Is idpa really fun?

[P.E. Kelley]

First, shooting is FUN! I have shot about every pistol game. IDPA, USPSA, IPSC, International Air, Conventional Pistol, Standard Pistol, Metallic Silhouette, Bowling Pins, etc.

I have had less fun at IDPA than at USPSA, but I still had fun!

The only rub for me was the attitude of the local IDPA'ers. Them thinking that IDPA was practical to real world.

If that were true...even with all the penalties dropped mags and my USPSA "spray and pray" approach (their words) I won the (events) gunfight/s.

These are Games with play with guns...nothing more. We PAY to play and if you ain't having fun...it is probably your fault.

[Jim Norman]

Too many people in too many 'dynamic' or 'action' shooting sports forget that we keep score on paper (OK, electronically now) and everyone goes home at night. All the training, all the actual shooting experiences in the world will not guarantee the outcome in a 'two-way range'.

As Pat said, "Shooting is Fun!" Arguing about which shooting sport is more fun is OK, TO A POINT! At some level however it starts to really detract from the fact that 99%+ of us lose money by shooing, not that we wouldn't lose the same or more sailing, playing golf or any other endeavor, but this is for just about everyone of us a way to get out with friends and acquaintances, get a little fresh air and RELAX. Once that goes away, then it starts to remind me too much of work!

Well defined rules are important as is the fair and even enforcement of the rules. If there area arbitrary calls it starts to detract from the Fun Factor. This ties into the IDPA is tactical vs USPSA will get you killed mentality of some. I could go on, but Most has been said before by better writers and shooters than I

[robport]

First, shooting is FUN! I have shot about every pistol game. IDPA, USPSA, IPSC, International Air, Conventional Pistol, Standard Pistol, Metallic Silhouette, Bowling Pins, etc.

I have had less fun at IDPA than at USPSA, but I still had fun!

The only rub for me was the attitude of the local IDPA'ers. Them thinking that IDPA was practical to real world.

If that were true...even with all the penalties dropped mags and my USPSA "spray and pray" approach (their words) I won the (events) gunfight/s.

These are Games with play with guns...nothing more. We PAY to play and if you ain't having fun...it is probably your fault.

How true. We haven't seen the "Tacticool" people at our matches for a long time...at least while I've been there.

Most of them come in, run their search routine after they finish shooting, from high ready on each stage, then don't come back,...don't really know why.

Maybe they are expecting to win on their first try or something?

I've always said if something bad goes down in the local Walmart, I'll go to the sports department and get a fishing vest while someone paints hands on the bad guys.

I'm sure I could hit them with no problem then.

[gmg]

When you leave matches angry, then it's not fun. So my vote goes in the "Hell NO" column

[v1911]

It's obviously fun for many or it wouldn't be around. Clearly it's not everyone's game of choice. It doesn't have to be. With so many shooting sports, there's something for everyone. Give it a try. If you like it, great! If you don't, then atleast you can say you gave it a try but it wasn't for you.

[sundevil827]

This one is definitely a case of beauty being in the eye of the beholder.

For me though, I've always found much better, and more competitive shooters and matches in USPSA as opposed to IDPA. The best shooters seem to gravitate to USPSA, and for me, the competition is a great motivator to get out and practice. Not saying I'm going to compete with them, but it pushes me, and I learn an awful lot more from them.

[Jim Watson]

I just wish Those People would shoot their own "game" instead of spending so much bandwidth telling me all I am doing wrong.

[robport]

My only big frustration about IDPA right now, as I posted on another thread is those durn range lawyers slowing down the matches.

I proposed a new rule last night at our monthly club meeting to restrict rules discussions during our matches (with the working SO's and MD), to people that have the rule book in front of them and finger pointed at a rule. Otherwise, it isn't allowed. You aren't pointing at the book, sit down and shuddup!

Worst case, at least we will all learn something together....lol

[NewColonial]

My only big frustration about IDPA right now, as I posted on another thread is those durn range lawyers slowing down the matches.

That's function of the local people, not the organization itself. You might as well blame all gun owners for the actions of imbeciles. I stopped shooting a local USPSA match due to a 20 minute lecture on helping tear down before every match, followed by standing around waiting while someone argued the 180 line, or a shoot thru at least once a match. That and the 15 minute walk throughs while everyone games the 8 target stage. In this area, helping to reset a stage is just about universal in IDPA, like pulling teeth at a USPSA match.

[LikesToShoot]

Shooting anything is fun.

[Forrest Halley]

How true. We haven't seen the "Tacticool" people at our matches for a long time...at least while I've been there.

Most of them come in, run their search routine after they finish shooting, from high ready on each stage, then don't come back,...don't really know why.

Maybe they are expecting to win on their first try or something?

I've always said if something bad goes down in the local Walmart, I'll go to the sports department and get a fishing vest while someone paints hands on the bad guys.

I'm sure I could hit them with no problem then.

I think the tacticool folks realize their skills are not upnto the speed of the competitors around them and then shrink back into their comfort zone of drawing on the square range with nobody around. They're safer there with their ego being the one stroked every time and the situation can be tailored to the gear they have convinced themselves they need.

Painting hands on the bad guys hmm? Somebody gets lots of HNT's....muahaha!

[Jane]

My only big frustration about IDPA right now, as I posted on another thread is those durn range lawyers slowing down the matches.

The last USPSA match I shot (3 weeks ago) had two grind-to-a-halt slowdowns on our squad by rules arguments "go get the match director again".

Range lawyering ain't limited to IDPA, in my experience.

