How many IDPA guys do we have?
- Thread starter AKM
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I did one IDPA match at Big Rock Gun Club south of Canton and had a lot of fun. Unfortunately, due to the ammo shortage, I've been unable to do any more at the moment. Hopefully, when supply catches up with demand, I can get back into it.
I don't shoot IDPA much anymore, but it's where I started. I shoot USPSA now most all the time. Either game requires a 9mm or larger with a safe belt holster and two extra mags and holders. Depending on which division in uspsa, you might need a couple more spare mags. Either game will usually let newcomers shove spare mags in the waistband or a handy pocket. Max round count per stage is 18 for IDPA and 32 for USPSA. Without getting into power factor, any safe ammo will probably be fine.
Go shoot with both. Go shoot some USPSA. Some people don't like IDPA. Some people in some clubs, rub others the wrong way. Go try it all and see what you like. I shot a good steel challenge match today sw of ft worth.
again. Dfwshooters.org is the best place for club info and general questions
again. Dfwshooters.org is the best place for club info and general questions
Please explain IDPA & USPSA to me........
IDPA = Walk n Shoot
USPSA = Run n Gun
That's the simple truth. IDPA's "rules", while attempting to make the sport more "tactical" and "realistic", also make it somewhat ridiculous and restrictive at times. It is a more self-defense oriented sport, generally speaking.
USPSA is all about mastering the fundamentals and running a gun at speed as effectively as possible. Speed pays off big time here. Sometimes you can sacrifice a bit of accuracy for speed here, but contrary to popular belief, USPSA can and does demand a higher degree of accuracy at a higher level of speed than IDPA.
Unfortunately, I haven't yet gotten into USPSA yet, but hopefully soon. I want to at least classify Master in IDPA in one division first, and then might start participating in USPSA.
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IDPA is a lot of fun. Its not "training" but does force you to think about how you do things which is good. I've only shot a few IDPA matches but it really helped me improve due to seeing such good shooters and questioning and improving how I do things.
USPSA allows you to shoot a stage however you want, utilizing cover and engaging targets in any order you see fit, wearing cover if you so desire... as long as you shoot from the shooting area and stay safe. You carry as much ammo as you want and can toss partially used mags at will.
Idpa is very structured. You have to shoot targets according to the stage briefing or as prescribed by the rules. You have to keep your toes and lower body behind cover at all times but can let your head hang out much as you want. I think the actual rule is 50% upper body. There are no physical foot barriers, ie, foot faults in IDPA so cover penalties are judged by the safety officer and/or score keeper. This changes as the shooter engages various targets and is virtually impossible to call correctly when a fast shooter glides through an array of targets at speed. This "cover" call and it's subjectivity has been the topic of many discussions. The fact is, the rule book has left it up to the SO to "judge" the penalty. If you are ok with competing in judged events, you will probably be fine. You will be penalized for dropping mags that have any ammo in them or an empty mag, if your gun has not completely run dry. There are a lot more but they don't seem to come up very often.
In the end, there are more similarities than differences probably. The gear is not much different, with the exception of open class, and the better shooters normally end up winning. Typically you will shoot a lot more at a USPSA match and the stages will be more elaborate and challenging. Most of the people I started with gravitated to uspsa when it became more available in the area and shoot almost no IDPA anymore. I had a lot of fun in IDPA when I started but think the other game spoiled me.
Just to add: IDPA scoring is raw time plus time penalties for inaccurate shots. Uspsa, like IDPA has three different scoring zones but calculates points per second. Without getting into too many details the value of points vs time is dependant on how long it takes to shoot the stage.
Idpa is very structured. You have to shoot targets according to the stage briefing or as prescribed by the rules. You have to keep your toes and lower body behind cover at all times but can let your head hang out much as you want. I think the actual rule is 50% upper body. There are no physical foot barriers, ie, foot faults in IDPA so cover penalties are judged by the safety officer and/or score keeper. This changes as the shooter engages various targets and is virtually impossible to call correctly when a fast shooter glides through an array of targets at speed. This "cover" call and it's subjectivity has been the topic of many discussions. The fact is, the rule book has left it up to the SO to "judge" the penalty. If you are ok with competing in judged events, you will probably be fine. You will be penalized for dropping mags that have any ammo in them or an empty mag, if your gun has not completely run dry. There are a lot more but they don't seem to come up very often.
In the end, there are more similarities than differences probably. The gear is not much different, with the exception of open class, and the better shooters normally end up winning. Typically you will shoot a lot more at a USPSA match and the stages will be more elaborate and challenging. Most of the people I started with gravitated to uspsa when it became more available in the area and shoot almost no IDPA anymore. I had a lot of fun in IDPA when I started but think the other game spoiled me.
Just to add: IDPA scoring is raw time plus time penalties for inaccurate shots. Uspsa, like IDPA has three different scoring zones but calculates points per second. Without getting into too many details the value of points vs time is dependant on how long it takes to shoot the stage.
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