New to IPSC, looking for entry level set up, please help a Newb

H

HKFan9

New member
Well I'm going to be 23 and I have basically given up rifle shooting for my new found love pistol shooting. I was recently invited to go to a local IPSC match that is coming up. I don't know too much about it, and obviously never have been. I've been reading up and found you can go with a service pistol and 4 mags. I'm am currently listing to sell my USP so I asked a buddy if I could borrow his M&P 9mm with 4 mags and he said its no problem. So I was thinking of shooting the M&P this first time to get a feel for things and it definitely looks like something I want to pursue further. So here are my questions.

Firearms: personally I prefer 9mm, keeps the cost and the recoil down, I was thinking the Springfield 1911 in 9mm, but the question was if 4 mags of single stack would hold enough rounds for these competitions, again, I don't know how it works really. I see these guys running around with custom double stack pistols so I wasn't sure if a single stack 9mm would hold enough rounds.

Also was considering a CZ -75 maybe, I've also heard good and bad things about the EAA's, good being their entry level MATCH gun.

I'm not looking to drop 1000's on a custom 1911, but I would prefer to have a nice steel framed 9mm, any thoughts or opinions would be great.:rolleyes:
 
best advice I can give you...

Don't worry about getting a gun right now. As you are new you might want to just do what you have planned - use your buddies 9mm and have fun. Focus right now how the game is played and what niche you want to go for.

Look and see what the "experts or masters" are shooting. Just know to bring lots of ammo. Focus on safety and what the game plan is for each scenario. Watch and learn.

Before committing to a gun and spending your hard earned money play it out. Go to a few matches before deciding. You may be sorry about your choice if you buy one now as it may not "fit" what you need to do with it.

Overall, have fun and enjoy!
 
There are so many choices in classes to shoot, Production, Single Stack, Limited, Limited 10, Open, then you have majpr or minor power factor. You also have IDPA if that is available in your area and they have multiple classes as well (ESP, SSP, CDP).

With all those choices and possibilities you are better off going to a few matches and get an understanding of the rules and classes before you start thinking about buying something. If ou run out now to get something I can almost guarantee you will not e happy with it in 6 months.

If you can borrow a M&P for now that is a great choice to shoot IPSC Production (4 mags might be a little tight though) since everybody gets scored minor. It is also a very good pistol for IDPA. Go shoot, have fun, ask questions and get hooked.
 
Get your buddy's M&P and go for it. Most USPSA stages have a 32 round limit. My son shoots an M&P 9MM and gets by with four mags typically.

You should find an IDPA match and try it as well. The stages are typically shorter, less complicated and specify defensive cover use.

Both are great fun.

RMD
 
The M&P is becoming a pretty popular option in USPSA Production division. You may find that it's the gun for you. Another gun that is not really all that popular in USPSA Production (yet), but which I see most often in the hands of better shooters, is the CZ SP01. It can be used in Production, Limited, or Limited 10 (as can the M&P, for that matter).
The 9mm 1911 is sort of niche competition gun, as it's really only the hot ticket in IDPA Enhanced Service Pistol division, where minor power factor (9mm) is not a shortcoming. For USPSA Single Stack or Limited 10, you really want to be shooting major (.40 or .45).
Four, ten-round mags on the belt is usually enough, so a total of five mags mags is good, and six is better; one in the gun, four on the belt, and the "barney mag" in your pocket.
 
IPSC Entry Level Set-up

The gun and mags sound fine, however unless you can hit and knock down steel easily and accurately, you may need more than 4 mags. In a 32 round course, there could be 6-10 steel targets. That is fine, but if you miss some you may be out of ammo at the end of the course of fire. Years ago in my beginning, I could go thru 30-40 rounds to get thru a long field course. In IDPA you will not need more than 18 rounds per course. In IPSC I use either a Para 16-40 with 5 18 round mags or a G35 with 5 19 round mags.
Good Luck and Have Fun, I have and continue to do so!
 
For USPSA Single Stack or Limited 10, you really want to be shooting major (.40 or .45).
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While USPSA Single Stack was created to allow a standard single stack 1911 a place to compete, they allow a capacity of 10 rounds for minor (9mm or lightly loaded 40), but only 8 rounds for major (typically 40 or 45 loaded up). So there is a place for a 9mm 1911 because you do get the extra rounds.

Not sure which M&P model, but if it has mags with capacity greater than 10 rounds, in USPSA, you can load them up, shoot in Limited, and not worry about running out. 9mm is not ideal for Limited, but for your first match, load up the mags and have fun.

