Ben Stoeger Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Practical Shooting Budget for 2012 I thought some of you would find it interesting to discuss budgeting for matches. Now is really that time of the year isn’t it? I think it is a good idea to get a handle on this ahead of time so you don't screw yourself and run out of money halfway through the year. I have my budget as an example Practice ammo: .11 cents a round total for bullets, powder, primer. 250 rounds per session (average) 3 sessions per week (average) from April through September. 3000 rounds per month on average for 6 months. 18000 rounds. + an additional 7000 rounds for “training camp” training at about 1000 rounds per day Total 25000 rounds = $2750 Match ammo: 3 cases of Atlanta arms =$825 Equipment/Parts: I need new glasses All mags need new springs Replacement parts for guns Slide glide Cleaning supplies Etc Total about $500 2 Cases of targets + pasters + staples and misc range supplies like that Total $200 Assorted Expenses: Range memberships Fuel to and from practice range (100 round trips at $6 each) Other misc expenses (pro grip, etc) Total $800 Matches: Estimated cost for match fee, fuel, airline costs, food, hotel, etc Wisconsin Section $300 Minnesota Section $300 Illinois Section $400 Ohio Section $500 Area 3 $500 Area 5 $500 IPSC Nationals $700 USPSA Nationals $1000 All fees are estimates basted on past experience: Match Total: $4300 Total Estimated 2012 Cost: $9375 What a kick in the nuts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronEqualizer Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 No local matches again huh?? That could really add to the cost if you shoot a local a few times a month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydiver Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Good points about planning ahead. (Kind of interesting to see this in the heels of the Sponsored Shooter threads from the previous weeks. A sponsorship may sound nice after seeing the big price tag.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Stoeger Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 Good points about planning ahead. (Kind of interesting to see this in the heels of the Sponsored Shooter threads from the previous weeks. A sponsorship may sound nice after seeing the big price tag.) It may sound nice... but I am not interested in chasing that. There is money to be made teaching classes or working extra hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Stoeger Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 No local matches again huh?? That could really add to the cost if you shoot a local a few times a month. Yeah local matches do add up fast! I am not a big fan of shooting them all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingchef Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 If I added up all my expenses for shooting, not including the new gun I buy every year. It's scary. So I don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JorDanO Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 If I added up all my expenses for shooting, not including the new gun I buy every year. It's scary. So I don't. Yeah I agree. Ignorance is bliss. So is being single. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWFAN Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 What a kick in the nuts! Only if my wife sees this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Total Estimated 2012 Cost: $9375 What a kick in the nuts! No honey, I don't spend anywhere near that much. Ben is really good. Besides I'd rather spend it on you anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Springer Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah... I'm gonna have to stick to your daily 15 minute drill. My wife would bury me in the back yard if I brought her that budget even as a JOKE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonovanM Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Ben, tell me about match ammo vs. practice ammo? Why don't you load your own match ammo? It must be loaded almost exactly the same anyway, so just curious. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Stoeger Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Ben, tell me about match ammo vs. practice ammo? Why don't you load your own match ammo? It must be loaded almost exactly the same anyway, so just curious. Thanks. Because if it is professionally loaded I don't need to worry about having an issue with it. =) Nobody else wants to take a look at their own budget for the year? I think mine is pretty typical of a lot of guys actually. I can't imagine what the guys shooting 30 majors a year spend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rentcollector Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Alright Ben, here's my budget.... *10,000 practice ammo @ .09ea= $900 *Match Ammo- $800 *2 trips a week to range to practice from april to october(fuel)= $6x62= $372 *2 local matches per month from Jan to Oct $45ea= $900 *Wounded Warrior Match= $800 *Area 5 Match= $800 *Area 3 Match= $800 *Tri State Regional= $800 Total 2012 Budget= $6172?!?! (Oh Lord, I am so dead...