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GardoneVT
09-25-2017, 10:45 AM
I'm looking for some insights on the real world cost to shoot competition.

Given that,how much does your setup cost per year to run? Include ammo,weapons,holsters,magazines,range expenses and accessories.

Thanks in advance for the responses!

BN
09-25-2017, 12:12 PM
Need more info.

Around here, local IDPA and USPSA matches are $10 or $20 to shoot. You will shoot anywhere from 50 rounds to 200. You can shoot with your carry gear with maybe needing to add a couple of mag pouches up to expensive race guns costing thousands of dollars.

scw2
09-25-2017, 12:22 PM
+1 to what Bill said. If you plan to shoot with carry gear, the incremental costs would likely be fairly minimal, possibly a few extra mag pouches. Additional costs might depend on whether you already have an annual membership at a range, how much more ammo you would want to use in practice, and costs incurred related to matches themselves (USPSA membership, match fees, driving costs/time, etc).

GardoneVT
09-25-2017, 12:27 PM
I'll put it more directly- how much per year does it cost for you to participate in IDPA/USPSA?

I realize this will vary based on category,class,region and so forth. The more context your annual cost figure has in terms of range fees,ammo costs,etc the better.

Peally
09-25-2017, 12:29 PM
Not much, I'm a poor bastard and I can afford it.

scw2
09-25-2017, 12:50 PM
I would say ammo for me is $1-2k a year, though I don't shoot nearly as much as some other folks. Range fees at my old range were under $350 a year, but likely to go up. I competed locally about once a month. Fees were $30 per match, though I'd try to volunteer with set up which meant I could shoot free. I didn't bother to get classified so didn't pay for an USPSA membership, though if I start competing more I would likely just pay that fee.

babypanther
09-25-2017, 01:17 PM
At this point, I run my duty rig for Speed Steel and USPSA matches when I can work it out with my work schedule. Fees are 15 dollars after practiscore pre-registration discount. I am fortunate to get enough ammo to not need to purchase my own.

I bought out of pocket my sights (warren tacticals)($100), magpul magwell (30), apex ultimate striker(15ish), extra OEM mag (40), and a Dawson Precision mag extension(30). So i guess around $215 equipment wise. Glock 22 blue label about 470 in my area, rig probably be around 250 bucks, so about 720 if you wanted to buy my set up.

I am running my duty rig, so I'm sure the same amount of money would go a lot farther for purchasing competition oriented gear.

DAB
09-25-2017, 01:18 PM
I'll put it more directly- how much per year does it cost for you to participate in IDPA/USPSA?

I realize this will vary based on category,class,region and so forth. The more context your annual cost figure has in terms of range fees,ammo costs,etc the better.

20 local matches a year, $10/match - $200 match fees
gas back and forth, 100 miles RT per match, 12mpg, (8 gallons), $20/match x 20 = $400 gas
ammo, 100 rounds/match, $0.25 per round (9mm), $25/match x 20 = $500 ammo

those are the match direct fees. does not include ammo shot for practice, gas to get to the range for practice, nor costs of the gun and accessories. if you are shooting your carry gun, the only thing you might need extra is a double mag carrier for $50 (or less), and that's a one time cost.

so ongoing costs would be $1100/year.

that helpful?

P.E. Kelley
09-25-2017, 01:35 PM
I'm looking for some insights on the real world cost to shoot competition.

Given that,how much does your setup cost per year to run? Include ammo,weapons,holsters,magazines,range expenses and accessories.

Thanks in advance for the responses!

It would makes sense to only tally consumables. You OWN the guns gear, holsters and such.

Ammo
Local travel costs and match fees
Championship travel costs and match fees

So are you looking for what it costs those who reply? Or are you trying to figure out what it will cost you?

Me... $10,000 give or take to hit 5 Major 3-Gun Championships, get in a little practice and shoot a few local pistol matches.

Glenn E. Meyer
09-25-2017, 01:58 PM
IDPA - $25 a match, two boxes of 50 rounds. I shoot two to three times a month. Sometimes, steel or short range at same price.

