MGK Posted November 16, 2003 Share Posted November 16, 2003 Forgive me if this subject has been beaten to death, but I am interested in getting involved in the sport and would like to know the practical differences between USPSA and IDPA. I plan shooting a Springfield 1911A1 .45 in either one. What are the must haves? Which are the better clubs in either Northern Illinois, Indiana or Southern Wisconsin. Thanks in advance MGK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted November 16, 2003 Share Posted November 16, 2003 IDPA USPSA Follow these links to see listing of area clubs. Perhaps some of the forum members here will also have some more specific info. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmittyFL Posted November 16, 2003 Share Posted November 16, 2003 MGK, welcome to the forum. The short answer is shoot both, your gun will work well in either. I'm a USPSA shooter and don't shoot IDPA so I'm biased. First off, their both a game. IDPA may be a touch more tactical, but it's still a game. USPSA is generally a higher round count match with more runin and gunin .vs IDPA is a lower round count, emphsis on using cover, shooting to slide lock, etc. Personally, I prefer USPSA style shooting, but IDPA matches are fun also. Bottom line is shoot them both and decide for yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted November 16, 2003 Share Posted November 16, 2003 I agree with Smitty. Shoot them both. Just know the rules of each and make sure you don't accidentally confuse one with the other in mid-match. Buddy of mine tried doing a tac-load last year in the state IPSC match. Would of worked out ok, but his pouches were covering his pockets. Shortly there after he screamed, "THIS IS IPSC!!!" and threw his mag to the ground. Fun to watch, not fun to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Mainus Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Mgk, I am an IPSC guy myself, but I have just started to shoot IDPA. YOu get out of it what you put into it. The way I look at it, it is all about trigger time. The more shooting you can do, the better off you will be. I will e-mail you about the clubs in the area. I am the IPSC guy at our club in Muskego WI. We are south of Milwaukee. There is quite a lot of shooting in the area , both IPSC and IDPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfinney Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 IDPA = I Don't Practice Anymore IPSC (USPSA) = Irrational People Squabbling Constantly Seriously, they are both fun games - and you can shoot both with the same gun. USPSA is more freestyle, run and gun high round count, while IDPA has lower round counts, and more of a tactical slant..... But both are games - if anyone tells you differently, ask them why do they keep score then Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherErik Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Bolth IDPA and IPSC are GAMES played with guns. They are not going to provide your skills to help you defend yourself and your home. As far as equipment you will need a gun, sutable holster, and at least 5 magazines and pouches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFD Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Fast & accurate shooting under mild pressure, combined with gun handling ability far beyond the average person would seem to be beneficial skills to anyone thinking of using a handgun as a self defense tool. They may be games, but they are most certainly useful if a person is willing to put in the work. Of course any proper tactics you may learn in competition would be purely accidental, so a person would need additional training to cover the entire spectrum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 I started out in IDPA (well, actually I started out by taking beaucoup training classes, then competing in local pistol leagues, but IDPA was the first "real" shooting sport in which I competed), then USPSA came later. I love them both. USPSA is great for learning pure gun handling. IDPA has a greater focus on accuracy and use of cover. Shoot both, you'll learn much more than you could have shooting just one or the other. In USPSA, to compete successfully in Limited-10, you're pretty much going to need extended 10-round magazines, which are of course illegal in IDPA. Other than that, you can use the same equipment in both, at least to get your feet wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Which are the better clubs in either Northern Illinois, Indiana or Southern Wisconsin. There are USPSA/IPSC clubs near Angola, IN and Ft. Wayne, IN. Check the "club finder" link at: http://www.uspsa.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 You shoot in Angola Rhino? