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Starting IDPA


Goatlips

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I have my concealed carry permit. I am interested in pistol shooting that will help prepare me to be a better and safer street carry. Is IDPA for me? Will it make me a better shot and more prepared to carry concealed? Will it be fun while doing all this? How complicated is it?

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You wont know if its for you unless you try it. If your going to try it shoot a uspsa match as well. Ive found that any sport that is going to make you excited to practice with a handgun will make you a better handgun shooter in general.

For me the most complicated part about idpa is the rules, cover this and shooting order that, i find that shoot em as you see em as fast as you can put the shots where you want them to go easier.

Im a little bias because I think uspsa is the most fun you can have with a bunch of middle aged men, but try it and see. One time and im sure youll be back

Edited by Kraj
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IDPA alone won't make you better. If you start practicing because of IDPA, your gun handling skills will increase. It will not help you with self defense tactics,etc. You will get out of it what you put into it. Just make sure you are safe with a gun, then go try it. And yes...you'll have fun :)

Edited by LeviSS
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Definitely go shoot IDPA. It's fun and people are great (same is true of all the pistol games). As far as it being complicated, there are rules and it will be confusing. They only rules that get you sent home are safety related. Don't worry about penalties, you will stack up a bunch of them the first few times. Don't buy anything except at least three magazines, two magazine carriers, and a quality holster (which you may already have).

How would you rate your current level of proficiency? What kind of gun and holster do you use for concealed carry?

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Pretending the targets are bad guys who are shooting at you and the hostage/no-shoots are friends/family will put you into an IDPA mindset. A healthy dose of common sense will also help (Do I want to be exposed in a gunfight or behind cover and do I really want to do a reload out in the open when bad guys are shooting at me?). Agree with DesertTortoise to use what you've got to see if it'll be your cup of tea. It can be fun.

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IDPA won't TEACH you anything. It will TEST your shooting and gunhandling.

Hopefully that will give you an incentive to train, study, and practice.

I would disagree with this statement. My shooting proficiency and gun handling skills have improved dramatically from nothing more than shooting matches. I refuse to practice, but perhaps I am an anomaly.

I do not advocate not practicing, I'm just lazy.

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. Is IDPA for me? Will it make me a better shot and more prepared to carry concealed?

You will be AMAZED at how much you learn about your equipment and ammo

if you start ANY competitive shooting.

You won't believe how often your gun will malfunction ... how your draw will snag ...

how your ammunition will give you problems ...how easy it is to MISS a full- sized

silhouette target at 7 yards, completely, the need for speed, the effects of pressure

on your ability to draw, shoot and reload.

ANY kind of competitive shooting will make you understand a little more of the

complexities of defensive shooting.

AND, they are ALL FUN :)

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IDPA is definitely FUN, but go into it remembering that it's a GAME. If you want to be better prepared to handle yourself on the street, I suggest you find a good shooting school and get some first-class instruction there. IDPA has a lot of rules, some of which I don't necessarily agree with, but nonetheless, it's a really good time.

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Well, rack, I have seen some people like you, who improve by shooting only matches.

I also see people who are making the same mistakes, hitting no better, moving no faster, and asking the same questions about the same rules every match, because they don't practice.

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IDPA is not training. It is testing. You learn lessons from matches, but do not confuse that for training.

A more confident manual of arms, some stress inoculation,, a better evaluation of your chosen equipment, cruel revelation of your shooting ability and more challenging shooting scenarios than you'd face at the square range. You can take those positives from IDPA.

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If you are a novice, it is likely just shooting matches (regularly) will improve your skills. This is because you would have a lot of room for improvement on the basics and you will see how more skilled shooters act and begin to emulate some of their techniques. However you will then quickly plateau and probably learn some bad habits with that approach. As other have said, matches test your skills.

I strongly suggest you try IDPA, USPSA, and Steel Challenge if you can. They are all three fun. You might find you really like one more than the other and will be motivated to learn and practice.

I also suggest you get comfortable reloading, drawing, and moving safely before you shoot a match. You don't have to be world class, you just have to be safe. If these things make you uncomfortable or require intense concentration to be executed safely, it will take away from the fun of shooting the stages.

EDIT: I said "intense concentration" because everyone's IQ drops 30 points when the buzzer goes off. That makes things that were easy 5 minutes ago more difficult. :roflol:

Edited by jsg
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All that fun action stuff is what drives the game and you must do it safely.

But you have to be able to shoot, too. If you cannot hit the IDPA Zero or USPSA A zone at say 15 yards and not miss the whole target at say 25 yards, the whole exercise will seem pointless.

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IDPA is neither training or tactics, it's a shooting game, just like USPSA, 3 Gun, and Steel Challenge. Lots and lots of rules. But it is a very accurate test of you shooting ability, especially the classifier, because it is timed and scored, so you can know if you are actually improving, rather than just imagining you are better.

