Name one thing you learned at your last match...

[tommygun45]

Well I just learned I better bring a Second gun to out of town matches. The first shot of the second stage I broke the barrel bushing on my Kimber custom. No second gun, no spare bushing, no more shooting. I thought I had a fairly solid parts kit. I've never seen a bushing snap off before.

 

[ClydeVA]

Look out if Zip the Ninja comes out to play

1. Understand how the scoring works for the Match you are at.

2. Don't count a fellow out cause he is using Stripper Clip's

3 Just because you can see the sights and the Target does not mean your muzzle is clear of the Barricade ZTN - Depends where you shoot if this is OK - 99.9% this is a big NO-NO lucky it was cardboard - (Straight Sights no Scope)

4 If you are not having Fun you are doing something wrong.

5. Bring a Chair to the match and naps

 

[Archie]

Just came back from Arizona Match...

1. Having the gun "sighted in" is good!.

2. Having ammo that works every time is good!

3. Practise the basics, more than just "sighting in" gun is really good!

4. Paying attention to what you do, even if you aren't having a great day will help a lot.

5. If you quit, you die.

 

[fed168]

In our league in NC, the second most important thing is BBQ for lunch following the match.

 

[Christopher II]

At the yearly night IDPA match last night:

- Have a sturdy flashlight. Get a good one, a Surefire or Scorpion is probably best. Sturdiness, reliability, and focused brightness are paramount. Work flashlight manipulation into your dryfire routine.

- Luminescent night sights are an absolute 100% requirement on a defensive pistol. A flashlight alone won't cut it, because that flashlight won't illuminate your sights. There are many occasions where there will be enough ambient light to identify a target as a threat, but not enough to see your sights. Which leads into the next thing...

- If you can't (or won't) use your sights, don't expect to hit anything. Point shooting at anything past twice arms length is gun-rag BS.

Most important...

- Take a notebook to your next match. During breaks or between stages, think about your performance. Write down your thoughts. Take notes, and study them afterwards.

- Chris

 

[ronin308]

I was recently at the same match ChrisII spoke of. The things I learned were:

-Practice dryfiring with your flashlight at nighttime

-Trying to keep your flashlight away from your body (to misdirect the opponent's shots) while shooting is like trying to run, chew gum, pat your head, and say your hail Brownings all at the same time. This might be cleared up with some practice.

-Blazer .45 isn't all that bad

-Don't get fat...don't ever get fat...starve before you get fat

-For planned night fighting, get PVS-7s and fight from 100 yards away using an IR designator equipped AR

 

[falconer]

From my match on Saturday:

1. Free pistol is the devil

2. Throwing the $2000 gun down the range, while possibly more effective, is not a good idea.

3. Free Pistol always has and always will, suck terribly

4. Shoot the first good sight picture you have, the longer you hold the gun the more tired you get and then you will shoot a bad shot (4 tens in a row, almost a perfect target, last shot was an 8)

5. Did I mention how much I hate Free Pistol

 

[whizz]

hard cover

... hehehe hard cover is always hard cover even if its a steel drum which the bullets go straight through lost 15 points for not putting additional bullets in the target :-/

 

[Poodleshooter]

Last highpower match: Sighters are useless on reduced course (wind not an issue). If it ain't shootin straight beforehand, it won't on match day. When shooting offhand, take your time, get plenty of rest and breathing spaces between shots. Don't hurry into position so quickly that you ignore your body alignment, even in rapid fire.
Last IDPA: Test your reloads BEFORE the qualifier, not DURING GRRRRR I'm switching to FMJ for the next match. That leading adds up during a 90rd qualifier.

 

[Correia]

At last week's match, learned that I don't totally suck. Finished second in SS CDP. 1st place is really good, and will probably shoot expert next time he classifies. Overall finish was 8th out of all classifications and divisions. My best showing in a pure IDPA match yet. Felt good.

 

[jc121]

last few highpower matches.

#1 take your time
#2 relax
#3 tell that monkey in my head not to pull the trigger just because its close enough
#4 never give up just because I shoot a lousy 90 or 91 in off hand does not mean I have to lose any more points, never ever give up.
#5 and the most important stop making silly mistakes!

but still learning and trying to learn what happens in trying new things. been trying canting my rifle in off hand and been losing 3 or 4 shots out at 9 o'clock becuse of the cant but trying a few things and changing my position trying to improve. its getting better. oh and keep losing 1 to 3 points in my rapid sitting because of trying new positions but also think I found what I was looking for. wanting to change my prone sling position but do not want to mess with to much all at one time so will just have to play with the first two a little more.

 

[Steve Smith]

Another highpower tip

When you're on the 600 yard line and its hot, and you're tired, and you're sweating like mad in your coat, and the sweatband is the only thing that's keeping the sweat from filling your rear sight, and you start thinking about taking a shot when its not perfect just to get it over with, DON'T. NEVER, EVER, EVER give up...never accept less than perfection. There's so much time, take a break if you have to. WATCH THE WIND. Don't ALLOW your fatigue to keep you from watching the conditions and adjusting. There's an Eminem song that's kinda given me some support (I know!) called "Till I Collapse." That's the way I go into it now. I am going to give 100% until I absolutely collapse. Yes, that level of intensity IS required...at least for me.

