IPSC Rookie Questions - Thanks!

I have been shooting IPSC for about 2 years now. I took my BB at Guelph. I had a blast. I met a ton of great people.

Holster, belt, mag pouches, mags are all important. But I believe the #1 piece of advice I can give is........

KNOW YOUR GUN

Shoot it lots before hand, and I mean lots. You should be able to hit a pie plat at 15yds consistently.

I still have a hard time believeing the amount of people that showed up to my BB course with a brand new gun they had not even shot or they had borrowed from a friend.

One guy showed up with a glock .45acp. It was his first handgun. They wasted so much ammo it was unreal. Some people went through almost 2 cases.:eek: SO it turned a $250 course into a $1000 course.

KNOW YOUR GUN
 
This has been a terrific thread! I'm kinda like the first poster, but still at the point of trying to pick th right gun. After many hours over many evenings of searching and reading, I can confidently say that I'm more confused than ever on what caliber would be best for one gun to shoot IPSC and/or IDPA/MDPL here in Winnipeg. Will a 9 do, or would a .40 or .45 make the gun more useful (open up more class opportunities)... bear in mind, I'm looking at this purely for fun and don't plan on reloading (at least for now LOL!). What should I be looking at here? Have been leaning towards an XD-M in 9... thanks!
 
Go with 9mm, and XDm isn't available in Canada yet.

Glock 17, M&P9, CZ75B are good guns, if possible, go into a store and handle them and then if there is a range close by - rent them and buy the best you can but don't go overboard. Total cost after you get ammo, holster, belt, mags, trigger lock, bag, cleaning access., and so on; and Black Badge course will easily tripple gun cost.

Get BladeTech DOH holster - most likely you won't need to replace it for 2-3 years or ever. CRSpeed belt of +1 size your regular belt. CRSpeed mag poutches - they are of adjustable width type and will allow for diff mags. -- All suggested earlier access. are of very good quality and even if you are to bail out you can sell them with smaller loss that cheaper nylon holster and generic belt. You can use regular sturdy leather belt to start with thou.
 
Hangfire. find out what night they shot IPSC at the firing line in winterpeg and go visit and ask to try guns. usually at any IPSC event if you ask politely you will have a large choice to choose from. I had a fellow drive from Fernie BC to Taber Alberta to spend a Sunday afternoon doing just that. not only did it help him decide what gun to buy(he got to try about 8), there was one model that he liked better then the other and the owner lent it to him for his BB course.
 
This is the requirement for your BB Course.

The Accuracy requirements for all strings are: 50% A's with all shots on target. C's or better.

My BB Instructor are harsh on this, if not enough A's[Even touching the A's line is not acceptable], repeat again.

1. Initial Classroom Lecture;
2. Load and Unload(with Dummy ammo);
3. Draw, 1 shot, 6 times, 10 Meters;
4. Draw, 1 shot, 6 times, 15 Meters;
5. Draw, 1 shot, 2 sec. 6 times, 7 Meters;
6. Draw, 2 shots, 2 sec. 6 times, 7 Meters;
7. Draw, 2 shots, 3 sec. 6 times, 15 Meters;
8. Draw, 2 shots, reload, 2 shots, 7 sec. 3 times, 10 Meters
9. Draw, 1+1 shots, reload, 1+1 shots, 2 targets, 7 sec. 3 times, 10 Meters
10.Turn 180 degrees, draw, 2+2+2 shots, reload, 2+2+2 shots, 3 Targets,12
sec. 15 Meters;
11. Draw, 2 shots, move 2 shots, move 2 shots, 2 targets, 3 shooting position
12. Draw, 2 shots, move & reload, 2 shots, move & reload, 2 shots, 2 targets
13. Strong Hand: Draw, 2 shots, 3 sec.3 times, 10 meters;
14. Weak Hand: Draw strong hand, change to weak hand, 2 shots, 5 sec. 3
times, 10 meters;
15. Kneeling: Draw and kneel, 1 shot, 6 times, 20 meters;
16. Prone: Draw and go prone, 1 shot, 6 times, 20 meters;
17. Barricade: Right side, draw, 1 shot, 6 times, repeat 6 times on left. 15
Meters;
18. Open Book Exam: Pass Mark
19. IPSC Ontario Practical Pistol Match must be successfully completed to
qualify for Permanant Black Badge.