Ammo - 9mm, 45 or 223. I buy generic range ammo on sale - WWB, Blazer Al, PMC or whatever. Not into the cheaper foreign brands but Fiocchi is ok.

orionz06
09-25-2017, 02:05 PM
IDPA Membership: $40
IDPA RSO Cost: My class was $100 but varies
IDPA Match: Monthly is $15 and $10 for an additional shoot. Free with RO help.
IDPA Equipment: Since I carry AIWB I require compeition specific equipment and use a Comp-Tac International ($80) but a standard Bladetech on Amazon is $25 and 99% the same aside from attachment choices that most don't need. Since I am using competition equipment for a holster I do the same with a cover garment and use an EOTac vest. They're outta business so the equivalent would be $50-75 for a Woolrich/5.11/similar. For pouches I use Kytex Shooting Gear. They're cheap and they work.

GJM
09-25-2017, 02:27 PM
You might be able to reduce costs by seeking sponsorship -- a free jersey and two bottles of Lucas oil seeems to be the typical starting package.

David S.
09-25-2017, 02:40 PM
I use a light jacket or sother street clothes for my IDPA cover garment. No additional equipment required above what i'd otherwise own. So, it's just match ammo, range, membership and match fees.

BN
09-25-2017, 03:18 PM
Like they used to say about drag racing. It isn't cubic inches that wins, it's cubic money. ;)

How far do you want to go? Local matches will be match fee, ammo costs, gas money and after match refreshment. $15 or $20 match fee, gas $20 and ammo $20 or more depending on what you shoot and bargains. So $60 for a local.

I get free used targets after a local match is over. I use tape to patch and I shoot on my property, so my costs are low. I reload on a Dillon 1050 I bought decades ago, so my ammo costs are low now.

ranger
09-25-2017, 03:30 PM
My biggest advice to a new competitor is to start with a pistol you have and do not get sucked into buying "gamer" gear unless you really want to pursue that part if the sport - that is what drives up the cost. A reliable 9mm service pistol, an instructor style belt, OWB holster, and a few mag pouches should be a great start for IDPA or USPSA Production. Match fees are not that bad, etc.

bofe954
09-25-2017, 04:09 PM
What are you trying to find out?

You can spend however much you want.

You can travel to big matches, pay over $1000 to shoot ($250 match fee, $450 flight, $100 rental car, $3-400 hotel, plus ammo). You could fly first class, stay in 5 star hotels, get driven to the match and shoot factory ammo and spend $5000 to do the same thing.

You can shoot a cheap local match for a $10 fee and ammo.

You can shoot a $5000 open gun with $200 magazines out of a $200 holster, or you can shoot a $350 used glock out of a fobus.

You can shoot 50-100,000 rounds a year with professional instruction monthly, or you can dryfire for free, or not practice at all.

GardoneVT
09-25-2017, 04:19 PM
I'm trying to get an idea of the cost per year of participating and doing well at it.

Thanks so far for the contributions. Could folks here also post the rough cost of shooting in terms of ammo per year,both shot at matches and what's fired in practice sessions?

Peally
09-25-2017, 05:13 PM
Whatever the cost of reloading 10K is a year will get you anywhere but the cream of the crop.

7-8K will still go pretty damn far.

DAB
09-25-2017, 06:42 PM
I'm trying to get an idea of the cost per year of participating and doing well at it.

Thanks so far for the contributions. Could folks here also post the rough cost of shooting in terms of ammo per year,both shot at matches and what's fired in practice sessions?

sure.

in addition to 2,000 rounds (20 matches, 100 rounds/match) for matches, i'll likely shoot another 2-3k in my own practice. so figure 5k rounds a year. say $225/case = 1125 ammo cost total.

the one time costs after your gun is pretty minimal. holster, mag carrier, eye and ear protection, maybe a vest for matches. the big costs are the match fees, travel costs (gas mostly), and ammo.

some of my friends shoot more, some less. many reload (i donate my brass to them, they always say "thanks".). for matches, plan on lost brass. you just never get it all back. for practice, you have a better chance to pick it all up when done. brass is about $35/1000. so if you reload in bulk, you might cut your costs to about 1/2 of factory ammo. let's you shoot more for the same money. as well as tailor loads to your preference.

YVK
09-25-2017, 06:54 PM
I'm trying to get an idea of the cost per year of participating and doing well at it.



