Questions

[abchoppers]

Hi all, I'm getting into IDPA and IPSC shooting this month and had some quick questions.

1. I'm using a RIA Compact 45 with an IWB holster. When I'm told to make my firearm ready, does it go into locked and cocked and into holster? Do all of you using 1911's use the cocked and locked method?

2. How do you remember the shot sequences? I plan on doing a lot of watching first and shooting real slow, but was wondering if the instructors usually run through the course before the event or not.

Thanks for any replies, I'm real excited to start shooting and being able to actually move around a range.

 

[Jim Watson]

1. Cocked and locked. I have never seen a 1911 pattern gun shot in IPSC or IDPA any other way. Practice dryfire at home, repeated draws at speed with an IWB is pretty demanding.

2. You just learn to do it. The Range Officer or Safety Officer will describe the course of fire in some detail, and you get to walk through the targets to see what it will take. IDPA is pretty choreographed, you must shoot the CoF as defined. IPSC is more freestyle, but there are still some requirements and the stages are usually longer, so the mental requirement is there.
One thing that helps is to learn how to shoot. If drawing, aiming, firing, and reloading are natural to you, there is more free ability to pay attention to course requirements.

 

[SDC]

1. Yes, the normal way a course of fire will start is for the shooter to step up to the start box when his/her name is called, the scorekeeper and RO will take a quick look to see that you're wearing the proper gear for the division that you'll be shooting in, and then the RO will call "Range hot" and tell you to "load and make ready". At that point (and not before, since it's a DQ otherwise), you'll draw and load the pistol, topping off with a fresh magazine if you desire, then holstering the pistol ON SAFE (again, it's a DQ if you holster a 1911 while the safety isn't applied). Whatever you do, make sure you let the RO know that you're new to the sport, and they're happy to walk you through the process; you'll also pick up a lot of useful info just by watching the first few shooters go through the process. As long as you do what you're planning on doing SAFELY, that's all that they'll really care about.

2. Since these are, for the most part, "freestyle" competitions, you'll have to figure out for yourself the "best" (which usually translates to the "fastest") way of getting through a course of fire; they'll tell you the number of targets you'll be presented with, and you'll have to figure out what to shoot from where, with the reloads as necessary. In IPSC at least (never shot IDPA), you're left to your own devices as to what you shoot from where, so long as you abide with the safety rules and any specifics covered in the walk-through (ie. "carry this, this target must be engaged through this port", etc.) They'll give everyone a few minutes to walk through the course and decide how they want to shoot it, then it's game on. It's also a good idea to watch how the top shooters go through their walk-through, because they'll often pick up on things that new shooters miss or forget entirely, saving lots of time in the process.

 

[abchoppers]

Thanks a lot for the detailed replies, I feel a lot better about giving this a try now. This is really to get my defensive shooting better, and I'm really fine with last place as long as I shoot safely and in the scope of my abilities for now.

Thanks again guys.

 

[Hk Dan]

AB,

Does your IWB holster allow for free and unrestricted re-holstering? If so, you're good to go. If not, you'll want a different holster. I would suggest a cheap kydex one to get you started--say a Blackhawk CQC or Fobus would do nicely. On the rare occassions when I shoot Production or Single Stack (or IDPA), that's what I use. Once you know you like the game, you can invest in a Bladetech DOH or Sidearmor, etc.

Other than that, you got some outstanding advice from some clearly experienced shooters.

Stay safe!!
Dan

 

[abchoppers]

HK Dan,

Yes, the IWB allows for free reholstering, although with it being my first holster (can't carry in NY ) I do have a hard time drawing smoothly and reholstering. I bought it for a Close Quarters Course I'm taking, but I think I'll do as you say and try a new OWB holster for IDPA.

All great advice, thanks all for the comments.

 

[Sam1911]

Hi, AB,

As the others have said, yes a 1911 starts Cocked-n-Locked, and a fast OWB type holster will help your draws a bit.

As to your other question, there's simply no substitute for practice -- meaning a couple of different things.

First, as Jim said ("Learn to shoot!"), given good practice time you'll learn the manual of arms for your gun, how to quickly get the proper grip, where the gun points in your hand, and you'll get a feel for the fastest regular and even cadence at which you can acquire your front sight, fire, and re-acquire the sight again, etc. After a few thousand rounds this stuff gets shifted from being the focus of your active stream of thought to sort of running in the background. Once those (very important) details can be entrusted to your "semi-conscious" brain, you can free up a bit more space on the front burner, so to speak, for processing the specific instructions for each stage.

Second, there are a limited number of "elemental" stage directions you can be given, and each Course of Fire, no matter how complicated, is made up of varying combinations of these simple actions:

"Engage target with two rounds"
"Engage target with two to the body and one to the head"
"Engage steel until it falls"
"Steel activates swinger/drop-turner/mover"
"Engage target with ? shots while advancing/retreating"
"Pie the corner (i.e: use cover) and...,"
etc., etc.

Just like your gun handling/safety skills, each of these little procedures can be practiced until you do the appropriate thing in each case without having to really think about it. Then your job as a shooter gets simpler. All your really have to do is recognize each small task and transition from one to the next smoothly, while that automated part of your brain is busy looking for that front sight and manipulating the trigger.

Now the Match Director has spent every night the week before the match (ask me how I know...) trying to string those tasks together in complicated ways that, he's hoping are unique and entertaining ... and will derail your background train of thought.

Good luck!

-Sam

 

[abchoppers]

Thanks Sam!! I look forward to shooting becoming second nature. Thanks all for the great advice!

Ryan