How long do the matches at your local club take?

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lreiner26
Posts: 61
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 9:14 pm
Location: Cincinnati

How long do the matches at your local club take?

Post by lreiner26 »

I recently got a taste of practical shooting and am looking for a few local matches to try out in southwest Ohio. I'd like to try both IDPA and UPSPA (or anything in that same vein), but I'm curious about how late these matches go. Anyone here go to Clinton County or Miami Rifle Pistol or somewhere else in the general area? I can definitely dedicate a full morning on a weekend day, but anything much later than 1 or 2 would be pushing it for my schedule...

Thanks in advance for your input!
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Brian D.
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 8:42 pm
Location: SW Ohio

Re: How long do the matches at your local club take?

Post by Brian D. »

The amount of time you listed for yourself should be fine in most cases assuming a few things:

--The match gets under way on time

--The courses of fire are not overly complex with regard to both shooting and running them

--The other shooters are helpful with target pasting, resetting, etc.

--The crowd isn't much larger than anticipated

The IDPA classifier match seems to take a long time to complete; many in that sport feel the course is overly complicated and hard to get everybody through in a timely way. Always seemed to me that it should be cut back from 90 to about 50 or 60 rounds.
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Dave Shooter
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Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2014 1:24 pm
Location: Bellefontaine OH

Re: How long do the matches at your local club take?

Post by Dave Shooter »

A rule of thumb for club matches is an hour per stage. If they say they'll start at 10 and shoot 4 stages figure finishing by 2.

My advice would be to show up early--like 2 hours before start. Offer to help with setup; labor is ALWAYS appreciated. Help set steel, tape targets, and learn how to score. That way you've done your part to help get the match started on time and flowing. And you won't have to feel guilty if you have to leave before teardown or ask your squad mates if you can shoot first on last stage.
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lreiner26
Posts: 61
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 9:14 pm
Location: Cincinnati

Re: How long do the matches at your local club take?

Post by lreiner26 »

That's great info, guys. Thank you.
"Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."
Major General James Mattis
United States Marine Corps
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