Starting an IDPA club

[CmpsdNoMore]

I mostly shoot rimfire rifles but recently purchased a handgun and want to get into shooting sports to improve my skills. Unfortunately the only organized shooting sports in my area are trap leagues and a cowboy action club, neither of which i am very interested in.

I would like to do IDPA, but the closest club to me is in the twin cities, about 2 hours away. I have a few friends that would probably be interested in shooting, but I am not sure if there are other people in the community that would be interested. It seems like there would be an interest, seeing as there is nothing else like that around here.

I have been making my own IDPA type cardboard targets for years and setting up small "courses" (no barrier or anything) when I go up north to a cabin. I have a bunch of target holders so think setup wouldn't be too expensive, the main issue is finding a range that would let us shoot.

So, my main question is, not counting time, how much is reasonable to expect to spend on target equipment and setup? We wouldn't need to have any steel targets or large walls right away, we could save and work up to that.

Are ranges usually eager to have a club shoot at there place or is the liability too much?

Right now I'm mostly just feeling this out to see if it'd work. After I get a better idea of what is needed I'd talk to the regional person about going further.

Thanks

 

[ny32182]

I don't have a clue how the process works in terms of getting affiliated with HQ, but I can tell you two things:

-At my club, IDPA was there before I was; I can still say with authority that accepting and scheduling IDPA would have to be a board-voted initiative. I think you'd want to schedule a meeting with the board of your target club and present your case.

-You can have a basic IDPA match without steel targets or movers, but you can't really have one without barricades. At a minimum, you would need target stands and barricades, approximately 8x the number of planned stages for target stands, and 3 or 4x the number of stages for barricades would likely be an acceptable minimum starting point. The good news is you can make these for relatively little cost with 2x4s and plywood. As the club hopefully accumulates cash from match fees you can acquire the more expensive targets.

 

[mgmorden]

-You can have a basic IDPA match without steel targets or movers, but you can't really have one without barricades. At a minimum, you would need target stands and barricades, approximately 8x the number of planned stages for target stands, and 3 or 4x the number of stages for barricades would likely be an acceptable minimum starting point. The good news is you can make these for relatively little cost with 2x4s and plywood.

I've only ever shot IDPA informally, but I know that one of the USPSA matches I often attend that is ran on a shoestring budget just uses PVC pipes in an 8x8 square with a blue tarp stretched between them as barricades. They're cheap and work well.

A major(-ish) expense to think about at the start is the timers. You'll probably need at least a handful of them, and then run close to $100 each.

 

[CmpsdNoMore]

Money for simple barricades wouldn't be much of an issue. There's always people looking to get rid of scrap plywood. The idea of tarps would be pretty easy too. There's also lots of places to get those plastic drums for cheap.

I think the biggest issue for starting something in my area is that there aren't really any large pistol/rifle ranges. Most around here are maybe a dozen lanes, with no side berms, at a range that focuses on trap shooting (maybe one skeet field if you're lucky).

I sent out some e-mails for info.

 

[Hk Dan]

I've done it. Insurance will be your biggest out of pocket expense at first. Start small, and add props as you get the money for them. Some steel plates and some official targets are a good start, then buy about 30 2x4s and make a bunch of H target stands. Buy 20 ten foot 1x2s and cut them in half, those are what you staple targets to in the stand.

Be creative. We used tables as barricades at first, then I made 5. Before we had poppers I put plates on rebar with a metal ledge welded to it.

I am now closing down my club after 5 years. If you want some stuff,let me know. I'm in NE Iowa. If you PM I'll send ya my phone number and we can talk more about starting your club on the phone. It's worth it.

In 5 years we built a strong following, kept the courses of fire defensive and realistic, and our vision was to have every shooter find something in every match that they hadn't done before. Far as I know, it worked!

