State of IDPA in 2024 and beyond

[keeph8n]

Just curious to get everyone’s opinion on the state of things. If you browse forums, Facebook, or watch videos on YouTube it is chock full of doom and gloom. Granted I also understand that in any space, negativity will get the most traction or attention vs praise.

Seeing a ton of complaints about rules not being held to the same standards from match to match and even stage to stage depending on SO on duty. Also rule book changes and the powers at be not listening to their competitors.

I’ve been having an absolute blast learning and participating in what @AllenM is putting on locally, but I have a feeling starting next year I’m going to venture out to other states for more competitions. I would hate to have my expectations and experiences soiled because what I’m reading is actually true of the current state of affairs.

 

[shootersix]

I’ll tell you this, we’ve got some (some!) great matches in this area, and pretty close!

West Side Sportsman’s club in Evansville runs a great monthly event and their holiday havoc gets praises from everyone who shoots it!

Red Brush Rifle Range in Newburgh also has great monthly matches, and their Wilson Combat regional championship draws shooters from as far away as Colorado!

I staff both monthly matches and the tier 3 matches and have heard 1 guy complain (my stage) he missed the target, the so called it a miss, I called it a miss, others on his squad called it a miss, we called the Md to look and he called it a miss…and the guy said “he (the Md) only called it a miss because he’s in my division!”

The Illinois state match is amazing (I haven’t shot it but every other local shooter does and says that!) Aaron runs a great match (about 2.5 hours from Evansville)

The gateway classic (just outside St. Louis) is a great match! Jason (the Md) is another amazing guy who runs an amazing match!

I could go on, I consider these locals, now I’ve heard way to much and read way to much about the national/world to ever drive and shoot that match!…maybe that’ll change next year after they move to Texas, but I definitely wouldn’t go til the 2nd year in Texas!

 

[keeph8n]

Thank you for your insight! It’s very much appreciated. I’m definitely looking forward to exploring matches in other areas in 2025

 

[shootersix]

Thank you for your insight! It’s very much appreciated. I’m definitely looking forward to exploring matches in other areas in 2025

Why wait???

Holiday havoc is the first Saturday in October, as of yesterday there are 16 openings, plus it’d give you an excuse to go the the west side nut club fall festival, the second largest street festival in the country (only Mardi Gras is bigger!), stop by on your way home and eat some street food and support local non profit groups (plus they have all kinds of food from burgers brats and polish sausage up to chocolate covered crickets and brain sandwich’s) plus they have a 1/2 pot that gave away 600 grand the first year and over a million last year! (If I remember correctly!)

The Wilson Combat regional championship (formerly the nighthawk championship) is the first Saturday in November and has openings (plus I hear there’s a Wilson Combat pistol given away!)

 

[ECS686]

I enjoyed shooting IDPA and attempted to start a club in Terre Haute a few years ago but just couldn’t get the numbers to keep pouring $$ into it.

I think it was a combination of 2 other matches a month an hour and a half away and a person helping did more harm than good with a personality that…well folks didn’t care for.

That said I stepped back because it seemed IDPA had become an equipment race with PCC and and other things and I just got more into the application side of shooting and training than competing (the guys that couldn’t place with SSP all the sudden became the Lia Thomas of IDPA with their PCC and boasted about it was another gripe but that’s just me)

I get they have to evolve with rules and technology (every company is making some micro 17 found 9mm with an internal comp these days) but I just got into other things.

 

[keeph8n]

Why wait???

Holiday havoc is the first Saturday in October, as of yesterday there are 16 openings, plus it’d give you an excuse to go the the west side nut club fall festival, the second largest street festival in the country (only Mardi Gras is bigger!), stop by on your way home and eat some street food and support local non profit groups (plus they have all kinds of food from burgers brats and polish sausage up to chocolate covered crickets and brain sandwich’s) plus they have a 1/2 pot that gave away 600 grand the first year and over a million last year! (If I remember correctly!)

The Wilson Combat regional championship (formerly the nighthawk championship) is the first Saturday in November and has openings (plus I hear there’s a Wilson Combat pistol given away!)

