Aglifter Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 There could be a market for a sport, involving shooting - but it would have to be reworked into something more TV friendly. (EG, strongman competitions are, in a way, the "show" version of weightlifting.) You're going to have to rework the sport so that champions look marketable - which means athletes. Combine one of those "ninja warrior" course, w. shooting, and you'd have something much more appealing, visually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 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 one day I will learn.... god, I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 one day I will learn.... Never gonna. Never gonna. Never, never, never gonna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeMartens Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 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. I meant at the shows they attend demoing the product. Yes we all know that Taurus and Sig have been slow to bring their open guns to market Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGus Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 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. Not everyone is shooting in Limited or Open, and even in Limited or Open not everyone is shooting a 2011. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old506 Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 One of my foundational business principles is that the top 10% make 90% of the money. It is the same in selling cars, selling houses, selling guns, anywhere where you have an opportunity for your efforts to be rewarded based on your production, versus punching a time clock. Same thing with USPSA, anyone can make a living at it, there are just a few who have figured out how to do it, and even fewer who are willing to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike g35 Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 I don't know how applicable this is but I have a little story. I was "sponsored" by a small company that builds guns and gun parts. My "job" was to do Internet promotion, help customers with installation, shoot (of course), and do any and everything else I could to promote this company. I was not paid so let's get that outta the way. But I did it because I believed at the time they were the best thing going in their field. After two years of pushing product down people's throats, being constantly harassed by guys running competitors gear, etc. I decided to resign. I actually started shooting a different platform as well but that's a different story. Though I'm not top of the field (closer to the bottom actually) I can tell you that being "sponsored" isn't all its cracked up to be. It sucked every bit of the fun out of shooting and took away the "purity" of the sport. If one thing holds true for shooters it's that we like to try different things. You can't do that if you're supposed to represent a company and there product. If being simply "sponsored" was that bad, I couldn't imagine what it'd be like to get paid by one of the big companies. Shooting is supposed to be something we all enjoy, so go out and enjoy it and don't worry about "getting paid". That's what a job is for. Just my .02. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travtastik Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 I don't know how applicable this is but I have a little story. I was "sponsored" by a small company that builds guns and gun parts. My "job" was to do Internet promotion, help customers with installation, shoot (of course), and do any and everything else I could to promote this company. I was not paid so let's get that outta the way. But I did it because I believed at the time they were the best thing going in their field. After two years of pushing product down people's throats, being constantly harassed by guys running competitors gear, etc. I decided to resign. I actually started shooting a different platform as well but that's a different story. Though I'm not top of the field (closer to the bottom actually) I can tell you that being "sponsored" isn't all its cracked up to be. It sucked every bit of the fun out of shooting and took away the "purity" of the sport. If one thing holds true for shooters it's that we like to try different things. You can't do that if you're supposed to represent a company and there product. If being simply "sponsored" was that bad, I couldn't imagine what it'd be like to get paid by one of the big companies. Shooting is supposed to be something we all enjoy, so go out and enjoy it and don't worry about "getting paid". That's what a job is for. Just my .02. Nailed it. I spent a lot of years being sponsored by some of the biggest names in paintball. It sucked all the fun out of a sport that I loved. Having to "sell" everyone on why they should buy what you use and you really get nothing out of it. Everyone thinks its so great to be sponsored but it can be a bigger hassle then its worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike g35 Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 (edited) I don't know how applicable this is but I have a little story. I was "sponsored" by a small company that builds guns and gun parts. My "job" was to do Internet promotion, help customers with installation, shoot (of course), and do any and everything else I could to promote this company. I was not paid so let's get that outta the way. But I did it because I believed at the time they were the best thing going in their field. After two years of pushing product down people's throats, being constantly harassed by guys running competitors gear, etc. I decided to resign. I actually started shooting a different platform as well but that's a different story. Though I'm not top of the field (closer to the bottom actually) I can tell you that being "sponsored" isn't all its cracked up to be. It sucked every bit of the fun out of shooting and took away the "purity" of the sport. If one thing holds true for shooters it's that we like to try different things. You can't do that if you're supposed to represent a company and there product. If being simply "sponsored" was that bad, I couldn't imagine what it'd be like to get paid by one of the big companies. Shooting is supposed to be something we all enjoy, so go out and enjoy