The Right Type of Competition for Me

[maxsss]

I am trying to get back into "competitive" shooting and am looking for a little help and guidance on the subject. A little background on me... When I was in high school I competed regularly in .22 bullseye shooting. It has been about 6 years since I have done that and I am starting to miss it since it was a large part of my life.

I've looked at some different place to compete where I live now and there are both IDPA and USPSA sanctioned and non-sanctioned matches that I could get involved with. I am not extremely familiar with the difference between the two. Currently, I have a Sig 938 and M400. Could I use these for competition, or would I need to go and purchase a new gun or two?

Thanks for all of your responses.

-m

[jbjh]

IDPA is supposed to be geared towards concealed carry/real world use, while USPSA has evolved into more of a pure shooting game. That's not to diminish it at all. I've competed in both, and they are just different.

You can take either of your guns and compete. While you might not be über-competitive against others yet, but with an approved holster and a half dozen mags, you can have fun and get better at shooting.


Sent from 80ms in the future
Jimmy

[Beef15]

Knowing where you are might help users make recommendations, finding matches can be tricky.

You could, but I would not want to use a 938 for any competition, you'll need a bunch of mags to make it through a small stage. Unless your local matches have a BUG class you aren't likely to enjoy it if you are at all competitive, equipment isn't everything, but it takes a ton of skill to make up for some short comings in gear.

[midnight son]

I shoot both IDPA and USPSA. Yes, different animals for sure, and both have their strengths and weaknesses. When I got back into competitive shooting 6 years ago after a 15 year hiatus (kids.....) I started with IDPA. I shot my EDC Kahr P45 with 7 round extended mags. So 8 rounds on board, and two 7 round mags on the belt as per IDPA rules. I was really competing against myself, but in small local matches, 24 shooters or so I would consistently be in top 5. So, it helped my everyday carry skills, as IDPA rules force you to use cover and shoot accurately, and was "competitive". So if the 938 is your EDC, get yourself three extended 7 round mags and use your flush 6 to get one in the pipe....barney mag is the term. IDPA stages can only have 18 required shots per stage. USPSA is different beast....it's about speed at the expense of a bit of accuracy. I'm not sure what your M400 is????? But any high cap 9mm with 4 mags will get you in the game. I recommend shooting limited minor to get your feet wet. More time shooting and less time worrying about when to reload. USPSA will definitely help your IDPA shooting, but in my opinion, not the other way around. Both are fun and worthwhile endeavors. BTW......a typical IDPA match round count (5 stages) is about 60-70 rounds. A typical 5 stage USPSA match is about 180!!! So that's something to consider as well. Jump in and good shooting.

[TomMcC]

With those 2 guns your choices seem to be the BUG class in IDPA or a rifle only match with M400. I started with IDPA, did a bit of IPSC and then went for 3gun......I really like to shoot 3gun, much more than shooting pistol only matches. Obviously, if your going to really compete you're gonna have to score some more iron.

[maxsss]

Knowing where you are might help users make recommendations, finding matches can be tricky.

You could, but I would not want to use a 938 for any competition, you'll need a bunch of mags to make it through a small stage. Unless your local matches have a BUG class you aren't likely to enjoy it if you are at all competitive, equipment isn't everything, but it takes a ton of skill to make up for some short comings in gear.

I am in the Middle TN area.

I assumed as much about the 938. I've been looking at getting a larger handgun - mainly at M&P series guns or a CZ (as I do like DA). I wouldn't be getting a compact gun if I purchased something new, so I assume that would help out with any competing that I do.

From some of the responses that I've read here, I think that IDPA might be what I would be more interested in. Obviously I would need to buy some more mags, ammo, etc. But, I think that the investment may very well be worth it.