does it cost money to compete in IPSC events?

Yes it does about 40$ entry fee approx....its the black badge training course you have to take to compete in I.P.S.C..shots that is expensive, about 250$ for 2 days and about 600 rounds of ammo...you can shoot I.D.P.A. with out any training but I strongly sujest you take the training.....It is for your saftey and benefit as well as the other competitors around you...

can you only do the actualy events? or is there anywhere that you can just go for a day and practice the skills that you would use in the event?

Monday evenings at shooters edge[ except the Monday] after a shoot a group practices at shooters edge in Calgary...but I still recommend taking the Black Badge course....Just show up watch and learn and they will teach and let you join in.....But again take the course it is a excellent course to learn basic hand gun skills and proper saftey edict

We have a number of weapons. I'm very taken with my short barrel lever action marlin in .357. Very accurate at short range and very cheap to shoot. I know we need to add a shotgun and a real rifle. I'm very interested in that $75 Chinese model...and will have to pop into Milarm to take a look.

I'm very comfortable with handguns, Black Badge etc, but I know very little about shotguns and rifles. Is there a course somewhere in the greater Edmonton area that could help me understand the basics?

Thank you in advance....

David

I recomended this to someone today after a long discussion aboiut them being a new shooter.
Don't buy cheap junk. Many folks will preach the SKS and Mossberg 500 which are inexpensive and can be fed cheap ammo.
If you are getting into a rifle and shotgun for the first time, keep it simple.
A Remington 7600 pump action rifle chambered in 308 Winchester. Not expensive and accurate enough to 600 yards.
A Remington 870 Combo. 12 Guage with a 30 inch ribbed barrel and a 20 inch smooth slug barrel.
Both feel and operate the exact same way and are reliable.
Yes you will spend a little more than the above examples, but confidence is priceless.

If you are buying a 'real' rifle I would recommend you look at getting one you can hunt with. And you definately need to consider the cost and availability of ammo. The SKS is fun, but not terribly accurate. Cheap to shoot, though.

I would suggest a bolt action by Marlin or Savage in .308 (which you can get surplus ammo for, as it is the same cartridge as 7.62x51 which you can get in military surplus ammo). Surplus ammo, however, is non-frangible (non-expanding) and not legal to hunt with. You will need real hunting ammo for it.

It is possible to get hunting ammo for the SKS, but I have only seen it at Cabela's, and for a prepper one source for your needs is not a good idea. A .308 will do for any beast in Canada, as will many others. I shoot a .270 Win, but in hindsight I would have chosen a .308 just for the surplus ammo. There is some debate over using 7.62x51 in .308 hunting rifles, because military's follow their own rules for how much powder they put in their cartridges, but I think it's all theoretical, with no actual negative results. You could alternatively get a Norinco M305 (in 7.62x51) which is engineered for military loads, and would be just fine for hunting loads in .308.

Anyways, just my 2 cents. Any firearm needs fuel (ammo) and if you have one chambered in some wacky load that's hard to find, you might find out that your rifle is a just a really expensive club.

I am curious: is a bolt action considered an impediment in tactical use? It seems to my admittedly uneducated mind that a semi auto would be a better option. Thoughts? Thank you qm for the information on the 870. I'm going to look into it.

Thank you salix for the recommendation. What I know about hunting right now would rattle in a peanut. But it's a good option to keep open.

David

One thing to always keep in mind... in every discussion and in every decision YOU ultimately make is... what is YOUR purpose or end use for the tool? Secondly you can discuss theory till the cows come home... but.. with your level of skill... and projected level of skill... can you make use of a rifle that is accurate out to 1000 meters. It always sounds impressive... but at the end of the day the majority of "action" you are going to see.. either hunting or SHTF will be within 200 meters.

I like things simple and easy...so happy to just get my Ruger 10/22 and because I have trouble with a shotgun I am picking up a 4/10 next payday...I like it alot!

Good discussion here.

Ruger 10/22's , I have four, one for each member of our family. Never had a single issue with either of them. Get the Butler creek 25-round magazines along with the hopper fed speed loader and you will be set. Super accurate and a ton of fun for the money.

I just shot a Defensive/Tactical match (IDPA) yesterday. It is geared towards a 'run what you brung' philosophy because we don't all wear six magazine holders around. These clubs usually have introductory classes on how to use your own gear in the scenarios they mock up with props.

