HB of CJ 1,263 Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 We were discussing fun but EXPENSIVE hobbies and the question came up...how much does it actually cost people to compete and enjoy the various 3 gun match shoots? I do not know so I am asking now. For those deeply involved in the sport, how much do you $spend$ per month on it? I know if you travel to compete, even just once a month, the costs can really run up high. How much do you spend? Everything. RV, (if you have one) travel costs, guns, motel or hotel costs, meals, entry fees, AMMO, practice expenses, the whole thing. I think it is comparable to NFA fun and games, but I am not sure. Do you hand load? Do you have to? How much practice is required? How much ammo do you burn through just getting better? My feel right now is that the hobby can become very expensive indeed. HB of CJ (old coot) Probably way more than I can afford. I am exploring less expensive hobbies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
james lambert 3,059 Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 All included about 2 to 3 grand for my wife and I to go to a large match. 250 and up in match fee Travel Lodging ammo ect We shoot in open division Hand guns apx $3500.. ea AR15 match rifles with optics apx $4000.00 ea TAC12a1 shotguns, mags and optic apx $2500.00 ea 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
patriot 7,197 Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) We were discussing fun but EXPENSIVE hobbies and the question came up...how much does it actually cost people to compete and enjoy the various 3 gun match shoots? I do not know so I am asking now. For those deeply involved in the sport, how much do you $spend$ per month on it? I know if you travel to compete, even just once a month, the costs can really run up high. How much do you spend? Everything. RV, (if you have one) travel costs, guns, motel or hotel costs, meals, entry fees, AMMO, practice expenses, the whole thing. I think it is comparable to NFA fun and games, but I am not sure. Do you hand load? Do you have to? How much practice is required? How much ammo do you burn through just getting better? My feel right now is that the hobby can become very expensive indeed. HB of CJ (old coot) Probably way more than I can afford. I am exploring less expensive hobbies. $30 per person per match for a six stage CAS match, reloading 45 Colt and 12GA (not counting shell casings), plus entry fees, meals, etc. Non-recurring costs: Shotgun hulls: Free Reloading equipment. A $50 Lee Load All II will do the job for shotgun, and it's quick enough for some volume. $75 will get you a Lee hand press kit and set of dippers for pistol. Slow, but gets the job done. Turns out decent ammo. Firearms: (Minimum) 2 SA revolvers. $800 1 lever action rifle $720 Used 12GA double $300 Holsters and belt ~$240 Edited October 11, 2014 by patriot 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
toothandnail 275 Posted October 11, 2014 Report Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) Monthly matches, usually $20-30.00 entry fee Ammo roughly 60-80 rounds of each. Major match, $175-275.00 entry fee. I have only been to 2 majors , that I didn't double my entry fee in prizes. ( 1 cause I didn't want to wait 6+ hour for the awards) Ammo- 100-150 rounds each Travel cost are the biggest expense if you go far, days off work as well. Guns - THAT is entirely up to you I have about $5,000.00 in my Open division setup, I bought quite a bit of my stuff toward the high end of the price swings, so I could easily knock off $800.00+ of the total. I also won a lot of other misc items, mags ,belt, holsters, ammo, that bring that cost down. You can always sell unused items SG- $2200.00 Pistol- $800.00 Rifle- $900.00 If your starting from scratch? SG - $400.00 Rifle - $600.00 Pistol - $500.00 Ammo - $100.00 -150.00 A LOT MORE if you miss alot Match fee $30.00 Less than $1600.00 for your first match - starting from SCRATCH Edited October 11, 2014 by toothandnail 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Racer 27 37 Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 The local style 1 day matches i've been to its been $20 to enter. Additional cost are 1 hour drive, ammo that you shoot. Normally say 50 - shot, 50 - 9mm, 50 - 5.56. Don't miss and its cheaper Gear wise I run a cheap Glock 17 I got that was well used, $600 dollar ar I put together(as in upper pinned to lower), and saiga I converted. Most of the time you can put extra mags in your pockets. Other times if you need more just what ever cheap holders you can find. I have a good holster for my pistol, you don't want it falling out and getting you disqualified for the match. For the AR and saiga I have a $20 mag holder. You don't need to practice shooting to go to matches. You don't need to hand load, factory rounds work fine. Everything is up to what you want to spend, what you want to do. You don't even want to know what "People deeply involved" in the sport spend. It would make you not want to try. 3 gun is fun!! Best rush this side of racing that I've found besides alone time with your special lady. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
