Clusterfrack, I am curious about your impressions of balancing speed and accuracy under IDPA scoring. I have been curious about IDPA, not having shot an IDPA match in twenty years, so general impressions are welcome. Same with dealing with the various procedurals. Love to see some video of your stages.
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
I haven't figured out how to maintain privacy with posting videos online, so I'll follow up with a direct message about sending you some.Originally Posted by GJM
There were several things that reduced my "aggression" in this match, and when I reviewed my videos there's no question that these slowed me down a lot compared to USPSA.
1. Cognitive load: trying (successfully) not to get a penalty or break the range's no muzzle over the berm rule. The new fault-line "cover" rules make things so much better now because there are no subjective cover calls.
2. Shooting my carry gun instead of a Shadow2. By the end of the match, I felt really comfortable with my gear. But, a subcompact polymer gun with a carry size optic required quite a bit more patience than my Shadow2s.
3. Target scoring regions shaped differently. This actually makes a difference. I had to visualize the IDPA -0 circles for each target before shooting because I'm used to the USPSA A zones on targets that look like that.
3. IDPA scoring (I think this is the part you're really interested in): IDPA uses time plus scoring, and the penalties for hits outside the -0 zones are stiff: +1s penalty per point down, and +5s for non-threat*, so my goal was to shoot as close to "down zero" as possible. The match winner had only -4 points down for the entire match, and after the first stage, I got that approach figured out. As well, there was a lot more shooting from awkward compromised positions.
4. Low cap, and fairly large time penalty for administrative reloading: combined with IDPA scoring, this makes getting -0 hits even more important. I had only one makeup shot for the entire match.
TLDR summary: I treated the IDPA targets like shooting steel or tight partials in USPSA Production. I shot almost entirely reactively (few predictive pairs), and used more confirmation (more stable dot, see the rear sight with irons). The emphasis on accuracy makes the non-shooting tasks less important. A flubbed reload or lame movement is much less of a problem than in USPSA. However, the awkward positions required in IDPA are an excellent challenge, and worth the price of admission alone. If USPSA is a speed shooting contest hidden inside a foot race, IDPA is a marksmanship contest hidden inside a yoga session.
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*If IDPA is really a defensive scenario-based discipline, the penalty for a hit on a non-threat should be way more than +5s.
“There is no growth in the comfort zone.”--Jocko Willink
"You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
I was typing while Clusterfrack was posting apparently. But for good natured humor sake…
George,
Shoot A’s/zeros as fast as you can. Make up called Cs/down 1s if you can do so within a second. And D’s/-3s/mikes, as they equate to three+ seconds.
Play the game…. Learn the rules and plan/visualize your stages (prescribed shooting sequences, use of cover/faultlines, loads, etc…) with deference to them. Then execute your plan.
DON’t show up, ignore the rules, and then be frustrated when they are enforced. 🤣
Your last IDPA match was only 10 years ago or so, not 20. LOL. I think I have some footage somewhere…. 😈
😘
T
@GJM, looking forward to your thoughts after watching the videos and reading my summary.
“There is no growth in the comfort zone.”--Jocko Willink
"You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
I was focusing on shooting IDPA at S&W in Springfield, MA shortly after it became a thing, and somehow forgot that IDPA match with you in Colorado! Remembering something about a shotgun stage or stages and receiving procedural for about everything I did.
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
I did a rough calculation, and converted my scores to hit factor. The range was from a high of 10HF, but most were around 5-6HF. A stage with a lot of movement that required 1-per target was 2.6HF. The cover and reload rules soaked up a lot of time. If it had been USPSA, I would have pushed speed a lot harder, risking shooting more Charlies on all but the 1-per stage. That one needed to be shot all Alphas.
“There is no growth in the comfort zone.”--Jocko Willink
"You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
As far as iron sight vs red dot, I shot my irons-only G19 during last pistol range session, and found the following:
It'd been some months since I'd shot it. Did surprisingly well. All the shooting with optics has enhanced my irons game, not detracted at all.
Halfway through the day, I shot a FAST in 5.90 clean, which is good for me. I know, doesn't really count as I was warmed up. HA! But I was never able to do that before, was usually in the 7-8 sec range.
Maintaining hard target focus is easier now. Yeah, I'm still gonna "squint and aim" past 7 yards with irons, but both eyes open seeing the front sight superimposed on target (like the dot) was really working for me.
Happy about this, as not all my pistols are MRDS equipped, and some never will be.
I've gotten very spoiled with the front slide aberrations on these 2 aftermarket slides we've got here...found myself grabbing and slipping on the front end of the G19 slide a couple of times.
I see folks sometimes Express trepidation about training with an optic, and the possibility of it degrading ability with irons, but I'm experiencing just the opposite.
My wife just finished up shooting the USPSA CO Nats match in Ohio. I was range husband and looked after Astro. Met a number of PF members at the match. Gio was in the squad ahead of us. The weather was terrible on day one and the match was very challenging. Charlie started off slow on day one, but hit her stride on day two and three. She doesn't think much of it, but I was super proud that she finished tenth Lady.
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
Astro really enjoyed the sunshine on day two.
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
I have to say that I'm mixed on my RDS. The two competing guns are a G17 Gen 4 with the stock Glock sights and a Gen 5 with a SRO. Now it certainly can be my level of noncompetence, I grant you. However, I found that at my slow speed with the Gen 4 I get very good hits. Lots of As, almost a clean match, or 10 Cs out of 100 or so shots. Now my scores stink as I walk between shooting positions and try to take reasonable sight pictures on the shots. Since my application is SD practice and (whining) my speed in life is slowing that's the way it is. Shooting a clean state, the SO calls me boring, shoot faster, take risks. However, for my specific world view a peripheral C is a failure as compared to a centerline C. Just seeing the dot on the brown and shooting, not for me just for speed.
I can come in second at times at A's and at the bottom with the times. With the SRO gun, I say I shoot about 70 to 80%. Now I don't practice with the SRO off the matches. Time and home responsibilities preclude pure range time. I do dry fire at home. Boy, I never miss then.
So I'm alternating between guns in an experimental paradigm. Being at the bottom of the ranks with the super seniors - HEY, I'm alive! I ain't running around in a critical incident towards the next target, if I run - it will be AWAY!
I do so like the G17s. I shoot my G26 in the carry matches with irons just fine and in fact quite well. Mas mentioned in a video some older folks don't like the transition to RDS. So still an experiment in progress. I explained to my wife. She said - just have fun, don't get hurt (no more H2H or FOF for old me).
Cloud Yeller of the Boomer Age
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