I've seen people keep repeating the exercise until the insturctor is satisfied.
IMO, BB Course is not hard, but is not easy either.:)
 
HangFire88 said:
This has been a terrific thread! I'm kinda like the first poster, but still at the point of trying to pick th right gun. After many hours over many evenings of searching and reading, I can confidently say that I'm more confused than ever on what caliber would be best for one gun to shoot IPSC and/or IDPA/MDPL here in Winnipeg. Will a 9 do, or would a .40 or .45 make the gun more useful (open up more class opportunities)... bear in mind, I'm looking at this purely for fun and don't plan on reloading (at least for now LOL!). What should I be looking at here? Have been leaning towards an XD-M in 9... thanks!
Click to expand...

+1 on what Walter said; try before you buy.

IPSC shooters are usually only too willing to show you their equipment and answer questions. Most will happily let you try them out also, so you should take every opportunity to mine them for as much information as you can before you make your purchase. In doing this you will likely notice certain common equipment trends in each of the divisions, as there are usually only two or three guns that really stand out from the rest of the crowd. It is on this short-list that I would focus my attention. Note that you are considering a certain type of gun but notice that nobody else seems to be using one, I would be very careful going down that road. IPSC is a sport that demands a lot from its equipment, and shooters tend to be always looking for the next best thing to come on the market. So pretty much everything that's out there has already been extensively tested, and only a few designs seem able to meet the demands of competition and survive the punishment we administer. If no one is using a particular design in competition there is likely a very good reason.

Stick with 9mm for now. CeeZer's short list (noted above) is a very good place to start looking, and they are pretty affordable. You wouldn't go wrong with any of those choices.

Regarding rig choices: Knowing what I know now...having made all of the equipment mistakes in the past.... if I was just starting over again in Production Division I would get: A CR Speed or Double Alpha belt, CR or Double Alpha mag pouches, and a Bladetech DOA holster. It's a good, durable, simple rig with lots of adaptability and it's something you can sell if you decide you prefer golf or something. I'd be using it with something that carries CZ genetics (75, Shadow, Tanfo), but that's just me.
 
The original question was I am thinking about doing ipsc and I am wondering what gear to get for my black badge course. If you rephrase this question for another sport. Say I am think about taking up golf and I am planning on taking a lesson what three iron should I get?

Most would advise to borrow set or buy a modest set of clubs to start. I think it works the same for ipsc.
 
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Glock_2010 said:
This is the requirement for your BB Course.

The Accuracy requirements for all strings are: 50% A's with all shots on target. C's or better.

My BB Instructor are harsh on this, if not enough A's[Even touching the A's line is not acceptable], repeat again.

1. Initial Classroom Lecture;
2. Load and Unload(with Dummy ammo);
3. Draw, 1 shot, 6 times, 10 Meters;
4. Draw, 1 shot, 6 times, 15 Meters;
5. Draw, 1 shot, 2 sec. 6 times, 7 Meters;
6. Draw, 2 shots, 2 sec. 6 times, 7 Meters;
7. Draw, 2 shots, 3 sec. 6 times, 15 Meters;
8. Draw, 2 shots, reload, 2 shots, 7 sec. 3 times, 10 Meters
9. Draw, 1+1 shots, reload, 1+1 shots, 2 targets, 7 sec. 3 times, 10 Meters
10.Turn 180 degrees, draw, 2+2+2 shots, reload, 2+2+2 shots, 3 Targets,12
sec. 15 Meters;
11. Draw, 2 shots, move 2 shots, move 2 shots, 2 targets, 3 shooting position
12. Draw, 2 shots, move & reload, 2 shots, move & reload, 2 shots, 2 targets
13. Strong Hand: Draw, 2 shots, 3 sec.3 times, 10 meters;
14. Weak Hand: Draw strong hand, change to weak hand, 2 shots, 5 sec. 3
times, 10 meters;
15. Kneeling: Draw and kneel, 1 shot, 6 times, 20 meters;
16. Prone: Draw and go prone, 1 shot, 6 times, 20 meters;
17. Barricade: Right side, draw, 1 shot, 6 times, repeat 6 times on left. 15
Meters;
18. Open Book Exam: Pass Mark
19. IPSC Ontario Practical Pistol Match must be successfully completed to
qualify for Permanant Black Badge.

