How much does our sport really cost you?

[RammerJammer]

Don't forget about the indirect costs of gas for the vehicles, vehicle maintenance for all the extra miles driving to and from matches, food costs for going to matches, hotels, and of course, if your family doesn't shoot, time away from them.

It's still cheaper and more rewarding than hunting for bigfoot or drinking and driving.

[motosapiens]

Don't forget about the indirect costs of gas for the vehicles, vehicle maintenance for all the extra miles driving to and from matches, food costs for going to matches, hotels, and of course, if your family doesn't shoot, time away from them.

Good point, that's another way that shooting is MUCH cheaper. I can drive my econo-car instead of my truck, I can work big matches and get free entry and/or hotel. If I keep shooting, I'm gonna be RICH!!

[gemcityshooter]

To put another twist on the topic, what about MD's? If your time put into a match weekend has value, what is that time worth?

[bikerburgess]

To put another twist on the topic, what about MD's? If your time put into a match weekend has value, what is that time worth?

I dont want to know and I hope my wife ever tries to figure it out.

as for what it costs me in $ to shoot a year I don't know that either and go out of my way to not know. I like to seperate buying components from using them so I don't go to a match and think every target is going to cost $.28 if I dont miss it kind of takes the fun out of it for me.

Mike

[kevin c]

It's worth noting that some (most?) of us might still be spending significant amounts of cash on guns and shooting annually, because some folks just like shooting, and collecting. That should NOT be added to the annual expense of competing

Edited June 24, 2013 by kevin c

[CHA-LEE]

Its never valid to try to analyze the cost of a particular hobby/sport verses doing nothing. Of course doing ANY hobby is going to cost more than doing nothing. I also think that the travel and time expenses are a wash. No matter what hobby you are doing you will need to travel for it and spend time doing it. When you take out all of the common expenses that would apply to any hobby, shooting USPSA is a relatively inexpensive hobby to participate in. Especially when you compare them to other highly competitive "Racing" hobbies.

If your hobby expenses are kept in check with your overall budget does it really matter how much in exact $$$ you spend on it annually? Spend what your budget allows, have fun, and be safe. Its as simple as that.

[atbarr]

I shoot, I have fun, I don't care.

[Jaxshooter]

It basically comes down to : If you have to worry about what you are spending on this sport or any other you probably can't afford it.

[thermobollocks]

I basically allocate a fixed amount of fun money per month. Maybe it turns into a few boxes of lead. Maybe it turns into a case of primers. Who knows? With current going rates on primers, I'm looking at about $125 per thousand on lead 9mm, and $180 per thousand on lead .45 ACP major. Not bad -- I'd say my component costs aren't even up by a quarter.

I also shoot production, revolver, and 3-gun scrub division (meaning I haven't even had to rebarrel my AR yet and just run my prod gun to capacity), rather than some of the divisions that lean heavier on gear.

It turns out that I get to shoot about 1500 centerfire rounds a month when I'm keeping myself busy, and add about 500 of rimfire on top of that so I don't get bored. I haven't done 3-gun regularly enough to estimate well about rifle/shotgun ammo costs, but bang for bang, it's definitely more expensive.

[MoNsTeR]

Doing some rough napkin math, maybe $4000 a year including only consumables, match fees, and gas. That's for ~39 matches in 2012, counting the local big matches as 2 each, and nationals as 3. Probably a slight underestimate since nats involved a hotel stay and an abnormally large amount of gas. It would be much more if I practiced worth a damn.

Guns and much of the other gear, as others have pointed out, hold their value and should be looked at as depreciating assets rather than simple expenses.

The interesting thing to me is how large the periodic costs are relative to the up-front costs. It ultimately doesn't cost much more to shoot Open than Production (and in fact it can cost less to shoot Open than Limited).

[StraightUp_OG]

The enjoyment far out weights the cost for me so I have no need to tally. I will say since I started doing all of my own machining and gun work the costs have gone down and up at the same time. Building a gun is cheaper but buying tooling is not.

[Bwana Six-Gun]

Like others have said, "If you have to worry about the cost, you probably can't afford it." For me personally, I set X amount aside out of every paycheck and that pays for my shooting, liquor, and other fun stuff. Everything else goes into the "General Fund." When I start tapping the "General Fund", I start cutting back on whatever I need to.