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Stoeger Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 See! It is always more than you think it is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joedodge Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 400-500 rds a month for practice and weekly matches alternating 2 practice and 2 fun matches and 1 monthly match some months $100 a month. $240 for weekly and monthly and practice fees at home range I work all major matches i shoot somewere around 3-4 a year so no issue there but food and fun money so say $400 a year for matches Then any misc. parts and trinkets i wish to own and fuel to matches i probably spend somewere around $3000 a year on shooting unless a new gun is purchased terribly small but its a big budget to me man i wont be buying anything for a while the things we do for fun lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhop Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 budget for shooting 2012 Ammo - load my own .13 per round practice - 24k 3 per week x 250 per session x 32 weeks training camp - 7k 7 days 1000 per day major - 3k 10 majors 300 average ammo total - $4420 Equipment - new gun, glasses, mag pouches equipment total - $1350 Practice - range fees, targets, gas, pasters practice total - 500 Matches - plane, car, entry, gas, food FL open - 800 Area 1- 800 GP sectional - 300 Double Tap - 400 Area 5 - 400 Pro-Am - 800 Area 3 - 400 IPSC nats - 700 USPSA nats - 1000 Mo State - 300 Area 2 - 800 Match Total- $6700 overall total $12970 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 What a kick in the nuts! Thus, a very good reason why I quit looking so close at the budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmanP Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I bet if I took the time to add it all up, I would match that number give or take a few grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 What a kick in the nuts! Thus, a very good reason why I quit looking so close at the budget. What's the old saying about only looking about 2-3 steps ahead of you while running a race, instead of looking at the finish line? It can be downright depressing to look at how much money you spend in a single season of shooting USPSA. I'd rather budget week to week, or month to month, than for the whole year. The way I see it .... I'm still going to spend it either way. Actually I can adjust & modify my practice & match budget better on a short term basis than I can on a long term one. If I don't have enough money to attend a major, I can stop shooting so many local matches to offset the cost somewhere. Local matches add up FAST! I usually shoot 3-4 locals a month, and if they have an average rd. count of 125, at $0.10 ea. thats $12.50 for ammo, $15 for match fees, and about $20 for gas (that figure will go up later this year if the tension in the middle east doesn't subside) So let's just say $50 each, so we're talking $200 a month just to shoot LOCALS!!! Of course I sometimes substitute locals as one of my practices for the week. But if I shoot approx. 9 months out of 12, at $200 per mo. that's $1800 just in LOCAL matches (ammo, gas, fees). You can't really count food as a shooting expense, cuz you're going to eat whether you shoot a match that day or not, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWFAN Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I tend to keep a flexible approach like Chris. I did however make a mock budget for my wife of travel and major matches since she's in school and we're working with 1 income instead of 4(we both used to have 2 jobs). That alone was over 3k. I didnt even include costs that I can pay from my "stash". I'll probably be packing a cooler this year to save on eating out. If I run out of money, I have a couple replaceable guns to sell, I can just buy again when my wife is done with school. Buying bullets sucks. 10K Zero's for Bianchi - $1000 15k Whatever I can get for a good price for uspsa/idpa- $1200 Powder. My last 16lbs only cost me $218. Primers - $28/K from a free hazmat special i found. About 25K rounds for $3100. Plus brass probably $150 in brass that I cant scrounge enough of. Matches- Hotel, Gas, Food, Match Fee Louisianna Regional Action Pistol Match - $600 Wounded Warrior - $300 MVSA - $250 AR State - $250 Mo State - $150 (trip to the inlaws, gas doesnt count, no hotel ) Bianchi Cup - $600 (its close and I had $200 in certs to save on entry fee) Area 5 - $500 Area 3 - $500 Probably 2-3 other matches in Sept-November - $700 Ammo - $3100 Matches - $3800 Gear upgrades/replacements - $400 Local Matches estimated 2/week - $800 Total - $8100. Probably pretty conservative. Assumes no major gun issues, and no buying new guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lugnut Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I don't need to do a break down to figure I spend close to $10K/year. That includes an occasional gun or two I usually acquire, misc gun parts, targets, reloading equipment, shooting books/DVDs, magazines, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RammerJammer Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I am a budget analyst for a medium sized government agancy and do my shooting budget the way we to ours. Spend without abandon till the last month. If there is any money left anywhere in the last month then spend it as fast as possible. Seriously though this thread is making me feel really inadequate. I am a 2g a year max guy and I still have some basics I need... like coaching and a clue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Ben, you forgot the IN Sectional And this is really scary. I'm not so sure I want to do the math here with USPSA and some 3-Gun thrown in...yikes!! Interesting that more people have practice and match ammo. I just load up a ton and grab from the same bin whether I am going to the range by myself or traveling for a match. The only difference is that match ammo gets put through a case gauge first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GForceLizard Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 (edited) Gas to/from local matches 3/month * $10 * 8 months = $240 Local Match fees = $125 (I love my range) Training Class with Mike Seeklander = $395 + $200 hotel/gas/food + $150 ammo Match and practice ammo .12 * 10,000 rounds = $1200 Targets and pasters = $50 New belt and mag pouches = $125 Round it up to $2500+ Edited February 3, 2012 by GForceLizard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leewhiskey Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 After reading some of these numbers I started thinking about mine. I'm not sure if I want to add it up. I'm going to spend it anyway so why add more concern over the pathetic state of my bank account. I'm taking the "Ignorance is bliss" option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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