I've seen people keep repeating the exercise until the insturctor is satisfied.
IMO, BB Course is not hard, but is not easy either.:)
Click to expand...
The accuracy part must be an Ontario thing, I have searched all over the net and the only BB courses I could find with any emphasis on accuracy is from Ontario clubs. The emphasis should only be on the safe handling of the firearm, wether or not you can shoot 50% A'S etc. is totally irrelevant to the course. Any instructor that gets hung up on accuracy needs to pull his head out of his a$$. Don't get me wrong, giving advice to help someone with accuracy issues is most welcome but the course is about safe handling and the understanding of the concept of IPSC. Getting hung up on a new shooters accuracy only makes them feel uncomfortable and draws attention away from what is really important, safety. If a new shooter can safely miss so be it IMO.
 
If they can't hit the target in a monitored or class situation, where the heck are the shots going when they get to a match?
Part of the accuracy is diagnosis of their grip/trigger pull/sight picture issues and to get them on target safely and efficiently within the time limits.
Just getting the gun out and the shots off within the time limit is not the sole purpose of the course, you have to hit the target.
 
Grtwhthntr said:
The accuracy part must be an Ontario thing, I have searched all over the net and the only BB courses I could find with any emphasis on accuracy is from Ontario clubs. The emphasis should only be on the safe handling of the firearm, wether or not you can shoot 50% A'S etc. is totally irrelevant to the course. Any instructor that gets hung up on accuracy needs to pull his head out of his a$$. Don't get me wrong, giving advice to help someone with accuracy issues is most welcome but the course is about safe handling and the understanding of the concept of IPSC. Getting hung up on a new shooters accuracy only makes them feel uncomfortable and draws attention away from what is really important, safety. If a new shooter can safely miss so be it IMO.
Click to expand...

I agreed Ontario has the most demanding course throughout Canada. Our insturctor had stated that the most emphasis is on safety issue,however, accuracy is another important component for IPSC shooting. As the course discription mentioned, this course is not for beginners and the student must already have some abilities to handle their firearms and can hit the 8x11 target at 15m 9 out of 10 times at their own time.
If a shooter cannot shoot safe and accurate within a time pressure, it will be dangerous to other shooters at the real match.
This is what the DVC is all about - Accuracy, Power, Speed.

P.S. Forgot to mention all shots must be on targets, 50% A's , C's or Better, 1 miss, repeat allover.
 
sorry guys but the Black Badge Course is Canadian. the same qualifications exist whither you are taking it in Newfoundland or BC. There has always been an accuracy requirement. i took mine in Yellowknife, 1993, and i had a hell of a time with the prone at 20 meters (i think then it was 25 yards.) it was damn hard to hit a metric target with a 1911 with puny combat sights on it, LOL, but i did it.

When i am teaching it i start with the accuracy part first then i push for the time. once a student knows he can hit the target the times are not hard to get.

i completely disagree with the assumption that the course is not for beginners. i prefer to teach beginners because then i do not have to spend a whole bunch of time breaking bad habits. Bad habits usually consists of grip and stance. I have taught lots of people who have never handled a handgun before the course with no problems. However I will fully admit that if I can I like to spend a day ahead of time familiarizing them with their handgun so they know how it works, safety, mag release, action release etc.

for anyone that thinks i am blowing hot air, i can tell you that my failure rate to date is about 2%. i define failure as not making it through your first match safely. i have had the grand total of 4 students in 10 years of teaching fail this and they all made it through the next time.
 
mrclean said:
If they can't hit the target in a monitored or class situation, where the heck are the shots going when they get to a match?
Part of the accuracy is diagnosis of their grip/trigger pull/sight picture issues and to get them on target safely and efficiently within the time limits.
Just getting the gun out and the shots off within the time limit is not the sole purpose of the course, you have to hit the target.
Click to expand...

+1

Learn to shoot first!

If they can't hit the target (A zone) at least 50% of the time all they do is make noise and waste everyones' time.
 
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