Just sayin' .....

[agwoodard]

I enjoy shooting IDPA, and I do think it is great fun.

What I dislike is having to wait an hour between stages at a club level match because the reset of a stage is so time consuming, or props are set up in such a fasion that they fail to work 100% (or sometimes even 20%) of the time. There are clubs in my area I hesitate to go to because of the time waiting for them to reset or figure out stages makes an already long day even longer, and it's not necessary to have a good match.

I have not tried USPSA yet, but I am leaning more towards it. IDPA, at least in my area, is getting away from being a realistic defiensive based scenario shooting sport to one where clubs try to outdo each other with electronics, pressure pads, photo sensors and other silly things.

[RePete]

We all hate that. Are you helping solving the problems?

Anything that's run by electrical/electronics stands a greater chance of failing than mechanical and they sometimes fail.

Gimmicks are nice when they work, but MD's lets use the KISS principal.

[agwoodard]

Am I helping to solve the problem? People always assume that someone with an opinion is bitching just for the sake of bitching.

I do try to play a small part in my clubs IDPA program. I've become an SO, I have pretty much taken over our weekly practice session because everyone else has jobs and I am semi retired and have the time so I give it freely. I desiged a stage for our last club match, built all the props for it out of my pocket, set it up basically alone the day before, and I think it went well. I designed a stage for our upcomming October state shoot as well. I actually submitted 3 in total. I design most all of the stages for our Tuesday night practice sessions, and, I might add, set them up before hand by myself or with the help of one other person. So....I think I am ding something other than bitching. Maybe not. All I know is, when you have 60 shooters, divided into 6 squads, shooting 6 stages simultaneously, and on the last stage of the match there is an hour and 15 minute wait, something is amiss. I still have a lot to learn, but some things are obvious.

Edited August 8, 2015 by agwoodard

[9x45]

I think IDPA was more fun back in the early years. Mostly USPSA guys looking for something different and it wasn't full of newbies with no experience. Then it got over run with Tactical Plumbers who tried to tell the shooters how to roll. A tactical plumber is a 17 time graduate of front site who thinks a 9 second bill drill is smoking. .. no previous action pistol not a cop not a ccw holder

But this is how you should make your run to be tactically correct

[RePete]

Am I helping to solve the problem? People always assume that someone with an opinion is bitching just for the sake of bitching.

I do try to play a small part in my clubs IDPA program. I've become an SO, I have pretty much taken over our weekly practice session because everyone else has jobs and I am semi retired and have the time so I give it freely. I desiged a stage for our last club match, built all the props for it out of my pocket, set it up basically alone the day before, and I think it went well. I designed a stage for our upcomming October state shoot as well. I actually submitted 3 in total. I design most all of the stages for our Tuesday night practice sessions, and, I might add, set them up before hand by myself or with the help of one other person. So....I think I am ding something other than bitching. Maybe not. All I know is, when you have 60 shooters, divided into 6 squads, shooting 6 stages simultaneously, and on the last stage of the match there is an hour and 15 minute wait, something is amiss. I still have a lot to learn, but some things are obvious.

You answer would have yes, and then list your items. I asked a question without any assumptions.

For stage backups look at round equity. If you have 3 pits and 2 stages per pit, are they roughly equal in round count? Do they have props that need a lot of setting? Etc.

[motosapiens]

I also prefer IDPA. I like the idea that it's more accuracy-intensive vs a game that's largely speed-based.

alot of old people who don't shoot fast think that...... lol. j/k.

Seriously, IDPA for sure penalizes non-center hits more than uspsa does, but the difference between uspsa minor and IDPA scoring is small enough to be only slightly significant. Major scoring is a totally different matter tho.

Nonetheless, beyond local matches, you have to shoot accurately to win, period, because every other guy can also shoot fast.

[Loudgp]

Now to find one local

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[robport]

alot of old people who don't shoot fast think that...... lol. j/k.

In my day, all matches were held in the middle of a swamp on top of a hill. We had to stomp 5 mile up hill both ways, in 4 feet of snow, carrying 200 lb props to shoot one stage a year....and we were thankful for it!

Couldn't help that.

[RePete]

Now to find one local

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Look here.

http://www.idpa.com/

[BillR1]

I also prefer IDPA. I like the idea that it's more accuracy-intensive vs a game that's largely speed-based.

alot of old people who don't shoot fast think that...... lol. j/k.

LOL...good one! True for me on both counts...old and slow.

[SirLoin]

IDPA can be fun, especially if you are new to shooting, because:

1) IDPA spells out what you need to do for each stage (so, you can just focus on executing vs trying to come up with a crazy gameplan)

2) Round count is low

3) Required gear is minimal

4) The competition is not that hard (most of the top IDPA shooters switch to USPSA after they've achieved Master level)

[TonytheTiger]

IDPA can be fun, especially if you are new to shooting, because:

1) IDPA spells out what you need to do for each stage (so, you can just focus on executing vs trying to come up with a crazy gameplan)

2) Round count is low

3) Required gear is minimal

4) The competition is not that hard (most of the top IDPA shooters switch to USPSA after they've achieved Master level, then quickly rise to high D-class in USPSA! )

Fixed #4 for you. Edited August 9, 2015 by TonytheTiger

[agwoodard]

Been shooting IDPA for a year now. Shot my first USPSA match today. Not much of a yardstick to measure by, but, I'm scheduled to shoot a Tier 4 IDPA sanctioned match next Sunday, and I'm seriously thinking about blowing it off to go shoot another local USPSA club match. If that tells you anything.