Toughest division to start in for USPSA?

[Sandbagger123]

Production hardest.. you need to have good reloads, scored minor and a good plan. Limited for starters. just need to concentrate on shooting mostly. Can be run minor or major. Open for the fun. just put dot an pull trigger. SS, not enough competition most of the time to be interesting.

[Wideload]

Each division have their own challenges but, for someone just getting into USPSA, the Revolver would be the toughest. Not necessarily for the extra reloads and having to develop a different way of shooting the stages but, because there are so few revolver shooters at the matches.

With all the other divisions, a new shooter will be able to find fellow shooters that can loan them an extra mag and/or a pouch for a long field course, mentors that can help them advance and peers in the same division that will challenge and push them to do better. With a revolver, if you are fortunate, there may be one or two "regular" revolver shooters at a club that may help them get started/advance.

While running a revolver against a match full of bottom feeders may have its rewarding moments, it's probably not the best place for most new shooters to begin their USPSA career.

As to what is the next toughest... probably the next least attended division at your local match. It's usually better to have a larger pool of people that you are competing against.

Edited January 1, 2014 by Wideload

[CHLChris]

It's usually better to have a larger pool of people that you are competing against.

+1, Wideload!

A great reason why this is the case is it is easier to gauge your own growth. If you go from consistent 3rd place out of 3 to 2nd place out of 3, what have you learned about your growth? Maybe that one guy just messed up a bit today. On the other hand, if your division has 20-30 shooters and you see yourself going up the charts a little at a time, it is much easier to notice your growth.

Thus, the hardest division in which to start is the least-populated one, as many have iterated before me...

[Sarge]

Production hardest.. , scored minor

Irrelevant as all Production shooters are scored minor. You are not competing with the other divisions.

[aandabooks]

Why is that? Don't know the history of the formation of the divisions.

[ttolliver]

I think the hardest division to start in is one with no other newbies.

Sure, we all need to learn what the best shooters do. But some of the most effective early learning is done alongside other newbies. It really helps learn early concepts when you see other people doing things wrong. And it's a great stress reliever when you can laugh with a few others who are doing the same knucklehead things you're doing. And it's a much more realistic group to measure your own progress against than the long climb to get as good as experienced shooters who have been in this sport for any number of years.

So following that logic, Production is going to be easiest and Open probably the hardest because newbies just don't start there.

[Sarge]

Why is that? Don't know the history of the formation of the divisions.

The easiest way to grasp it is to compare shooting an Open gun with a dot, compensator and a 30 round mag to shooting a revolver with iron sights and moonclips of 6-8 shots. Those divisions do not directly compete against each other for obvious reasons. It's the same for all Divisions. So if you are shooting Production, you only compete against Production.

minor PF scoring vs. MAJOR PF scoring is in the book as well.

Take a look at the rule book on uspsa.org. The divisions are in the appendices and everything is pretty much explained

[ttolliver]

Oh, and don't let anyone talk you out of Single Stack. Assuming you shoot major...

8 round mags aren't that much of a limitation over the 10 round divisions as long as you're an accurate shooter. You'll find that most stages are designed with movement between clusters of targets needing 6 to 8 shots. 10 round magazines do become an advantage when you need makeup shots.

Offsetting that disadvantage is the fact that 1911s are amazingly accurate platforms, have awesome triggers, can shoot an low recoil 230gr load, and will happily eat cheaper cast bullets all day long. Although to be fair, what you save on cast bullets you'll spend leaving more expensive .45 brass on the ground

Of course there's single stack minor that gives you 10 round mags but at the cost of minor scoring.

[LiveShootLive]

Open is the true monster. There is no real hard or easy division to start in, it just depends on how you want to humble yourself. I always played by final standings, so open is the testing ground.

[GunBandit]

I think I read something that Caleb Giddings of Gun Nuts along the lines of "what your division says about you." It's a pretty damn funny read

http://www.gunnuts.net/2011/09/16/what-your-uspsa-division-says-about-you/

had to look this up and it is pretty funny. Thought i would share the link. Enjoy

[Whoops!]

Whatever division you start in is the toughest one to get started in. There's no way around it. All of them cross-train. All of them are difficult if you haven't shot USPSA before.

[ericjhuber]

I think the hardest division to start in is one with no other newbies.

Sure, we all need to learn what the best shooters do. But some of the most effective early learning is done alongside other newbies. It really helps learn early concepts when you see other people doing things wrong. And it's a great stress reliever when you can laugh with a few others who are doing the same knucklehead things you're doing. And it's a much more realistic group to measure your own progress against than the long climb to get as good as experienced shooters who have been in this sport for any number of years.

So following that logic, Production is going to be easiest and Open probably the hardest because newbies just don't start there.

