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IDPA shooter wondering about USPSA


mjkten

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I have shot about 6 IDPA matches, and several of the shooters tell me that IDPA is good preparation for USPSA, sort of a sly way of saying "come shoot this other match, it's more fun!"

So naturally I'm curious about the differences. I've read a bit, and feel pretty sure I can show up with my SP-01 and play with some additional guidance. 

But I will probably need at least another mag carrier, or one that holds 4 mags. I have mags from a CZ75 and SP-01, that should be enough (12) I think.

How many mags do I need to have on my belt?

If I shoot production, I'll still have 10 round mag capacity...

How many rounds should I bring to a match?

I'm sure I'll have more questions if I jump into this new pool...

Thanks,

Mike. 

 

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I'd recommend you show up with your IDPA gear as is and shoot Limited Minor.  You can load all of your mags to full capacity and won't have to worry about buying new carriers.   USPSA is nice because it's all freestyle shooting.  You don't have to worry about shooting targets in a certain order, or reloading a certain way.  For info about how much ammo to bring just send a note to the match director and they will let you know.

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Most matches have Facebook pages (and/or areas have their own pages) where round counts for upcoming matches are disclosed. I always bring twice as many as the round count in case of reshoots and other possibilities. I agree with the advice to start in Limited Minor and use the equipment you already have, watch and talk to the other shooters (not at the same time) and get an idea of what appeals to you. Good luck.

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Shooting production you need 4-5 mags available on belt. You can hand carry 1 to the make ready.  Most stages will be 32 rounds or less.  Most local club matches shoot about 6 stages on average, less than 250 rounds. Most level 2 matches are 10 to 12 stages averaging less than 325 rounds.  The cz will do great in production.  You will enjoy the USPSA game better.  The production rules have changed recently so make sure you read the most current.  The latest publication rule book was 2014 and is now out of date for pcc, carry optics, new production changes.  You can get the latest info at uspsa.org.   

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4 hours ago, mjkten said:

I have shot about 6 IDPA matches, and several of the shooters tell me that IDPA is good preparation for USPSA, sort of a sly way of saying "come shoot this other match, it's more fun!"

So naturally I'm curious about the differences. I've read a bit, and feel pretty sure I can show up with my SP-01 and play with some additional guidance. 

But I will probably need at least another mag carrier, or one that holds 4 mags. I have mags from a CZ75 and SP-01, that should be enough (12) I think.

How many mags do I need to have on my belt?

If I shoot production, I'll still have 10 round mag capacity...

How many rounds should I bring to a match?

I'm sure I'll have more questions if I jump into this new pool...

Thanks,

Mike. 

 

I shot USPSA for about 8 years before I tried my first IDPA match.  Certainly, IDPA has more rules, but there is also far less gaming.  I like it, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.  

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I have shot about 6 IDPA matches, and several of the shooters tell me that IDPA is good preparation for USPSA, sort of a sly way of saying "come shoot this other match, it's more fun!"
So naturally I'm curious about the differences. I've read a bit, and feel pretty sure I can show up with my SP-01 and play with some additional guidance. 
But I will probably need at least another mag carrier, or one that holds 4 mags. I have mags from a CZ75 and SP-01, that should be enough (12) I think.
How many mags do I need to have on my belt?
If I shoot production, I'll still have 10 round mag capacity...
How many rounds should I bring to a match?
I'm sure I'll have more questions if I jump into this new pool...
Thanks,
Mike. 
 

For production a minimum for 4 pouches. Five would be better.

Not certain what your SP01 mag capacity is. Mine is 19 or 20 in my 18 rnds mags with stock base pads. If you shoot Limited, I would suggest 3 minimum if you can get 20 per mag, but four would be better. In limited you can have mags that are 140 mm so 24 would be closer the capacity. There 3 pouches would be good.

Round count for matches varies tremendously based on number of stages and stage design. Where I shoot I shoot 200 minimum and 250 max. I come home with approx. 75 to 100 rounds after a 5 or 6 stage match. 300 should be more than safe for most local matches. Ask your USPSA friends.


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I ran production with four pouches and never ran out. Just remember, it’s 10 in mag so have 11 in your make ready mag (except for unloaded starts). If you’re not strong on your reloads, I’ll suggest shooting Limited with loaded up mags. One less ball to juggle while you’re learning the game.

 

Each match should post a round count. My rule of thumb is to bring double the round count. This accounts for makeup shots and stage reshoots. For our local matches this is around 300.

Edited by Mcfoto
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i shoot both but prefer uspsa because overall round count is generally higher and stages are longer (idpa max is 18 rounds while uspsa is 32 rounds).  just bring what you got and give it a try.  same concept as idpa, shoot fast and accurate.  and yes shoot limited minor for a couple of matches so you can load up your mags so you don't have to worry as intently over when and where to reload.