magsite20 1,664 Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Depending on what you’ve got, it can cost just entry fees, ammo, and gas. A Pistol 9mm or bigger including revolvers can be used. Holster with the trigger guard covered. A Center Fire Rifle. A Shotgun 20 gauge or bigger. Extra Mags for the guns. Depending on where you’re at some clubs allow guns / equipment that may not meet all the rules (other than safety) for shooting local matches. Shoot the matches as a fun thing not an arms race. The worse guns I ever shot would still outshoot me, spending more money on toys didn’t make me a better shot but shooting matches and practice helped. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 There aren't many 3 gun clubs in the NW, so most of them are bigger and a 3 hour drive for me. Hence why I haven't started that yet. IDPA is crazy cheap: First day is usually range fee of ~$10 After that, once per year $45 to be a member plus $10/ per match. Local clubs may differ. One time costs: Carry pistol of choice: ~$500 + 2 mags @$60-90? Nothing fancy, and you probably already have it. Holster: Alien gear = $30- or the notmal carry holster of your choice. 2 mag holder: ~$20 I've found that the nominal round count is 50 per day, but often is closer to 75 if you take optional shots, or pick up a miss. I take two boxes of handloads that cost me about $6-7 per box to make Most clubs have "fun days" in which not all of the stages are scored in regional rankings. This lets them break a few of the rules to add variety. My club in Idaho would have at least one long gun/ pistol stage on the fun days. (IDPA is pistol only) I expect to be going to the Renton 3 gun club meets sometime in the near future. I'll be keeping a budget. I want to run the saigas so I will almost certainly be the lowest ranking person in Open. Lots of good info about all the competitive gun sports on this show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyI48D1cviydVJGn72Hiztw They have episodes comparing the different games, and also divisions within those game. Also guides to choosing equipment to get started. IMO, choose something that has a regular meet near you. The skills for one will be good for the other. If you pick carefully the equipment can be used in both. I started IDPA for this reason as a gateway drug for 3gun. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug Hartley 526 Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 I usually figure about $1000 average to travel to a big match including match fees, gas, food, lodging and ammunition. Some more some less, YMMV. Doug 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HB of CJ 1,263 Posted October 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2014 Thank you all. Excellent answers. One can spend as $much$ as one wants to. Very little or a whole lot, or somewhere in between. HB of CJ (old coot) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jeremiahisnaked 64 Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 Worth it. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
patriot 7,197 Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 Worth it. ...and shooting black powder at NIGHT....PRICELESS! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HB of CJ 1,263 Posted January 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 Great pictures and thank you all. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted January 20, 2017 Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 The travel and cost has been preventing me from my intended plans of 3gun the last couple of years. However, once I can eat the sunken costs in my super cheap ammo development scheme, I think it will pay off in a lot of play. I usually figure about $1000 average to travel to a big match including match fees, gas, food, lodging and ammunition. Some more some less, YMMV. Doug So that means you are spending >$5K/yr just on the big matches. How much do you figure local matches and training costs? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
toothandnail 275 Posted January 20, 2017 Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 My son and I shot ?25+? matches last year at least 7 majors the rest local or close to local. Spent MAYBE ~$5,000.00 total. We do have some sponsors for powder and bullets(not all free) so that helps some. We also sponsor a shooting team - us and 2 other guys, spent maybe $2500.00 on that. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted January 20, 2017 Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 That's a goal I can live with. IMO it seems like the main obstacles to not sucking are private land in your back yard with a set up practice range, A job which allows at least $1500 play money during the summer, and some time off. When simply getting to and from public land with target set up takes a couple hours, and most of the avialiable hours are being blocked by anti gun state agencies almost all of the year, it gets tricky. My local indoor ranges and private outdoor ranges don't really allow for fast setup of dynamic ranges, and obviously add to the cost. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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