[Caseless]

According to the internet rumors, if you practice this classifier enough times, you can eventually make it to the MA level without attending a single IDPA match.

Personally I have never been able to move up the classification ladder at the classifiers. Match bumps only over the past few years for me.

 

[Ankeny]

According to the internet rumors, if you practice this classifier enough times, you can eventually make it to the MA level without attending a single IDPA match.

For some the classifier is the first IDPA match and the shooter starts out as a "Master".

 

[Khaot1c]

Our local (non-sanctioned) club is going to hold a classifier next month. I've participated in 4 matches and am pretty much in the bottom percentile. There's a lot of talent in the squads and I take something away from each match. But, since each match is different, other than the basics of holster draw, reloads, and general marksmanship; I never know what to expect for a course of fire.

I'm still making gear adjustments (holsters, mag pouches, and where they are placed on my person) and just got the bright idea to take real notes during the match so I can develop a practice routine.

Having a full time job really gets in the way when it comes to finding time for meaningful practice but some things can be practiced with an unloaded firearm in the privacy of my man cave.

All the best thought-out plans go to crap when that dang buzzer goes off.....

 

[waktasz]

Almost everything can be practiced in dry fire. Everything except recoil control.

 

[1911 guy]

And don't get too hung up on mastering the stage. Instead, master the skills needed to complete the stage quickly and cleanly. Some of the best "real world" shooters I know use IDPA as a training ground to maintain skills. Yes, it's a game. But it's a fun game, a challenging game and a game that will teach you some useful skills. Remember the mantra: Mindset, skill set, then tool set.

 

[g.willikers]

Blow back air pistols, both pellet and airsoft varieties, shoot enough like .22s to be a great help with home bound practice.
And they come in licensed copies of firearms, that are very authentic to the real thing.