[Thefatgunner]

Well finally my summer semester is over, My girlfriend was going to be busy doing home work all night so she wouldn't have do to any when we went on vacation this weekend. So I had to find some thing to do...

I've know this club has had IDPA matches on tuesday nights for about a year since I bought my M&P 9 Pro ( I bought this gun last year planning on shooting IPDA SSP and USPSA Production with it). So time, money and will power took over and I showed up to shoot the match.

I wasn't really nervious i'm almost never nervious I just didn't want a saftey violation. So I let the match director know this was my first time shooting IDPA, he set me up with one of the SO's and he gave us a quick lesson, don't break 180, follow all commands, stuff like that.

Then I shot up a school bus full of handicap children... just kidding relax.

Our SO put us at the end of the squad and told us to watch, If there was any procedual errors made the SO would point them out to us, failure to neutralize or whatever the error was and tell us what we should do to not make those mistakes (I still made 2 but more on that later)

On the first stage it was pretty simple take cover behind the wall put 2 in each of the BG's from left to right (cutting the pie) then run to the right and use cover shoot from right to left (cutting the pie)

Sounds pretty simple, I didn't have any proceduals errors but i did get a few +2 +5 and +6, that really kills your time quick.

the second stage was simular but you had to shoot one target while running to cover, again no proceduals but I did have some off shots, I was shooting way to quick for my first time and i'm sure my times where close to 35-40 lol.

third stage was very simular to the second stage but you had fewer targets and had to put 3 rounds in each, this is where I got a percedual, I shot one BG on the way to take cover behind a small truck, I took cover shot the second guy then instead of moving to the other side of the cab and shooting the other BG's i shot guy #3 then moved to the other side while making a reload. I remember getting a 13.48 but I can't recall how many seconds I got added plus the percedual.

fourth stage had 6 BG's all 3 shots. I did ok till the far targets where the 115g 9mm just started to drop to much, probably not helped by i'm sure me pushing the muzzle down. I got one failure to neutralize on this stage.

All in all a great time, will be back next week for sure, I know what I need to do next time, slow down while shooting, between now and then I'm going to work on my draw with the concealment garment (which was just a dickies button up shirt) I really think the shirt was to large and to light, i'd try and push it back to clear the gun but it kept getting in the way. maybe i'll wash it to shrink it some. reloads where fine, though i'm sure they could use some work also.

 

[gsh341]

I've done an indoor league before and there were three things I learned.

1. The top guys are so good they make me look like I'm a blind man shooting with my feet and running on my hands.

2. Regardless of how well (or poorly) I shoot, it's a LOT of fun.

3. Shooting that much without a reloading setup is REALLY expensive.

 

[Vir]

Sounds like a good time, keep us updated in the future.

 

[Thefatgunner]

I'd say all those things are true lol.

I don't think it was TO bad cost wise, $10 to shoot and this match only took 60 rounds since i was using factory sellier and bellot for $9.99 +tax for 50 that comes out to $13.10

total of $23.10 not bad for 2 hours.

 

[bongsao]

Awesome! Its a great sport.

 

[gsh341]

I'd say all those things are true lol.

I don't think it was TO bad cost wise, $10 to shoot and this match only took 60 rounds since i was using factory sellier and bellot for $9.99 +tax for 50 that comes out to $13.10

total of $23.10 not bad for 2 hours.

Compare that cost to something else that takes 2 hours, like a movie.

I can go to a movie for $15 including a drink and a small popcorn. If I go to the cheap theater I can go for just $10 including drink and popcorn.

So $23.10 for 2 hours is actually fairly expensive.

However, reloading can break the cost down quite a bit. Especially when the matches start using 90-100 rounds for 3 stages. Toss in a couple hundred practice rounds per week and the cost really starts to climb.

 

[Thefatgunner]

Compare that cost to something else that takes 2 hours, like a movie.

I can go to a movie for $15 including a drink and a small popcorn. If I go to the cheap theater I can go for just $10 including drink and popcorn.

So $23.10 for 2 hours is actually fairly expensive.

However, reloading can break the cost down quite a bit. Especially when the matches start using 90-100 rounds for 3 stages. Toss in a couple hundred practice rounds per week and the cost really starts to climb.

It would be great if i could reload, I just don't have the space. I'd like to get a Dillion square deal. maybe next year when I move into my house.