In my case, I started shooting USPSA last year at a club that turns out to be just stuffed with Jedi Master level shooters. We've got four people going to the IPSC World Shoot next year in Frostproof to represent the US team in various disciplines. One of the things that the club does to ease rookies like me into the sport is to offer up a monthly introduction to action shooting. It takes a morning to go through. The classroom portion covers rules, etiquette, and then everyone gets to shoot a stage or two. It's a nice way to get oriented to the game with a bunch of other new people and to get to meet some of the experienced shooters from the club.

WAC is very welcoming to new shooters. I've seen plenty of new people come through and we all got the same treatment which was very close supervision and attention by at least one of the experienced range officers who mentors the new shooter through their first match. I remember the first Steel Challenge match I shot at WAC. It was my first match after the introductory class and everyone was very welcoming. So welcoming that I even got my own extra range officer for the first couple stages . They're a smart bunch. They know to be welcoming to new shooters, but they clearly wanted to make sure I could safely handle a firearm. My "bonus" RO was so close to me during my first couple stages that while I couldn't see him, I could hear him breathing. I think after a couple stages they decided I wasn't going to be a safety issue and my bonus RO disappeared.

One thing I do recommend for new shooters is to put forth the effort to help out as much as you can before and after the matches. I try and show up as early as I can for my local club matches so that I can at least help slinging around the heavy bits and pieces for the people who are doing the stage planning. I'm unskilled labor, but I can at least help the folks putting out the extra effort to plan things out by moving stuff around for them.

[SonOfSpartans]

The one you do not prepare for.

[Givo08]

I've taken several new shooters recently to matches, and I always recommend they start with limited minor with a Glock 22, 17 or some other type of high cap 9mm or .40 even without mag extensions. I think one of the most frustrating things to a new shooter can be to have to think about constantly reloading like single stack or production division. I always push them to start in limited for this reason, and then after several matches, either gravitate towards production or single stack if they want to keep their gun relatively stock, or begin to modify the gun they were shooting limited to make it more competitive.

[motosapiens]

What does 'toughest' mean? Toughest to win a crappy plaque? Least fun? Most difficult to get started with equipment?

I think every division is the exact same amount of 'tough'. Just choose one that sounds like fun and shoot lots.

[BSeevers]

Depends on skill level.. A person who has never really shot a gun? Has to be Revolver. DA trigger, Reloading til the cows come home, Iron sights, Funky grips. I would be surprised if they didn't have half of their stages zeroed. A guy who shot Revos casually for ten years would do better of course.

Open can be a fun crutch for a new guy cause he brings his Glock 17, can't hit hard targets so then proceeds to be dead last in every match, so the "positive" reenforcement of "hits on targets" makes him Love Open. Here is the problem, sure Open is easier but it's easier for everybody so as you progress if you have flaws in your technique, it reveals itself real quick and easy. So you don't win once you are in say B class, in general

Now I love to start a student on Open because I can reveal their weakness easily, its easier to work on it and grow them faster since sight is in one plane.

I don't think any division is that much more "tough" Its Sight alignment, Trigger, repeat in any division.

Edited January 6, 2014 by BSeevers

[Nimitz]

you are correct, if you don't have solid fundamental shooting skills; trigger control, sight management, proper grip, etc it doesn't matter what div you start in it's going to be tough. The added dimensions of reload plans and stage management will, while important, be just red herrings for newbies. If you can't put your bullets where you want them to on command that other stuff simply doesn't matter.

You can have your stage plan provided by Nils, your reloads performed by Ben, your gun built by a team effort from Akai, Cheely & Brazos and your ammo hand made by Atlantic Arms but if you also have crappy fundamental shooting skills and end up with 15 Mikes for the match guess what place you're going to finish in ...?

Edited January 6, 2014 by Nimitz

[Rick88]

Open major with a single stack 45...

[chanman]

I think I read something that Caleb Giddings of Gun Nuts along the lines of "what your division says about you." It's a pretty damn funny read

http://www.gunnuts.net/2011/09/16/what-your-uspsa-division-says-about-you/

had to look this up and it is pretty funny. Thought i would share the link. Enjoy

Thanks for that

[spraynpray]

If your local match adheres to the 8-round rule, SS and Prod are no problem. The problem is that many local level matches don't.

[Silver_Surfer]

I vote Open class. You got to know how guns work and reloads are less forgiving.

[Mpie427]

I am attending my 3rd USPSA match this coming weekend, shooting in Production/Limited 10 using a Glock 17. Does anyone ever shoot SS .45 competitively in USPSA?

[StraightUp_OG]

Yes in SS division and some in L10.

[Mpie427]

Cool, I think this weekend may be a SS Colt type of weekend...USPSA match Saturday and a IDPA Sunday. Thanks

[Moltke]

They all have a GM on top and if you're starting in any division then you're probably going to be nowhere close to their skill.

Pick the gun & gear you want to be good with, and start shooting there, all the divisions have nuances but its still all just sight alignment and trigger control.