Tips on running an Intro to Practical Shooting Class?

[bp78]

I recently took over a weekly IDPA Match at our local club. We usually have around 30 shooters every Tuesday Night. At the request of the club and some new shooters, I agreed to hold a 2 hour Introduction to Practical Shooting class to shooters comfortable attending their first match. Below is the first draft at a rough outline of what I plan to cover.

Anyone have an outline of their own they would share or have tips on things to cover? This will be an intro stressing safety, we'll mention all sports up front but then focus on the IDPA side of it. A number of folks signing up have also asked for guidance on equipment.

Introduction to Practical Shooting

Practical or Action Shooting Sports

NRA Action Pistol & Rifle

USPSA

3Gun

IDPA

Steel Challenge

Ruger Challenge

Safety

Every-one's Responsibility.

Anyone can call stop.

The 4 Rules.

Cold Range Rules.

Eye & Ear protection (steel splatter/rocks/squibs)

Sweeping body & others.

Finger off trigger at times.

Gun handling - keep it in one hand.

Equipment

Pistol

- .38/9mm min

- 3 to 5”

- Grip - tape or smooth grips

Holster

- No gunshow nylon, unsupported IWB, serpa holsters suggested.

- Get kydex.

- CR Speed / USPSA rigs, drop rigs, etc.

Stout Belt

Mag carriers

IDPA Vest or Cover Garment. No mesh. Shoot-me-first vests popular.

Ammo - low power factor. No steel core, no tracer.

hat - hot brass under eyewear.

shoes - no slip-ons or flops

Rules

Raw time + points + penalties

Limited and Non-limited stages.

Divisions. Mag caps.

+1 round rule at start.

Using Cover

Slicing the pie.

Tactical Sequence

Tactical Priority

Classes - All are UN at start.

Scoring

Get your zeros

points = .5 second

grease ring

only touch perf

FTN - 3sec

HNT - 5sec

Procedural - 3sec

Shoot-thru’s count

Steel hits either good or not.

RO gets the say.

Technique

Grip - Thumbs forward, left hand wraps.

Stance - squared to target, weight on balls of feet.

Reload - not in your lap, natural-in-face.

Movement - toe to heel.

Don’t hug cover!

LAMR- Barney mag, strong hand only.

[kevin c]

For IDPA, review muzzle safe points. For IPSC, review the 180 rule, both up/down and side to side. Warn them about the tendency to bring the muzzle uprange on movement to the weak side. I teach "muzzle into the berm" on any movement to reinforce this.

We emphasize "Walk, don't run" at the beginning.

Review safe areas and the rules regarding ammo handling.

I like to give a little of the history, and I make an effort to explain the different approaches and philosophies of some of the different disciplines in a nonconfrontational way (I use the martial arts comparison - "Your uniform and your punch technique and your block and your form are different from mine; our different styles both work in their own contexts, but are separate, and what is the right way for you in your dojo doesn't necessarily work in mine, and vice versa, and thats fine.").

For equipment, we start with bring and shoot what ya got. We advise asking people and trying things out a bit before dropping money on new guns, rigs, reloading equipment, etc.

Emphasize having fun and being safe. Make specific note that some skills, like shooting those pesky little plates at twenty yards, take time to develop, and that we've all dumped whole mags at some of them to no avail.

Mention some good print and other media resources. Make sure they can make their way to THIS site, the premier Practical Shooting forums.

Visuals help. Our main instructor for our intro class put together a PowerPoint presentation. We even invested in a projector. Works great.

EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS A VOLUNTEER SPORT, THAT THE CLUBS EXIST BECAUSE FOLKS GIVE THE TIME TO RUN THEM AND THAT THE MATCHES ARE FUN, CHALLENGING AND SAFE BECAUSE PEOPLE MADE THE EFFORT. You can perhaps get a head start on the next generation of help this way, especially if you mention (provided it's true at your club as it tends to be at mine) that offering to help is not just appreciated, but sometimes can be rewarded by some mentoring or a few tips from the experienced, on technique, equipment, and stage breakdown.

Good luck!

Edited November 4, 2010 by kevin c

[NMBOpen]

Since very little of their time at a match involves them shooting some guidance on range etiquette should be given: quiet during another shooter's run, help with reset/scoring, etc.

In other words what is appropriate behavior before and after your turn to shoot the COF.

Edited November 4, 2010 by NMBOpen

[oak hill]

Great idea! I have been considering the same thing at our local club as a way to fast track new shooters, plus possibly retain more who come to "try".

We get a fair number of people out who are gun enthusiasts, but don't have much (if any) experience shooting in formal events. Safety is a real challenge sometimes when they come with bad or lax habits.

Let us know how it goes so we can all learn from your experience.

[Genghis]

Superb info!

[bp78]

Thanks for the info - I'm in agreement with all the points added. Did anyone have a link or short history of USPSA / IDPA and practical shooting they could share or point to?

[whiskeytango]

I think this is great, and should you care to share your presentation I'd love to get a copy of it.

I think one of the main things to stress to NEW shooters is that no one cares about your score, but YOU. It's been my experience that new shooters are so worried about being embarrassed because they finished last, or next to last. At then end of the day, new shooters need to be encouraged and applauded for getting out to shoot!