[Ben Stoeger]

So my question to all of you is, how much do you think you spend on our sport a year. If I had to give a number right now, I'll say at least $10K per year. Does that sound reasonable to you? Do you spend more or less?

I spent about 10k last year. It got me about 10 major matches/ammo/travel/etc.

I do things on the cheap though.

If you just shoot like 10 club matches and don't practice a lot you may well spend less than 1k.

[blaster113]

By far the bulk of my annual expenditure is on airfare, hotels, match fees for major matches. Probably 75% or more. I make it a point to hit at least two majors a year, this year I'm going to hit two Area matches (already went to Area 1) and back to back at the Nationals. I figure I burn anywhere from $100-$200 a month on the high side on club matches and ammo. The component shortage put a damper on things. Wifey gets real grouchy when I tell her about the majors I've lined up for the year, but funny how she doesnt bitch if shes going with me haha. It costs me approximately $500 in airfare alone just to get my closest majors anywhere in Area 1.

Shooting in majors is what keeps me going. Monthly club matches and practice here and there are the filler before the next major.

off the top of my head I'd say I spend about $4000 a year total on travel, match fees, and ammo (not including any new guns).

Edited June 25, 2013 by blaster113

[EEH]

I shoot, I have fun, I don't care.

At our age who gives a sh??? Right

[ctay]

Shooting is cheap compared to other high end narcotics.

I probably spend around $3500 a year.

[GeraldMeharry]

Glock pro- 900$

Single stack- 1000$

Glock open build - $$$ im giving up

Reloaded 650- 1200$

4-5 grand damn that's crazy

[Rotorwrench]

So this explains why I have the crappiest yard in the neighborhood. Something had to be sacrificed.

[shopgun]

I am 69 . I can still shoot. Cost means nothing.

[BobS761]

I shoot, I have fun, I don't care.

What he said! As long as there is milk in the fridge, I'm golden.

[calvinc78]

The only time I count up the cost of shooting and buying guns and bullets is when I'm lieing to my wife.... lol

[BillChunn]

It's cheaper than some of the other "hobbies" in my checkered past. Nitro methane is north of $25 a gallon. You don't want to know how many gallons you go through in a typical weekend of racing a topfuel bike. In just consumables (tires, oil, fuel, plugs, etc.) it's about $650 per pass, each of which lasts about 6 seconds.

BC

[dafdov368]

I spend a LOT less than I did when racing motorcycles, in terms of equipment, consumables, travel, etc... Since I retired from racing motos and took up shooting about 18 months ago, I have more money and time than I ever used to.

I personally don't see any need to have a gun for every division. I only really want to shoot 1 or 2 divisions, and they are cheap (production and L10/singlestack).

Still, I'm sure I'll spend over 5k this year, but that includes a new gun in january and this year's AND next year's ammo components as well.

I totally agree with you, shooting is a whole lot cheaper than motocross, and I'm thankful that I'm done with that sport and onto this one, although I wish I picked this one up from the beginning, like when I started riding when my sponsor was "Dad" and we needed that 42' 5th wheel, 2 bikes/year all the $$ in gas/travel/food.. I would have had one sweet setup for my current shooting sports.

Edited June 27, 2013 by dafdov368

[CocoBolo]

Lot less than a girl friend or a second wife.

[ktm300]

When I started I sold two dirt bikes to create a capital fund for guns, presses, etc. I still have cash in the capital fund and I am losing a lot less value each year compared to the cost of buying a new bike and selling last years for half. I buy and sell a few guns a year but tend to make money not lose it.

I try and shoot every Saturday and if possible get in some weekday practice once or twice a month. A local match is pretty cheep <$100 for everything including gas. When I shoot big matches I tend to work them so sometimes they cost almost nothing, sometimes I end up ahead if I hit it good on the prize table. I know I worked and shot the Florida Open one year and ended up making a couple hundred after I sold the gun.

As hobbies go this one is a lot less than others I have had. I work so I can play. If not for play I would go crazy. That is very expensive.