What you get for the match fee

[Chapo]

Up to this point I’ve been shooting monthly at my local club local matches. Now, I’m about to register for a state match and the fee is $220!!! My question is, what do you get for you money asides from meeting pro shooters and the camaraderie? I know they offer food on this one. 

[dapribek]

Food, sometimes, more elaborate stages, sometimes a prize table. I enjoyed the big matches I shot when I was younger. 

[RJH]

Also staff for each stage. That don't mean setters though 

[Zachjet]

I’ve shot one lvl 2 match and we got bag with all kinds of stuff.  I got a box of 9mm from a local company. Got a monogrammed towel. And each stage had 3 or more staff to score and help speed up resetting the stages that were more intricate then our regular monthly matches….

[Chapo]

Cool. I’m looking forward to mine. Another thing, are match jerseys available for sale?

[davsco]

honestly on a pure cost per round basis i don't think it's worth it.  mostly the shooters are still resetting just like at locals.  some throw in a good lunch.  more stages, more elaborate stages.  some have random draws for a gun or two etc.  t-shirt.  i've done some, just for something different, get a lot of shooting in.  it is cool seeing some of the top shooters hose down some stages.  you def should at least try one to judge for yourself.

[Johnny_Chimpo]

2 hours ago, Chapo said:

My question is, what do you get for you money asides from meeting pro shooters and the camaraderie?

 

The challenge.  I go for stages that are going to challenge me in ways that most level 1 matches don't. 

 

BTW I'd say 95% of the people in this sport are 100% amateurs.  Many of them are very good amateurs.  Some are world class shooters, but they're amateurs.

 

Very, very few professionals in this sport.  By professionals I mean people who make a living at it.  Most of the outstanding shooters you will see have day jobs to pay for it all.

Edited December 3, 2022 by Johnny_Chimpo

[GJM]

It takes a tremendous amount of work to set up and run one of these matches, so I would say you also get the satisfaction of supporting the club that made the match happen. 

[Dirty_J]

You get better competition. Maybe a random draw prize. You might get a classification score out of it. 
 

State level matches don’t typically offer “better” stages… unless you’ll local is especially bad.

 

They often don’t have an actual prize table (I’ve won many level 2’s and gotten nothing more than a plaque). Most sponsor donations goto pay staff… so the MD can offset costs and reduce actual cash expenditures. 

 

As with most hobbies and luxuries in life… if you calculate ROI… you’ll often be left scratching your head. 
 

Go shoot the match. Decide if the juice is worth the squeeze for you. 

Edited December 3, 2022 by Dirty_J

[rowdyb]

You don't get anything you'd pay $220 bucks for if you think about it in comparative costs. 

But if you think as an opportunity you usually get a match experience worth at least 4 to 6 local matches. Especially if you are new and want to be competitive. 

You'll only learn so much, and depending on your local club maybe not much at all, but you definitely learn more at bigger, better matches. 

[Johnny_Chimpo]

15 hours ago, Chapo said:

what do you get for you money

 

Now that most level 2 matches are 10 - 12 stages in one day, you also learn how to manage your energy, stamina, gear, and mindset through a more demanding day than your typical level 1 match.

[motosapiens]

$220 seems like alot for a state match. I would hope for that much they had a pretty good prize table along with lunch and well-built stages and quality RO's.

 

we have a decent prize table and well-built stages and quality RO's for our state match and it's only $115, but i think you have to buy your own lunch.

[mscott]

Look at the big matches kind of like deer hunting. There’s no way anybody saves enough money on their grocery bill to justify the money spent chasing deer or other game. The big matches are similar as you are still just shooting cardboard and steel targets however there is certainly more work that goes into running them compared to a $20 match and the stages will likely be more challenging. Don’t worry about the few extra dollars spent and enjoy yourself.

[Chapo]

Thanks!!

[broadside72]

Think of it like a raffle to help support the hosting club/range and it comes with a good match (hopefully) with 2-3x the number of usual stages, a lunch, maybe a shirt and small swag bag just for entering. The raffle could be for some nice things like guns, presses, product certs, etc. 