it and don't worry about "getting paid". That's what a job is for. Just my .02.Nailed it. I spent a lot of years being sponsored by some of the biggest names in paintball. It sucked all the fun out of a sport that I loved. Having to "sell" everyone on why they should buy what you use and you really get nothing out of it. Everyone thinks its so great to be sponsored but it can be a bigger hassle then its worth.Exactly. And I'm not knocking being sponsored, but its the type of sponsor you gotta watch. If you are forced to shoot this or that without having the ability to change from your current platform to one that suits your game better then you're forced to shoot with a disadvantage. Talk about something that'll ruin the sport for you, this is it. I'm not knocking what my old sponsor does or builds, but the platform just wasn't for me. I'm alot more relaxed and I am enjoying the sport much more these days. Edited July 4, 2013 by mike g35 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GmanCdp Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 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 AWESOME... I would just like to be on the Wheaties box , rather then the outdated milk carton.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GmanCdp Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Stuck in an airport this year, I had a chance to talk with a pretty well known GM and he said it cost him over 23k last year to travel and shoot.. that was out of his unsponsored part.. He said he has to make the "money matches" to stay playing in this sport and 3gun.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamikaze1a Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 Three words...win Top Shot! $100k, a job in the firearm industry and maybe a host for some shooting show on TV! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a matt Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 That's a thought, I'm sure a lot of GM wouldn't mind being on the show. But that's just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hostetter Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 (edited) It is very difficult to make a living just competing but it is possible to make a living working in the firearms industry where at least a part of your job description is shooting in competitive matches. The key is identifying what your sponsor/employer would consider worth their investment in you. That is almost always a measurable increase in sales, or more importantly, profits. Marketing is always the quick answer and while there is some truth to it, it is usually focused on other competitive shooters and that is the wrong place to look. For a company to have enough non designated income to support a competitive shooter it pretty much has to sell on a national level and the total number of potential customers from the shooting sports is way to small of a demographic. Add to that, especially in USPSA, most shooters are already brand loyal and have most of their equipment so potential sales are very small compared to other markets. The market segment that buys the most product and is the most likely to respond to marketing are the recreational shooters or the newer self defense shooters. Numerically you are comparing millions to thousands, with the millions for the large part looking for an expert they can trust to guide their buying decisions..... you need to position yourself as that expert. If you were really smart you might want to look at adding in house training programs that are designed to specially teach skills but also include hands on product demo's that feature your sponsor's product lines, all of which is geared towards the newer shooters needing the most basic instruction ( not the high speed, low drag, sexy stuff). If you can add to this a background in the technical areas of the business such as manufacturing, design and engineering, and be able to communicate the good and bad things about the product line in a way that easily translates into "engineering/marketing speak" your value goes way up. This is especially true if you are capable of identifying not only the problems but the solutions as well. Now this will mean that at times you will be shooting platforms that you might not prefer, that might not fit you or work the way you want. And there lies the true mark of a pro, to be able to use what you consider to be a sub par platform that is in development, still perform well with it while communicating with engineering and marketing about how to make it better, while promoting it to the public in a manner that enhances your sponsors/employers image but still tells the truth about the product keeping your integrity intact. Finally add to this the willingness to travel constantly, work more hours then anyone should have to, maintain your skills in your spare time so that you can at least finish on the 1st page, and you are perfectly capable of being a pro shooter if you define that as someone who makes a living with a gun. Being a winner, and/or being pretty or photogenic helps, but it is more important to be knowledgable, accessible, friendly, always available for your customers and your employer. It's doable, not nearly as cool as some might imagine, but still better then a real job. Edited July 27, 2013 by Bob Hostetter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amish_rabbi Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 One of the guys in the group of guys i shoot with 2-4 times a week is sponsored, quite heavily for someone in canada as well. Is he a great shooter? Hell yes, he always fights for the win at the canadian ipsc nationals in production. BUT this last year he hasnt been allowed to compete in IPSC at all, zero. Has he lost sponsors? Nope, they are all still with him, and it is because he runs a weekly class that teaches new shooters and brings them into the pistol shooting sports and they need all the gear, usually a gun as well, and reloading equipment, and reloading components... You see where this is going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Round_Gun_Shooter Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 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 I'm still waiting to see "Team Viagra" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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