Competitive shooting

How many here shoot competitively?

I mostly shoot 3 gun. But this last year of shot a lot of IDPA. It always amazes me how difficult it is to get friends who are firearms enthusiasts to even try one match. I understand that the current expense can be prohibitive for some, but none of these guys would try it when ammo was affordable. When they tell me they can't part with the ammo, I simply tell them "The better I am, the less I'll need".

Since I started shooting matches, my gun handling has improved, and my ability to shoot accurately and make decisions under stress has improved tenfold.

If you carry a pistol for defensive purposes you owe it to yourself to shoot at least 1 IDPA match. It will show you who you really are.

I love shooting IDPA, I also participate in the GSSF matches from time to time.

I agree, it is hard to get folks to want to shoot and become proficient with their firearm.


3-gun is awesome by the way, my brother shoots 3-gun a lot and it is a blast.

For those that are wondering here is a video of an IDPA shoot.

Not my video, but it was filmed at the range I'm a member of. They do IDPA matches every Wednesday and the first and third Saturday of the month. Come on down if y'all want to shoot sometime.

Smallbore silhouette occasionally.

And oldest son and I have tried a few bowling pin matches.

I shot idpa for a while. Shot all the stages at a 1/2 speed pace and used it as a training tool.

competitive pistol for 25 years became a job rather then fun met great people they got old too

I know exactly what you mean , 3gun , USPSA pistol , club level action pistol , we do some informal small bore shoots at my other club we have one this weekend that is Appleseed format 4 stages standing , transition to seated, transition to prone , and slow fire prone.

we did a few club bowling pin matches.



even just getting people together for some training running drills and such is hard.

the 3 gun match last weekend got rained out , this weekend we have the Appleseed style informal shoot at the club next weekend is USPSA

I started with club action pistol and made some big gains in skill , I chased speed for a bit then I chased good practice and was running from concealment with my carry rig some times even spare mag in off side pocket and not on belt
I got people asking if I was going to shoot tonight , then my name was called and I produced the gun no one had seen and ran the stage , it was excellent practice

I have always focused on trying to shoot it clean and let the speed be what it was , I mean I still tried to move but I wanted clean reasonably quick and not sloppy fast

smooth is fast , fast is smooth

definitely improved my skills

I am unlikely to ever take any trophies home but the people you meet are great I have shot with a few of the guys from Vortex met many others tons of good conversation and learn a lot.

we have one of those targets at the club where you shoot a steel popper , then the shoot target comes up then the no-shoot target comes up to cover it , the first time you see a presentation like that it looks sooo fast , after a while your figuring out what other target you can go get and come back while your waiting for the shoot target to come up and you have 2 in the shoot before the no shoot has a chance to come up.

cost prohibitive can be an issue , man I started on such a tight budget 10 years ago with club level action pistol , no kidding I took a 1.99 nail apron from HD and sewed it on my wife's sewing machine to hold magazines upright and at the right level so I had some time and 1.99 in my mag pouch I was using a holster I had and a single stack 9mm i bought when I was 18 and was casting and loading all my ammo my cost without time was like 6-8 dollars the hundred and equipment.

you needed about 100 rounds a night to play at action pistol we ran 3 stages.

I am still loading all my ammo an cost is definity up but it is a great activity , my son started action pistol when he turned 12 I didn't let him draw from a holster till he was 17 , we now do USPSA and 3gun together

you don't have to chase the hottest equipment to have fun and great practice I run my pump gun with a mag tube extended , a very basic AR and a nearly stock glock17

I have resisted going down that rabbit hole. I did get a sponsor for IDPA. But, I explained that I might not shoot more than 6 matches a year.

Greencountypete, I also run some pretty basic gear. I'm just looking for good solid runs. I usually beat guys with 10 times the money in their gear by just making my shots and working hard on the non-shooting stuff that eats up so much time.

I have been thinking about trying a GSSF match series. They have an indoor range hosting them on weekday evenings.

I shoot a little with some guys that shoot those matches. They keep asking me to shoot with them. I just don't have time. I even reload and have plenty of ammo. - just no time. I shoot a CZ SP01 Shadow

I have shot some close quarter AR courses that are fun too.

Maybe some day I'll have the time to do it. It's a lot of fun when I do go with them.

The guys I shoot with are ex military and they usually yell at you the whole time you are shooting saying how bad you did - then they tell you how you did well at the end and laugh about all of it. I use the same AR I use for hunting coyotes. You don't need all the bells and whistles. I even have shot open sights.