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if your locals build stages that are 8/8/8/8 then certainly 4 pouches is enough for production. but far too often when i ran 4 pouches i found myself restricted in certain stage plans if i didn't have 5 on my belt so that if needed I could shoot only one or two targets out of a mag to shoot a better plan. i much prefer 5.

 

i shot idpa for a year and half. then as they were same day, same range i should shoot idpa match and then walk over and just shoot the classifier stage (which felt very idpa like) for a few months to get classified. i'd shot at least 8 times just the classifier before ever shooting a complete uspsa match. hahahaha. now for the past almost 4 years i shoot far more uspsa than idpa.

 

both can be fun, both can annoy. rest assured you will shoot the first match in an idpa-like style in your body language and such. don't worry about it. just go and be open minded and soak in as much as you can to see if you do indeed like it.

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Several of my friends shoot both.  They all prefer USPSA.  None of the good Production shooters I know have fewer than 5 mag pouches on their belt.  I'd also recommend starting in Limited Minor.  Lose the vest, put the 3rd mag in your pocket and use that to start.  Don't buy anything until you have several matches under your belt.  Then you will have a better idea of what you want to do.  For example, I guarantee you will not like a 4 mag carrier.

Edited by zzt
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Hey Mike, I started in IDPA and shot my first USPSA match in production. I would recommend you load your mags up and shoot limited minor. Competing with 10 round magazines in USPSA is completely different then 10 round mags in IDPA (because of reload rules and stage round counts).


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The level of the competition will most likely be different from what you are used to. Just show up to learn, be safe, and have fun at your first USPSA match. Do not get discouraged if some of the shooters appear to be "way faster" than you are used to seeing. It will take some "getting used to." Make sure to get on a squad with people willing to help you learn. You will have to get used to figuring out how to shoot a stage without being given the choreographed/specified sequence typical in IDPA.

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Both games are fun, just different.  Don’t take it or yourself too seriously and just have a great time while learning and being safe.  A couple of the guys mentioned shooting Limited Minor, great advice as you’ll be able to learn the game without worrying about your reloads as much.  We have a couple of M and GM shooters that show up at our local match and more often than not, they just smoke the rest of us.  That being said, they are usually the first ones to help or answer questions for new competitors.  Also, even though they’re often shooting different divisions, it’s usually a free education on how to plan or break down stages just by watching them.  

 

 

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15 hours ago, Steppenwolf said:

The level of the competition will most likely be different from what you are used to. Just show up to learn, be safe, and have fun at your first USPSA match. Do not get discouraged if some of the shooters appear to be "way faster" than you are used to seeing. It will take some "getting used to." Make sure to get on a squad with people willing to help you learn. You will have to get used to figuring out how to shoot a stage without being given the choreographed/specified sequence typical in IDPA.

That's been my approach to IDPA as well, go slow enough to make good hits, keep my wits about me, move safely.

12 minutes ago, MJPLEO said:

Both games are fun, just different.  Don’t take it or yourself too seriously and just have a great time while learning and being safe.  A couple of the guys mentioned shooting Limited Minor, great advice as you’ll be able to learn the game without worrying about your reloads as much.  We have a couple of M and GM shooters that show up at our local match and more often than not, they just smoke the rest of us.  That being said, they are usually the first ones to help or answer questions for new competitors.  Also, even though they’re often shooting different divisions, it’s usually a free education on how to plan or break down stages just by watching them.  

 

 

That's the point, isn't it? Having fun safely. I know enough not to try to push speed beyond my abilities, and not to worry about my times, especially as a beginner. The expert shooters are fun to watch. I can usually pick up important info just by watching!

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IDPA is cosplay with some remains of tactical thinking still left in it.

IPSC/USPSA is a sport: get good hits as quickly as possible. Those targets ain't shooting back at you.

 

(Just kidding, but I think there's a touch of truth in it)

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have never shot IDPA, is it some what similar to USPSA? In my area there aren’t any clubs that to IDPA that I know if so I haven’t really researched it. 

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 There are broad similarities.  Targets are similar but with different scoring areas.  Each stage limited to 18 rounds. Gun and mags must be hidden by a cover garment of some type. A YouTube search would be an effective way to see the differences in the shooting. If you had IDPA near you I'd check it out,  but if you're an established USPSA shooter you might not want to travel too far to shoot less. 

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On 6/1/2018 at 1:22 PM, perttime said:

IDPA is cosplay with some remains of tactical thinking still left in it.

IPSC/USPSA is a sport: get good hits as quickly as possible. Those targets ain't shooting back at you.

 

(Just kidding, but I think there's a touch of truth in it)

 

Targets are called “threats” in IDPA. You gotta “neutralize the threats” LoL

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The main difference which i'm surprised nobody has mentioned yet is the stage brief.  In IDPA, the stage is laid out for you and it tells you what to shoot when and how.  In USPSA, the stages just tell you where to start.  You have to solve the puzzle.  You can see 10 different shooters run a stage 10 different ways in USPSA.

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