At what price you will stop shooting?
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At some point my personal financial condition may force me to reduce the number of targets I shoot.
That's a very interesting question which I've been pondering myself lately.
Federal Top Guns are exactly $9.00 per flat more than they were one year ago. Magnum shot is up $4-5 per 25lb. I intended to shoot a lot more this year, but the cost is bumming me out bigtime. I'm still a ways from quitting but I will definitely shift more of my time to other hobbies if costs keep rising this quickly.
It's a shame that the costs are hastening the demise of this once great "blue collar" sport. Sometimes I wonder whether even the "Bigdogs" are actually making all that much money. I suppose they do OK since they probably get their ammo and guns for free but I suspect the number of people who exceed the average American's income by shooting trap is 1/10 of what it was in trapshooting's heyday.
-Gary
Federal Top Guns are exactly $9.00 per flat more than they were one year ago. Magnum shot is up $4-5 per 25lb. I intended to shoot a lot more this year, but the cost is bumming me out bigtime. I'm still a ways from quitting but I will definitely shift more of my time to other hobbies if costs keep rising this quickly.
It's a shame that the costs are hastening the demise of this once great "blue collar" sport. Sometimes I wonder whether even the "Bigdogs" are actually making all that much money. I suppose they do OK since they probably get their ammo and guns for free but I suspect the number of people who exceed the average American's income by shooting trap is 1/10 of what it was in trapshooting's heyday.
-Gary
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It's going to happen this year. figuring $54/100 at local shoots for entry fees, state fees, ata fees, target fees and retail shells, the 300 bird days are long gone. costs for reloading components offers very little relief anymore.
the 1500+ 5-7 day big events will be drastically reduced. it's just the way it is.
Income increases, (what are those??) have not kept pace with the economics of trapshooting.
Jim
the 1500+ 5-7 day big events will be drastically reduced. it's just the way it is.
Income increases, (what are those??) have not kept pace with the economics of trapshooting.
Jim
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Rain and wind this past weekend, so I didn't shoot. I didn't want to spend the $91 for targets (S/H/D), $72 for shells, $32 for gas and then there's food and tip for the trap kids. Multiply by two days and that's maybe $400 to shoot in crappy conditions. Instead, I stayed home and sorted hulls this weekend and cleaned my guns. Memorial Day will be a three day shoot this weekend, hope the weather is nice. John
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I’ve already cut back 2/3 on my registered targets.
Only buying shells on sale and in smaller amounts. Started just shooting two practice rounds a week with a group of retiree’s...(and going out to lunch with them afterwards)
Next year I’ll be lucky to do anything other than practice. May even sell all my trap guns and keep one sporting model.
Only buying shells on sale and in smaller amounts. Started just shooting two practice rounds a week with a group of retiree’s...(and going out to lunch with them afterwards)
Next year I’ll be lucky to do anything other than practice. May even sell all my trap guns and keep one sporting model.
I've cut way back. I'll still shoot a few games and meat shoots, and will probably go to the state shoot and shoot a few doubles and a couple of handicaps, but that will be it.
It's not just the price of shooting that is the problem, it's that everything else is getting so damn expensive too. Health insurance has doubled in the last 3 years, a set of tires for the truck was $1100, just put some 89 octane in the car that was $4.05 a gallon, anybody been to the grocery store lately?
If it was only shooting that had gone up, I'd probably still be banging away almost ever weekend.
It's not just the price of shooting that is the problem, it's that everything else is getting so damn expensive too. Health insurance has doubled in the last 3 years, a set of tires for the truck was $1100, just put some 89 octane in the car that was $4.05 a gallon, anybody been to the grocery store lately?
If it was only shooting that had gone up, I'd probably still be banging away almost ever weekend.
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I think the nature of the sport has to change. Trapshooting, going way back in it's history has always been geared to shooting a lot of targets. Look how much
space the average book gives to "target attainment" - the number of targets shot. 300 targets a day is considered a normal shoot. Shootoffs that add hundreds of targets to an event have remained in place, and marathons are still popular. Years ago skeet shooting wisely went to "doubles at stations 3,4 and 5" to eliminate those interminable shootoffs.
Sporting clays is retaining it's popularity, and rarely do you shoot more than 100 targets in day- and for some of the big shoots, it can be only 50 a day. The main event in the recently concluded Sporting Clays U.S. Open was shot 66 to 68 targets a day over 3 courses, and handled nearly 1,000 shooters.
I remember some years ago the California Golden Bears used to hold shoots at
the old Pachmyr club (now Triple B) and shot 50 singles, handicap and doubles. They were popular and many shooters appreciated not having to spend the entire day to shoot the full program. Maybe we need more of those. We do have big 50 events, but seldom are they held on weekends. Remember how popular flyer shoots are (were) and that can be only 25 shots a day.
There's no other answer. With rising costs and ammunition shortages, we have to find a way to enjoy the sport shooting fewer targets.
space the average book gives to "target attainment" - the number of targets shot. 300 targets a day is considered a normal shoot. Shootoffs that add hundreds of targets to an event have remained in place, and marathons are still popular. Years ago skeet shooting wisely went to "doubles at stations 3,4 and 5" to eliminate those interminable shootoffs.
Sporting clays is retaining it's popularity, and rarely do you shoot more than 100 targets in day- and for some of the big shoots, it can be only 50 a day. The main event in the recently concluded Sporting Clays U.S. Open was shot 66 to 68 targets a day over 3 courses, and handled nearly 1,000 shooters.
I remember some years ago the California Golden Bears used to hold shoots at
the old Pachmyr club (now Triple B) and shot 50 singles, handicap and doubles. They were popular and many shooters appreciated not having to spend the entire day to shoot the full program. Maybe we need more of those. We do have big 50 events, but seldom are they held on weekends. Remember how popular flyer shoots are (were) and that can be only 25 shots a day.
There's no other answer. With rising costs and ammunition shortages, we have to find a way to enjoy the sport shooting fewer targets.
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rick979, at the looks of all the shoots I don't think you are the only one that has quite. For some reason this year I have not shot near as much as before. It has nothing to do with the cost. I have just been not as interested. I used to eat sleep and drink it.
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The price of cant get reloading components anymore, which is today can't get powder and primers
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My plan is to die completely destitute. My son will have to pave his own way as I did.
I intend to burn what remains of my wealth inside the barrel of a shotgun.
I intend to burn what remains of my wealth inside the barrel of a shotgun.
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