If someone was new to IDPA matches, what handgun would be best for a beginner? I’m sure there’s a lot of different opinions about this, and I’m sure everyone has their favorites. I’m just wondering how to get started. I’ve looked at the different models of Glock in 9 mm, but I’m not sure what other accoutrements you will need. Such a special sights, extended mag, etc. thanks for your input. This is something I would be interested in getting involved in!

The two guns I was checking out we’re the Glock 43X, and the Ruger security 9. Again, I’ve never shot at a competitive match!

Take what you have and 3 magazines. There are several divisions and whatever you have will fit into one of them. You just need an approved holster for safety. Retention Holsters that require you to press a button with your index finger to draw are not legal at a match.

I shoot the stock service pistol division with a glock 17.

I'll post a link to the rulebook.

What Wallace said.

Run what you have. Depending on division. Three or four mags, holster and cover garment. Eyes and ears. And you’re set.

https://www.idpa.com/new-rulebook-mar-equipment-appendices/

https://www.idpa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022_idpa_rulebook_master_edition.pdf

https://www.idpa.com/idpa-matches/idpa-match-rules/

You don't have to be classified to compete at a club level or tier 1 match. You can sign up as unclassified

it depends what category/division you want to run in

if you carry a 43x or a security 9 then run them

do you have anything already ?

if you have or can borrow a full size hand gun go run it and see what you want to do after you have some experience , run whatever you have or can borrow until you have some experience , you bassically just need to get to a shoot and try it and see , it is acutally worth going and watching first if you areunsure what to bring , when you see the game you will think something up as to what you want to run.


generally I would favor full size for starting off , you need grip purchase to go even sort of fast I can't say for IDPA so much but a G17 size is a really good place to start in USPSA

most people just shoot a full size better and you might well be shooting it to 20 yards possibly farther but mostly closer

I run an almost stock G17 with a Ghost evo-elite connector as my only change , I might have gone to an extended mag release also but I can't remember other than that it is stock

a Comp-Tac international holster will let you play in all the games and not break the bank

I do like my Double Alpha belt (new addition last year) but shot for years with a thick leather belt and the comp-tac holster and home made or fobus mag pouches that were nothing special


my current belt rig is the Double alpha , https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1018563820?pid=993017

holster https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1013608420?pid=996289

mag pouches https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020597941?pid=926672

I waited for sales and upgraded a little at a time but I like my current rig

price mags when your pricing your gun I got a bunch of Magpul. GL9 mags for 10 dollars each even if you buy them new they are less money if I had to buy all the mags I have at 40-50 a piece I would have more than the gun in mags

I run the less expensive mag pull mags in competition as I am tossing them on the floor /ground

I had come from a gun that had no mags or holsters available so I went hard the other direction and said I just want to never look for a holster and then find I couldn't have it for my gun again.

5 is a nice number of mags to start with

one other piece of Kit you will want Maglula https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2136952670?pid=993548

Lula is my Israeli girlfriend that loads my mags for me , Shhhhhh I also see her AR sister on the side https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1015161542?pid=950122

don't worry my wife knows

In IDPA your belt has to go through your belt loops and no 2 layer belts. The rules are set up to make you sort of use stuff you would wear on the street. That double alfa won't fly.

But in 3gun I wear a Safariland with a ratchet and everything on ELS clips.

Started out shooting IPSC, then steel plate shoots then bowling pins then small bore silhouette, and then PPC and small bore rifle and Highpower matches. I shot in the PA Police Olympics for a lot of years. I was on the Governors 20 for 5 years in a row. And today I mess around with sporting clays. I have to admit I suck with the shotgun. Fun times and I got to meet some awesome people.

Thanks for all the information! The more I look into it, the more the Glock 17 seems to be very popular!

this is my 3gun rig

Vs. My IDPA rig

Yes, and the G34

You’ll be fine with a 17.

I usually shoot a G19, G21, G30 (don’t like the pinch on my hand during reloads), Springfield XDS or XDM.

As stated above, check magazine prices. My wife shoots a Sig and her mags are like $40 each.

Flintlock rifle for me at the local club shoots. I was a top competitor until cataracts wrecked my eyesight. Had a couple of down years but I am back in my best form after cataract surgery earlier this year. Other shooters are every bit as good but I am again a threat to come in on top at each match.

part of what makes the 17 so popular is it is like a 10/22 and an AR-15 all the after market parts you could dream of

I don't really like my G19 in USPSA the grip is a little small and yes pinches happen
I run the mags with a pinki rest and use that gun for carry and If I get pinched on that reload if there is one I will just get over it.

