The Best Shot Timers for IDPA Competitions
So you’re into IDPA and looking for a new shot timer, huh? Well you’re in luck because we did the hard work for you in comparing different shot timers and found the best of the best.
IDPA competitions are so much fun, both for the participants and the crowd. Having a good shot timer can help you improve your reaction times and draw speeds drastically, leading to better scores.
Shot timers aren’t just for IDPA competitors, they can also be used in many indoor and outdoor shooting ranges across the country and can really help you reach a good medium between draw speed and shot accuracy if you practice with them.
Let’s take a look at what we found to be the best shot timers for IDPA competition and the average shooter looking to improve.
PACT Club Shot Timer 3
The old shooting club favorite in its latest form. Beep volume? Think smoke detector. This timer is loud, so loud that it has a tendency of picking up its own beeps as gun shots. This seems to happen after owning it for a couple of months. You will eventually need to adjust the sensitivity, which the company urges against.
Ease of use is probably this shot timer’s biggest asset. The simple layout makes it a breeze to set up. The biggest downside on this one is that it doesn’t have any built-in features to adjust the sensitivity, just a screw with no label. Not a problem for most tinkerers.
Pocket Pro II by Competition Electronics
The latest from Competition Electronics. This shot timer is perfect for IDPA, LEO training, or making the most of your time at the shooting range. It features a ten-minute automatic shut off, 20 hours of battery life on a single 9V, and a 99 shot counter.
The timer boasts large buttons, easy-to-read display, and a solid fit large hands. If you break out the 22 for a session, or are close to other shooters, the default settings aren’t going to work for you, but sensitivity adjustment is available on a scale of 1 to 14.
The battery compartment isn’t padded, so the 9V will rattle around until you find something to cushion it. A little Velcro wrap does the trick for most.
The plastic case leaves a little to be desired, I wouldn’t want to drop it on concrete. But overall, this is a solid shot timer all others could be measured against.
CED7000 Shot Timer
Small form factor reminiscent of the old Ipods, easy to use interface, rechargeable battery, and it comes with a neck lanyard. It’s also available in several different colors, if you have a preference. This shot timer is compact and ready to record your shooting sessions and get you on the fast track to improving performance or training for IDPA.
The CED7000 has a wide range of features: illuminated display, silent mode, countdowns, PAR times, etc. A few people have experienced problems with the rechargeable batteries, but that seems to be a sporadic issue. The CED7000 is a name that comes up frequently, especially when a shooter tries another timer and then decides to go back to their old, trusty CED7000.
Original Pocket Pro Shot Timer
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Surprisingly, despite its age, the original Pocket Pro is still carried in the waistband of a lot of range shooters. This humble little shot timer refuses to go away. The beeps are loud enough to hear through your ear-pro, without annoying the guys next to you. It’s simple, elegant, and looks like a 90’s style pager.
For 120 bucks, this is a great value. Durable, long-life, and if you need any help with it, there should be a hundred guys on your favorite gun forum who have used it. There’s something to be said about a piece of technology that worked right from the word “go,” and continues to have a significant market share.