International Practical Shooting Competition Calendar for 2011
February - The Florida Open - Universal Shooting Academy
May - The Columbus Cup - Aruba
October - The World Shoot - Greece
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Rihanna Shut Up and Drive - Practical Shooting
Practical shooting and as Rihanna puts it shut up and drive. This style of shooting may look easy but it is anything but that. Safety is always the first and foremost concern. This practical shooting video is a good example of the safe fun you can have. The range officer (behind shooter) is always maintaining a watchful eye to ensure that you are handling the firearm safely at all times. Some shooters are practicing self-defense shooting others are just out to have fun and still others are training for competition. Whatever the reason practical shooting is a great sport, so get involved and give it a try you are sure to meet some really wonderful people and who knows you might be the next champ.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
How Do You Get Involved in the Sport of Practical Shooting?
I think probably the best way for me to answer is to explain how I got involved in practical shooting. Let's take a step back in time to about the summer of 2007 when I joined my local rifle and pistol club for training. At that time I had lived in Barbados for most of my life but was clueless about the existence of a rifle & pistol club or the sport shooting activities that could be pursued there.
The club's administration was courteous and professional and the instructor assigned to train me patiently explained the fundamentals of safe gun handling. Safety was stressed over and over and everything revolved around the concept of safety. I never admitted this to my instructor but all through my first class I was petrified that I would do something wrong.
Not all great pistol shooters make great instructors and that's a fact I learned later on, however in my first class I was lucky enough to have met one of the best instructors our club has to offer. He spoke calmly, but assertively he did not grow frustrated and impatient when I did not seem to be getting it quite right nor did he scowl or curse when I got it absolutely wrong. No this instructor encouraged me every time I turned up for training perhaps because he saw something that I did not. You see when you encourage someone really what you are doing is watering the seeds of greatness within them and fostering the development of their self-esteem.
Allow me to digress for a moment - if the only exposure you have ever had to firearms is through watching Hollywood I want you to throw out what you think you know - why? - Because its all wrong! Everything you see on TV regarding firearms is done for how good it looks on camera. You cannot bring anything from the silver screen into the real world with regard to handling firearms. At the rifle and pistol club I was exposed to over eleven weeks of training which centered on safe handling of firearms before I was allowed to participate in the clubs weekly shooting activities.
In retrospect it was a combination of learning a skill-at-arms, the personal discipline demanded to master the skill and the potential to test my skill in competition that kept me interested. Remember before then, my only exposure to guns was what I had seen on TV and read about in the news and it was mostly negative, therefore it was refreshing to learn that a skill-at-arms could be put to a more noble use such as sport shooting competitions.
Now, let's take a step forward to January 2009 because I want to skip the part where I spent an entire year standing up, kneeling down or laying down (prone) shooting at turning targets i.e. static shooting. The goal of that style of shooting was accuracy and shooting for the highest scores.
In January of 2009 the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) Barbados announced to the local rifle & pistol clubs that it would be sponsoring a Black Badge Safety Training Program. Successful completion of this training program would open the door to compete in IPSC matches locally, regionally and internationally.
The allure of IPSC is the challenge involved in safely controlling a full powered firearm while shooting a course of fire as quickly and as accurately as you can, hence the IPSC motto DVC- Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas (Accuracy, Power, Speed) was introduced to reflect these balanced elements.
I had the fundamentals of accuracy down, thanks to my previous year of service pistol training I was confident that I could hit the area of the target that I was aiming at. Now the challenge was to do it safely while running at top speed, shooting a large calibre firearm chambered for 38 Super, 9MM or .40SW.
Intrigued by the challenge, I launched into the classroom training and the weekends of practical exercises that make up a Black Badge Safety Program and soon realized that one, there are many really good people involved in this sport and two, this was alot of fun. In most countries where the use of firearms is allowed by law for sporting purposes you will find certified instructors who are qualified to teach the Black Badge Safety trainging programs. Successful completion of this international safety training provides the would be IPSC competitor with the knowledge and skills necessary to compete safely in IPSC matches around your country and the world.
