This morning I shot my first IDPA match. It was at the Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club just outside Roanoke, VA. A guy from another site invited me out to come shoot it. It was his second or third time shooting IDPA, so we were both pretty much newbies.
It was awesome. Our group wound up starting on the hardest stage of the course. It had two movers. The first you came around a barrier and stepped on a plate and a no shoot started rising in front of your first target and you had to put 3 in each target for that stage, then as you continued slicing the pie, you had two more targets. I came around the corner and just started blasting the target that was about to dissappear, then I transitioned to the 2nd and the 3rd target. As I was shooting the 3rd target, I remembered that my gun had sights... I had just been point shooting for almost the entire first string LOL. And when I got to the second portion I continued to fire away. I wound up having two complete misses on targets and I think I hit a no shoot.
The 2nd stage went much the same as the first. I sucked big time.
The 3rd stage they had a hallway of barriers that you started at the end of with two badguys in front of you. At the buzzer you drew, and fired as you backed out of the hallway then ran to the left side of the barrier and sliced the pie and shoot two more badguys, then run all the way to the right side and slice the pie to get two more bad guys.
I shot this one perfect! It was double taps on everyone, I felt myself pull my last shot as I backed down the hallway, so I put a third round in that target, right through the center and the others I also shot dead center. When we went back through and I kept hearing the RO call out 0's I couldn't believe it!
For the last 3 stages, I did ok, they were much easier and I was under control of my nerves a lot more then the first 2 stages.
The last stage you had the option of running up close and shooting weak hand only or staying back a bit farther and shooting strong only or even further and shooting with both hands. I knew I wasn't going to win anyway, so I decided to have fun with it and I chose to shoot weak hand only. I've hardly ever practiced this, but I figured why not do it with some stress LOL.
The layout was 3 targets and I had to shoot them 1-1-2-1-1. I ran up and shot them fast, I got a bit out of order and shot from right to left 1 in each target, then I went back to the center and the right with 1 in each and I realized I needed 1 more in the left, because I didn't do two.
Well this string I wound up with a -2. I pulled two shots really bad, but they wound up being headshots, even though I was trying to shoot COM. They caught the very edge of the head zone, both actually touching the line. So sometimes it is better to be lucky than good LOL!
Overall I had a great time. I can't wait to try it again.
Paige is really wanting to get a handgun that she is comfortable with, she really wants to come out and see how she can do. We also met a guy who lives about 15 minutes from VT who does shooting classes and he invited Paige and I out to his house where he has his own range and said he would give both of us instruction for free and that Paige could try out several of his autos and revolvers and whatever else she wanted. So we're trying to find a free Saturday in the near future to take him up on his offer.
And also, for all of you visual folks, Paige got lots of video. I just need to get it off her camera and onto youtube.
It was awesome. Our group wound up starting on the hardest stage of the course. It had two movers. The first you came around a barrier and stepped on a plate and a no shoot started rising in front of your first target and you had to put 3 in each target for that stage, then as you continued slicing the pie, you had two more targets. I came around the corner and just started blasting the target that was about to dissappear, then I transitioned to the 2nd and the 3rd target. As I was shooting the 3rd target, I remembered that my gun had sights... I had just been point shooting for almost the entire first string LOL. And when I got to the second portion I continued to fire away. I wound up having two complete misses on targets and I think I hit a no shoot.
The 2nd stage went much the same as the first. I sucked big time.
The 3rd stage they had a hallway of barriers that you started at the end of with two badguys in front of you. At the buzzer you drew, and fired as you backed out of the hallway then ran to the left side of the barrier and sliced the pie and shoot two more badguys, then run all the way to the right side and slice the pie to get two more bad guys.
I shot this one perfect! It was double taps on everyone, I felt myself pull my last shot as I backed down the hallway, so I put a third round in that target, right through the center and the others I also shot dead center. When we went back through and I kept hearing the RO call out 0's I couldn't believe it!
For the last 3 stages, I did ok, they were much easier and I was under control of my nerves a lot more then the first 2 stages.
The last stage you had the option of running up close and shooting weak hand only or staying back a bit farther and shooting strong only or even further and shooting with both hands. I knew I wasn't going to win anyway, so I decided to have fun with it and I chose to shoot weak hand only. I've hardly ever practiced this, but I figured why not do it with some stress LOL.
The layout was 3 targets and I had to shoot them 1-1-2-1-1. I ran up and shot them fast, I got a bit out of order and shot from right to left 1 in each target, then I went back to the center and the right with 1 in each and I realized I needed 1 more in the left, because I didn't do two.
Well this string I wound up with a -2. I pulled two shots really bad, but they wound up being headshots, even though I was trying to shoot COM. They caught the very edge of the head zone, both actually touching the line. So sometimes it is better to be lucky than good LOL!
Overall I had a great time. I can't wait to try it again.
Paige is really wanting to get a handgun that she is comfortable with, she really wants to come out and see how she can do. We also met a guy who lives about 15 minutes from VT who does shooting classes and he invited Paige and I out to his house where he has his own range and said he would give both of us instruction for free and that Paige could try out several of his autos and revolvers and whatever else she wanted. So we're trying to find a free Saturday in the near future to take him up on his offer.
And also, for all of you visual folks, Paige got lots of video. I just need to get it off her camera and onto youtube.
Thanks for sharing your match with us. 