 

[thetravlor]

Don't attempt to shrink the cover garment. Larger is really better. Practice cupping your hand and throwing the shirt out of the way. Then drop your hand straight down to the gun. Some people use a vest and put weight (cell phone or keys in a pocket).
Follow all dry fire rules and practice walking forward, backward and sideways while having a sight picture. Take smaller steps and learn to shuffle sorta to eliminate the bounce of a step. Practice magazine reloads and getting back on target.
Have fun and be safe. Faster times and accuracy come with time.

 

[Thefatgunner]

Don't attempt to shrink the cover garment. Larger is really better. Practice cupping your hand and throwing the shirt out of the way. Then drop your hand straight down to the gun. Some people use a vest and put weight (cell phone or keys in a pocket).
Follow all dry fire rules and practice walking forward, backward and sideways while having a sight picture. Take smaller steps and learn to shuffle sorta to eliminate the bounce of a step. Practice magazine reloads and getting back on target.
Have fun and be safe. Faster times and accuracy come with time.

I don't think you quite understand how large my cover garment is lol

I wear a XL shirt and the cover garment is a 3X I'm swimming in the thing, Also the dickies shirt is make long, and the tails sit at mid thigh, I'm sure as I wash it it will shrink.

I wil be putting in tons of practice when I return home... actually I could practice on my vacation since I have all of the stuff I need to do it (gun, extra mag, holster, cover garment, ect.)

My brother will also be shooting with me this next tuesday.

 

[CatsEye]

I'm glad you had a good time. Welcome to the sport.

 

[fredj338]

The biggest problem I see in all new comp shooters where time is an issue, they try to go too fast. I always encourage the new guys to go for all hits for the first few matches; get used to the range commands & the movement on the range. Speed will come along sooner than later & you'll still get hits, most of all you'll be safe.
I shot a local match last weekend, had 4 LEO on my squad, good to see them out shooting their duty gear for practice. While none of them were going to win any speed prizes, all were competent & they will only get better the more they shoot. IMO, the best part of IDPA is you handle & shoot your gun so much, it becomes more automatic & that can only help you under the stress of a real fight. If I don;t have to think about my presentation, sights, grip, etc I can concentrate on the problem in front of me.
Good job, you'll only get better!

 

[thewarriorhunter]

sounds fun. i just joined a local gun range and they do BUG competitions once a month. as soon as i get the days off i'm going to check it out and probably compete with my xd.

 

[Thefatgunner]

OK guys shot again this week, I felt I did much better, I practiced drawing and reloading for about an hour each between last week and this week. Looked up the scores for last week and I'm happy to report i didn't come in dead last lol 6 of 7 in SSP/UN and 32 of 38 of all shooters with a total time of 128.12 with 100 points down... and apparently 3 FTN's... I wish I had my score sheet because i dont think i shot 3 FTN. Top shooter last week was a guy shooting the same gun as me M&P 9 Pro he's shooting SSP/MA though.

Stage 1
String 1- 7.38
started with our hands on the bed of a truck when the buzzer went off we turned to the right and fired 2 shots in each BG while retreating. once behind cover which was the front of the truck. took 2 more shots at another BG on the other side of the truck from low cover
String 2 7.60
started from the front of the truck with hands on hood, when the buzzer went off you start by shooting at the target covered by the no shoot, then lean around the hood and shoot the other two targets.
Total 7 Down
18.48

Stage 2 12.49
4 targets in a line shoot 1 in each then how ever you wanted to have 3 in each target while retreating.
Total 4 down
14.49

Stage 3 20.16
Seated in a "car" gun on dash shoot two BG to the right, 2 to the left, 2 more to the 1 oclock position with a no shoot in front of them and then 2 more at the 11 oclock.
total 11 down
25.66 (my brother told me he didn't believe it took me 20.16 to finish the stage)

Stage 4
String 1 5.58
stage looked something like this (please ignore the lines) x's being bg's and o's being cover
____________x
________x
_____x
__x

_____oooo
first string you shoot from the left side only, you had to shoot the target on the far left while moving to cover.
String 2 6.91
Shoot from the right side. you had to shoot the target on the far right while moving to cover. string 2 really killed me, moving and shooting that far target really hurt my score.
total 24 down
24.49

final score 83.12, 46 down, 0

I didn't have as much fun this time, the squad I was in was really lazy, seemed like only 2 people and myself did any taping or picking up brass, there was a time where over half our squad was in the saftey area checking out someones gun, we also never got told who was on deck or in the hole, or if the SO did then I was down range and never heard it.

 

[thetravlor]

Don't be discouraged. Watch the squad you were in and eliminate them in the future.
Practice shooting on the move in your dry fire. Left, right too.