idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

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rcasady
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idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#1

Post by rcasady »

im very interested in getting involved in more intense training / competition . id like to shoot what i carry which 98% will be a p238 due to my dress and lifestyle . sometimes a full size 1911 with the weather getting cooler but i wont leave the house without the .380 . so basically im looking for input from or about anyone shooting smaller caliber guns at idpa . is there restrictions on caliber ...i guess i wouldnt have a problem bringing a different gun to fit in , but like i said if im gonna burn ammo and spend the time , id like to use what is on my hip, not my safe .
i dont need a lesson or opinion of a .380 . id just like to know if anyone uses one . hopefully i'll be getting out to the arms room on mondays and at least take a peak . but for now id like to get some feedback
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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#2

Post by gigag04 »

AFAIK, IDPA calibers start at 9mm/38spl and go up from there.
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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#3

Post by Skiprr »

Yep, gigag04 is correct. IDPA sanctioned competition is divided into five separate divisions.

Autoloaders: Stock Service Pistol (SSP), Enhanced Service Pistol (ESP), and Custom Defensive Pistol (CDP). The minimum caliber for autoloaders is 9mm (9x19). CDP must be .45 ACP.

Wheel guns: Stock Service Revolver (SSR), and Enhanced Service Revolver (ESR). The minimum caliber for SSR is .38 Spl (rimmed-case; no moon clips allowed); the minimum caliber for ESR is 9mm (.355" or larger; a 9x19 minimum is not mandated, but a power factor of 165,000 is, so no .380 ACP or Makarov), rimmed or rimmless cases, moon clips are allowed.

There is a sixth, Backup Gun (BUG) specification in IDPA, but it's defined for club-level matches only; it isn't a valid division for any sanctioned match. A .380 ACP would fit there.

You can find the IDPA rule book at http://www.idpa.com/.
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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#4

Post by rcasady »

thanks for the info guys , i guess i should say im not interested in sanctioned events necessarily , just looking for a place to practice the same drills with my edc .
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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#5

Post by A-R »

Depending on the club, you might be allowed to shoot a .380 at a non-sanctioned local match. I've seen a few .380s at matches in use by folks who say "this is all I got". But for safety, you will be required to use a belt holster (no pocket holsters allowed - not sure what is your "normal" carry method).

And I applaud your desire to shoot what you carry. I think that is the best use of IDPA, and I've shot my smaller guns in local matches - baby Glock, Walther PPS. But even if you end up shooting your larger 1911 you'll learn and develop skills that apply to any quality carry gun.

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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#6

Post by slowpoke »

Ditto, with what A-R said.
I'm shooting a compact .45, not the best for competition.IDPA is greatly improving my skills. :txflag:
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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#7

Post by cbunt1 »

I'm not sure where you're located, but in Houston, most of the clubs will welcome any pistol as long as it meets safety criteria at club-level matches. We will require a strong-side belt or IWB holster rather than pocket carry, but we're not opposed to starting at "Low Ready" for the first few times either.

At Shiloh (THursday nights) we have a couple of folks who occasionally bring in the .380's, and the Sig 238's are quite popular on our Backup Gun matches as well. I too applaud your decision to shoot what you carry, since this is really the CORE of the IDPA concept. It *IS* a game, and it can be quite competitive, but many shoot the club matches as another level of practice beyond paper punching at standing targets.

It's a great way to learn what "works" and what doesn't. You'll also be exposed to numerous shooting styles and techniques that you simply won't get to see/do in standard "stand and deliver" target sessions. You'll also be in a room full of like-minded people who carry guns daily, many of whom can show you new techniques to comfortably, safely, and effectively carry and conceal pistols as large as the Glock 17's and full size 1911's as well as the smaller carry guns like the P238 and S&W J-Frames.

I'd encourage you to grab your pistol, 3-4 magazines, a decent strong-side holster, a couple of boxes of ammo and come on out. If the club you go to isn't comfortable with a "non-idpa-legal" gun, I'd be surprised, and I also wouldn't be surprised if you can round up a gun from one of the shooters there. Many of us carry spares/backups that they would be willing to loan for a match.

It's a great bunch of individuals, very diverse, and it's all about saftey and fun. Be forewarned, most of the clubs I've shot with in Houston (I would assume most are like this) have a bit of a tradition...shoot togther, and then everyone gathers at some restaraunt afterwards. Something about folks that shoot together..we also enjoy breaking bread together!

I hope to see you at a practice match soon!

(Edited to change terminology of "non-idpa-legal" guns)
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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#8

Post by rcasady »

this all sounds great ! i cant thank you enough for the info , i suppose i;ll just bring a few pistols and if i cant shoot my lil carry gun . i'll break out the big boys .
is it common for anyone to just come watch a round to get the feel . ive never been to any of these events but im kinda sick of just standing upright sending money down range with no pressure on me .
oh , and im in the south houston area. nasa, kemah . where are you guys shooting ? is there a certain time for new guys to join ? id rather not hop in when the serious competitors are closing in final matches if thats how it works ...?
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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#9

Post by Jumping Frog »

rcasady wrote:is it common for anyone to just come watch a round to get the feel .
The first time I went to IPDA, I was unsure of myself so I went with the intention of just watching the first time. Luckily, the match director prodded me into giving it a try. I enjoyed it and never looked back.