Lee
 
Shoot the M&P and have fun. Don't bother trying to game the rules; it isn't going to make any difference your first time anyway. You're not going to screw up and accidentally bring a gun that's not fun to shoot the match with, so relax and go enjoy yourself.
 
i am in your EXACT situation myself. I have been to one match to just watch and will probably check out another in the near future. use what you have access to in the way of a gun. For me thats my XD or my soon to be 1911(im buying it for a carry purpose but will use it for comps to get used to shooting it). I have no doubt i will enjoy practical shooting and will probably invest some money in a new setup later down the road.
 
Sorry to hijack a (slightly) older thread, but I had an interest in this one too.

Just out of curiosity, how many rounds should one bring to a typical match? I here "a lot" and "plenty" batted about, but that varies depending on whose thinking about the question :).

So are we talking 100 rounds? 250? 500?

Ammo is so hard to find right now that I'd likely be loading my own (got lots of components stored up) - on a single stage press, so I'd like to know ahead of time just how much time I have to spend in the shed in a Carolina summer :).

Also, I've got several guns, but finding something to actually shoot competition with is tricky. My 1911 is just picky as heck - needs to go to a smith before I'd use it (it jams once every few mags). I've got a SIG P6 that I like, but it only holds 8 rounds per mag which would likely hamper me a lot in Production class (and from what I've heard shooting 9mm outside of production isn't too viable). I've got a CZ-82 but I'm not sure if 9mm Makarov even makes the "floor" for minor.

About all that I'm left with that I think would be workable for production division is a Ruger P-95DA. Reliable gun - 15 round mags. Not the most accurate gun in the stable, but I'd mostly just be going to have fun rather than seriously expect to win anything. Just making sure - I won't get laughed off the range for bringing a Ruger P-95 right? :)
 
How many rounds depends on the match. Typical club match is about 125-150 rounds; check with the club. You would need more in case something goes wrong and you need to reshoot a stage.

No one will laugh you off the range with a Ruger. Again, check with the club, but the max round count will be 32 or so for one stage, so you need at least 4 10-round mags (having a spare for a total of 5 is better), to shoot in Production or Limited 10. If you choose to shoot in Limited, then you can load up the mags to full capacity (if that is greater than 10). For fun, sometimes I have loaded my Glock 17 mags and run in Limited.

9mm Mak may not make power floor, however, 9x19 is the minimum physical cartridge size. That is USPSA, not sure about IPSC.

Lee
 
Here's a good set-up, custom built Para in 40 cal with four 21 round mags. This is a good gun for limited 10 and limited divisions.
Also have a complete 9mm topend with high cap mags for this pistol.
The 9mm topend makes practice cheaper and is also great if you want to compete in steel matches.
Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com

01132009-B.JPG
 
I'm a new guy as well, and I just bought a set-up for myself for relatively cheap.

-M&P40
-6 magazines (Came with 2, got 2 free with the rebate, and bought 2 cheap)
-CR Speed belt
-Bladetech DOH (dropped and offset holster)
-Bianchi mag pouches (cheap but they work well for a beginner)

All of this cost me about $700 with the gun being about $550.

As far as the amount of ammo you'll shoot, I always bring 200 rounds to the match, but rarely shoot more than 125. I bring extra because after the match, I can sometimes re-shoot stages for practice.

Trust me, IPSC shooting is the most fun you can have with your clothes on!
 
How much ammo?

It's always good to bring as much as you can - a case would really cover all of it.

But it really depends on what type of shooting and with what.

IDPA typically will be no more than 150 rounds
USPSA will run about 200-250 but again depends on what you shoot and what division.

And then you can factor in if you are shooting multiple guns.
So, it's safe to say at least 250 but more the merrier since you can always shoot it another day.
 
The round count is different for each club. It depends on how many stages they set up. One IDPA club I shoot at is about 80, another I shoot at is close to 200. The ISPC clubs I shoot are in the 150-200 range.

I take 250 rounds, because a large stage can have things that go wrong and you might have a re-shoot. For example, a windy day a target or popper could get blown over while your shooting.

I agree with the posts above, don't worry about which gun you think you have to have right now. Take whatever you have, shoot it, and get a feel for what your next gun might be.
 
CZ 75? I have this urge to grab a CZ 52 and show up with that.

Would that just be downright obnoxious of me...? :cool:
 
Would that just be downright obnoxious of me...?
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CZ-52 is 7.62x25, right? USPSA has a 9mm minimum. They may let a newcomer shoot, though. Not sure about IDPA.

As for obnoxious, 7.62x25 got nothin' on a USPSA Open gun, where powders are chosen to INCREASE muzzle blast because it works the comp better. :D

Lee
 
Well the energy level on the 7.62x25 is on par with a .40 or .45, but I guess it would depend on how they determine "minimum" caliber, since a size-favoring metric like power factor would have the Tok coming up short.

Drawing a clunky old communist gun from a flap holster wouldn't exactly be elegant, but the idea of running through a competitive pistol course with a 17-1800 fps flamethrower just seems wickedly appealing.
 
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