If you’re new to competition shooting and you live near the Fort Worth area, this article will help you get started now. If you are interested in action shooting for fun, sport, comradeship, practice, or improvement then get ready to have some fun!
Cross Timbers Action Shooting Association is an action shooting club that offers its own, optional, membership for $36 a year. This gives you voting rights in club official matters (mostly elections) and a discount for every match. We do not own a range or offer range memberships. We hold our matches at a few different partner facilities.
Cross Timbers started out as an IDPA shooting club and as we’ve grown we began participating in many other shooting sports. Like any new shooter, we focused on one sport until we got “good” at it and then we started trying the others. This article will suggest that you take the same approach.
As you’ll see by visiting the IDPA website, IDPA is an international organization that focuses on the use of practical equipment including service ammunition to solve simulated “real world” self-defense scenarios using practical handguns and holsters that are suitable for self-defense use. The main goal is to test the skill and ability of an individual.
IDPA was created around defensive firearm skills and is focused on things like: using cover while shooting, drawing from a concealed belt holster (wear a button up shirt or vest or whatever works for you), reloading, engaging targets while “slicing the pie,” and related skills. Often you can find yourself shooting while moving forward, sideways, backwards, leaning around cover, and kneeling, all in the same match!
Because IDPA restricts the kind of equipment that can be used, it’s easy to get started with what you already own. You will need a gun, a belt holster, three magazines, and 100-200 rounds, depending on the match. A mag pouch to hold two mags on your belt would be nice but your pockets could work for now. If you only have two magazines, we could make it work for the match at hand, so don’t let that stop you from coming out and trying action shooting. Ultimately three magazines will be needed for IDPA. Please be aware that no bare lead or steel core bullets are allowed at any of our indoor ranges.
We are happy to have you come out and try the sport free of club fees for the first time. After your third IDPA match, we do require that all IDPA match attendees acquire an IDPA membership to participate. Join IDPA here.
To get started now, just come to one of our matches. You don’t even have to shoot, just show up, sign a waiver and check it out.
You will need to attend a 30 minute safety briefing before you shoot your first match. Please arrive 30-45 minutes before match time so we can get that done before the scheduled match time.
For further details on match dates, directions and times please visit our Match Calender.
There is a LOT more that you can only learn by showing up! You can even just come and observe a match if you’d like.
This group of people is more than happy to help anyone interested in the sport and we’ll advise you as much as you need.
Once you get to the range, you’ll notice we have a strong focus on safety and that we take it very seriously. You will need to be very aware of your muzzle (Where is it pointing at ALL times) and aware of your finger being off the trigger while doing anything but shooting at a target. All of this will be covered in your new shooter briefing. This is why you are required to show up early for your first match.
Hope to see you soon. Stay safe and then have fun!