The club's administration was courteous and professional and the instructor assigned to train me patiently explained the fundamentals of safe gun handling. Safety was stressed over and over and everything revolved around the concept of safety. I never admitted this to my instructor but all through my first class I was petrified that I would do something wrong.
Not all great pistol shooters make great instructors and that's a fact I learned later on, however in my first class I was lucky enough to have met one of the best instructors our club has to offer. He spoke calmly, but assertively he did not grow frustrated and impatient when I did not seem to be getting it quite right nor did he scowl or curse when I got it absolutely wrong. No this instructor encouraged me every time I turned up for training perhaps because he saw something that I did not. You see when you encourage someone really what you are doing is watering the seeds of greatness within them and fostering the development of their self-esteem.
Allow me to digress for a moment - if the only exposure you have ever had to firearms is through watching Hollywood I want you to throw out what you think you know - why? - Because its all wrong! Everything you see on TV regarding firearms is done for how good it looks on camera. You cannot bring anything from the silver screen into the real world with regard to handling firearms. At the rifle and pistol club I was exposed to over eleven weeks of training which centered on safe handling of firearms before I was allowed to participate in the clubs weekly shooting activities.
In retrospect it was a combination of learning a skill-at-arms, the personal discipline demanded to master the skill and the potential to test my skill in competition that kept me interested. Remember before then, my only exposure to guns was what I had seen on TV and read about in the news and it was mostly negative, therefore it was refreshing to learn that a skill-at-arms could be put to a more noble use such as sport shooting competitions.
Now, let's take a step forward to January 2009 because I want to skip the part where I spent an entire year standing up, kneeling down or laying down (prone) shooting at turning targets i.e. static shooting. The goal of that style of shooting was accuracy and shooting for the highest scores.
In January of 2009 the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) Barbados announced to the local rifle & pistol clubs that it would be sponsoring a Black Badge Safety Training Program. Successful completion of this training program would open the door to compete in IPSC matches locally, regionally and internationally.
The allure of IPSC is the challenge involved in safely controlling a full powered firearm while shooting a course of fire as quickly and as accurately as you can, hence the IPSC motto DVC- Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas (Accuracy, Power, Speed) was introduced to reflect these balanced elements.
I had the fundamentals of accuracy down, thanks to my previous year of service pistol training I was confident that I could hit the area of the target that I was aiming at. Now the challenge was to do it safely while running at top speed, shooting a large calibre firearm chambered for 38 Super, 9MM or .40SW.
Intrigued by the challenge, I launched into the classroom training and the weekends of practical exercises that make up a Black Badge Safety Program and soon realized that one, there are many really good people involved in this sport and two, this was alot of fun. In most countries where the use of firearms is allowed by law for sporting purposes you will find certified instructors who are qualified to teach the Black Badge Safety trainging programs. Successful completion of this international safety training provides the would be IPSC competitor with the knowledge and skills necessary to compete safely in IPSC matches around your country and the world.
Monday, February 1, 2010
What is the Sport of IPSC All About?
History
This new and exciting style of sport shooting had its origins in California in the early '50s. It quickly spread over the next few years to other continents including Europe, Australia, Central and South America, and Africa. The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) was officially founded at the International Pistol Conference held in Columbia, Missouri, in May 1976.
Forty people from around the world were invited to attend this Conference in order to determine the nature and future of practical marksmanship. Colonel Jeff Cooper was acting Chairman and acclaimed as the first IPSC World President. The promotion of accuracy, power, and speed as three equal elements was the prime objective of the Conference along with procedures and rules for safe gun handling.
A constitution was established and the Confederation was born. The origins of practical shooting were developed and the motto - DVC - Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas (Accuracy, Power, Speed) was introduced to reflect this balanced objective. IPSC as an international body exist to promote, improve and advance the sport of IPSC shooting worldwide and to cultivate the safe, recreational use of firearms by persons of good character.
Today, the International Practical Shooting Confederation is promoted in more than sixty countries (called Regions) from Argentina to Zimbabwe. Every year, the elected representatives of these Regions meet at the IPSC General Assembly. In practical shooting, the competitor must try to blend accuracy, power, and speed, into a winning combination.
