I’ve got dozens of excuses as to why I let more than a year go by since the last time I participated in an IDPA match, but I’m sure y’all don’t want to hear them. Bottom line is I got back out there. This last match was interesting. I’ll start by sharing the gear I used and my scores. Then I’ll close with some takeaways from the match.
| Date | June 20, 2021 |
| Match Type | Local IDPA Match (Level 1) |
| Division / Class | Carry Optics (CO) / Unclassified (UN) |
| Range | Austin Rifle Club |
| Host | Texas Tactical |
| Gun | Heckler & Koch VP9 with a Trijicon RMR |
| Holster | G-Code Incog Eclipse |
| Mag Pouches | Concealment Solutions Venom Single Magazine Carrier x2 |
| Belt | Concealment Solutions 1.5″ Python Gun Belt (Horsehide) |
| Ammo | Blazer Brass 9mm Luger 124gr FMJ |
| Score | 150.28 |
| Standing | Overall: 26 out of 27 Division: 3 out of 3 Division & Class: 2 out of 2 |
I have got to say I was pretty disappointed coming in next to last overall and last in my division when I saw the scores. I wasn’t surprised given I struggled with stage 5 and wasted a lot of time on stage 3, but it was a little disheartening nonetheless. Especially, given the time and money I spent on training last year.
That said things really weren’t as bad as they seemed. How can I say that? I mean coming in next to last looks pretty bad. Well, after beating myself up I decided to plug in my scores into my nifty spreadsheet and updated the chart of my scores over time. The chart tells a different story – my story.
The darker blue line represents my total score. The point farthest to the right is this match’s score which is actually in my personal top three scores. The other thing to notice is that the orange line, that shows point deductions (for hits outside of the A zone), is also in my personal lowest three scores (this is good because a lower number indicates better accuracy).
While the chart may make it seem that all the money and time I spent on training last year didn’t help because there isn’t a notable improvement, there is one minor nuance that suggests otherwise. See one of the things that I took away from Gabe White’s Pistol Shooting Solutions last October was the notion of “running with the top dogs using our everyday carry equipment”. That notion brought me back to my original intent of getting into IDPA, which was to get better and practice with my everyday carry defensive gear. So the nuance here is that this was the first time I not only used my carry gun, but I also used my inside the waistband holster, and ditched the IDPA vest in favor of my everyday t-shirt for concealment. Those are disadvantages I placed on myself and I still managed to perform very closely to my personal best. I’ll take that as a win.
Now it’s up to me to start attending these regularly while I continue to get better. Thankfully, the ammo market has been improving which will make competing while improving more feasible.