IDPA Scenario Threads...

[JAD]

I'm from Waterloo (and my initials are JD). I'll try to time a visit to my brothers with one of your matches -- do you have a club website?

[BLR]

We also had lots of no-shoots. As we're not yet IDPA affiliated, we can get away from their 1 NS for 1-5 threat targets etc.

When I had occasion to design a stage (IPSC, never had the chance with IDPA), I used no shoots to beat on the "gamers." That is my primary complaint about IDPA, and the rules tell you what you "can" do, not what you "can't" and something about that rubs me the wrong way.

One particularly challenging stage involved shooting a charging dog at a slightly oblique angle to protect some children (made up of no shoots). We used a metric target for the dog on a pulley system. THAT was damn difficult. Inspiration, I was told, was from a similar actual incident in Dayton - an aggressive dog charged/chased a bunch of kids playing in their yard. I don't believe anyone was there with a gun, and seem to remember one of the kids got hurt.

Enjoy your freedom now, the stage nazis will be along soon

[_JD_]

I'm from Waterloo (and my initials are JD). I'll try to time a visit to my brothers with one of your matches -- do you have a club website?

The website is not always the most up to date: http://www.blackhawkpistol.org/home

BHPC is also part of the Illinois/Iowa Practical Shooters Forum where the most up to date info is, and I also maintain a BHPC Facebook page

IDPA typically shoots the 4th Sunday of the month, but we've got two Saturday shoots this year: June 30th* (5th Saturday of June) & September 29th* (5th Saturday of September)

When I had occasion to design a stage (IPSC, never had the chance with IDPA), I used no shoots to beat on the "gamers." That is my primary complaint about IDPA, and the rules tell you what you "can" do, not what you "can't" and something about that rubs me the wrong way.

One particularly challenging stage involved shooting a charging dog at a slightly oblique angle to protect some children (made up of no shoots). We used a metric target for the dog on a pulley system. THAT was damn difficult. Inspiration, I was told, was from a similar actual incident in Dayton - an aggressive dog charged/chased a bunch of kids playing in their yard. I don't believe anyone was there with a gun, and seem to remember one of the kids got hurt.

Enjoy your freedom now, the stage nazis will be along soon

While I'm limited on no-shoots by IDPA rules "hard cover" is pretty much ungoverned, anything in the black is down 5 and you can make for some pretty tight shots that way. Just last weekend I has us doing a series of three Bill Drills (Free-style, SHO, WHO) on targets that only had the down zeros available. Needless to say the Pts Down on that stage were pretty high and it really drive home the need to slow down and make the shots count. The shoot for best time and "OK" accuracy group did not do well.

While I can't get away with something exactly like that in a scenario stage, it shows some potential in limited application of black paint.

We've also got some swingers that move quite erratically. Fixing a no shoot on to that thing is just flat out wrong.

I'll deal with the stage nazis as they come, they rank right up there with the "I don't do things like that crowd" mentioned above...

[BN]

Some time ago at Fort Harmar rifle club, John Markwell came up with the 'creek match' as a way to cool off in the hot, humid August days. Later creek matches were less complex, using different parts of the creek to eliminate the swim and the drop from the bank to the creek. They were still fun and novel, but far safer for everyone involved.
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I remember the creek matches. We all shot 1911's and tried to hit all the poppers with one shot so we didn't risk dropping a mag in the creek while reloading.

[BN]

Another thing I used recently is cardboard painted like bushes, stapled to a target stand and designated as soft cover. I gave the shooter the option to shoot through it or move downrange and shoot past it. The targets were a few feet behind the soft cover with heads only visible unless the shooter moved down range. This gave the shooter plenty of room to shoot without any safety issues. This stage had no cover for the shooter to use. They had to rescue a family member (no-shoot) that was down range by the farthest targets.

[BLR]

It wasn't IDPA, it was a proprietary club running their own rules, and geared for a more experienced shooter. The rationale given was that AZ was an open-carry state, so you had no 'excuse' for not carrying in some manner. That said, I concur about some people wanting to practice or shoot some matches before feeling comfortable with carrying in public.

This brings up another point, though: you can get into some really fun, cool, inventive stuff, but you still have to accommodate newer shooters who may not be up to that level of complexity, and even with experienced shooters, you have to keep an eye out for Murphy.

Some time ago at Fort Harmar rifle club, John Markwell came up with the 'creek match' as a way to cool off in the hot, humid August days. The first one started at the edge of the creek bank, sitting in a fishing chair with your pistol. At the buzzer, you dropped your fishing pole, drew your weapon, dropped into the creek (which was about shin-deep) and went downstream, engaging Pepper poppers on the banks as you went, until you reached a deep pool at the bend in the creek. Here you had to swim across the pool, crawl out into a little game trail, and out into the field. There was a tent in the field, near Markwell's minivan. You retrieved an M1 Carbine from the tent, took cover behind the van, and engaged the stop plate to end the stage. We all thought it was a great idea, until the first person ran the stage. He slipped and tumbled head-over-heels into the creek, with a drawn pistol. Immediately, the course was changed so that you couldn't draw until AFTER you got into the creek (and the timer didn't start until then either). It was something that should have been foreseen, but wasn't, likely due to the enthusiasm for the idea of the match itself.

Later creek matches were less complex, using different parts of the creek to eliminate the swim and the drop from the bank to the creek. They were still fun and novel, but far safer for everyone involved.



I don't remember that one, but I do remember poor Kurt's Tahoe getting the windows papered with DNF-marked scoresheets.

That sounds like unreal fun.

[Shokr21]

JD and docpogo, sounds like we need to get together. Ankeny is USPSA and shoots every tuesday, for now it's only three stages but our new 4 bays should be ready in july.

I haven't shot IDPA in a while but the hardest part is just remember to retain my mags unless reloading from slide lock.

[_JD_]

JD and docpogo, sounds like we need to get together. Ankeny is USPSA and shoots every tuesday, for now it's only three stages but our new 4 bays should be ready in july.

I haven't shot IDPA in a while but the hardest part is just remember to retain my mags unless reloading from slide lock.

What time to they start? I typically don't get off work till 17:00

[ford.304]

Don't know if it would be IDPA legal, but one of the coolest 3-gun videos I've seen involved an "escape from a kidnapping" type scenario where you had to start the run with your hands tied and blindfolded, and were given a knife to cut yourself out before shooting your way through the stage. They also did a couple "fight your way back to your weapon" type things. Looked like a *ton* of fun.

I'd also love to see someone rig a mover to just do a Tueller drill style quick stage. Maybe a dog charges you from 40 yards - draw and stop it before it gets to you. Then do it strong hand only. I can imagine that having something charging your face like that would be an interesting change compared to your normal "attack and clear" type stages.

[_JD_]

I have a small problem with the dog stages....



A majority of the people at matches (or those that post to the damn stinkin dog threads) I would not want shooting in real life at a low, fast moving dog, especially where other people are present. Granted in most cases at least the rounds have a good chance of just going into the ground, but shooting at static "dog" targets (most I've seen consist of having the down 3 & 4 zones removed) is nothing like trying to aim in on a live animal that's trying to eat or gore you.

I think the only way I'd do the dog thing is if I had some way to make that thing really move.

Something closer to this:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b04_1337719658

Rather than this:




I think I'd rather a shooter leave a dog thread saying "hell no am I going to try and do that unless it's absolutely necessary!" Rather than "Dogs? Bring 'em on!!!!"

If I can get a bob & weave track made, with a 3D target and have the timer activate a stereo blaring gnarling, barking and growling in the shooters ear, I'd be all about it.