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I enjoy shooting, but the primary point of owning a gun, to me, is self defense. I am looking for ways to improve my skills for this purpose, and like most guys I enjoy a good competition, so I am interested in competitive shooting. I have been doing some research and have some questions that I am hoping y'all can help with.

1. What format is most "realistic" for a real world defensive scenario? Would these competitions prepare me for scenarios like someone breaking into my house at night, an active shooter situation occurring while I am in a store shopping, or having dinner in a restaurant, or a road rage situation?

2. I was looking at some of the equipment restrictions and they seem to exclude some fairly common guns like a 1911 (not DA), or Sig Sauer P226 X5 which is my nightstand gun (too heavy, I believe). Am I reading these correctly, or are there other divisions where I could use these weapons? I have the Sig in a safe next to my bed, have a shotgun with pistol grip in my home safe, and my typical carry weapons range from a full size 1911 to a Kahr PM9 / J frame revolver. Can I use these weapons in competitions?

3. Do people feel that these competitions actually prepare them for real world self defense scenarios, or is the point more about accuracy and speed of shooting?

IDPA, if you want more, you may need to look along the lines of personal tactical training

Yes there are classes the separate weapons

Yes, muscle memory is key here. Also, you wont realize how tunnel vision affects you until you participate. You'd be surprise at how many people mow down "innocent" targets during IDPA.

FastCarry wrote:IDPA, if you want more, you may need to look along the lines of personal tactical training

Yes there are classes the separate weapons

Yes, muscle memory is key here. Also, you wont realize how tunnel vision affects you until you participate. You'd be surprise at how many people mow down "innocent" targets during IDPA.

That is exactly what I am hoping to gain. How stress affects performance. Things of that nature.

Soccerdad1995 wrote:I enjoy shooting, but the primary point of owning a gun, to me, is self defense. I am looking for ways to improve my skills for this purpose, and like most guys I enjoy a good competition, so I am interested in competitive shooting. I have been doing some research and have some questions that I am hoping y'all can help with.

1. What format is most "realistic" for a real world defensive scenario? Would these competitions prepare me for scenarios like someone breaking into my house at night, an active shooter situation occurring while I am in a store shopping, or having dinner in a restaurant, or a road rage situation?

2. I was looking at some of the equipment restrictions and they seem to exclude some fairly common guns like a 1911 (not DA), or Sig Sauer P226 X5 which is my nightstand gun (too heavy, I believe). Am I reading these correctly, or are there other divisions where I could use these weapons? I have the Sig in a safe next to my bed, have a shotgun with pistol grip in my home safe, and my typical carry weapons range from a full size 1911 to a Kahr PM9 / J frame revolver. Can I use these weapons in competitions?

3. Do people feel that these competitions actually prepare them for real world self defense scenarios, or is the point more about accuracy and speed of shooting?

As an competitive shooter, I'll try to answer without writing a novel...

1) I like IDPA personally. A Game is never anything like a gunfight, but the game will certainly expose you to potential situations you've never thought about, and help you determine what equipment and techniques work and what doesn't. I always let new shooters know that participation will likely change the way they carry their gun, and how they think about many aspects of carrying a gun in daily life.

2) The most recent rule changes (last couple of iterations) make it a bit confusing. BUT: most any common defensive pistol, out of the box or with only minor modifications, is IDPA legal in some category. A 1911 in .45 shoots in CDP, and the Sig 226 shoots in SSP. The J-Frame can shoot in a BUG category but wold require LOTS of reloads to get through. The PM9 could enter into a couple of different categories as well. a stage. Local matches won't split hairs over a gun that's an ounce too heavy or similar. Sanctioned matches are different, but an issue for down the road. Bottom line: Bring what you want to shoot, and the SO's will find a category for you.

3) No -- not directly. But that's lawyer talk :) Fact is, IDPA focuses on accuracy, followed by speed. Most of your initial "speed' increases come from gun handling and manipulation (reloads, managing the recoil, understanding the dynamics of moving while shooting, etc.) Being better able to handle the "mundane" parts of using your gun, knowing how you react to shooting on the move, understanding use of cover, shooting from different stances and positions WILL improve your ability to survive an armed encounter. Knowing how to actually draw safely from a concealment position will improve your ability to respond to an attack.

IDPA groups always welcome new shooters, and most have a program to "take you under a wing" and help you get up to speed with the range commands, safety protocols, and basic shooting techniques. I've gotten excellent shooting advice (and even life lessons!) from some of the masters in the industry just by showing up to a weeknight "fun match."