Classifier TipsThese notes are intended to help those who are shooting the IDPA Classifier for the first time, and who may not be aware of some of its subtleties. The following is what has been observed while classifying several hundred shooters in the Dallas area. However, the opinions expressed herein are my own, and your mileage may vary. jdm **NOTE: This page includes material borrowed (with permission) from Classifier tips from Collin County IDPA** General Classifier Match info: There are no make-up shots in the Classifier Match. Shoot like you mean it! There is no required target order in the Classifier, except when shooting from cover. When shooting from cover, you must engage the targets in the order that you see them as you progressively lean out from cover. If you are leaning out from the left side of cover, engage the left-most target first. If you are leaning out from the right side of cover, engage the right-most target first. Basically, always shoot the targets "from the outside in" when shooting from cover. Procedural penalties will be assessed for engaging targets out of order, or for exposing yourself to unengaged targets while engaging other targets. If you make a mistake, you may be allowed to re-shoot a stage, but some clubs allow re-shoots only in case of a serious gun malfunction. Ask ahead of time so you'll know! The Classifier must be shot all-at-once as a 90-round course of fire. It is not permitted, for example, to break it up and shoot one stage each on three different days. Each 30-round Classifier stage is taped and scored only after all strings are completed. This means that if you have a gun malfunction, make a big mistake, or run out of ammunition unexpectedly, you will have to shoot the entire 30-round stage all over again. So, if you have to re-shoot a stage, you may waste a lot of ammunition and you will delay the match for the other shooters. If in any doubt about the course of fire, or anything else, please ask questions, check your magazines to see that they are present and contain the number of rounds required by the course of fire, and that they are where you expect them to be. Shooting an untested or unreliable gun or a new, untested load in the Classifier is a very bad idea. Stage 3 includes 30 shots at 15 and 20 yards; Make sure to confirm that your sights are properly adjusted to score well at these ranges. It is advisable to practice the tap-rack-bang drill for minor malfunctions, just to be prepared. Tri-County Sportsmens League (TCSL) strongly recommends that you shoot three or four regular IDPA club matches before attempting to classify. The Classifier is a test. In order to get an accurate classification, and for the sake of safety (yours and ours), it's a real good idea to "study" - to learn the language and procedures of the test - before taking it. There is no better way to do this than to attend regular club matches, shoot, and ask questions. This will also help to reduce "match nerves" when shooting the Classifier; You will have a chance to get used to shooting under time pressure, and to familiarize yourself with the commands and procedures used in IDPA matches. You must be a member of IDPA to shoot the Classifier. Please bring both your IDPA Membership Card and your IDPA Classification Record Card so that we may properly record your classification; Until your IDPA Classification Record Card is properly filled out and signed, you will not be officially classified. Some basic rules:
Please note that at TCSL, the Safety Officers who administrate the Classifier match are volunteers; They are giving their time freely and are not paid for their effort. Therefore, unSportsmenlike conduct or unjustified complaints will not be permitted. Also, everyone is expected to assist the match staff with stage set-up, taping targets, and cleaning up the range when the match is finished. Thank you for your cooperation.
Classifier Stage Tips The Classifier stage descriptions and procedures are available on the main IDPA Web site. Also, the IDPA Equipment and Competition Rules are posted there. Study is well worthwhile. The following assumes that you have read the Classifier stage descriptions, and have them handy for reference. Classifier Stage 1 In Stage 1 strings 1 through 4, do not miss the head shots, even if you have to slow down and shoot only 1 good shot every 2 seconds. Remember, a miss is 5 points down, which adds 2.5 seconds to your score. So even if you took 2 seconds for each shot and scored a hit instead of a miss, you'd still be way ahead! The head shots in the Classifier are all-or-nothing. A shot dropped into the body does not count at all. Take your time and get all the hits. In string 5, the targets are engaged one shot each weak-hand-only. Remember that when shooting one-handed, the gun will tend to recoil "in", that is, toward your other side. This means that it is slightly easier and faster when shooting left-handed to engage the left-most target in the array first, followed by the targets to the right of the first one. This is especially true if you cant the gun slightly inboard to reduce muscle tension in your forearm and improve accuracy. In string 6, you will start facing up-range, turn, draw, and engage the targets. For safety reasons, TCSL prefers that you turn to your gun side. This results in limiting the possibility of the gun being pointed up-range to a narrow 90-degree window, rather than a 270-degree window if you turn away from your gun side. You may also be disqualified if you point your gun up-range, but we are talking safety here. (Turning away from the gun side is taught by many respected firearms instructors, as it "hides" the draw, even