That solely depends on a degree of participation, and definition of "doing well at it".

When I started in USPSA and IDPA several years ago, I only shot local matches 20 min away from my home, at about 6 or slightly more matches annually.
Cost of some 65 bucks of annual membership fees for both organizations, 20 bucks match fee, each match no more than 300 rounds of ammo if that. I used my carry pistol etc so the total direct cost of competition endeavors was less than 400 bucks annually, no special time taken off from work, dry fire and live fire as I would have practiced anyway. I was competing for a win or winning the IDPA matches from almost the beginning, so I presume it does count towards doing well.

Fast forward to this year, USPSA only (means I will never be "doing well" on an absolute level), I still don't shoot a lot of matches but four major ones this year required 2 to 3 days off work each, 2-3 hotel nights each match, airfare and car rental for one of those. If I were to minimize my travel costs and shoot driving distance only, no days off work taken, I would've shot one very average level II match. So really most part of the variable cost is determined by travel, degree of local availability, quality of local matches etc.

Gear: you can shoot your carry guns, I competed with LEM, you could spend sky is a limit kind of money on a dedicated gear, but G34 is still the cheapest option that can take you as far as this road goes.

Ammo expenses: local matches are under 250 rounds, and most major matches are rarely over 500.
Practice ammo expenses are irrelevant consideration to some extent: you'll shoot as much as your finances or time would allow. People have achieved great results with dry fire as a primary training modality, with relatively low live fire volumes. Direct costs depend on whether buying or reloading.

David S.
09-25-2017, 07:17 PM
I'd become very familiar with the works of Steve Anderson and Ben Stoeger. Both have free podcasts.

BN
09-25-2017, 08:07 PM
I'm trying to get an idea of the cost per year of participating and doing well at it.

Thanks so far for the contributions. Could folks here also post the rough cost of shooting in terms of ammo per year,both shot at matches and what's fired in practice sessions?

To do well you'll probably need to fire 25,000 rounds a year. That's 400 rounds per week in practice plus 100 rounds every weekend at matches if you shoot year round. The best shooters shoot more.

You'll need a Dillon 1050 at $1800 plus a Mr Bulletfeeder at $500. A while back I figured the cost to load 1000 rounds was $120 not counting brass cost. I buy once fired brass every so often and I can get some free range pickup brass. So that would be around $3000 in ammo costs. 25000 rounds of factory ammo would cost around $5000.

Then it would depend how many matches you shoot per year and how many are local or big matches. Many of the best shooters only shoot big matches and seldom shoot locals.

pangloss
09-25-2017, 10:59 PM
I bought an IDPA legal holster and mag pouch in ~2009.

Not counting that purchase my yearly expenses are as follows:
12 matches X $20 match fee = $240.
2 boxes of 9mm ammo per match x 12 matches = $240.
IDPA membership for one year = $40

So my approximate yearly cost if I shoot every month is $520, maybe few dollars less if I get a good deal on ammo. Last match I shot Brown Bear that I bought for ~$150 per thousand (+shipping), so I'm on track to come in under $520 this year.

However, the above value neglects the cost of gasoline for driving to and from the match (~40 miles round trip).

I aside from the holster and mag pouch, I don't own any other gear expressly for competition. I usually shoot matches with my carry gun or practice gun.

EDIT: Regarding practice ammo, I'm trying to shoot 100 rounds per week. Every now and then I miss a week, and sometimes I shoot more than that. I figure I'll shoot about 5K rounds this year which will cost a bit over $1,000.

olstyn
09-25-2017, 11:42 PM
"Doing well at it" means different things to different people. Some might define "doing well" as showing measurable improvements over time. Others might have specific, achievable goals such as reaching A class within a certain timeframe. Others might not think they're doing well until they reach GM and/or start winning major matches. Every point in between is probably also represented in someone's viewpoint, and every one represents a different amount of dry and live fire and commensurate time commitment and cost.

Personally, I don't do as well as I'd like to, but my budget and time are both limited - I shoot 3-4K rounds/year, which since my reloading math is similar to Bill's, is $360-480 in ammo yearly. Match fees are $10-15/match for local matches, and $100 for the MN section match. Add in gas and I'm probably still not much over $1K/year, but I suck. (Currently upper middle of C class in Production: ~56.3%.)

busdriver
09-26-2017, 01:04 AM
You really need to define "doing well" in your context.