An IPSC Black Badge is not required for IDPA matches but you better know how to safely draw/holster & do a magazine change or you will not be allowed on the range.

YouTube videos on these techniques are out there.

308 rifles are a perfect common calibre to buy as every place that sells ammo has some 308.

My son's expensive Tikka bolt action 308 is very precise and has had trouble locking the bolt with 1 out of 100 rounds.

My friends very expensive AR10 can only feed the very expensive 308 ammo and will not feed the 7.62x51 at all.

Whereas the M305 (M14 Chinese clone) is a little looser and will eat up all the bulk mil spec 7.62x51 or 308 you can throw at it.

In yesterday's match, there were four M305/M14's running factory iron sights that performed very well.

My shotgun of choice is a Mossberg 500(C)ombat 20ga (Has a 'master key' muzzle) for my wife and I run the extra heavy Mossberg 590/A1 12ga. Just google both of those for the details. Extremely reliable. A Side Saddle on both allow me to choose my ammo. From Non-lethal rubber rounds to buck shot and magnum slugs.

Many guys were running shotguns they grew up bird hunting with.

Anyone can buy a car but that does not mean they can drive.

If you own a firearms and proclaim it is for protection, then get training!

Magic fella,
I don't think a bolt action is an impediment, necessarily. You have to remember all the bolt action hunting rifles of today are copies of the tactical rifles (like the Mausers) of the First World War. Especially in Canada, where any rifle is limited to 5 cartridges in the mag, there is not an enormous amount of improvement of bolt over semi-auto. It is able to fire faster, and that could be an advantage. On the other hand, bolt actions are near to impossible to jam and screw up on you. The number of jams on semi-autos are legend, depending on who you talk to. If you want a semi-auto, the Norinco M305 will run you about $400 plus change and it comes in .308/7.62x51 (which you can get surplus ammo for fairly cheaply and easily).

quietman, good advice, nice to have similar platforms, and the 870 is of course the benchmark for current manufacture shotguns, though if you could find a Model 12 in good shape they remain the best IMHO.

Igsbrooks, the one thing rimfires like the 10/22 have going for them is the no-limit on magazine capacity (like 25 round mags, or even 50 round drums, which to me are clunky, prone to break and a waste of money - better to have two 25 round mags than one 50) that could send a lot of gophers to the sky in a hurry. And the ammo is cheap. I am meaning to get one, but for now content myself with my cowboy lever action 94/22.

The Alberta redneck gun trilogy consists of a rifle, a shotgun & a .22. That will cover pretty much all your bases, for any game from small to big, birds & beasts.

I read a very excellent quote from a gentleman who lived through the Egypt riots as an expat foreigner, who said "The best firearm is the one you have when you need it." Any gun is a good gun when the chips are on the line, I guess. This guy toted a shotgun in full daylight to the grocery store, which none of the police seemed to mind, and was grateful for it.

I like things simple and easy...so happy to just get my Ruger 10/22 and because I have trouble with a shotgun I am picking up a 4/10 next payday...I like it alot!

Shells are pricey for the .410, though. A 20 gauge might be comparable in recoil, and is a lot cheaper to shoot. But then I don't buy premium gasoline either. I'm kind of cheap that way. 😎

Have 2 25 mags for the Ruger, took a friends out to practice before deciding that was what I wanted...it was...I really hate the recoil of a shotgun...I know sounds wimpy, but I am a grandmother..no spring chick anymore and not as tough as I once was...hubby recommended the 410

Just a suggestion. Before you get the .410 have you tried reduced recoil 12 guage shells... or... a semi auto. The action on a semi absorbs a lot of the recoil as opposed to a pump. Semi's are basically one of 2 action types. Gas operated or recoil operated. Recoil or inertia types have very low failure rates. Be better ultimately to have one type of shotgun caliber as opposed to 2.

For those that want a shotgun but don't enjoy the recoil, there is the Beretta Xtrema2. This shotty was designed specifically for reduced recoil.

It has amazing features and can shoot low-recoil 2-3/4", all the way up to 3-1/2" magnum slugs.

I shot one this weekend and it was a dream to shoot. It is about $1600 at Cabellas Canada.