I've shot Bullseye competitions for a couple years and with a sudden lack of major competitions in my area this year, decided to see what the IPSC/IDPA side was all about. I got a mil-spec Springfield and a least-expensive Blade-Tech holster/magpouch, and this weekend I attended a handgun clinic at a local range. The class is clearly oriented toward self-defense and not competition, but it covers aspects of shooting that I had no experience with as a Bullseye shooter (drawing, speed shooting, and speed reloading).
It covered my expectations perfectly, and was both informative and fun. We started out shooting paper dinner plates at five yards just to warm up (at which point my dinner plates were replaced with saucer-sized plates) and then went through drawing, reloading, and then a couple simple scenarios on reactive targets. The high point for me was the conclusion of the class where we drew, emptied the magazine, reloaded, and emptied that magazine into the plate at 5yds within 20 seconds, several times.
Given how much fun I had, I'm going to be going to the next IDPA shoot in the area (there's far more IDPA in New Hampshire than IPSC), and given how much I learned, I'm going to start carrying my .380 holstered rather than pocketing it or just keeping it in the car.
Is "two 7-rd magazines into a 5" diameter circle at 5yds within 25 seconds" average for someone that shows up to a practical pistol match for their first time?
It covered my expectations perfectly, and was both informative and fun. We started out shooting paper dinner plates at five yards just to warm up (at which point my dinner plates were replaced with saucer-sized plates) and then went through drawing, reloading, and then a couple simple scenarios on reactive targets. The high point for me was the conclusion of the class where we drew, emptied the magazine, reloaded, and emptied that magazine into the plate at 5yds within 20 seconds, several times.
Given how much fun I had, I'm going to be going to the next IDPA shoot in the area (there's far more IDPA in New Hampshire than IPSC), and given how much I learned, I'm going to start carrying my .380 holstered rather than pocketing it or just keeping it in the car.
Is "two 7-rd magazines into a 5" diameter circle at 5yds within 25 seconds" average for someone that shows up to a practical pistol match for their first time?