[bp78]

Here are the instructor notes we plan to run thought tomorrow. Let me know if anyone see's any gaps in what we plan to talk through in two hours tomorrow night.

Introduction to Practical Shooting Competition

Practical or Action Shooting Sports

USPSA / IPSC

NRA Action Pistol & Rifle

IDPA

3Gun

Steel Challenge

Ruger Challenge

Legal Disclaimer

This is not a class on how to shoot. By attending you should already be trained in safe gun handling and shooting. This is only an introduction to practical shooting competitions and the subjects discussed are inherently dangerous. You are ultimately responsible for your own safety if or when you compete with live ammunition.

Action Sports History

Action sports really started with IPSC (Intl.) and USPSA (US IPSC). IDPA was created by Bill Wilson and split from USPSA... etc. etc.. This is a volunteer sport, clubs exist because folks give their time to run them and that the matches are only fun, challenging, and safe because people made the effort.

Safety

Safety is everyone's Responsibility.

Anyone can call stop.

The 4 Rules:

The 1st Law of Gun Safety - The Gun Is Always Loaded!

The 2nd Law of Gun Safety - Never Point a Gun At Something You're Not Prepared To Destroy!

The 3rd Law of Gun Safety - Always Be Sure Of Your Target And What Is Behind It!

The 4th Law of Gun Safety - Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until Your Sights Are On The Target!

“Walk, don’t run.” No one cares about your score but you.

Cold Range Rules.

Eye & Ear protection (steel/rocks/squibs)

Muzzle safe points. 180* Rule. (watch reloads on moving to weak side) “always muzzle into the berm”

Sweeping body & others.

Finger off trigger at times.

Gun handling - keep it in one hand at LAMR/ULSC.

Safe Area - No ammo or loaded mags handled.

Common reasons for a DQ. 180, shoot the ground, AD

Equipment

Pistol

- .38/9mm min

- 3.5 to 5” most common, glocks, 1911s, xDs, CZs, etc.

- at least 3 mags.

- Grip - many use skate tape or smooth, rubber-wrap grips too big for most.

Holster - Strong side only, hip point, IDPA coverage of ejection port.

- No gunshow nylon, unsupported IWB, serpa holsters for safety reasons.

- Get kydex. blade-tech most common

- CR Speed / USPSA rigs, drop rigs etc. where allowed.

Stout Belt - A real belt, hand around examples.

Mag carriers - Strong side, forward placement to hip bone.

Concealment - IDPA Vest or garment. No mesh b/c snagging. Shoot-me-first 5.11 vests popular. Arms out straight w/o pistol showing. (Bring good vest, jacket, and Hawaiian shirt examples)

Ammo - low power factor. No steel core, no tracer.

Hat - hot brass

Shoes - no slip-ons or flops

Camo frowned upon, against USPSA rules.

Rules

Raw time + points + penalties

Limited (Limited Vickers)

Non-limited stages (Vickers).

Divisions:

- SSP / ESP / CDP SSR / ESR

- Pistol examples for divisions, xD and slide swap oddness.

Mag caps. 10+1 8+1

+1 round rule explained.

No dropped mags with bullets. (Reload with Retention)

Cover - 50% rule.

Slicing the pie.

Tactical Sequence

Tactical Priority

Classes - All you are UN

- UN NO MM SS EX MA

LAMR, ULSC Commands

RO corrections: FINGER! MOVE! COVER! STOP!

Scoring

Get your zeros!

points are 0.5 seconds each

grease ring need only touch perf to count.

FTN - 3sec

HNT - 5sec (count only once once hit)

Procedural - 3sec

Shoot-thru’s count

Steel down. Range-equipment failures -> reshoot.

RO gets the say.

Technique

Grip - Thumbs forward, left hand wraps, no tea-cup, stay away from the slide.

Stance - squared to target, arms even, weight on balls of feet. (Some may vary)

Reload - not in your lap, natural-in-face. Finger-guide; bullets forward, elbows bent.

Movement - toe to heel, small movements count.

Don’t hug cover! Keep a gap.

LAMR- Barney mag, strong hand only.

Magazine safety - keep an unloaded mag pocketed for ULSC step.

Dry fire & practice at home. Don’t shoot the TV. Do not shoot the TV.

Etiquette

Arrive early to help and help when resetting stages for 3 and 4.

“Shooting is optional, pasting is not.” Unless you’re on-deck.

Scorers calling Shooter, on-deck, in-the-hole, deep-hole, DFL.

Be ready to shoot when you are on-deck and waiting for the RO.

Be quiet when shooters are starting, electronic ears can pickup conversations.

Give RO/SO’s heads-up you’re new, move towards bottom of squad.

“Take the cotton out your ears and put it in your mouth” Be mindful of the advice and opinions you offer.

Help scoring when you’re comfortable. Hand signals, fist for zero.

Don’t paste until scored.

Don’t leave till your squad is done and you help tear down your last stage.

For More Information:

Brian Enos Forum: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/

Matt Burkett Videos: www.mattburkett.com (Vol 1-3)

Gunners Alley: Downtown Cary www.gunnersalley.com

Other area Matches: http://ncsection.org

YouTube: Search ‘Todd Jarrett Pistol Grip’