Match Preparation

Dr.Rob

Staff Alumnus
Ok so I'm gonna shoot my first ever match (IDPA)on saturday and I'm feeling woefully un-boyscout like in my lack of preparedness for the event.

I attended the range safety/rules session weds. night and got convinced to shoot. However:

I've never OWNED a strong side concealed carry holster.. so I had to go shopping.. well the one I got (a forward canted hi-ride fbi-style holster $40) fits my commander nicely.. but not my full sized 1911 (its that custom DA/seecamp frame and extended safety and slide stop) So i spend two hours with leather lotion , neatfoot oil, etc. to no avail. So i recall that SOMEWHERE in the house I have a nylon pouch (by ams) that will do in a pinch.. yeah well it hold the gun but its not a quick draw.. and the gun flops around a lot on the belt. So for lunch today I have to try ANOTHER shop.. this time I brought the gun WITH ME. What I really wanted was a lil bikini style g-slide, but after seeing all the shop owners sporting milt sparks customs now i want one.

Magazine pouches: Ok I have three of these.. two are US GI surplus OD cotton , one is for 45, the other for an M-1 carbine (which works well for 9mm mags) and a black nylon one that will hold either single or double stacks. Ok the black nylon one goes in., and the pouch with the alice clips, heck i only own 5 magazines for 45 auto.. so I could now carry them all.

Haul out BIG ASS belt from closet to support all that weight (damn I KNEW ther was a reason I wear a web belt for this kinda thing)

I also found, that having loaned my dillon set -up for .45 to a friend so he could load up some blasting rounds.. that I'm out of my 45 target loads (and i don't wanna shoot a match with hyrda shocks)so while at the holster place I get three boxes of PMC 230 ball ammo (ouch $15 a box) Should have gone to wal-mart.

Ok I'm also gonna shoot rifle. So I go get my 223 'sport-utility" rifle and some bullets. Damn I forgot to ask "how amny rounds will i need?" So I throw 80 rounds in the range bag. I start getting magazines (well you can only load ten rounds for IDPA, so do i take the 20 round "tanker" mags or the traditional 30 rounders?? Ok I take two of each.. oops Need a pouch for a spare mag, right? Or can i just use a jacket pocket?? Do I have to shoot each rifle target twice?? More stuff I didn't ask.. hmmmmmm.

ok add case for rifle, cleaning rod, patches, ear plugs, gloves, pistol rug, range bag, ammo, chapstick, smokes, snacks, water bottles, camera, film, tapes for the drive suddenly i have a jeep full of stuff...

OK now here I am in the living room with a full sized all-steel 45, two seven round colt magazines and three 8 round chip mcCormick magazines and I really dont "feel" like i conceal all this STUFF and it wieghs a ton.. so i ditch the seven rounders.

I'm still feeling woefully unprepared...

I don't know if its pre-match jitters, or what. I'm not worried about my score I just want to shoot a course without screwing up...

Anyone else have these problems/jitters/concerns??

Dr.Rob
 
Chill! This is supposed to be fun, remember?

Seriously, you've nothing to worry about. You'll only need eighteen rounds per course of fire (some use more :)), so twenty should do it for the rifle. Two spares should do for each pistol stage as well. Don't forget that you can (and should) top off your magazine after chambering at the line.

The best way I've heard it put was by Karl Rehn ( www.krtraining.com ) who said "I want to feel like I'm standing in line for the best roller coaster in the park, and that I can't wait to get up there and ride." Words of wisdom.

I get really excited before a match - they're big, BIG fun!
 
I might be there too! But I'm just gasping about the 85 mile drive... I live in Arvada... do y'all wanna go together? I've left a message with Jade (et ux) as well. She sat next to me, Dr. Rob.

I'm never nervous as a newbie. If I don't LITERALLY blow it :eek:, I'll just be in a learning mode...

kmacgera@yahoo.com
 
ok After spend $80 on a Galco slide belt holster with an open top i feel MUCH better. Now the gun FITS.

Hope to see you at the match Kathryn but I think i may have annoyed jade after the class by remarking to Jade that "You gotta have more money than sense" to buy a Blaser rifle.. apparently she owns several (boy is my face red)

OK breathe breathe breathe.. relax.. ahhhhhhhh much better.

Dr.Rob
 
Dr. Rob,

You're going to shoot rifle in an IDPA match?? Here in Orlando, we run 2- and 3-gun matches along IDPA-ish lines (Tactical 2/3-gun matches). We limit rifle to 20 rounds.

Check out the Blade Tech (or other Kydex ware) holsters and mag pouches; really good for IDPA competition.

Anyway, whatever you have, you'll find IDPA shooters to be a good bunch. Relax, be safe and HAVE FUN.

John Francis
 
John - Front Range IDPA (Colorado) often modifies one of the pistol stages for a rifle, shotgun, or back-up gun stage after the main match. These side matches are great fun, and really ram home the superiority of long guns.
 
So I took the IPDA safety course (along with Dr. Rob) on Wednesday night. Thursday morning I took my defective pistol back to Garts Sports (at least they pay postage back to Ruger). When the clerk first took it, he didn't check to see if it was loaded. Both of the clerks there (or are they firearms specialists?) waved the muzzle every which way. I dodged one fellow's swipe. He said "Oh we're used to it. We do this every day." Oh yeah, and will you let me outta there???? :rolleyes:
 
Kathryn, clerks are jerks. Go to Green Mountain Guns, Kipling & Jewell, in Lakewood, behind the Safeway. They're fair, honest, and have good prices. I've been dealing with them for many years, should have an interest in the business for all the $ I've spent there.
 
Where is the match and what time??? Depending on the weather we might try and make it down just for the fun of it.
 
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