COMO, Miss. (AP) - Putting “defensive shooting” on target for the public, the DeSoto Rifle and Pistol Club plans a Mississippi Showdown match next month in Como in Panola County that will pit top marksmen but also appeal to firearms novices.
This isn’t simple plinking at targets. Match planners design scenes representing situations - which can range from being caught in a convenience store heist or carjacking to a home invasion - where you’re forced into using your gun to defend your life or others.
“Each is designed around a potential real-life scenario with obstacles which the shooter must navigate in the shortest time with the highest accuracy,” said Will Schmied of Hernando, club president.
While some scenarios might arise from planners’ plot lines, many are drawn from incidents reported in the local newspaper and on television. And a life-threatening situation can arise during the most casual everyday errand, says Schmied. During International Defensive Pistol Association matches, a shooter can expect to face several stages, or courses of fire.
“We’ll be hosting 70 of the top shooters from Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama and Texas for a premier IDPA match on July 26,” said Schmied.
Spouse Chris Schmied says “the IDPA has made it the state match, so it’s the championship competition for Mississippi.” The club’s business officer, she operates Mid-South Safety Training with her husband.
Potential participants shouldn’t let the presence of top-caliber competitors keep them from taking part, they assure beginners.
“Our matches are designed so even first-time competitors can safely and enjoyably complete the scenarios,” said Will Schmied. The majority of IDPA competitors, he said, “are concealed-carry permit holders, both male and female.”
“We encourage beginners,” said Chris Schmied.
The match will be held at the DeSoto Rifle and Pistol Club range at 7171 Compress Road in Como. The rain date is Aug. 2.
Entry is free for adults is $65 before July 15 and $75 after July 15, said Chris Schmied. Junior shooters are $20.
She said IDPA membership is required “and you must be currently classified.”
In self-defense match situations, said the Schmieds and IDPA, shooters can find themselves in awkward positions. That’s the challenge: pulling a gun from a glove box to hit targets from inside a car, or jumping up from a bed or reclining chair to grab a gun from a chest or bedside drawer during a home-invasion scenario.
The DeSoto club is one of two groups in the state affiliated with the IDPA, which has 350 affiliated clubs and more than 23,000 members, making it the largest competitive pistol organization in the nation, said the Schmieds.
Chris Schmied, mom of four, including a son in the Navy - is an accomplished markswoman. She holds an enhanced concealed-carry firearm permit from Mississippi, which led her to further training though the National Rifle Association.
She’s qualified as an instructor in the NRA’s “Refuse to Be a Victim” personal safety and danger-awareness program and the First Step Pistol and Basic Pistol programs.
A match can be catching, say the Schmieds.
“Most people are hooked after their first one, and you’ll make new friends,” said Will Schmied.
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Online:
Mississippi Showdown, https://desotogunrange.com
International Defensive Pistol Association, https://www.idpa.com
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Information from: The Commercial Appeal, https://www.commercialappeal.com
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