Poodleshooter, I'm glad to see you're doing well enough to feel that way about your sighters. That confidence in hold and zero is required when you start shooting leg matches (obviously you'll have some sight changes at distance, but the confidence should still be there once you prove it to yourself.) Use those reduced course sighters for squaring up your X hold.

 

[DC8-73]

New competitor, 'old' shooter. Have participated in two assault rifle matches(with FAL) and one practical pistol match(1911), all within the last six months.

Pistol match lessons:
Have extra mags pre-loaded.
Have at least a half-dozen mags.
Get an extended beavertail for the 1911. Halfway through, the web of my strong hand got chewed up and started bleeding. Pressed on, but feeling small drops of blood hit me in the face was kind of distracting.
Focus on reloads. Am used to shooting weapons dry. Fumbled a couple reloads, and stacked on time, due to forgetting a round was still in the chamber. Stopped to wonder why a round came flying out after Tap-Rack. Should've only inserted mag and Tap.
Give targets multiple shots, especialy when T-shirt covered.
Inspect weapon before use. During range time a couple weeks after match, the plunger tube came off while firing. Noticed when reloaded and trigger couldn't be pressed due to safety lever jerked up during Rack.

Rifle:
Be aware of 'Tactical' reload. Know that round is still in chamber. During planned mag change, pulled charging knob back. When bolt was partialy opened, brass case caught my eye. Let it go back forward. Spent a second in disbelief that I did it.
Don't leave excessive oil on barrel. Halfway through shoot, smoke started coming out from the handguard slots. Missed two plates due to front sight view partially obscured.

For pistol and rifle:
Compete against yourself. Forget about super shooter with tricked out scoped AR, or rapid firing handgunner with expensive pistol.
Front site, press, next target.
Sign up, show up, have fun!

 

[LF&Co. MG]

Never assume that because you extended your baseplate on your hi cap, you are saving money by not opting for the slightly stronger tension spring. It worked fine in the backyard where I usually do slower fire targeting. In competition during the speed courses I had to clear two jams. These almost cost me the match.

 

[mc_oliver]

People can care less about the popper you missed but not the one where you stupidly used up 3 of your 8-rounders in a 29-round course.

 

[Navy joe]

Done this twice now. Never ever never put a half loaded mag back in a mag carrier as you unload and show clear when completing a course of fire. This recent time had no ill effects, Shooting a classifier that was shoot 6, reload, shoot 6, reload, shoot 6 weakhand, I did. And on the last weakhand round the slide locked open with a 10 rd mag installed. Imagine my surprise. Least I didn't lose any hits.

The other time was in a 40 some round field course, mag felt light, musta tossed it 20 yards as I grabbed another one.

 

[kend]

I'm with you on that Joe, from the IDPA regional match in Augusta, GA this past weekend:

1) Make sure your mags are full
2) It ain't hard cover if the bullet will go through it
3) Make sure your mags are full
4) Take a chair
5) Did I mention make sure your mags are full?
6) Brain farts will keep you from checking your mags to see if they are full

 

[WESHOOT2]

TWO THOUGHTS

1) AFTER shooting immediately reload your mags -- without exception.

2) 'Hard-cover' is only 'hard-cover' in games; if bullet goes through (real-life) it's not really 'hard-cover' .

 

[Wryfox]

My big lesson, particularly if starting new..

NO matter what, there is almost always someone shooting worse than you, so relax and have fun.

My first Highpower match freaked me out, and was convinced I'd come in dead last, shot a 375 - 4x, good enough for the middle of the pack.

The guy having the best time on the range was a fellow about 80 yrs old, shooting the Garand he hid away before leaving Italy after WWII (said he was one of the last out and they weren't hardly checking anything at that point). Out of 50 rds he hit the target 8 times (42 misses). Had a smile on his face the whole time. Told everybody war stories after the match. What a great guy. Learned from that too..you're there to HAVE FUN.

 

[Correia]

3 gun match yesterday.

Learned that 75 yard shots with a handgun are not nearly as hard as most people would think.

On run and gun CQB style stages (vickers scoring) just because you have plenty of rounds on tap, you don't need to use them all, just to "make sure". 15 rounds required for the string, I shot 28. I think that I actually got a little trigger happy.

Learned not to get to cocky. 9 stages. I did really good to pretty decent on the first 8. The last one looked like a piece of cake, basic rifle stage. Shoot targets, run, shoot targets, run, etc. Made all of the difficult shots. Scored the close and easy ones and dropped a BUNCH of points. Got lazy, got sloppy.

Going to buy some knee pads. Running and sliding behind cover may be a bit faster, but it sure sucks on gravel.

Smooth is fast. Fast is smooth. On one stage that started with big easy targets but ended with a bunch of very small steel, most of my squad was really struggling. You know the old, bang bang bang bang CLANG syndrome. Guys going way too fast and missing. One of our newest shooters stepped up, was very slow, methodical, and focused, did not miss at all and cleaned all of our clocks.