Shot my first IPSC match last night--Woohoo!

A

AndyP

New member
I went to my first IPSC match last night. Boy, what a blast! I'm relatively new to shooting (since last Sept., not counting USMC boot camp & ITR 30 years ago), so I was somewhat apprehensive. Everyone there was very helpful and supportive, and consequently my nerves didn't get too stratospheric.

I used a Glock 19 (stock except for "the plug") and managed to hit all the targets (even a few "A"s), my only penalty being a flesh wound to a no-shoot target.

I had one question for anyone who regularly shoots in these things: How do you manage to maintain focus on the front sight under all that pressure? I noticed that my sights stayed pretty blurry when firing so I was effectively "point shooting." Any pointers?

Lastly, to anyone who hasn't tried IPSC, I recommend it highly. Even if you aren't that competitive (like me), I can't help but think that participating has to help you become a better shooter.

Cheers,
Andy
 
AndyP,
Glad you had a good time with your first IPSC match. The answer to your question is focus on the front sight and let the target be blurry. Once you've become more familiar with the IPSC target's A-zone, you can just concentrate on the front sight. I've been told by master and grand master class shooters that you should be able to see the texture of the front sight (smooth/serrated/etc.). Rob Leatham, Bill Wilson and others said that they see their sights every time. Slow down and get a good sight picture on EVERY shot, the only time you should point shoot is when the target is only at arms length. Don't try to go too fast, speed will come with practice and experience. I've been shooting IPSC and now IDPA for 15 years, and I still learn something new every time I shoot a match. If you have an IDPA club near your area, I recommend you visit them and give them a try. It is more suited to your Glock 19. Good luck and have fun.
 
AndyP - IPSC matches are the funnest thing you can do with a handgun. Glad to see the sport has another shooter.

I shoot more than 50K rounds a year practicing and shooting in IPSC matches at the local, state and national levels and I am the match director and president of one of our local IPSC clubs. Here is my 2 cents worth.

The key for me to becoming a better shooter in this sport was to know what is an acceptable sight picture for the shot. In other words, when do you concentrate on the front sight to the point where you see the serations, and when to point shoot. These are the two extremes in the sport and they depend upon the size and distance of the target. However, the majority of your shots will be between these two extremes. It all comes down to points versus time, or scoring. You can shoot fast (for your skill level) on every target and have a fast time, but a low number of stage points due to misses and low points, or shoot slow with all "A" hits and still end up with a low number of stage points. Stage points are determined by total points divided by your time. So how does this relate to the front sight? Is the A zone shot worth the time required for the points? For example, if I can hit a C zone on my second shot a lot faster than another A zone hit I'm only down 1 point, and I will still be ahead in stage points.

The general rule of thumb is that courses of fire that have a low round count and stage points available, say less than 90 points, the emphasis should be on points (accuracy) not time. Courses of fire with stage points greater than 90 will be more toward speed to obtain the most stage points. Of course, if you can shoot all "A"s real fast then none of this matters.

As a new shooter concentrate on shooting 'A's, speed will come with time and practice. Speed is the economy of motion in this sport. Try to get with one of the better IPSC shooters in your area to show you the basics. I did when I started, and it saved me a lot of time by avoiding and correcting bad habits. A lot of this stuff is muscle memory and technique.
 
Andy,

I have been shooting handguns since April of '98 and have participated in maybe 10 monthly matches beginning last February. Like you I am not in it for the competition, but for the fun of the activity and skill building.

Take it from the others that concentrating on the mechanics right now are the best bet. Forget the clock for now and concentrate on the sights, stance, presentation. Going fast is easy. Doing it right while going fast is more interesting.

Personally the beep of the timer turns my mind to mush so my current effort is to develop discipline and pay attention: THINK about the sights and stance and not fire until I have mentally double checked that I am doing it right. This has been paying off and you would be surprised how little time you spend getting it right the first time rather than having to correct on the fly.
 
Thanks for your comments and suggestions. In retrospect, I must have had the front sight PARTLY in focus, but it wasn't very sharp! I think I'm going to have to learn to tilt my head a bit so I get in the right zone with my progressive bifocals (or get special bifocals, sigh).

I will definately work on accuracy before speed. But since the IPSC match was the first time I'd ever drawn from a holster, it's clear I have to practice that more, too!

Finally, Rocky T, IPSC is the only game in town and my stock Glock 19 will have to do for now. I'm going to try and avoid getting into the "Race Gun" thing and just do the best I can with the pistols I own now (the Glock 19 and a new CZ 75B w/adj. sights). Heck, I (and the initially nervous range officer) were happy I didn't shoot the ceiling and walls.

Cheers,
Andy
 
Welcome aboard! I started last fall and you're right, it's a blast! :D

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Be mentally deliberate but muscularly fast. Aim for just above the belt buckle Wyatt Earp
"It is error alone that needs government support; truth can stand by itself." Tom Jefferson
If you have to shoot a man, shoot him in the guts, it may not kill him... sometimes they die slow, but it'll paralyze his brain and arm and the fight is all but over Wild Bill Hickok
Remember: When you attempt to rationalize two inconsistent positions, you risk drowning as your own sewage backs up.
45 ACP: Give 'em a new navel! BigG
 
I was reading at IPSC.org and it seems that they don't allow single-action pistols. Is this for a specific class or an all around restriction?
 
Parshal, I think they mean REAL single action pistols (i.e., revolvers), like Colt Peacemakers, Ruger Blackhawks, etc.

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Be mentally deliberate but muscularly fast. Aim for just above the belt buckle Wyatt Earp
"It is error alone that needs government support; truth can stand by itself." Tom Jefferson
If you have to shoot a man, shoot him in the guts, it may not kill him... sometimes they die slow, but it'll paralyze his brain and arm and the fight is all but over Wild Bill Hickok
Remember: When you attempt to rationalize two inconsistent positions, you risk drowning as your own sewage backs up.
45 ACP: Give 'em a new navel! BigG
 
Parshal,
I think you are referring to their new proposed Production Gun Division, which is for double action pistols only, such as Sigs, S & W, Berettas, Glocks (safe action). This division appeared to be equivalent to IDPA's Stock Service Pistols division.
 
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