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IPSC Orientation

General Introduction and Welcome

  • First Item of Business: It’s a COLD Range; if you’re carrying, leave it in the car…
  • Introductions and Description of the OKC Gun Club
  • Priorities of IPSC Shooting: Be Safe, Be Courteous & Helpful, Have Fun… everything else flows from there!

Background & History of Practical Shooting and Organizational Structure

  • 1976 with 9 member nations; today >60; IPSC, USPSA as “region”
  • USPSA is divided into 8 Areas; the Oklahoma Section is part of Area 4
  • Oklahoma Section currently has 7 IPSC Clubs in the State

IPSC Shooting – What is it, and how is it organized?

  • DVC:   Diligentia Vis Celeritas: Accuracy, Power, & Speed
  • General point of an IPSC match is a balance of the 3
  • Points per unit time: highly accurate will lose to faster and slightly less accurate [but you can't miss fast enough to win]
  • Classification System: based on certain nationally distributed stages; 4 classifiers to initially classify; best 6 of most recent 8 for running status within a Division
  • Divisions – Something for everyone:  Open, Limited, Limited-10, Production, Revolver and Single Stack Division
  • Power Factor - bullet weight X velocity / 1000; 165 required for major power and 125 for minor [ex., 180gr bullet X 950fps/1000 = 171pf]
  • 3-Gun and Side Matches: check the website for planned side matches
  • We all compete together; the scoring software sorts it all out

Equipment Requirements – start simple, don’t rush out and spend

  • Holsters, magazine pouches, a sturdy belt, hearing and eye protection
  • Appropriate clothing for the weather
  • Gun must be serviceable and safe 9mm/.38 or larger
  • Use a good belt; dress belts move around too much
  • KISS Principle in equipment selection as you begin
  • Contrary to some belief, it’s not about the technology; try out equipment other shooters are using

General Rules

  • Cold Range Rules
  • Carry Gun – not permitted and should be unloaded or “un-gunned” in the car
  • Safe Areas [Note: you can also “unbag” on the firing line when instructed by RO]
  • Gun and ammunition handling:  never together; Safe Area for guns, anywhere else for loading ammo
  • 180 Rule
  • Dropped firearm
  • Finger control [moving and mag changes]
  • Range Commands & Warnings
  • Match Disqualifications [DQs]: dropped weapon on the course of fire, 180, AD, Unsafe Gun Handling, Unsportsmanlike Conduct
  • Gun falling while not on a CoF and actions to take --- very important not to touch.  Get an RO or match official

Targets

  • Types of props in a match: IPSC, no shoots, hardcover, barriers, poppers, plates, swingers, appearing/disappearing targets, etc.
  • Target Scoring: 5:4:4:2 for major 5:3:3:1 for minor.  Steel must fall,
  • Scoring – Comstock, Virginia, & Timed Fire
  • No shoots, hard & soft cover, targets as impenetrable, lines

Starts: draws; hand positions, turn then draw, retrieve from tables or boxes

Magazine Changes

  • Muzzle control and finger is outside the trigger
  • Direction of movement and the “180”

Matches & What Happens

  • If in doubt on a match, check the website
  • Weather – anything goes except lightning
  • Arrive ½ hour early
  • Sign in at stat shack and pay match fee
  • Get score sheets & assure name and correct info is on them [Stage #, etc]
  • Put on equipment – only handle gun in safe area! Load mags anywhere else!!
  • Walk-through of stages: ask any questions; plan how to shoot it
  • IPSC relies on shooter participation: shag brass, score keeping, reset steel, tape targets – [not until after they are scored, and don’t touch them before]
  • Duties & Responsibilities of shooter, RO, Scorekeeper, etc. during a CoF
  • Shooters, don’t touch your own targets; stay a meter back.
  • Posting scores – at match and on website
  • After the match, help break down the stages
  • Scores are posted and Awards given
  • Most clubs post scores on their websites and/or email

Practical Experience:  Orientation participants shoot two Course of Fires [Stages]

  • Walkthrough -- everyone and CoFs are briefed in detail; questions answered
  • Squads assigned, if appropriate
  • Do a dry run of a stage to go through the range commands and “flow”
  • Stage 1: standards course. A barricade, 4 IPSC & 2 poppers; mag change [10rds]
  • Stage 2: field course with poppers & IPSC targets; hard cover and no-shoots [18 - 20rds]
  • Demonstration by one of the Orientation leaders
  • Each shooter in the squad cycles through the stage.  Everything is run as a match, including scoring.  The only difference is that no match results are computed or posted.  This is intended as a non-competition to become familiar with IPSC and see how a match goes.

Websites and email for matches, directions, scores, pictures, news