 

 

[SufferInSilence]

The bigger matches draw in more people, need more space, newer fresher resources, manpower, additional facilities (porta potties etc) all which can constrain the resources of a local club which is likely handling much if the venue.   
So, the bigger logistics simply require additional resources.  I’ve seen level 2 and up matches become really elaborate with stages and festivities etc.  
Plus the fee tends to weed out some.  So you know you are “typically” shooting against a more premium group of shooters.  You’ll learn a lot at these matches.  

[Skeeter44]

On 12/5/2022 at 3:35 PM, mscott said:

Look at the big matches kind of like deer hunting. There’s no way anybody saves enough money on their grocery bill to justify the money spent chasing deer or other game. The big matches are similar as you are still just shooting cardboard and steel targets however there is certainly more work that goes into running them compared to a $20 match and the stages will likely be more challenging. Don’t worry about the few extra dollars spent and enjoy yourself.

Exactly how I view it. We are here for a good time… go shoot the big matches and enjoy yourself!!

[scroadkill]

Well.. compared to your locals its usually ALL really good stages with plenty of gimmicks to make it interesting, everything tweaked and polished, and as a result more challenging.  All the serious shooters in the area will be there... so its like a homecoming.. and its a chance to see how you stack up again the folks in your division and class and against some of the big dogs. 

220 seems a bit much though. 

I design stages for my local matches.. and one rule I follow is to keep things easy to set up and tear down because Ill likely be there doing the work - sometimes solo. So, a bit lazy/practical.

Good Level 2 stages usually aren't lazy.

[X5SigChris]

So I’ve never shot a USPSA lvl 2 yet. I have however shot a lvl 2 steel challenge. Even something as small as that was a test (for me) on managing energy. It was a longer day that I was used to and simply more dragging gear around. 
 

what I personally got out of that was the experience of seeing and talking to vendors (even got to shoot bill dudas nemesis). I also met one of the coolest dudes who became a good friend of mine who turned out to be a GM that’s helped me a lot. 
 

all in all, I hope that experience carries over in the USPSA side as I have five planned this year. Lol. I think the challenge will be worth it. 

[Chapo]

Thanks

[motosapiens]

On 1/4/2023 at 7:20 PM, X5SigChris said:

So I’ve never shot a USPSA lvl 2 yet. I have however shot a lvl 2 steel challenge. Even something as small as that was a test (for me) on managing energy. It was a longer day that I was used to and simply more dragging gear around. 
 

what I personally got out of that was the experience of seeing and talking to vendors (even got to shoot bill dudas nemesis). I also met one of the coolest dudes who became a good friend of mine who turned out to be a GM that’s helped me a lot. 
 

all in all, I hope that experience carries over in the USPSA side as I have five planned this year. Lol. I think the challenge will be worth it. 

in my opinion and experience, big uspsa matches are MUCH more fun and interesting than big steel matches, mostly because the stages are always different, so you need to plan some time to examine the stages and think about them before the match. I would budget half a day before the match starts (like during staff shoot, so you can observe any movers), and then if it is a multi-day match, plan to spend an hour after each day looking at the next day's stages again.

[X5SigChris]

@motosapiens I’m slotted for at least two major USPSA matches this year. I’m hoping I can get to both early enough to walk the stages. The little kids keep me from being able to go a day earlier. So I hope a few hours will be enough. 

[broadside72]

17 hours ago, X5SigChris said:

@motosapiens I’m slotted for at least two major USPSA matches this year. I’m hoping I can get to both early enough to walk the stages. The little kids keep me from being able to go a day earlier. So I hope a few hours will be enough. 

You need to check the matchbook or ask the MD when the range is open for inspection. it might not open early enough the day of to get all your initial walk throughs in. If it is a two match then maybe you can get the first stages in just before, then hit the second day's stages after you finish the first day.

[Racinready300ex]

It really depends, better more elaborate stages. But I know club matches that have stages on par with majors. Usually more stages, but again I know of some clubs that do 8-10 stage club matches. More heat, but really you'll see a lot of the same guys at a sectional. Area matches tend to bring people from farther away. But you never know, sometimes you'll see the big dogs at a random state match because they're in town for a class or something.

 

Maybe you get lunch, maybe you don't. Even if it's included I usually don't want to eat a big plate of BBQ in the summer when I'm running around. There will probably be a prize table, but last year I shot several majors and didn't win anything, so don't count on that. 

 

Most of the time there is free water on the stages, but not always. 

 

I just go because it's fun and I get to shoot more stages with my friends.