IDPA

[USMGoldenEagle]

I just competed in my first IDPA match. What a great time. We did some really cool tactical shooting stations. I can't wait for next month's match. I think I'm hooked.

[Buckaroo]

Easy to get hooked! I started about 18 months ago at our local club and am now getting ready to "travel" to other clubs to compete as well. My 15 yr old son has joined me and it is a great father/son outing!

Buckaroo

[rob_s]

I don't think I've been to an IDPA match with my club in over a year. I enjoy the shooting, but once you're there for two long they get to know you and put you to work. I stopped going when it turned into getting there early to set up, SO the whole day, paste when the lazy ****ers wouldn't, then stay late to tear down.

I knew I had been gone a long time when they started calling some guys "regulars" that I had never met before.

I still run our Tuesday night events, of which there are two.

I see you are in FL, what club did you shoot with? This is the one I belong to
www.tssaidpa.us

[Shotdown]

I started with IDPA and I still shoot it when I can. Now I'm also shooting USPSA and 3-gun. I'm the guy that's usually at the bottom of the list but I just like having fun and working on my accuracy.

[John Hearne]

Another good use for IDPA matches is to practice your rifle skills. I've had good luck with shooting my 9mm AR as a second gun in my local IDPA matches. The real-world use of the rifle, especially for the armed citizen, looks a lot more like an IDPA match than Camp Perry.

[ToeCutter]

I shot my first IDPA match on the 28th of march. It was a qualifier and I shot a 200.46. But at least I made marksman. I pretty much suck at shooting pistols but it was a good time. I can see how someone could really improve their pistol shooting skills quickly if you stick with it. My clubs next match is april 18th. I will report back with more results then.

[USMGoldenEagle]

Not bad. My first time I scored 125.32 with 92%.

The match director said I am phenomenal for a first timer....He didn't realize that I am our country's secret weapon and that I always do phenomenal when it comes to killing.

[ToddG]

I shot my first IDPA match on the 28th of march. It was a qualifier and I shot a 200.46. But at least I made marksman. I pretty much suck at shooting pistols but it was a good time. I can see how someone could really improve their pistol shooting skills quickly if you stick with it.

Shooting the Classifier as your first IDPA "match" is a hard way to begin. You had to juggle a bunch of new-to-you rules and procedures on top of the shooting challenge, plus the stress of knowing that it was "going on your permanent record," so to speak.

You've definitely hit on the key benefit of competition shooting, though. It motivates people to practice and improve. It's easy to go to the range by yourself or with your buddies and feel "good enough." Once you see how serious shooters can perform with a gun, it changes your perspective.

Making Marksman your first time out isn't bad at all. I made Sharpshooter (just one step up) my first time, I think ... that was in '97 or '98. The last time I shot it for official score (at a match with witnesses, etc.) was last year, 80.85 (75.85 with 10 points down). There's an existing thread here with some tips & tricks that can shave a few seconds here and there off your Classifier score.

[rubberneck]

I don't think I've been to an IDPA match with my club in over a year. I enjoy the shooting, but once you're there for two long they get to know you and put you to work. I stopped going when it turned into getting there early to set up, SO the whole day, paste when the lazy ****ers wouldn't, then stay late to tear down.

I agree, it is much better when you let someone else do all the heavy lifting so that you can just sit back and enjoy yourself worry free. Why help out when you can let some poor slob do everything for you and then when that handful of guys gets burned out you can enjoy having no matches to attend. BTW at our matches those "lazy ****ers" would be strongly encouraged to paste and reset or never return. Their choice.

[rob_s]

There's an existing thread here with some tips & tricks that can shave a few seconds here and there off your Classifier score.

It's kind of a funny catch-22. If you're good enough to be able to take advantage of some of those tips and tricks, you're good enough not to need them. I've watched guys try so hard to "game" themselves at the Classifier that they wind up psyching themselves out or just confusing themselves trying to remember too much. I've always shot the classifier best just by relaxing and shooting.