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  • 3 months later...

I have shot 2 IDPA matches. finally on one stage had all 0's .

oops. 2 procedurals. That's how you learn. I really like IDPA.

I also like USPSA but have to admit it's a speed and equiptment

race. Steel matches are my fave. Love to hear the ring of steel

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I started several years back after getting my ccw also!!!   First few matches were fun and helpful due to good shooters offering tips and info on how to get better!!!  It is like other things the more you practice and focsus on things that show up as weakness---the more you will enjoy it!!!   I now shoot 4 different matches a month and look forward to it and being with like minded shooters!!!

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you will be challenged with shooting scenarios. IDPA is so much more than going to a range, standing and shooting at a target. You will: Shoot as you move, shoot safely, shoot from cover, drawing your gun, reloading.  You will have the opportunity to learn how to handle these challenges. The idpa guys will help you. I know this sounds crazy but, go to a match, introduce you self ask questions.  Skills ,tip and  drills to shoot on the move, increase accuracy etc.etc will be shared with you as you progress in match's. If you find it exciting and take interest in your personal progression, it will help you to become a better shooter. Like anything else.......you get out what you put in.

good luck cheers

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On 7/28/2016 at 5:59 AM, Hi-Power Jack said:

You will be AMAZED at how much you learn about your equipment and ammo

if you start ANY competitive shooting.

You won't believe how often your gun will malfunction ... how your draw will snag ...

how your ammunition will give you problems ...how easy it is to MISS a full- sized

silhouette target at 7 yards, completely, the need for speed, the effects of pressure

on your ability to draw, shoot and reload.

ANY kind of competitive shooting will make you understand a little more of the

complexities of defensive shooting.

AND, they are ALL FUN :)

Add that you develop skills at clearing a malfunction promptly, and you get to learn from watching others do things right and not so right. 

One pet peeve, if you go please do not be one of those folks who has not already worked out the most basic things (i.e., does the gun work with this ammo, basic reloads, etc.) . 

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's not an exact simulation of a real life gunfight but as others have said it really puts your shooting skills to the test. 

It almost reminds me of a "kata" I think they call it in karate where you go through a routine where you have to use a certain set of skills. 

It's good practice and great fun. Their mantra is they will never be everything to everyone but nothing is so if you can accept that then go shoot. 

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On 7/28/2016 at 4:04 AM, racknrider said:

Jim Watson said:

IDPA won't TEACH you anything. It will TEST your shooting and gunhandling.

Hopefully that will give you an incentive to train, study, and practice.

On 7/28/2016 at 4:04 AM, racknrider said:

I would disagree with this statement. My shooting proficiency and gun handling skills have improved dramatically from nothing more than shooting matches. I refuse to practice, but perhaps I am an anomaly.

I do not advocate not practicing, I'm just lazy.

 

Shooting matches hasn't taught you shooting skills, it has made you better at taking the test which is an important skill in it's own right.  

But one can even use taking a test to learn mentally, it just doesn't help teach the physical portion, or fundamentals, of shooting, yet it does help make you familiar with yourself a good goal in itself.

One reason why using a time based competition to try to test defensive mind set is problematic.

Read an article by Massad Ayoob once, he was at the second chance bang and clang (i think) course and was told a scenario to engage the targets.  His response was to hunker down behind cover, when asked why he wasn't engaging targets he stated (to paraphrase) I'm waiting for back up. Then they said you have to save your wife, again to paraphrase he said, they have more trouble than I will give them.  

Point is a competitive situation can only test a small set of defensive skills, its value is allowing you an opportunity to become comfortable with the pressure of handling a weapon under stress.  Plus it's fun and addictive.

Edited by pskys2
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It can be fun and maybe help develop some skills.

As others said, it's a game. Less than 10% of shooters I've seen compete as they carry, i.e. their actual carry gun and clothing. I doubt there's too many folks who carry a double-stack 1911 w 2 extra mags under an "I'm Carrying!!" Vest. May as well carry open.

My biggest beef w IDPA v real world is knowing where the threats are and being told exactly how to engage. It trains you to lock on to a threat vs scanning for them.

If you want to lean real-world skills, find a reputable training academy like Thunder Ranch or something.

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  • 1 month later...

First post in this forum... I've enjoyed reading as much as time would allow.  I came across this string - looking to start IDPA to transition from bullseye and give my carry pistol some exposure... I can't seem to locate a site with "pistol X = clas Y".  Thoughts?  I currently have an XDs 9mm 4"... could this work until I learned more about a dedicated pistol? (Ps my wife is new to shooting and would like to come out- is it friendly?).  Thanks in advance! 

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