They are closer to giving prizes to people who simply can't shoot well. Can't do well in USPSA? Buy a vest and all of the sudden you are a stud in IDPA. It is almost the participation trophy gun game.Originally Posted by OrigamiAK
My IDPA number is A30410, report me for not following some silly code of ethics and not swearing on the bible that IDPA is the bestest tactical self defense training competition in the whole wide universe.
Think for yourself. Question authority.
Well, this does depend on the USPSA club. Quantico is great with new shooters although they still expect you to know your stuff when you walk to the shooting line.
But a lot of IDPA matches are club level matches with shooters that are Novice, Marksman or SS levels, whereas most USPSA matches have C-class, or above very experienced competitors. It's a combination of seeing other shooters of a similar level and being less intimidating. Some of it is the average concealed carry equipment philosophy (although agree Production is not much different), and it's also a matter of people relating to the idea that IDPA is concealed carry oriented, not pure competition. Some people see open guns and sponsored shirts and they feel out of place.
Cody
That a well-regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state;
C'mon. That's not right. We have been over this before. Just because you have issues with IDPA or don't like it is no reason to say insulting things. Learning to shoot well is a process, and rewarding people for making progress is a good thing. That is COACHING 101. So, why don't we just do away with the Class system in USPSA if that is your complaint?
If IDPA is not your cup of tea, then okay, but please don't try to ruin it for others. If you want to promote USPSA, go for it. It doesn't mean you have to insult IDPA to do it.
Cody
That a well-regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state;
It's a lot easier to meet the competitive gear requirements for IDPA than it is for USPSA. Hell, S&W quite literally sells M&Ps with a Blade-Tech holster, three mags and a double mag pouch.
Which would be perfect to shoot Limited and you don't even need a cover garment.
Why wouldn't it be okay for production?
Outrunning my headlights since '81.
Cody - My intention it not to pick on you, it's simply to point out something that seems really askew. You defend IDPA like it's your first born son. IDPA is not a person or your dog, it's a game. There's no need to jump in and try to defend it against every person that says something negative about it .... you can let some stuff go.
I think because one would need more than three magazines, and a few more mag pouches, to have a very workable Production rig. Three ~17 round magazines works fine in Limited since the mags can be filled to capacity. The gun would be fine in Production regardless.
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There are lots of finer points to the rules that I don't know about, but isn't USPSA more inclusive of a broader variety of pistols, since it allows proper race guns, stock guns, and formerly-stock guns with some modification, in one Division or another? It's definitely more inclusive of certain ancillary equipment that is associated with some legitimate practices of duty and concealed carry in the 21st century: lasers, mini-RDS, WML, and AIWB carry.
That all centers around equipment, but I think there is more to it than that.
A person new to USPSA can be taught expectations of when and where to gunhandle on the range, the 180 rule, the existence of fault lines, the basic scoring system, and can then go forth and use their skills to shoot all the targets, probably without procedural penalty. That new person would have to also learn dictated tactics if trying IDPA, or probably face various procedural penalties. That seems more burdensome, not less, to a person new to competitive shooting.
I don't know how far down the rankings they give awards in IDPA, but at the local USPSA matches here, it is pretty close to 'everyone gets a ribbon.' First, second, third, each Division, each Class, Special Categories. Sometimes it really feels like everyone gets a ribbon, even though not everyone really does. An awful lot are given out though.
I guess I can't really speak to a new shooter being intimidated by Open guns and fancy jerseys with logos. Maybe some people are intimidated by that, and maybe some people are intimidated by the seemingly incredible shooting skills that many competitive shooters possess. I don't tend to think it's better to keep them insulated from the higher levels of skill that exist. I sure wouldn't want a shooting sport to 'do me a favor' by keeping me unaware of how good I could be if I really worked for it.
Thoughts?
Technical excellence supports tactical preparedness
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I'd argue that IDPA is more noob friendly because the stages are less free-form and more like tactical kata: go here, shoot these dudes, go there, shoot those dudes, unload and show clear. I would also point out that IDPA tends to do a better job of attracting new shooters than USPSA at the national level.
I remember my first USPSA match, which was a special classifier match. I thought that 6 stages, all classifiers would be an awesome way to get my feet wet. So I showed up with a gun, like 4 mags, and 2 mag pouches. I nearly fainted when I saw that the match had 5 classifier stages and 2 large (30 round) field courses. Now, I would have been fine if I'd decided to shoot Limited, but I had my heart set on Production. The Match Director loaned me an extra mag pouch, took me under his wing for the day, and I got through okay.
I also remember feeling a little odd when I saw the "go fast" jerseys. I honestly did not expect that at a local match. I really wasn't "intimidated" per se, but it was unexpected.
All in all, I did okay jumping straight in to the deep end of the pool that day. IIRC, I finished second in Production division, only had like 4 Charlies on the day, and had at least one dude ask if it really was my first match or if I was joking.
Still though, I think one big thing that could have made IDPA an easier start is the smaller stages. I picked a classifier match to start with because I wanted to get my feet wet on smaller more straightforward stages. Those big 30 round courses did cause me a great deal of concern until I actually shot them.
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