Both of these events look great, but as someone who hasn’t completed a qualifier would I been in over my head? I’ve only competed in one match and watched one additional

 

[shootersix]

Both of these events look great, but as someone who hasn’t completed a qualifier would I been in over my head? I’ve only competed in one match and watched one additional

If your a member of idpa, and are classified you can shoot, if your not classified any so can run you on the 5x5 to get classified

 

[cedartop]

Not sure that you are hearing anything but run of the mill whining. Sure there are things I don't like about the rules but overall it is a great sport. I try to shoot at 4 matches a month here. That is the main reason I switched from USPSA to IDPA, by me there is more of it available. I like them both for different reasons. Holiday Havoc is a great match.

 

[keeph8n]

If your a member of idpa, and are classified you can shoot, if your not classified any so can run you on the 5x5 to get classified

Haven’t signed up for a membership yet as I’ve been looking things over. Was going to sign up next month to get the ball rolling.

I’m assuming I would need to find a classifier event before Holiday Havoc to participate in that event.

 

[shootersix]

Haven’t signed up for a membership yet as I’ve been looking things over. Was going to sign up next month to get the ball rolling.

I’m assuming I would need to find a classifier event before Holiday Havoc to participate in that event.

You would but like I said any idpa so can classify you

 

[shootersix]

Not sure that you are hearing anything but run of the mill whining. Sure there are things I don't like about the rules but overall it is a great sport. I try to shoot at 4 matches a month here. That is the main reason I switched from USPSA to IDPA, by me there is more of it available. I like them both for different reasons. Holiday Havoc is a great match.

Have you shot the Wilson Combat regional championship?…if you haven’t, you should and even though they’re two different matches both matches have the same staff, and the stages are designed by pretty much the same people, but both matches are worth shooting! Both matches draw people from as far away as Texas and Colorado!

 

[cedartop]

Have you shot the Wilson Combat regional championship?…if you haven’t, you should and even though they’re two different matches both matches have the same staff, and the stages are designed by pretty much the same people, but both matches are worth shooting! Both matches draw people from as far away as Texas and Colorado!

I haven't but I will keep it in mind. I don't shoot a lot of majors. One or two a year.

 

[shootersix]

I haven't but I will keep it in mind. I don't shoot a lot of majors. One or two a year.

FYI, I think havoc is giving away a freedom ordnance fx9 (freedom is the match title sponsor) and Wilson is donating a pistol to be given away!

 

[keeph8n]

Guess I have a ton of planning to do in mid September to see if I can get IDPA membership done, sign up for the Havoc, and figure out getting a qualifier done.

 

[Cameramonkey]

That said I stepped back because it seemed IDPA had become an equipment race with PCC and and other things and I just got more into the application side of shooting and training than competing (the guys that couldn’t place with SSP all the sudden became the Lia Thomas of IDPA with their PCC and boasted about it was another gripe but that’s just me)

Meh. Its not like the PCC guys are competing against the pistol guys. They just go off and compete against each other and leave the rest of you to continue to compete in your respective pistols. Remember you are only competing against others shooting the same category.

And Looking at Atlanta at least, we dont have a "PCC problem". Instead is everyone is moving to Carry Optics. In fact, at one point Atlanta didnt even allow PCC because they were always running at capacity, which made the matches drag on. And nobody wanted the additional hassle of putting out the rifle racks, taking the time to stow every carbine, etc. to slow us down even more.

I have joked for years that it actually should be called the WCDPA. Because the IDPA board is like 80% Wilson combat folks and their rule making pattern shows. They alter the rules often for the benefit of their brand.

It’s been quite a few years but back in the day when I first started people were asking for a PCC division. They told us no, because IDPA was aimed at PRACTICAL defensive shooting. Since nobody carries a PCC around, its not relevant to compete with.

Then Wilson combat releases their own PCC, and miraculously a PCC category is created.

Then they created a new BUG sized pistol, and suddenly they change the rules of BUG to allow their new creation, at the cost of another popular pistol that got squeezed out. Wish I could remember what the losing pistol was.

I havent shot it much the last couple years, but I dont see any sport harming problems at the local level.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Guess I have a ton of planning to do in mid September to see if I can get IDPA membership done, sign up for the Havoc, and figure out getting a qualifier done.

Remember, you can shoot your first two matches without joining.

 

[ECS686]

Meh. Its not like the PCC guys are competing against the pistol guys. They just go off and compete against each other and leave the rest of you to continue to compete in your respective pistols. Remember you are only competing against others shooting the same category.

And Looking at Atlanta at least, we dont have a "PCC problem". Instead is everyone is moving to Carry Optics. In fact, at one point Atlanta didnt even allow PCC because they were always running at capacity, which made the matches drag on. And nobody wanted the additional hassle of putting out the rifle racks, taking the time to stow every carbine, etc. to slow us down even more.

