Grandmaster Compensation... can you get paid to shoot?

[a matt]

Who else? Ben naturally..lol

[justaute]

Until these shooting entities stop being also-ran, informal, hobby-centric organizations, I doubt any meaningful money can be made. Of course, there are a few exceptions who make money from a combination of sponsorship and training, and who have been in shooting a very long time. There are also a few external factors at play.

Edited May 26, 2013 by justaute

[beltjones]

Until these shooting entities stop being also-ran, informal, hobby-centric organizations, I doubt any meaningful money can be made. Of course, there are a few exceptions who make money from a combination of sponsorship and training, and who have been in shooting a very long time. There are also a few external factors at play.

Agreed 100%. "It's a volunteer sport" is the familiar refrain. However, the decision needs to be made whether the "sport" is run professionally, or run for the enjoyment of one's friends. Too much is left to the discretion of the local MD in level II and higher matches.

[Flexmoney]

When you get a GM card USPSA sends you a check for 100k.

What's the time frame on that? I got my card in February but the check hasn't come yet. Who do I call?

Me. I'll need you account number, and I'll need to withdraw $200 to verify the account. Your check will show up soon after that, from our bank brank in Nigeria.

[a matt]

Good stuff, Kyle. ROFLOL !

[Miranda]

to completely abuse a quote from another forum...

"I got into Shooting for the groupies

I stayed in shooting for the huge financial rewards"

miranda

[BillChunn]

Some of you may recognize the name Jerry Barnhart. Jerry was USPSA National Champion ten times and brought the first red dot optic to an open gun. He was sponsored by Colt and many, many other shooting affiliated organizations. He also markets shooting instruction videos.

Today he is an instructor. He doesn't say where he's going to teach the class, the content or who he teaches but they use equipment like this:

From his website:

The majority of my classes are taught to organizations that put themselves in harms way to keep our country safe and free. Their lives, as well as others, could ultimately depend on their capability to effectively use their marksmanship skills.

There are careers after competitive shooting. You just have to find them.

BC

Edited May 28, 2013 by BillChunn

[lee blackman]

Bet the big money is in shooting classes, instructive videos, books, and nick nack products with your name on them... If USPSA ever had enough public image to pickup endorsements from generic product companies, then you'd probably make a living.

[Flatland Shooter]

Or start a whole new company like Bill Wilson and Chip McCormick.

[JakeMartens]

Rob, Travis, Jessie, Max, Jerry

Are probably the only ones that I can think of that are truely paid to shoot and demo their companies products.

They still do training but not a huge amount.

[MGMorden]

If USPSA ever had enough public image to pickup endorsements from generic product companies, then you'd probably make a living.

That's about what it boils down to. Sponsored shooters are a lot like sponsored competitive fishers - they are marketing products primarily to other competitors, whereas in something like NASCAR they're advertising just about anything to the general public.

When your target audience is that limited, its hard for a sponsor to spend enough money for the sport to be someone's full-time occupation.

[GunBugBit]

We would have to get to a place where competitive shooting is routinely viewed by large crowds in stadiums/arenas. Probably not in the cards.

People with companies making guns, ammo, accessories, etc., are the big money makers.

Making big money just from shooting, don't know that it's being done anywhere.

[Hatchet]

That would really suck the fun out of the sport.

Like professional bass fishing!

[kevin c]

Jerry Barnhart was an electrician, I think, and never made his living from competition exclusively, though the reputation he built as a champion action shooter may have helped him establish his credentials for those he teaches now.

Shooting for sponsors would be a high stress job. Not just your pay but your continued employment would depend on your placement at major matches.

That would really suck the fun out of the sport.

I'll keep my day job. (if I weren't retired.)

Bill

I think Brian and TGO were among the very first in action shooting to be fully sponsored and making a living on the circuit. Our gracious host can and has described his experiences as a professional - it wasn't fun.

Edited June 7, 2013 by kevin c

[kevin c]

Bet the big money is in shooting classes, instructive videos, books, and nick nack products with your name on them...

I remember talking a bit with Matt Burkett. What with air travel, hotel, meal, and other expenses, the tuition collected from those ten or fifteen students for a two or three day course disappears really quick. Or if you have your own permanently located school, you have fixed overhead that is there every month, whether or not the students come.

The millions of bucks will come when millions of people want to see a sport that happens in a nation wide venue where there are billions of advertising/marketing dollars available.

We are too small and too much a niche market even in gun loving America (and some of us actually prefer it that way).

Anyway, the GM's I know got there knowing that there isn't big money in the sport. They put in the sweat and tears because they love what they do and want personally to be the best. They aren't grooming themselves to have an agent, solid gold bling jewelry and the adulation of millions (as far as I know...;-D).

Edited June 7, 2013 by kevin c

[Bryan 45]

I'm a professional shooter, and it only cost me about $10K last year.

[ClutchUSMC]

I'm a professional shooter, and it only cost me about $10K last year.

You need a better accountant!

[pjb45]

Hmmmm, USPSA membership=19,000. ATA membership=175,000? Guess where the money is......membership has a correlation to sponsorship.

[Jaxshooter]

You would also have a hard time making a living shooting trap also.

[RammerJammer]

How much would entry fees be if the top 10 needed to make a living off shooting?

[T Bacus]

Some of you may recognize the name Jerry Barnhart. Jerry was USPSA National Champion ten times and brought the first red dot optic to an open gun.

BC

That is not correct. Jerry was the first to win the US Nationals with a red dot in 1989, but I remember seeing people experimenting with them in early 1988.

Tim

BTW, Jerry was, and I'm sure still is, one hell of a shooter.

[BillChunn]

To make a million dollars by shooting USPSA matches....

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Start with 2 million.

BC

Edited June 10, 2013 by BillChunn

[perrysho]

File or Flush !

Some em hogheaded Hillbillys here in the valley think that one em multi colored "Bill Board" shirts and a ball cap is a sponsorship.

Enough said!!!

Perry

[earthshine402]

Jessie, Max

Are probably the only ones that I can think of that are truely paid to shoot and demo their companies products.

Really? Can you please point me in the direction of a Taurus or SIG 2011? I plan on working A7 at SIG this year, and would love a deal on a SIG 2011.

[Flexmoney]

Jessie, Max

Are probably the only ones that I can think of that are truely paid to shoot and demo their companies products.

Really? Can you please point me in the direction of a Taurus or SIG 2011? I plan on working A7 at SIG this year, and would love a deal on a SIG 2011.

Try