Dan

 

[Sam1911]

Something you may (or may NOT!) want to use as a card to play in your negotiations with the BOD of the range(s) you'd like to use is that IDPA (or USPSA) tends to bring in a lot of shooters, and those shooters bring in a lot of money to the club. I've known guys who started an IDPA club at a long established rifle and shotgun club, who were bringing in more cash to the club than all the other groups using the range within one year. That can be a real positive thing for a club that would like to see more life and a bigger budget for range and facilities care and improvement.

However, the flip side is that some clubs are run by groups of fellows who like things quiet and not too buys, don't want to have the range closed for a special event another day of the month, and don't really want to see carloads of unfamiliar faces at the range.

You'll have to get a feel for who you're dealing with before you play your hand.

 

[Jim Watson]

That can be a problem.
Our club has a substantial membership of casual shooters.
There are a few IDPA shooters, a few CAS shooters, and somewhat more CMP and USBR shooters but still only a small minority of overall membership. We organized shooters have to limit outselves so the plinkers and pre-hunting season shooters always have access. Else they would vote out competitive shooting.

 

[Viper225]

We shoot what I would call an Outlaw IDPA Match at our Sportsman's Club.
We use IDPA Targets and Scoring.
We set up the match in 4 Stages. Each Stage is 12 rounds. Shot with 6 rounds and a mandatory reload. This means one entry requireds only 1 box of ammo.
We have CDP Custom Defensive Pistol.
SSP Stock Service Pistol (Tupperware)
SSR Stock Service Revolver (All 6 shot revolvers)
Rimfire
BUG Revolvers or semi's with 3" or shorter barrel loaded with only 5 rounds. (Back Up Gun shoots the same course as everything else, only with 40 rounds.)

No Gun Box, No Chronograph, No Holster Rules other than no Shoulder Holsters, or Cross Draws. If it is safe, it is ok. Pretty Much, Bring what you have, and have a good time.

We set our match up in a single bay.
We use app 30 Target Holders for a match.
We use several plastic barrels for props. We have a Car Door Simulator. A Car Hood Simulator. Building Corners, a couple Multi Port walls. We have a Spare Tire and Lug Wrench, Rolling Trash Can, Metal Folding Chairs, an old Weed Eater, etc.

Eash shooter fills out a Registration Sheet. This sheet has Blocks for each Division. It also has places to score each Stage, and a place for the time, and Total Score. The bottom of the score sheet has a Hold Harmless Agreement that you sign and date.

We charge $10 for the first entry, and $5 for all additional entries.

During 2011 we put together some steel targets.
Plate Rack
6 each 8" X 16" Tomb Stones
2 each Full Size Pepper Poppers
Double Silhouette Swinger
Texas Star
2 each Dueling Trees
2 each Head Targets

Starting in January we will shoot Steel one month, and Silhouettes the next.
We also have a nice multi room Shoot House.

We are not a sanctioned match, but our shooters seem to like our match just fine the way we are doing it.

Bob

 

[Waldog]

One problem you MAY have is finding a club that will let you draw from a holster to fire.
Here is the Peoples Republik of California, I only know one range that will let you draw from a holster. All others ban the practice due to insurance requirements.

 

[Sam1911]

One problem you MAY have is finding a club that will let you draw from a holster to fire.
Here is the Peoples Republik of California, I only know one range that will let you draw from a holster.

That certainly can come into play. However, most clubs seem to be willing to work with an organized group to get around those issues. Our club has a rule on the indoor range prohibiting "police style fast-draw shooting" (or words to that effect) -- "EXCEPT as part of ..." and goes on to exempt IDPA/USPSA and the NTI groups, trainers, and such who use the range for such practice, generally under the watchful eye of knowledgeable and responsible people.

All others ban the practice due to insurance requirements.

Eh...many ranges will say that "insurance" requires this, that, or the other. It is a convenient excuse without having to say, "Naaah, we don't trust you not to shoot up the range," or even "That's not my kind of shooting, so NO!" Often you'll discover that the insurance contract contains so such provisions.