How long did it take you to move up a class

[MrBorland]

Looking at my splits and match results, I think I'm knocking on the door of Master.

I shot a classifier this weekend and confirmed my suspicions. A few too many PDs, including a very costly Stage 3 miss. Missed Master by 2 seconds even.

[Ahab]

I shot my first IDPA classifier in 2008 and made ESP Sharpshooter. I sort of dinked around for a while, shooting ESP, CDP, SSP, until mid '09 when I got serious and started working on ESR. I made Expert in ESR in Sep of 2009, and then made Master in ESR in June of 2010. That was right about when I started working on The Quest for Master Class for DRTV and started shooting at least one classifier a week. I ended up taking Sep-Nov off from shooting almost entirely, and then I took a couple of really good handgun classes to knock the rust off.

I shot CDP Master on 11/27/10, ESP Master on 12/4/10, SSP Master on 12/8/10, and SSR Master yesterday on 12/14/10.

The big breakthrough in my shooting was that I've been working obsessively on my press-out; driving the gun to the target and working the trigger simultaneously to get the break timed to when I hit full extension. Especially on the classifier, this makes a huge difference since there are a silly-assed number of presentations.

What's really interesting (to me) anyway is that all my times are relatively close to one another.

CDP: 89.15

ESP: 86.08

SSP: 91.86

ESR: 97.61

SSR: 96.47

I shot ESP and SSP with the same gun, an M&P Pro Series in .40 S&W shooting USPSA Major loads.

[tightloop]

If you get serious about it, no reason you cannot make Master with each weapon the first time you try to classify....

[Ahab]

That's assuming that someone is an experienced USPSA shooter before they come over and try IDPA. I've almost never seen that, what I've seen is usually someone starts in IDPA and then starts shooting other stuff as well. But that's not the point.

Back to the original discussion, it took me a little over 2 years from my first classification to make 5-gun master.

[donnyglock]

Congrats on the 5 gun master. Not easy at all.

[Ahab]

Congrats on the 5 gun master. Not easy at all.

Thanks! Now I need to quit grand-bagging and win some matches.

[92fs]

I made ESP SS on my first attemp last fall. I shot a second in February with a new gun and made little improvement. I have my next classifier coming up this monday. I hope to try for both ESP and then SSP expert if there is enough time. My trouble is my nervs get the best of me during classifires and my accuracy suffers.

[MemphisMechanic]

1.5 years to go from first match to SSP Master over here.

Shaprshooters do everything just as well as Experts, for the most part. They just do it all a little bit slower.

Push for more speed. Shoot a months worth of local matches worling on speed. "be accurate, speed will come" is a LIE.

Drawing, reloading, accuracy all come rhorugh hard work and repetition. Shooting fast is the same as the others. You must practice speed.

Every time you spend sufficient amounts of time pushing your spees until the wheels start to come off the wagon, you'll be able to shoot a little bit quicker when you back down to a good, accurate speed once again.

[MemphisMechanic]

Also, EXs don't actually shoot the gun much more quickly than SSs. Dryfire your butt off getting your reload, draw, and especially your movement from position to position more efficient.

If we're just talking classifier shooting, forget efficient, rapid movement. But it absolutely will win your class for you in EX and SS at matches.

Every stage is a footrace. The guy who gets to the end the quickest, can take a bit more time to do everything else and still break even.

If you want the expert bump via classifier, go practice your butt off on stage 3s long shots, and get your draw and reload without concealment down pat. Both of those are done VERY often on the classifier. A half second off each load and draw HAS to be at least 10 seconds saved overall. Now don't miss the heads, shoot stsge 3 pretty clean, and it's in the bag.

Edited April 22, 2011 by MemphisMechanic

[hankfan79]

"be accurate, speed will come" is a LIE.

This is where we disagress young Jedi. I don't think SPEED Shooting is key in IDPA. SPEED MOVEMENT, SPEED Reloads, and Target transitions is key. HAUL ASS when moving throughout the stage. Take well placed shots and your good.

I went from SSP SS to MA is less than 3 matches. Got bumped at two consecutive matches.

Spent over 2 years to make ESP MA because of lack of shooters in ESP EX.

Now I am starting in CDP EX now that I made MA in ESP. Hopefully I will accomplish 3 Gun Master before the season is over. Then I will spend the rest of my life trying to master the REVOLVER

[RickB]

Also, EXs don't actually shoot the gun much more quickly than SSs. Dryfire your butt off getting your reload, draw, and especially your movement from position to position more efficient.

If we're just talking classifier shooting, forget efficient, rapid movement. But it absolutely will win your class for you in EX and SS at matches.

Every stage is a footrace. The guy who gets to the end the quickest, can take a bit more time to do everything else and still break even.

If you want the expert bump via classifier, go practice your butt off on stage 3s long shots, and get your draw and reload without concealment down pat. Both of those are done VERY often on the classifier. A half second off each load and draw HAS to be at least 10 seconds saved overall. Now don't miss the heads, shoot stsge 3 pretty clean, and it's in the bag.

In my experience, Masters often don't shoot matches any better than veteran Experts, since the big difference in classifier scores is usually on stage three, and rarely do you see stage-3 stuff often enough for Masters to get an advantage via their pure shooting ability. Of course, there are 90-second Masters and there are 60-second Masters, but I've never seen one of the latter on the range.

[BillR1]

I shot my first (and only) classifier in December. I tanked it pretty bad and made SSP Marksman. At my first major 2 weeks ago, I got a bump to SS.

[CallMeBruce]

Shot my first match ever in November 2010 which also happened to be a classifier. 180 some seconds for barely MM in CDP. Shot my 5th IDPA match this weekend which was also a classifier and missed SSP Expert by <10 seconds and I know exactly where I left them...Good thing though because I shouldn't be Expert yet. Haven't practiced much, just watched and learned and really focused on sights.

[MichiganShootist]

I started shooting IDPA in 2000. I shot a different gun (and only one gun) each year and by 2005 I was a Five gun Expert (which I don't think is too shabby for a 60+ year old with spinal arthritus, cataracts, and a couple blown knees).

Now that I'm closing in on 70 I have no expectations to challenge Bob Vogel or many Master Class shooters...... But I have won at least one state or regional match as an Expert in each division. And I continue to collect Distinguished Senior "wood" quite often.

As a handgun instructor for a couple companies and civilians who want a Concealed Pistol License......it is more important for me to know that I can pick up any gun I please and be highly competent. If I was 30 or 40 years younger or if I focused on only one gun then sure I could make Master but that has never been my personal goal.

My only tip would be to stick with one gun and try and take all the wasted time out of your match and save that time for shooting well. Slow foot speed, slow draws, slow reloads, all add time that you will never make up by shooting too fast to see your sites.

Edited May 23, 2011 by MichiganShootist

[gr7070]

The short answer is I've moved up 1 rank every 14 months and shot about 10 matches per bump with no practice.

I shot very little handguns growing up. I started IDPA about 3.5 years ago, now 40 y.o. I've shot 30 matches. I go to a static range a few times a year that doesn't allow any IDPA-like actions of any kind.

I made ESP SS after two years and a 15+ matches.

I've been shooting SSR for 10 months. I have dry fired a decent amount to get used to the double action trigger. I shot a classifier a month ago and was 3 seconds from EX. I blew the first stage badly with three misses - I had never fired my revolver weak-handed before the classifier, and only a few times strong-hand.

I did have my first IDPA practice session last week. I won't be able to practice consistently, but I expect to make EX soon enough and hope that I can make MA in a year if I actually practice even a reasonable amount, hopefully.

Edited May 24, 2011 by gr7070