IDPA vs USPSA, making a choice

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Joe Williams

I've yet to shoot IDPA, and it's been years since I've shot USPSA, or IPSC as it was then. Used to shoot IPSC avidly in production class.

I've been told that one can't really be competitive, or have fun, with production guns any more. How true/untrue is this? Is there a good time to be had, and enough people shooting guns like my XD9sc or Cathy's stock RIA 1911 for there to be real competition?

We are having a match in Terre Haute Sunday. Come on down and shoot.

[HICKMAN]

BWFRAME still rocks the 1911 in Single Stack.

I'm always pushing myself again several INGO members in Production class and it's a blast.

I've seen Glock 19's, XDm's and several regular ol' carry guns in USPSA matches.

Go shoot and have some fun The people are as much fun as the shooting, trust me.

[HICKMAN]

Originally Posted by Joe Williams

I can't see how the games would have done anything but help. Heck of a lot more useful than just standing there drilling holes in paper!

Amen brother!

[riverman67]

I just started shooting uspsa matches this summer .
As for the tactical debate i will leave that to others that know a whole lot more about such things than I ever will.
I have had a ton of fun in the limited amount of matches that I have shot in , I won't say that I competed because I am not on the same level as most of the folks that I have been shooting with
With that said I feel that this is great training for overall gun handling and marksmanship under the stress of a timer So I guess I think that it is a game but it has purpose , at least for me it does

[a zone]

I say shoot what you like. And grow your general skills. Make a commitment to either sport and you will commit to practice. Anything that is both fun and beneficial is worth the effort.

As to not being able to compete. We all started someplace. And you will find that most of us remember all to well our first stage and first match. I have a quote from an area director for USPSA. "This is the only sport I have ever played. Where someone in direct competition with me. Will come off a stage and tell me how to do it better and then loan me the ammo to go and beat them." I have found this to be true time and time again.

Pick one or try both, but try something.

See you on the range

Mike

[glock34]

still trying to understand the difference between the two. Would it be true to say that IDPA would be all paper targets and USPSA could be paper and steel targets?

Side question - I am ordering a holster and thinking about a Blade-tech 5.11 series to save some money for now but do not want to sacrafice quality. Is the 5.11 series the same qaulity as the other Blade-Tech holsters?

[notasccrmom]

One of the biggest differences between the two is that USPSA is all about shooting the courses freestyle, meaning that you can shoot the targets in whatever order that you want, reload when you want, and stand where you want while shooting them (within the course of fire). In IDPA, the stages are more spoon-fed in that you have to shoot the targets in a certain order and sequence. Of course these are basic generalizations and there are always exceptions to this.

[jakemartens]

IDPA is set up as defense style of shooting, where you are wearing a cover garment and making use of cover when engaging targets. There are specific rules in how you can engage targets (tactical sequence) and reloads are tactical reloads or reloads with retention which retaining a partially full mag
USPSA is free style, shoot them as you see them, you solve the problem