Beginner IDPA help

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Good afternoon everyone. I am new to the handgun competition realm. However, I am not new to shooting sports as a whole I have shot skeet and trap for years. I am wondering what tips any experienced IDPA shooters have for a beginner. Particularly I am looking for tips about actually shooting the different stages, but any will help.

 

[Cartman]

Start by reading their encyclopedia of ever changing rules.

 

[GeorgiaShooter]

If you are safe with the finger-muzzle and in-out of a holster I would jump right into some local weekly and monthly matches and sign up on practiscore. There will be ample coaching and advice when you arrive. They have a new shooter briefing. Ed Moser that runs the monthly outdoor match at Riverbend has an excellent printed handout for new folks.

I would limit your dry fire to following the range commands with proper holster, muzzle and finger discipline. If you're caught with finger in the trigger when not shooting, moving to a next position two times in a match that earns a DQ. Allowing your muzzle to break the 180 or sweeping body parts earns a DQ. Everyone gets a DQ eventually.

Not many people read the rulebook to be honest and it does have some challenges. If you watch youtube videos very likely those rules are out of date. Best to watch the squad shoot it then copy what they did. One of them will have an easy to understand plan that fits you.

They might still have some matches at Pickens county gun club but some of the faves are CGC Cherokee Gun Club in Gainesville, and in Dawsonville there's Riverbend Gun Club or RBGC.

Don't worry yet about being IDPA classified or becoming a member of anything yet. Just go to some matches as a new shooter and wade into the water slowly. You'll learn which gear to choose from and how the sport works.
You can make it expensive and complicated, or simple and cheap.

Many of the matches will allow rimfire pistols during these crazy times. I think USPSA is a more user friendly sport and while the shooters tend to be on average more skilled the sport is actually easier to navigate and the rulebook is wafer thin. The steel challenge matches are also superb around here.

Good luck in the shooting sports....

 

[Grandmasta J]

If you're new to IDPA the absolute best thing to focus on is making 100% sure you know the safety rules and follow them, because there are a lot, and you will get DQ'd if you break them. A DQ is said to be so soul crushing (especially if you are new) that you more than likely won't come back after a DQ so, just don't get DQ'd and you'll be fine. Other than that, just talk to the other shooters and ask for advice, they are usually more than happy to help. And like GeorgiaShooter said look at what everyone is doing and copy that, don't try to get creative with stage planning on your first few matches, I made that mistake and failed miserably - there's just too much to keep in your head when your main focus should be following the safety rules and not getting DQ'd! Good luck!

 

[gyppo]

Beginners to action pistol are similar no matter which organization you shoot with. If you can safely draw from the common start positions and safely move between shooting positions, you are ready to start shooting matches. Shooting local matches will help a lot with basic muscle memory. If you have major glitches people will usually help you out. In your first few months of shooting matches, safety will need to be your primary focus, if you commit a security violation you will be stopped from shooting the match. If you commit several security violations you will not be allowed to shoot in the future. As a new shooter you will be given a new shooter briefing with every new match that you shoot with. It is difficult to absorb everything you need to know about the match from the new shooter briefing. A match is a much more controlled environment than it first appears. The only loaded gun will be the shooter under the RO’s commands. There will be a specific location where you can uncase and holster your gun. Every local match I have seen will move all new shooters to the end of the stage rotation. You will get to see everyone else shoot a stage before you. I do not get to shoot IDPA matches regularly any more due to not having a weekly match near my house. A good learning environment is the monthly Action Pistol match at River Bend Gun Club. It uses a unique set of basic rules and scoring method. It is 3 stages, starts at 9:30 and usually ends by noon. If you are interested in shooting that match, contact me and I can give more info.