I don't care for the G34 as much as my 17 my son likes the 34 and 19 are his
it seems flippy in my hand compared to my 17
I have the 17s' and 19

what shot shell carrier is that , I need to come up with something better for shot shells I have been thinking about building a chest rig they like to do jungle runs at the range we go to those can go easily 25-30 rounds

I came real close to beating down one of those fancy competition shooters one day at a range. I believe that it was a pistol match on the other side of this huge shooting facility.
I was a 4-H rifle instructor on a 50 yard range which was reserved for my 9-18 year old kids. They were on the line in the prone position. The range had been declared hot. Next thing I know, these two guys roll in like they own the place and slipped in from the side. One fella dressed in what looked like a cross between what a golfer and a flyfisherman would wear. He had a sidearm on him, and the other fella had his sidearm out and was aiming it down range while the first fella was giving him some grip instruction.
I hollered out CEASE FIRE and proceeded to ask the first guy what did he think he was doing? He said, "We were just going over some final tips of this guys grip."
I told him in no uncertain terms that he was not welcome on my range, that this range was hot and y'all just crossed my firing line.
I asked him who he was. He gave me his name. I then asked him, "Who in the )%&$ do you think you are?!" "What makes you think you can barge in on someone else's hot range?!"
I then told him to remove himself from my range. He responded with, "No problem." I then let him know that yes, it is a big problem, and to leave now before I lose my temper. (I already had, but it was all I could do not to completely lose it. Having a bunch of kids on the line helped).
So, as you can probably infer, I do not have much appreciation of the "sport" which these two fellas were a party to.
I was trying to introduce a bunch of well-behaved kids to the shooting sports and I run into this guy. Sorry to you boys who are into your sport, but this guy really soured me on it.

Yeah 52Carl, that guy needed that. He wouldn’t have lasted at my range either. You were nice about it too.

Those are 2x4 Johnjy Clips. They are ok for the price. If I had to do it over I would probably go a different route. But they don't hold me back.

I instruct 4-H rifle , Pistol , muzzle loader and shotgun. I wouldn't have accepted that on my range either.

had they pulled that on USPSA range they would have been DQed and done for the day.

break the 180 and your done for the day . make ready before the command and your out of there DQ

so they should have known better and they were trying to go where they could be not seen by a RO to do something they shouldn't have.
.
any event I have been to has been very safe rather than a line one person shoots at a time , the RO is right behind them as they navigate the stage.

sorry for your bad experience , it isn't everyone.

one shoot I was at a jackwad who disabled the internal safties on a glock to get a better time was at the firing line..racked a round and the gun discharged..my son was standing like 2 feet away. Then the jackwad threw a tantrum when the dq'ed him.

What he said!

He would have been gone real quick.

Sounds to me like your fancy competition shooter was a moron and unfortunately influencing an inexperienced shooter that didn't know any better. If your fancy dude knew anything he would have done that at one of the safe areas scattered across the range. At every event I've ever shot at they would have been sent home. I hate that you experienced this. It is a shame that it soured you on an entire sport. At least the hundreds of people I shoot with are well disciplined and take range safety seriously.

do any of you RO ?

I am an NRA RSO and obviously 4-H

I am thinking of going to the USPSA RO training.every squad needs a couple

I have been enjoying not being in charge of everything like I was at 4-H I passed my role in 4-H off to a new chair and now just instruct. I get the part I enjoy and not the paperwork.

I will run the tablet scoring currently whenever needed at stages , help with set up sometimes if it is day of and tear down after a match.

if you can not be on 100% of the time it makes it much more enjoyable , if too few people RO then it becomes a job for that one person and as others pointed out it stops being fun when it becomes a job.

we have had a very good squad and everyone helps with the reset.
on practiscore you can see who you are squad-ed with , when we first got started we just squad-ed anywhere then started to get to know some people and now there is a group of us that no one is super serious about scores everyone is trying out new equipment and using matches to test and improve themselves. it is a fun group.

I am not an RO but usually get handed the timer and run the RO and the shooter before while the RO is on deck. They took the tablet away from me, lol.

I can't really claim to shoot competitively. but, have been on a trap shooting league for more than 20 years.

By some kind of a fluke the team the wife and I are on did win first place for the winter league. It was by the hair on our chinny chin chins, and neither the wife or I really contributed substantially.