COF LA Carjacking

[Billf]

I had a question at our last IDPA match regarding a course of fire. On the IDPA website under contributed courses of fires. The course of fire LA Carjacking by Dan Ballard.

The 3rd string says “: You are leaning on the car talking to friends when the gunmen try a carjack. You come under fire. Engage all 3 hostiles while moving, in tactical order, steel popper, then the 2 paper targets Mozambique.”

Everyone before me shot it while moving backwards and not utilizing cover. When it was my turn I asked the SO what the wording was and he said that you had to shoot the targets while moving backwards. I asked where in the instruction did it say backwards, he said he made it up and that all IDPA tactics say to retreat while engaging targets. I pointed out the classifier and he shrugged it off insisting that I could not charge the popper. I asked if I could shoot the popper while moving back and the paper while moving forward. I was shunned for even suggesting that. Was I wrong? How would you shoot it?

Bill

[Ron Ankeny]

When the SO said you were required to shoot while moving backwards, that pretty much settled it.

[Flexmoney]

BILL N. and Sue (he's better half) like to call that ROTD (pronounced rotted, stands for Rules Of The Day)

Seems like silly course requirenments, and deviation from the norm...and often logic, show up on a regular basis.  For me, once I've accepted that a course is ROTD, my enjoyments goes up.  Just gotta go with the flow.

[Billf]

I agree Ron, I shot it like the SO said, but I was just curious. How do they keep track between squads and different SO's opinion if the SO's are allowed say how it is to be shot? Maybe I should have shot it the way I was thinking without asking the SO and taken a procedural. When you all shoot at your IDPA club do you follow what the shooters in front of  you did or do you look for different angles? Or is looking for different angles called gaming?

[Bill]

Billf,

Did you start at position 1 with the car behind you? If so, as close as I can figure from the course description, I would have engaged the targets as I moved backwards toward cover behind the car. How close was the popper? Usually it is best to be 10 yards or so from any steel for safety purposes.

Yes I do look for better ways to shoot a stage. Instead of calling it gaming I call it finding a better way to survive on the street. That makes it OK.

Bill Nesbitt

[Ron Ankeny]

Billf:

I didn't mean anything by my comment other than to mean that the SO can make the rules up as he/she goes along and all we can do is to suck it up and shoot. Around here we change off being RO I mean SO and we shoot more than one squad. On more than one occasion we have ended up with two sets of rules, one for the first squad and one for the second squad. We also seem to have disagreements between SO's regarding tactical sequence etc. Hell, at the last match some of the guys shot over the top of a "mailbox" by squatting down while others went to kneeling and shot around the side. Different interpretations of 50 per cent cover...

I really can't answer your question because I mainly shoot IPSC whereas I shoot IDPA just to get out of the house.

[Billf]

Ok, now I see that it seems to be the same with most clubs in regards to the rules. Thanks for the ROTD tip and the "looking for better ways to survive on the street" I will have to work on my IDPA approach.

I am thinking that maybe I might shoot the IDPA Nationals this year. Is it the same there or is every SO on the same wave length? How about at some of your State Championships? I thought that maybe I might check one or two of those out.

Ron, Im an IPSC shooter too, but IDPA is the only game in town so I might as well learn the scoop. You all have played IDPA much more then me and I appreciate all comments. It did not take me long to realize the hypocrisy within IDPA but I just want to be prepared when I shoot outside the group here. Its another game and I like to play.

Bill N. I could have shot all the required hits backing up before reaching the front of the car. I was just thinking that since that was the case that I would move quickly closer for eaiser Bzone hits as cover would only slow down hitting the target, anyway no big deal it worked out moving backwards the whole way not using cover as the SO said to do and everyone was happy. I am learning the IDPA mindset and this is good, I guess.

Bill

[Bill]

Billf,

You will find as you travel around that different people in different areas are supposedly shooting the same sport but it is different. That happens not only in shooting sports but everything. I have been places where you wonder if anybody ever read the rule book.

Since we started looking at ALL matches as ROTD we have a good time everywhere.

The IDPA Nationals has been pretty good the last couple of years. Decent stages and consistant SO's. What part of the country are you from? Maybe some of us here can give you a few tips on State matches to attend or avoid. The West Virginia State will be good. Carolina Cup also.

Bill Nesbitt

[Billf]

Bill Nesbitt,

I live in Alaska, the closest IDPA club is almost an hours drive from my  house. The closest IPSC club is 6 1/2 hour drive. It doesnt matter much where the good matches are in the lower 48. I have to fly to get there. It would be cool to know who has the some of the best State matches, I plan on flying out several times this summer so it would be good to do some planning.

Thanks

Bill

[Bill]

Billf,

Do you have any destinations in mind? How about dates? If you go to http://www.idpa.com and look at upcoming matches that could give you some idea where and when for state matches. Then ask us if they are any good.

Have you thought about starting your own club close to home? IDPA clubs are less paperwork than USPSA.

Bill Nesbitt

(Edited by BILL at 5:42 am on April 22, 2002)

[Billf]

Bill

I live in the sticks, I have a small club already going, my two boys (11 and 15) and myself. Most everyone around here owns guns but are not into competitive shooting. Competitive shooting is somewhat expensive (even IDPA, as you all know) for most of the folks in my neck of the woods.

My boys and I have lots of stuff to get a club going. Pin tables, cases of pins, enough steel targets to set up the complete steel challange, poppers, target stands, turners, swingers etc. Many times we set several stages in the local gravel pit and shoot. The locals think its cool but don't shoot, I don't even charge to shoot when the few who do show up to pop caps. To get any type of competition action I have to drive. Just a bummer thing of where I chose to live. We have club startup experiece, the wife and I started and IPSC club in the lower 48 and ran it for 2 years before moving here and its still going strong. Just haven't figured out the folks around here yet. We are working on it though.

I think your suggestions on State matches would be good for a tread start up on best Matches to Shoot. I shall start one.

I will be shooting the Nationals in Oct.. By the way what is the Tactical Journal.

Thanks much for your thoughts.

Bill

[Duane Thomas]

Just FYI, the Washington State IDPA Championships - and that's about as close as you can get! - will take place August 17-18 in Renton, WA. You can call Rick Breneman, home (206) 365-1674, work (206) 623-1900, fax (206) 623-3384, or Justin Ross, home (206) 440-8172, or work (206) 605-2588 for info.