motorhead0922
New member
As most of you IDPA shooters know, this year IDPA will start penalizing shooters 1 full second for each "down point" a shooter hits on the target, as opposed to 1/2 second previously. This places more emphasis on accuracy. Most of us, myself included, wonder whether this will improve or hinder our scores. We shall see.
I got close to making Sharpshooter last year (9 seconds too slow) and I'd like to move up this year, so I got interested in how that affects the classifier scores. I turns out that the classifier has undergone significant changes this year. Here are some highlights I found:
Here is my analysis of the new strings. My comments are in italics.
Stage 1
Start Position: Shooter Position 1
24 rounds total All Shot from P1
Stage Procedure:
String 1 (12 shots): Load exactly 6 rounds in the firearm. Draw and fire 2 shots to each body, re-load from slide-lock and fire 2 shots at each head.
This sort of combines strings 1 through 4 of the old stage 1, but eliminates 3 head shots.
String 2 (6 shots): Draw and fire 2 shots at each target strong hand only.
Same as old stage 1, string 7.
String 3 (6 shots): Start with firearm in weak hand, pointed down range at a 45 degree down angle, safety may be off but the trigger finger must be out of trigger guard. Fire 2 shots at each target weak hand only.
Same as old stage 1, string 5, except 6 shots instead of 3.
Old stage 1, string 6 (start with back to target, fire 3 rounds, slide lock reload, and 3 more shots) has been eliminated.
Stage 2
Start Position
Shooter Position 2 and Shooter Position 3
The start position for all strings is standing erect with hands naturally at sides.
Stage Procedure:
String 1 (12 shots): Load exactly 6 rounds total in the firearm at P2. Start back to the target, turn, draw and fire 2 rounds to each target, re-load from slide-lock and fire 2 more shots at each target.
Same as old stage 2, string 3.
String 2 (6 shots): From the 10 yard line (P2), draw and fire 2 shots at each target while moving forward. Do not cross the line at P3.
Same as old stage 2, string 1.
String 3 (6 shots): From the 5 yard line (P3), draw and fire 2 shots at each target while retreating from the targets.
Same as old stage 2, string 2.
Old stage 2, string 4 (strong hand only, 6 shots) has been eliminated.
Stage 3
Start Position: Shooter Position 4 and Shooter Position 5
The start position for all strings is standing erect with hands naturally at sides.
Stage Procedure:
String 1 (12 shots): Load exactly 6 rounds total in the firearm at P4. Draw and fire 2 shots at each target using from either side of the barricade, re-load from slide-lock using cover, advance to barrels at the 15 yard line (P5) and fire 2 shots at each target using cover shooting inside of (between) the barrels on either side. Shooters choice. Shooter may not shoot around outside of barrels without incurring a penalty Per 5.1
Similar to stage 3, string 2, except the loaded chamber reload has been replaced with a slide-lock reload, and no kneeling required at position 5.
String 2 (12 shots): Load exactly 6 rounds total in the firearm at P5. Draw and fire 2 shots at each target using cover from
inside of the barrels, re-load from slide-lock using cover, move to the opposite barrels and fire 2 shots at each target using cover from inside the barrels. Shooter may not shoot around outside of barrels without incurring a penalty Per 5.1
New. No kneeling required. Similar to old stage 3, string 1 except for slide-lock reload and moving to the other barrels (barricade).
Old stage 3, string 3 (kneeling behind barrel) has been eliminated.
We'll see how the changes affect matches this year.
If I can figure out how to post a table, I'll put in some round-count info.
I got close to making Sharpshooter last year (9 seconds too slow) and I'd like to move up this year, so I got interested in how that affects the classifier scores. I turns out that the classifier has undergone significant changes this year. Here are some highlights I found:
- Round count per stage is now 24 instead of 30. Total rounds are now 72 instead of 90.
- Total strings are now 8 instead of 14. Should be faster to complete.
- No more loaded chamber reloads. All 4 reloads are from slide lock.
- No more kneeling. All shots are taken standing.
- Position distances are still the same: 7, 10, 5, 20, 15 yards still make up P1 through P5, in that order.
Here is my analysis of the new strings. My comments are in italics.
Stage 1
Start Position: Shooter Position 1
24 rounds total All Shot from P1
Stage Procedure:
String 1 (12 shots): Load exactly 6 rounds in the firearm. Draw and fire 2 shots to each body, re-load from slide-lock and fire 2 shots at each head.
This sort of combines strings 1 through 4 of the old stage 1, but eliminates 3 head shots.
String 2 (6 shots): Draw and fire 2 shots at each target strong hand only.
Same as old stage 1, string 7.
String 3 (6 shots): Start with firearm in weak hand, pointed down range at a 45 degree down angle, safety may be off but the trigger finger must be out of trigger guard. Fire 2 shots at each target weak hand only.
Same as old stage 1, string 5, except 6 shots instead of 3.
Old stage 1, string 6 (start with back to target, fire 3 rounds, slide lock reload, and 3 more shots) has been eliminated.
Stage 2
Start Position
Shooter Position 2 and Shooter Position 3
The start position for all strings is standing erect with hands naturally at sides.
Stage Procedure:
String 1 (12 shots): Load exactly 6 rounds total in the firearm at P2. Start back to the target, turn, draw and fire 2 rounds to each target, re-load from slide-lock and fire 2 more shots at each target.
Same as old stage 2, string 3.
String 2 (6 shots): From the 10 yard line (P2), draw and fire 2 shots at each target while moving forward. Do not cross the line at P3.
Same as old stage 2, string 1.
String 3 (6 shots): From the 5 yard line (P3), draw and fire 2 shots at each target while retreating from the targets.
Same as old stage 2, string 2.
Old stage 2, string 4 (strong hand only, 6 shots) has been eliminated.
Stage 3
Start Position: Shooter Position 4 and Shooter Position 5
The start position for all strings is standing erect with hands naturally at sides.
Stage Procedure:
String 1 (12 shots): Load exactly 6 rounds total in the firearm at P4. Draw and fire 2 shots at each target using from either side of the barricade, re-load from slide-lock using cover, advance to barrels at the 15 yard line (P5) and fire 2 shots at each target using cover shooting inside of (between) the barrels on either side. Shooters choice. Shooter may not shoot around outside of barrels without incurring a penalty Per 5.1
Similar to stage 3, string 2, except the loaded chamber reload has been replaced with a slide-lock reload, and no kneeling required at position 5.
String 2 (12 shots): Load exactly 6 rounds total in the firearm at P5. Draw and fire 2 shots at each target using cover from
inside of the barrels, re-load from slide-lock using cover, move to the opposite barrels and fire 2 shots at each target using cover from inside the barrels. Shooter may not shoot around outside of barrels without incurring a penalty Per 5.1
New. No kneeling required. Similar to old stage 3, string 1 except for slide-lock reload and moving to the other barrels (barricade).
Old stage 3, string 3 (kneeling behind barrel) has been eliminated.
We'll see how the changes affect matches this year.
If I can figure out how to post a table, I'll put in some round-count info.