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 Nah, it's too far North for me! I live about midway down the state on the western side. Plus, I shoot at South Central (near Seymour) on the first Sunday of the month. I don't go to Ft. Wayne, because they shoot the same day (third Sunday) as my "home" club near Terre Haute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeter Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 now joey you also shoot at the atlanta club too. just because were new don't forget about us. were just 20 mins. north of indy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeter Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 oh both the angola and fort wayne clubs are great. nice guys good stages. if you're coming from N. ILL the bend of the river conservation club is just north of south bend, like 3 miles. they shoot idpa and uspsa if i'm not mistaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted November 17, 2003 Share Posted November 17, 2003 They are not going to provide your skills to help you defend yourself and your home. Perhaps they are not going to help your "Tactics", but learning to shoot, getting a lot of trigger time, and making gun handling second nature should help you in a crisis situation. It's a pretty established fact that people involved in sport driving (go carts, dirt bike racing, car racing...) are more likely to avoid an accident should they get in a "hairy" automobile situation. I'd seem to think the same is true about shooting sports. Getting back to the topic, I wonder if it would be better to pick just one for your first year. You could put in a lot of effort and get up to speed on the rules and nuisances of the game. Then start the other sport, once your comfortable with the first. This may help avoid some confusion. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGK Posted November 18, 2003 Author Share Posted November 18, 2003 Bucky I have wanted to try either of these for a while now. A friend, pushed me a little closer to doing it. 9/11 reawakened my love affair with firearms and I have been growing in this sport/hobby, every since. Thanks, OSAMA! IDPA/USPSA is simply the next logical step on my journey. I will pursue it as far and as often as family, work, time and money permits. Thanks for all the replies. MGK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 You could put in a lot of effort and get up to speed on the rules and nuisances of the game. BWAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH!! I'm sorry, I know it's poor internet etiquette to laugh at another person's typos, but that one was just too perfect - and, some would say, too true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_Mink Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 A Freudian slip perhaps? And Duane is right, that is way too funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 I go through the extra effort to put my code through a spell checker, and this is what happens Four watt its worth, the spell checker did knot catch anything wrong wit this two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 Picking one game over the other depends on exactly what it is you wish to accomplish. In the end, if you wish to excel in both games, then you should consider shooting IPSC/USPSA first. It is easier to go from IPSC to IDPA than the other way round, IMO. If you are a real competitor, meaning that you really want to win, IPSC is the place for you first. Be prepared to get really kicked around for a while, even within your division and classification, but the time you spend there is really worth it. With VERY few exceptions, the guys who are winning on a National level in IDPA are all also National IPSC level shooters. I don't know a single person who started in IDPA and has gone on to become a National caliber IPSC shooter... Just my thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 I agree with everything TL said... I started in IDPA, but I'm not a national caliber IPSC shooter....yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L9X25 Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 I also agree with what TL said. I iterpret his point to be that you can become a high level IPSC shooter and can readily convert to being a high level IDPA shooter once you pick up the tactical differences between the sports. It is less likely that a high level IDPA shooter (having never shot IPSC) can make as easy of a conversion ti IPSC. TL please correct me if I am wrong. Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 L9X25 Yes, you are, as the British say, "Spot on". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBaneACP Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 I tend to agree with Bucky...maybe pick a single sport for your first year and get your feet wet. I've found IDPA to be a little bit easier transition for the new shooter than USPSA (some areas are better than ohers), and there tends to be a larger population of new shooters in IDPA. Also, stick to solid, proven gear for the first year; then you can join all the rest of us idiots with permanent accounts at Brownell's. Either sport works. As several people have noted, they're both *GAMES* with game rules. Don't get seduced by all the "tactical" crap that surrounds IDPA or the "run and gun real fast super shooter" crap around USPSA. Learn the fundamental shooting skills. Learn how to clear a jam. *INTERNALIZE* safety. Then take up cowboy shooting...no no! Humor! Michael B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PistolJim Posted November 19, 2003 Share Posted November 19, 2003 You might want to try IDPA in Chesterton IN. it's alot closer than Angolia. Bend in the river is also closer they shoot both IDPA and IPSC. If you do like IPSC Angolia is worth drive. Also Midwest Shooting sports has indoor IPSC although it takes forever to run. Chesterton is shooting in December if the weather permits. Im planning on trying Pine Tree near Rockford IL. in December. If you need directions to all these places check the IDPA and USPSA web sites. Also in Plainfield next year they will be shooting IPSC although they don't have match dates posted yet. Where are you coming from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now