CompTac Offers New International Defensive Pistol Association Targets: New rules will demand more precision

Comp-Tac Victory Gear, famous for its line of high-efficiency concealed carry and competition holsters is licensed by the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) to produce the association’s new official targets.

IDPA competition is based on scoring high on cardboard silhouette targets and keeping shooting times as low as possible. For 2017, IDPA has changed its targets to foster tougher competition and greater precision in certain competition stages.

While not confirmed, it is suspected by many competitors that this target change was brought about for several reasons. Shooters are getting better, ammunition is better, guns and gear are certainly getting better and it is rumored that IDPA wanted to increase accuracy requirements. This type of target difficulty upgrade has occurred in other shooting sport organizations over the years for pretty much the same rumored reasons.

New IDPA target with tighter (and tougher) scoring ring head box

Until the end of 2016, IDPA targets had a 6-inch square atop their rectangular target called a head box. Shots anywhere in the head box counted as a hit and missing the entire head box on required match segments added 2.5 seconds per missed shot to the shooter’s score (not a good thing).

Starting in January 2017, a 4-inch diameter circle was added inside the head box.* Shots inside this circle count as a hit. Hitting the head box but missing the circle will now add one (1) second per miss. Missing the head box completely now adds a 5-second penalty per miss (really not a good thing).

Currently, ranges using the old targets are outlining a 4-inch circle on the head box with sharpies to follow the new rule; some even use a 4-inch hole cutter to mark (but not cut out) the 4-inch cardboard target area to keep the targets looking close to the real thing. Come September 2017, however, the new target stamped with the 4-inch head box circle will become mandatory and the field-expedient targets will be relegated to practice sessions only.

IDPA-licensed targets produced by Comp-Tac Victory Gear with the new stamped scoring ring in the head box are available in packages of 100, 500 and 1,000 and, as Comp-Tac GM Gordon Carrell explains, “they are shipped freight-added nationwide or can be picked up in person at the company location in Houston to save shipping costs.”

Prices (F.O.B. Houston, Texas):