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How $Much$ Does It Cost To Shoot 3 Gun Matches?


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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.

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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 by patriot
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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 alotlaugh.png

Match fee $30.00

 

Less than $1600.00 for your first match - starting from SCRATCH

Edited by toothandnail
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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 cheaperbeaten.gif

 

 

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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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