Contents
IDPA vs IPSC vs USPSA
Disciplines in comparison
What is IDPA?
This organization has more than 20,000 members and offers competitions using practical CCW Concealed Carry Weapon and service equipment you rely on every day.
The main objective of the IDPA is to test the skills and abilities of individuals related to shooting.
Their competitions allow you to practice experience in the same weapons you possess to solve challenging and exciting defensive shooting problems.
There are thousands of IDPA affiliated clubs around the world and every weekend it is easy for you to find a weekly, monthly, regional or championship event.
It’s how people with similar ideas share skills and knowledge in a competitive arena.
The competitions are divided into two general categories:
- self-defense scenarios or
- standardexercises .
Self-defense scenarios simulate “real-world” clashes that require shooters to change shooting points and shoot from uncomfortable positions with shooting placement from about 3-20 meters.
Standard exercises do not duplicate a potential threat situation, but instead test specific shooting and weapon handling skills.
You don’t need to be in phenomenal physical condition to participate in competitions, which opens up matches to all legal firearms owners.
Membership provides a subscription to The Tactical Journal, their quarterly magazine, and access to many IDPA clubs and matches.
For more information, visit https://www.idpa.com/.
What is IPSC?
The motto of this international organization is Diligentia-Vis-Celeritas, which in Latin means precision, power and speed.
They are active in more than ninety countries around the world and recognize the disciplines of pistols, carbines, shotguns and action air.
In each kind of shooting, there are different divisions in which to compete, covering all skill levels.
They also offer two and three matches of weapons.
These fast-paced matches are set up in such a way that competitors don’t know in advance what to expect and could include multiple, moving, or responsive goals.
To continue the challenge, IPSC adds obstacles and competitive strategies to keep it interesting for both competitors and viewers.
One element in the rulebook for this organization is; the minimum size of the weapon allowed in competition is 9 mm or more, examples of which you can find here.
By signing up, you receive their quarterly magazine, IPSC World.
Go to https://www.ipsc.org/ for more information about this worldwide organization.
What is USPSA?
In essence, this organization is the American branch of the IPSC.
Organized competition types include multi-gun and various weapon matches that focus on the technical side of shooting.
Well organized for shooters of all levels, they divide the events into Production, Revolver, Single-Stack, Limited 10 and open divisions. In addition, there are seven skill levels in which to compete, and these are Grand Master, Master, A, B, C, D and unclassified.
This setup allows you to compete within your skill set against others who share your level of experience.
Since its inception, the USPSA has become more like the “game” and less like the practical side of shooting, which creates an atmosphere of excitement.
The equipment needs to compete are relatively simple and include a gun, holster, magazine case, eye protection and ear protector found here, along with a basic knowledge of gun and gun safety.
Speaking of security,this is the number one rule of USPSA events.
In fact, all USPSA ranges are cold ranges, which means that guns are kept unloaded and contained in a holster or case until officials signal to prepare.
Membership offers access to many shooting competitions across the country and the official publication of the USPSA, USPSA FrontSight.
If this organization triggers your trigger, jump on https://uspsa.org/ to get the full scoop.
Conclusions
Moving from shooting at the weekend shooting range to a random target shooting at the shooting range is already a step but still switching to participate in a shooting game will undoubtedly raise the bar of your firearms hobby.
Like any competition with time you will acquire the confidence that comes from going head to head with your competitors and you will be able to transfer that self-esteem and management of race tension also in other areas and in other trivial aspects of everyday life.
Regardless of the organization you choose, they all provide experience and will provide you with unattainable knowledge in no other way that only through competition can be developed.
Then there are also other ways but it is always about competition but with different tools and methods and allowed by law but on this I will dedicate specific posts.
Stay Tuned!
Street Fight Mentality & Fight Sport