"Your friend was not a true Grandmaster based on his statement. A true Grandmaster will tell you that they use their sights"
Yep.
"I've run one USPSA Grand Master and a half-dozen Masters through the IDPA classifier, and none has made IDPA Master on the first try (or second, for that matter). It's a matter of applying the same skills in a different manner, suited to the scoring system"
Can readily believe that.
I haven't been shooting much since before there was an IDPA - sadly -
However, as a former IPSC competitor that has competed in a number of matches and the Nationals - let me say the following -
IPSC is fun - the most fun I've ever had in the shooting sports- it is a _different_ ballgame. There are "running and gunning" courses and a wide variety of shooting problems that up to the shooter to resolve -
Your score divided by your time, so speed is heavily weighted, IMHO. Regardless of your _score_ it's a really fun gun thing to do - if you're having a lot of fun, do you really care if your score is lower than in your "regular" discipline
I personally know one grand master that can shoot open class (optics), iron sights, limited or whatever and hold his own with the masters in any other pistol discipline.
You're going to have people that are better at one discipline, or enjoy another discipline - each to his own.
Don't know about today, but I have often heard other shooters make derogatory comments about IPSC, that were clearly unfounded - and sometimes theses people had little knowledge and had never competed or had done poorly at their first attemps.
Often, a shooter at the _top_ of one event will do poorly _in his initial attempt/s_ at another event. Doesn't mean anyone is better/worse or whatever or one sport is better/worse.
It's all shooting, we're all shooters. _big grin_
I suggest you go to an IPSC match, shoot it- and make up your own mind.
Be prepared to have fun _really big grin_