Anyone have suggestion for USPSA gear in Indianapolis?

[Buckeye911]

I was hoping to try out some gear or take a closer look before making decisions.

My daughter and I are going to try out some fun different shooting sports!

 

[sdtech58]

Go to a match, shoot it and see what others are using. Setups range from cheapo paddle holsters and mag pouches to full-blown competition rigs. All I had at my first match was my pistol, 4 mags and a case. They let me start from a low-ready position, and had me case the firearm after I unloaded and showed clear. Was nice to see what others had. Since you asked about Indy specifically, Plainfield Shooting Supplies has a pretty good selection for competition gear and most of the employees are competition shooters. They can help you out as well.

 

[Seancass]

Have you participated in a match before?

If not, check out Friday Night Steel at Marion County Fish and Game. It's not as complicated or involved as USPSA, but there will be several shooters there wearing their USPSA gear for practice. It would be a good opportunity to see what they're using without attending an actual match. As mentioned above, at the local USPSA matches, they'll be very helpful and accommodating.

As far as having gear for sale for you to fondle, that could be slightly more rare just because it's all so specialized. There are general themes to what guys are running, but no two set ups are the same. Mostly. Since it's basically the end of the summer shooting season, you might see some good sales happen online.

 

[Coach]

Go with the cheaper gear to start at least. You do not have to wear race gear or racey gear to be competitive. Get some black hawk mag pouches and a holster for your gun and start building gun handling and shooting skills.

 

[Coach]

Go with the cheaper gear to start at least. You do not have to wear race gear or racey gear to be competitive. Get some black hawk mag pouches and a holster for your gun and start building gun handling and shooting skills.

Bring your guns out to WVPPS this weekend and shoot the match with my daughter and I. We will help get you started. email me if you need help. abright@ccrtc.com

 

[Seancass]

Listen to Coach, come over to Terra Haute (Riley) this weekend. It's a good facility with great people running the match.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I agree with what others are saying. Come to a match and see what others are running. I started out with what I had, then decided on what I wanted after shooting some mstches first.

 

[gotguns]

Go with the cheaper gear to start at least. You do not have to wear race gear or racey gear to be competitive. Get some black hawk mag pouches and a holster for your gun and start building gun handling and shooting skills.

What Coach said. I started with uncle mikes double mag pouches and a fobus holster on an uncle mikes belt. Worked for a starter rig.

 

[downrange72]

Yep..a paddle holster ...depending on what division you shoot 2-4 mag pouches

Limited you can load then up...production you are limited to 10

 

[downrange72]

Shooters connection is located in KY and usually can ship what you need quickly....try it first before investing in a rig

 

[Cameramonkey]

Also consider trying IDPA as well. Its a bit more rules heavy than USPSA, but I found it appeared easier to get into as a novice. (less to try to figure out on your own.) All you need for that is a holster and a cover garment. (shooting vest, overshirt, etc) I saw a guy last match that was just getting into it that didnt even have mag carriers yet. he just used a back pocket.

I run Uncle Mikes Tactical mag carriers. Molded plastic, they slide onto your belt, and are cheap.

I know Both Joe Nelson at ACC and Larry Whitesides at Wildcat Valley are both EXCELLENT RSOs and are VERY good with new shooters.

Just make sure that before you go to a match you and your daughter are both proficient in gun handling and drawing. IDPA/USPSA are not places to learn gun handling skills. I've heard horror stories of people brand new to guns without ANY training show up at a match and its a nightmare. There is a HUGE gap between standing on a static range that doesnt even allow drawing, and practical shooting sports where you are drawing, moving, reloading under pressure, etc. There are several intro to competition courses around to teach you if you need it. Coach does some, and I know Joe at ACC does one.

Good luck, and have fun! (oh, and be safe)

 

[Snizz1911]

I will take a different approach then most have stated on this. Probably not one right answer, but if I was starting over today I would do a few gear things differently.

First I'd actually read the rule book. Hell skip everything and flip to the back where it describes the different gun divisions, the regulations for those divisions and gear requirements. If your already set on the gun your going to shoot, find out which division it is best suited for and the requirements for that particular division.

Then I'd go to a USPSA match. Uspsa is like any other sport, guys love the latest and greatest and testing new gear out, and most like talking about gear choices. And I'd bet all would be willing to chat and give you suggestions. Maybe even watch guys shooting guns similar to what you plan on using and pick their brains. This will give you some idea what you might like and things to check out on all the shooting supplies websites. Maybe even watch some YouTube vids of top shooters.

For me, I spent a lot of money on things I didn't like, bf I got the right set up. Understandably it's possible to do all the things I listed and have the same thing happen, but I think it would have saved me time. Not saying the things I didn't like are necessarily bad, some may like them and they can work. But I started with Blackhawk mag pouches, didn't like them. Spent around $100 on them. What I use now and like were only $30 more for the set. Started with a Wilderness belt. Great belt, hate it for USPSA. Could have bought a CR Speed or DAA for $10-20 more from the get go. Bought a crappy holster bc I didn't know what I didn't know, wasted more money... You get my point.

Hope these suggestions help. Even if you buy gear you end up replacing it, knowing the rules and watching a match won't hurt anything. Just a few things I'd do and probably save a little cash.

 

[Twangbanger]

If you start with USPSA, you don't have to worry about concealment like you do in IDPA, so I think it's actually more beginner-friendly (and you're allowed to drop mags on the ground when you reload, unlike IDPA). Your first holster at your first match only needs to hold the gun securely. Then for mag pouches, like Coach said above, the Blackhawk clip-on mag pouches work just fine for extra mags. That's it...you're in.

I recommend you shoot Limited division in USPSA, load your mags to full capacity to reduce reloads during your first match, and have fun! (You didn't say how old your daughter is, but do make sure she is comfortable drawing from a holster and moving around safely with a loaded gun...that aspect is a bit different than stand-and-shoot type sports).

 

[Cameramonkey]

I'll disagree with twangbanger. After skimming both rule books, I found IDPA is easier because it is more structured. You dont have to figure out the course of fire on your own. There are specific rules on which targets get engaged and in what order. The course design pretty much tells you exactly what you need to do, and all you have to concentrate on is speed and accuracy. As a beginner, I was overwhelmed thinking about all the things to remember. IDPA at least to me, felt like there was less to worry about.

You can drop empty mags in IDPA, just not mags with ammo left in them. (unless its done while clearing a malfunction, then its good)

And concealment is no big deal. IDPA is based on the premise of shooting what you carry, not some fancy double belt race holster setup like in USPSA. The assumption is you dont OC on the street, so you should be CCing during the match because the courses of fire are sometimes based on real life shooting scenarios.

But definitely find a match you like and go shoot.