I started out as an IDPA shooter and loved it, for the most part, UNTIL I tried USPSA. The biggest issue with IDPA is the ridiculous rules and the subjective interpretation of them by the SO's! You hear the stage description, figure that if you do a tac load here, you can shave some time so you ask the SO just to be sure and you get told that wasn't in the "spirit of the game". In reality, it was poor stage design so they crush your creativity. In my humble opinion, the better shooters are found in USPSA. That being said, my very favorite sport ProAm. USPSA style course and so much steel!
I don't know who did that, but they must have been listening in on a few conversations I had while shooting IDPA. It was a great idea until the 'competitors' got to handicapping it.
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Yes, in USPSA you can be more creative, you can choose to left OR right first!
Seriously, stage design will make or break any dynamic gun game. A lot of people complain about "all the IDPA rules". In fact, the IDPA rulebook is 82 pages and the USPSA rulebook is 105. The IDPA rulebook suffers from poor organization and a few seemingly "un-tactical" rules. Some of the most complained about rules stem from an attempt to make it easier for the SO to officiate Vickers count stages. Others are an attempt to keep IDPA from becoming USPSA, which is a natural progression.
As for the "better" shooters being in USPSA, only to a point. There are a lot of top shooters like Bob Vogel in IDPA AND USPSA. USPSA tends to focus more on pure shooting and IDPA tends to focus on additional requirements. Neither gun game is bad and it's all trigger time. IDPA will appeal more to some and USPSA more to others. It's all dependent on what shooting style you prefer.