if it is a bit slower.) While TCSL does not wish to make you do anything that goes against your training or preferences, we recommend and prefer that you turn to your gun side while shooting this string. Usually, the Safety Officer will ask which way you intend to turn and will arrange himself and any bystanders to minimize exposure to your pistol. If you are not asked, please state which way you intend to turn. In string 7, the targets are engaged two shots each strong-hand-only. In this case, the gun will tend to recoil toward the weak side, so a right-handed shooter is well advised to engage the right-most target first, followed by those to the left of it. For a left-handed shooter, the reverse is true. Classifier Stage 2 Stage 2 strings 1 and 2 involve shooting on the move. Keep your knees flexed, walk heel-to-toe, and "glide along" - the front sight will not bounce at all if you do this right. You can practice this at home, or even at the office - using a full coffee cup instead of your gun. The old "Step and Drag" method requires that you time your shots and although it is still taught to some military/LE groups, it is not very effective except for special situations like team-action riot control, or negotiating uneven or unknown terrain in the dark. For all other situations, use the glide - it works. Also, remember to practice the glide forward and backward. In string 3, you will once again start facing up-range. The notes above concerning Stage 1 string 6 apply here as well. The last two strings (3 and 4) in Stage 2 are done while standing still, and resemble strings 6 and 7 in Stage 1. But remember that you are now at 10 yards instead of 7, and you will need to slow down a bit compared to 7 yards to get good hits. Classifier Stage 3 Big Secret: For shooters at the Marksman level and below, this stage is actually a Bullseye Target Pistol Match disguised as an IDPA stage. There is even a barricade and a tactical reload thrown in to fool you into forgetting this! But there are 18 shots at 20 yards, and 12 more shots at 15 yards. Slow down! Way Down. Shoot this like you are shooting for a small group size at 25 yards! Many shooters rise from Marksman to Sharpshooter only by slowing down on Stage 3 and getting the hits. No kidding! - I did it myself, and I've seen many others do it as well. Just remember the IDPA scoring system:
Don't Crowd Cover! Stage 3, strings 1 and 2 involve the use of a Bianchi Barricade. In string 1, six shots are taken from one side of the barricade, a reload with retention is performed, and six shots are taken from the opposite side of the barricade. Many shooters handicap themselves badly in this string (and in IDPA stages in general) by crowding up against the barricade. If you crowd the barricade, you have to perform 10 steps:
If you simply step back three feet from the barricade, you can eliminate three of these steps. The above list is reduced to:
It's easy to tell which way is faster, more "tactical," and safer in a real-world gunfight. (The possibility of getting shot between steps 2 and 3 or between steps 8 and 9 of the first-described method above should not be discounted. If you expose yourself from behind complete cover, you need to be ready to shoot immediately, without taking any additional time to raise or lower the gun and then aim!) Another problem with crowding the barricade is safety. If you are swinging your gun up and down to clear the barricade, you are possibly endangering your feet or your head, or low-flying aircraft(!). "Charlie's Angels" and "Hill Street Blues" aside, this "gun-swinging method" looks a lot better on TV than it works in the real world. Even if you don't "swing," but rather pull the gun back against your body to clear the barricade, you may still have difficulty performing the required reload in the small space you have left yourself to work in - and all because you have crowded yourself up against the wall. Back off and give yourself some room! Another Stage 3 Tip If you do a true IDPA-approved tactical reload (drawing the spare magazine, swapping it with the depleted magazine at the gun, and then stowing the depleted magazine), you will gain a significant time advantage in Stage 3 string 2. According to IDPA rules, you may move out from cover after seating the fresh magazine, and not before. But you may stow the depleted magazine while running forward to the barrel. You are OK rule-wise as long as the used magazine is stowed before you fire another shot. In this kind of situation, the true "tactical reload" is usually faster than the so-called "competition reload with retention". The tactical reload is also superior from a real-world standpoint, in that it leaves the gun with only one round (in the chamber) for the shortest amount of time; Think about what happens if an unexpected bad guy comes around the corner in the middle of each of these two reloading techniques. In the case of the true tactical reload, you can reinsert the partially-depleted magazine if you haven't completely removed it and fire. Or you can finish inserting the fresh magazine and fire, dropping the depleted magazine. Using the "competition reload with retention," you have got only the one round in your chamber to solve the problem until such time as you retrieve the fresh magazine from your mag pouch. Nevertheless, some very competitive shooters are willing to "mis-train" themselves because the "competition reload" can be slightly faster overall in some cases. But it is not faster when you have to move a good distance after the reload, like in Stage 3 String 2. (Special Thanks to Jim Morgan of McKinney, TX for allowing TCSL to borrow this text from his site). |