That said, you will spend more time than money to "do well" by most definitions.

Treecop
09-26-2017, 05:57 AM
Less than $500/year for 6-8 local IDPA matches. Wish I could make it to more, but work, family, etc.
Per match:

$20 ammo (federal aluminum or freedom reman 9mm)

$15-20 match fees, if I don't RO.

$10 snacks, misc.


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That Guy
09-26-2017, 09:20 AM
Some of you guys have it really easy. I just calculated costs for a single local IPSC match (okay, granted, a level 2 one) to be approximately $150 per person. $100 if we choose to shoot 9mm (which I can't do if I want to keep shooting in Classic Division, since I only own .45 1911s). Times two since I would want to shoot the match with my girlfriend, that's one fairly expensive afternoon.

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Glenn E. Meyer
09-26-2017, 09:28 AM
I agree with defining your goals in competition. Only for me:

1. Reasonable gun handling and putting holes in the right place with reasonable carry guns and gear. Keep those skills up.
2. Shoot my EDC primarily - Glock 9s, with significant 1911 time and periodic revolver forays.
3. Personal improvement as I'm not going to win.
4. Some practice of skills with my AR

Fun:

1. Friends to talk with.
2. Shoot something else for grins and practice - steel with a 22 LR Buckmark

Avoid being a gamer and millisecond chaser - my world view. I'm not being a champion. I once came in 2nd after a national revolver champ - wait for it - as only two of us were shooter revolvers that day. Times were different by orders of magnitude although we both did zero some stages (me a half hour later). Haha.

I know by now, we don't consider competitions as ' tactical training' - Lord spare us from this. However, I do enjoy the Short Range match which is designed to be more realistic and carry gun oriented. I don't understand guys who shoot this in their USPSA Buck Rogers set up.

I prefer IDPA as it is more relaxed. Not to much running (not for me anymore). Steel is even more relaxing. Stand there - 22 LR - bink, bink with a Buckmark and a fiber optic front sight.

Jim Watson
09-26-2017, 09:51 AM
A busy shooting month, I can get two six stage IDPA Tier 1 matches, a 5 stage IDPA-ish outlaw match, a 4 stage USPSA-ish outlaw match, and a 4 stage police league match, plus weekly live fire practice. That is about 800 rounds at $117 a thousand, present component cost. $55 total entry fees. Gas to get there. If in a group, one of the passengers will buy my lunch.
About $208 maximum monthly operating cost. Health, weather, and schedule conspire to make it less many months out of the year. But I will also have shot two Tier 4 IDPA matches at greater cost.

Capital costs include a $1200+ gun I have been shooting for 13 years.
Official Team Mediocre concealment vest, $40.
A $40 Wilderness Frequent Flyer belt.
Holster and mag carriers free for loaning the Kydex bender a gun he did not have a sample or model to mold over to fill an order.
Rx shooting glasses, ca $400.
Full complement of reloading equipment, don't have all the prices at hand, but Dillon 550 and necessary accessories.

Yes, I have other guns and gear I use from time to time, so the actual capital investment is greater, but the above is, as the Cowboy shooters would say, "one set."

45dotACP
09-26-2017, 12:54 PM
You really need to define "doing well" in your context.

That said, you will spend more time than money to "do well" by most definitions.Very much this. Ben Stoeger (I know, people are all over Ben's nuts, but he knows how to practice) said he won his state IDPA sectional with a 2,000 round case of ammo and a shitload of dry fire.

Practice smarter, not more expensively.

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olstyn
09-26-2017, 07:48 PM
Some of you guys have it really easy. I just calculated costs for a single local IPSC match (okay, granted, a level 2 one) to be approximately $150 per person.

I think we have different definitions of "local match." To me, that term means a L1 match of between 3 and 5 stages in a fairly casual environment, and <150 rounds. (Usually <100, TBH.) To me, a L2 match is a big deal, probably because I only get to shoot one/year, but it's a whole other animal; takes all day, 300+ rounds, 10+ stages, and serious competition where the weaker shooters from the small local matches don't even show up.