What's the difference between PPC, IPSC, IDPA?

My limited PPC experience is on qualifications each year with a box stock Smith and wesson Model 10 .38. (we store them in a milk crate -LOL),...100%....
 
Thanks for all the information everyone. The posts (and PMs) here give a much better impression of the different disciplines than the association websites. There really should be a sticky...

After talking it over with the missus, we've decided that while IPSC sounds like more fun, we're going to start with PPC to focus on accuracy first.
 
Shoot them all, you will love it. That being said I shoot CDP, another version of IDPA but I took up PPC a few years ago when we here in Ontario went through all the "new" range BS and PPC was the only thing we could shoot. It is fantastic and to hone your accuracy skills it is fantastic.
 
R. Pennock said:
Those that can hit a 6"x4" 10 ring at 50 yards shoot PPC, those who can't....shoot IPSC.
Click to expand...

Well that's one opinion.

At any major IPSC match you need to shoot 95% of the available points in order to win....at all distances out to 50 meters, and including partial targets, moving targets, disappearing targets, tiny little steel targets, etc. And you do it against the clock. PPC may indeed be accurracy driven, and those who do it well certainly display some impressive shooting skills, but IPSC is accurracy and speed combined, using full power handguns.

Oh and Sean, I couldn't have said it better myself. A very concise outline of a sport that has kept this A-type personality (with the attention span of a five year old) passionately interested for 23 years and counting. No plans to quit...ever.

Well spoken!
 
do all three of these disciplines have a minimum calibre limit? i think i read that if ipsc the smallest you can go is 9mm. i was thinking of getting a rimfire revolver sometime this year and was thinking that doing one of these would be pretty fun granted they actually do them at the local range(i know they do ipsc, but i dont know about the others).
 
Pretty much all the Action Pistol sports are shot using centrefire
handgun calibers.

Airsoft is the only game in Hong Kong and in Japan as noted by a previous
poster. They shoot IPSC there seriously with what they can. Some of
the top ranked Japanese IPSC GMs then go outside the country to
compete with real firearms - which they store outside their home country.

The similar situation exists for serious UK shooters. I have heard they
cross the channel to France/Germany to practice and compete in
the handgun sports.

Some of the airsoft gear has the same feel and weight as the firearm
they are replicating. Even the open guns look like the same, and
the slides on pistols operate.

I believe the racegun manufacturers SVI and STI have airsoft version of
tricky 1911s for this market space.
 
This past winter, shooting outdoors we switched to idpa as in .22LR pistols. Temperature was to cold to attract shooters with revolvers - the reloads would have been an excercise in frostbite. Great fun and we didn't have to chase our brass. Now that spring has arrived - sort of - we are back at IDPA.

All three disciplines are great fun and the more popular and mainstream they become the less likely we will have to deal with the "ban gun crowd". Shoot them all or what is closest at hand - you won't be dissappointed.

Take Care

Bob
 
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