I have joked for years that it actually should be called the WCDPA. Because the IDPA board is like 80% Wilson combat folks and their rule making pattern shows. They alter the rules often for the benefit of their brand.

It’s been quite a few years but back in the day when I first started people were asking for a PCC division. They told us no, because IDPA was aimed at PRACTICAL defensive shooting. Since nobody carries a PCC around, its not relevant to compete with.

Then Wilson combat releases their own PCC, and miraculously a PCC category is created.

Then they created a new BUG sized pistol, and suddenly they change the rules of BUG to allow their new creation, at the cost of another popular pistol that got squeezed out. Wish I could remember what the losing pistol was.

I havent shot it much the last couple years, but I dont see any sport harming problems at the local level.

My PCC reference was was more due to people more than IDPA those folks that post their practiscore awesomeness as overall like they conquered MT Everest and when they have 30 rounds to everyone’s 10 (before the last round count rule change) they should have placed first

As far as Wilson Combat yeah when it first started it wasn’t suppose to be an equipment race and within a couple years my 5” 625 became illegal.

I also remember when Ernest Langdon won a championship in CCP with a DA Sig 220 that had the steel frame at like 42 Oz and immediately the CCP rule was made the gun had to be under 41 Oz so from the outside it seemed someone was mad a DA gun beat out a crew of shooters running their guns they make. Maybe that’s not what happened but oprics are that to some.

 

[keeph8n]

Remember, you can shoot your first two matches without joining.

I did not realize this. Definitely good to know

 

[shootersix]

Remember, you can shoot your first two matches without joining.

I did not realize this. Definitely good to know

So…our club has a rule that says club members can’t be forced to join an outside organization to shoot matches at our club!, so even if I wasn’t a member of idpa I could still shoot club level matches at redbrush!, but I couldn’t shoot them anywhere else! (Now the Wilson Combat match has idpa membership requirement!)

And last year at our (then nighthawk, now Wilson Combat) we had someone shoot the 5x5 classifier on Friday (after staff shot) and then they shot the match on Saturday, now I think part of the reason for that was our Md was sponsored by nighthawk and the person needing to be classified had just been picked up by nighthawk (she’s a USPSA shooter and a “social media influencer”)

As to your original question, personally I think idpa is in better shape than USPSA!…I’m actually on the fence about renewing my USPSA membership, last year they raised rates over 60 percent without telling anyone in advance, they did back down and say you could renew at old prices for up to 3 years, and their argument was “we haven’t raised the rates in 20 years”…well **** poor planning on your part isn’t my problem!…and if they’d raised it 5 percent even few years people wouldn’t have cared, plus the current board of directors is trying to fill the board with their cronies!

My club is hosting the state steel challenge match next weekend (6-8) and my membership expires on the 9th…and I still don’t know if I’m gonna renew or not!

 

[04FXSTS]

I have been shooting IPA for about 20 years and an SO since 2007 and worked as staff on all but one of the ACC state matches. Shot a couple Illinois state matches before they moved to Sparta, but now my sanctioned matches are mostly the Indiana State.
Quite a few changes have came about in this time, some I like an some that in my opinion suck. I like when the rules changed to points down went from a half second to one second and the fault lines take away the subjective cover calls, they do seem to change fault line rules constantly. Not a big fan of PCC or carry optics but might be prejudiced because I shoot revolver almost exclusively and don't ever plan to own or shoot either. ACC state CCP match opened up to CO and now 75% are CO's.
Another pet peeve coming from primarily a revolver shooter is maximum shots required on a COF is 18, there is no minimum. Back in the day you would see COF's with a low round count six or less and targets at bad breath distance. IIRC at the 2007 ACC State Match there was one COF that required one round. It was set at the maximum distance (whatever that was at the time) and you had one round in gun. so if you were confident in your shot you were done if not you had to reload. Now I see very few COF's with less than 16 rounds.
ECS686, I shot a match of yours when you were trying to get started it was inside at Top Guns, nice match. I know who you mean and I personally like him, BUT sometimes I can get fed up with him. He swings hot and cold so it depends which cycle he is in he can be a royal PITA.
I have been to Riley once a little over a year ago and shot a "Carry Match" and had lunch after with Rino, good times. Now that was a real fun match and I mean to get back there again. The COF's remind me of IDPA back in the day. Jim.