The first time, don't worry about score at all. Just concentrate on safe gun handling and hitting your target. Scores will naturally improve with experience and practice. I still don't worry about scores, I just like to feel like I am improving versus my own past performance. What other people score is meaningless to me.
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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#10

Post by baldeagle »

rcasady wrote:this all sounds great ! i cant thank you enough for the info , i suppose i;ll just bring a few pistols and if i cant shoot my lil carry gun . i'll break out the big boys .
is it common for anyone to just come watch a round to get the feel . ive never been to any of these events but im kinda sick of just standing upright sending money down range with no pressure on me .
oh , and im in the south houston area. nasa, kemah . where are you guys shooting ? is there a certain time for new guys to join ? id rather not hop in when the serious competitors are closing in final matches if thats how it works ...?
I watched my first match, and I've taken several friends who watched their first match. Club members will try to encourage you to shoot, but if that's not what you want to do, stand your ground. Make sure you help out with the stickers and cleanup afterwards, and pay close attention to the procedures and methodology. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#11

Post by cbunt1 »

+1 on standing your ground if you prefer to watch, and I openly admit to being one of the "offenders"...but its all in fun!

Don't worry about the serious competitors. They'll be there, but they're all good folk, and more than willing to pass along knowledge.

On the south side of Houston, the arms room runs idpa on Monday nights. Im pretty sure they'll let you shoot your .380, and they have a great new shooter orientation and team-up program.
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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#12

Post by rcasady »

sweet ! either way i'll be poking around very soon , this is the best forum ive ever been apart of , of any type of hobby , ive never seen so much reliable info and friendly discussion online , im excited to be part of this community . and will be at the arms room for mondays very soon . i been shopping there since i moved to texas when they were in that little shop and were always just as friendly as they are today . im happy to see them offering up all these events

oh , one more question , what are the minimal requirement for ammo on your belt to run these drills ,,,, assuming i get to use my .380 i can carry 3 extra mags plus one in the gun , 29 rounds . are there any scenarios pushing 29 shots ? i guess worse case i need some 1911 mag pouches if the p238 cant come play
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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#13

Post by A-R »

rcasady wrote:this all sounds great ! i cant thank you enough for the info , i suppose i;ll just bring a few pistols and if i cant shoot my lil carry gun . i'll break out the big boys .
is it common for anyone to just come watch a round to get the feel . ive never been to any of these events but im kinda sick of just standing upright sending money down range with no pressure on me .
oh , and im in the south houston area. nasa, kemah . where are you guys shooting ? is there a certain time for new guys to join ? id rather not hop in when the serious competitors are closing in final matches if thats how it works ...?
usually no problem to watch (depends on individual club rules etc), but don't be surprised if after the first stage you're kicking yourself for not bringing your gun and signing up to play the game. It's a ton of fun, but watching it and NOT participating gets old fast.

don't worry one bit about "competing" or "not doing well" or whatever. As long as you're SAFE and having fun, you're doing fine - seriously. if you want to get competitive later, there's plenty of time for that. Just show up and have fun.

to answer your other question - two mag holsters on belt weak side, plus one mag in gun strong side. IDPA stages are limited to a maximum 18 rounds. With your gun (6 + 1 capacity, right?) you might end up short if you need to use more than minimum number of shots, so at a local club level match the director and/or your squad's safety officer might allow you to keep a fourth mag in a pocket somewhere in case you need that also (and beware that some of the falling steel plate targets may not fall over when hit by merely a 90-grain .380 round - so you may just have to "ding it" and move on to next target)

As for max ammo needed for a day, depends on how many stages your match will shoot - 5 is common - multiply that by 18 rounds max per stage and you can plan to fire about 100 rounds for the day - but always bring at least 50 more than you think you'll need, just in case (timer/scoring problems, prop malfunctions, etc do happen occasionally - forcing you to reshoot a particular stage twice)

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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#14

Post by texasmusic »

:thumbs2: for using your carry gun! Nothing against the guys with competition rigs and vests, I prefer to carry what I'm shooting and shoot what I'm carrying. I only use 1 spare mag when shooting the glock because I never carry 2 mags with it, too heavy. Most clubs will let you shoot whatever you want to get you into game, they are kind to the new guys and very helpful.

With a 6+1 gun I'd definitely bring four mags. Use 2 on the weak side 1 in the gun and have one to top off your chamber without having to thumb another round into the mag on the firing line. If you don't have mag pouches/dont use them, just throw your spares in your pocket. IDPA should teach you how to improve your carry habits as well as your marksmanship and performance under stress/on the clock. It also teaches you a lot about the gun you are carrying/ how to clear malfunctions quickly. It's a blast too.

I've been to the Arms room and Shiloh matches. Both are top notch groups of guys and great facilities and courses. Have fun!
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Re: idpa ? what are you guys shooting ? anyone .380 ?

#15

Post by jpfrog »

Our club, Collin County IDPA, usually has a "Shoot what you carry" match every few months or so. It's always a lot of fun, and if your club isn't doing it, I'd suggest they start. It's a great way for guys to get out and get used to the feel of their carry rigs and seeing how they stack up to the competition rigs they usually shoot.
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