I love shooting IDPA. Fun & Guns, nice people, safe shooting. But I feel that a stage we shot this week was marginal, safety-wise. Here’s how it was set up in a wet, muddy bay: U shaped “walls” with an opening in the right corner. Start in the center. Shoot position 1 required running back left, drawing and shooting around the left wall. Position 2 was multiple targets at the opening. But position 3 required running back toward the rear and shooting around the right wall. What could go wrong here? Running toward the bystanders while holding your pistol across your chest and pointed to the rear (but not up!) required you to run leading with your right shoulder. Awkward. Trip over your feet and/or lose footing on the mud...fall toward the crowd… Well, it made me nervous. All shooters in my squad performed this stage just fine, thank goodness.

A place I used to shot IDPA has issues when it rains. Mud and whats not mud would be damage if a full match was shot in bad conditions. If the weather turns bad or is expected to be bad they will change to a steel target match. No movement.

It does suck when you want a real IDPA setup but is safer and saves the range from damage.

Did you mention it to those I charge? While not always easy, pointing out a safety concern should be priority one.

I work as MD and SO for my local club matches. We often change a COF to make it safer, many times day of the match, after we walk through it after set up.

Too bad your MD would not do the same for you.

quote:

Originally posted by ffips:
Did you mention it to those I charge? While not always easy, pointing out a safety concern should be priority one.

Yes

Welcome to how we shoot in Seattle matches. Wet and muddy...

I shot a multi gun match once were parts of stages had near ankle deep water. Dropped mags just vanished and the whole squad would have to look for them. Shooting prone in puddles was fun too on a near hypothermic morning.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
I shot a multi gun match once were parts of stages had near ankle deep water. Dropped mags just vanished and the whole squad would have to look for them. Shooting prone in puddles was fun too on a near hypothermic morning.

Man, if I'm shooting to save my life or the life of others I'll happily lay in a puddle of cold water. If I'm paying to shoot a match for fun/practice probably not so much!

Shooting while running backwards is a very standard part of IDPA/USPSA, IME.

Sometimes, while carrying/dragging something.

One thing which has to be remembered, is that competitive shooting, is a sport. If you physically feel you can't shoot a stage, don't. It doesn't hurt anyone, but it is not supposed to be an all-inclusive activity.

so If I am reading you right, the stage had you run toward the bystanders (no barricade) with your pistol pointed rearward by an arm across your body.

That would make me nervous as i try and catch myself when I fall. I would probably accidentally wind up pointing the gun the muzzle toward the crowd as I bought my hands in front of me break my fall.

I shot a stage very similar to what you described, shoot two targets walking towards them and then U around a vinyl “barricade” and engage two targets while walking backwards. It wasn’t until the RSO popped around from behind the vinyl and well in front of my 180 and me flagging him while moving to engage a target, finger on the trigger, that I noticed he wasn’t behind me anymore. I never shot with that group ever again.

Sounds like a standard retreat stage. Problem is there's no tactical/extra safe way to do it. You can drag the gun behind you USPSA/IPSC style, but that's not something you'd do in a real life and death situation.

We do similar things like run up range with a gun pointed at the berm. As long as there are muzzle safe flags it's usually fine. People get DQed, I've been DQed and fallen to the ground with a gun during a stage (though not in the same match). I've seen more than 1 person turn around 360 degrees during a stage with a loaded gun, all kinds of stuff. Luckily, no one has been hurt. I'd still rather do this than stand and shoot paper.

quote:

Originally posted by CD228:
so If I am reading you right, the stage had you run toward the bystanders (no barricade) with your pistol pointed rearward by an arm across your body.

That would make me nervous as i try and catch myself when I fall. I would probably accidentally wind up pointing the gun the muzzle toward the crowd as I bought my hands in front of me break my fall.

Exactly

 
I've fallen once in an IDPA match, and it was shooting while retreating. I was not DQ'd, because I didn't lose control of the gun. Even though I was flat on the ground, the gun was in my hand, pointed downrange, and propped up by my elbow (which had a nice rash after that). The SO took it from me, allowed me to get up and then finish the stage. I did not get a particularly good time for that stage.
 
I agree that shooting while retreating is a necessary part of IDPA, and a good skill to have. It is even part of the Classifier. Retreating while not shooting is awkward, though.