Targets are 75 centimeters by 45 centimeters with a 15 centimeter center representing the "A zone" or bulls eye. Most shooting takes place at close range, with rare shots out to 45 meters. Hitting a 15 centimeter A zone at 45 meters or less might seem easy to an experienced pistol shooter, but in IPSC only full power pistols are allowed(38 Super, 9mm, .40 or larger).
This power minimum reflects the heritage of this modern sport, and mastering a full power handgun is considerably more difficult than shooting a light recoiling target pistol especially when the competitor is trying to go as fast as possible. Time, also plays a factor. In Comstock scored stages, the scores are divided by the time, adding to the challenge. Competitors may enter any one of five Divisions depending on the style of firearm they use.
Multiple targets, moving targets, targets that react when hit, penalty carrying targets mixed-in, or even partially covering shoot targets, obstacles, movement, competitive tactics, and, in general, any other relevant difficulty the course designer can dream up all combine to keep the competitors enthusiastic and the spectators entertained.
The rules of IPSC state that the course of fire should be practical and diversity is to be encouraged, to keep the sport from becoming too formalized or standardized. In fact, some matches even contain surprise stages where no one knows in advance what to expect.
Although the roots are martial in origin, the sport matured from these beginnings, just as karate, fencing, or archery developed from their origins. Now, IPSC shooting is an international sport, emphasizing safety and safe gun handling, accuracy, power, and speed, in major competitions around the globe. The crowning glory for practical shooting is to become the IPSC World Champion.
What makes IPSC shooting unique?
IPSC shooting is dynamic and challenging, and one of the fastest growing shooting sports in the world today. Courses of fire utilize many aspects not found in the other more traditional shooting disciplines, such as movement by the shooter, drawing from the holster, moving targets, multiple targets, and the freedom for the shooter to solve the shooting problems presented by the stage design.
The appeal of the sport lies in the diversity of the courses of fire available to the shooter. By offering different courses of fire, rather than set types, IPSC shooting continues to challenge the competitor to improve his skills in many different areas. There are continually new demands to challenge the IPSC shooting enthusiast.
What are IPSC Regions?
Regions are the organizations which promote the sport of IPSC through the international confederation. All IPSC shooters become members of the international confederation by joining their affiliated IPSC Region.
What kind of people compete in IPSC matches?
As in any other popular sport, a wide variety of people enjoy IPSC shooting matches. Membership spans almost every occupation, from craftsmen to executives. It is not unusual to find husbands and wives or entire families participating in IPSC shooting activities. All of the people at competitions are strong believers in safety and safe gun handling as well as good sportsmanship.
Is there a place in IPSC for beginners?
Absolutely! All of those currently competing were once at the beginner stage. By becoming active in matches hosted by an IPSC club you will have the advantage of qualified range officials and courteous range staff. You will normally find IPSC shooters are pleased to give a hand in getting you started. By using a classification system for all competitors, you can be assured that you will be facing competition of an equal skill level. A good way to get started is to ask for assistance.
Is IPSC shooting an expensive sport?
As in any other recreational activity there is virtually no limit to the amount you may spend on firearms and associated equipment. However, to get a solid start in IPSC pistol shooting, all that is required is a reliable handgun, a suitable holster, ammunition, eye and ear protection, and a big dose of enthusiasm. As your skill level increases, you may wish to advance to other equipment or to add additional items that will help you in competitions.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
BlackEyed Peas Showdown Tanfoglio XD(M) .40 IPSC
A little action clip from the last stage of the BRA's IPSC month end showdown. If you have not tried IPSC action shooting then let me be the first to tell you, its a real rush. Speed - Power - Accuracy turn it up and watch how we do it.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas - SA XD(M) .40
The "Great White" Open an IPSC Level II Match in Barbados on January 23rd and 24th 2010. For me it was the perfect opportunity to break in a new SA XD(M) .40SW. I placed 4th overall out of a field of 28 competitors and won the class C division.
