Watch this video, then read the comments.
I used to shoot IDPA. I won some local matches, but never did well at state. I originally got into IDPA because I wanted to improve my skills in more realistic conditions than simple static targets at a standard range. I liked the shooting, and I liked some of the people. I got to meet some shooting celebrities, including Mas Ayoob.
What I hated were the people who were gaming it. I used to call it “the rules committee.” They would stand there with the rulebook as they disputed and debated nearly every single thing that happened. A couple of them figured out that it was faster to shoot magazines empty by dumping than it was for them to keep partially full mags. They were called on it, and debated for almost ten minutes that IDPA rules only said they have to keep partially full mags, but didn’t prohibit firing extra shots.
It was debates like this, and the ones in comments to the above video, that make shooting not fun. To those people, it isn’t about shooting, it’s about winning. It’s about debating and getting your way. It scares off new shooters who don’t want to deal with the bullshit. It’s tedious. I avoid people like that, so I stopped shooting IDPA almost 20 years ago.
6 Comments
Gerry · December 23, 2025 at 9:47 am
I felt the same way when I quit. Range lawyers can ruin even the best of matches. Then add in IDPA annual rule changes to attract USPSA shooters and you ended up with just shooting a USPSA match with a vest on. Cover, we don’t need no stink en cover!
Don’t get me started on people who won’t help paste targets.
Tom from East Tennessee · December 23, 2025 at 10:04 am
I’m with you on IDPA. I shot it pretty intensely for years but lost interest in it around the time you did. IDPA has some positive points but the gamers finally ruined it. Ironic given that IDPA supposedly rose from USPSA/IPSC in the 90s and people got annoyed at what the gamers did to that. The most stressful thing I think I’ve ever done shooting was to be a club RO for IDPA matches. Almost everyone wants to argue every penalty and then the gamers start an argument on top of that about whether this or that is “tactical”. Never see those guys in a class, just at matches but they’ll argue. It’s a blessed relief to go back to ROing at regular matches like steel matches etc where you don’t need a 100 page rule book
TRX · December 23, 2025 at 7:05 pm
I really wanted to try an IDPA match when I first read about them, but not bad enough to drive several hundred miles to one. They finally came here, and by that time the rules had gotten silly. I missed out on the heydey of three-gun, too. Though after the Coof it looks like the handgul of clubs that are still holding three-gun matches are mostly doing their own thing instead of scrambling for a national association and TV rights.
Charlie · December 23, 2025 at 10:25 am
I’ve been shooting IDPA for the last three years. Yes, it does get tedious when the hair splitters have to contest every little thing. I’ve seen a lot of guys come and go in that time, mostly those who stick around and become regulars are doing this for friendly competition. Twenty five years when I played adult rec league hockey most were there for the fun of it. Then there were the few jerks who thought they were playing for NHL scouts. I meet a lot of great people in both sports but its always the ones hell bent on being a contentious PITA that ruin it for the rest.
Kevin · December 23, 2025 at 2:42 pm
Ditto on IDPA. Currently shooting USPSA with my carry gun for practice. Our club has practice sessions and we switch it up with concealment stages and (marginally) realistic scenarios.
Dan D. · December 24, 2025 at 11:07 am
I dislike most gun guys, the Cat Ladies of the self defense world. Right up there with the MMA pukes ready to twist the head off anyone at the supermarket a la Steven Seagal. And the solar guys who nitpick efficiencies, the latest panel technology, MPPT chargers and cell chemistries. No matter what you’re doing, you’re doing it wrong according to them.
Self reliance is a Type A personality attractor so its no surprise we constantly run into self-proclaimed SMEs at every turn. It does get tiresome.
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