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Thread: Competition Costs.

  1. #11
    Member orionz06's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Pittsburgh, PA
    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.
    Think for yourself. Question authority.

  2. #12
    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.
    Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.

  3. #13
    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.
    David S.

  4. #14
    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.

  5. #15
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Canton GA
    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.

  6. #16
    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.

  7. #17
    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?
    The Minority Marksman.
    "When you meet a swordsman, draw your sword: Do not recite poetry to one who is not a poet."
    -a Ch'an Buddhist axiom.

  8. #18
    Member Peally's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Wisconsin, USA
    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.
    Last edited by Peally; 09-25-2017 at 05:14 PM.
    Semper Gumby, Always Flexible

  9. #19
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Santa Fe, NM
    Quote Originally Posted by GardoneVT View Post
    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.

  10. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by GardoneVT View Post
    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.
    Last edited by YVK; 09-25-2017 at 06:58 PM.
    Doesn't read posts longer than two paragraphs.

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