Match Fees?

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Kynoch

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I've been wondering about different match fees lately. At my club there are several different shooting venues. While the different venues no doubt cost different amounts to initially construct, they have long since been fully depreciated. Maintenance costs also differ from one venue to the next, but not by any huge amount.

Yet the fees vary widely.

USPSA and IDPA matches cost $30 to shoot. Steel Challenge matches are $20 and Action Rimfire are $15.00. All at the same venue using the same shot timers and steel targets. All take about the same set-up time. I could see where USPSA/IDPA consume $1-2.00/person/match in paper targets.

At different venues, service/high-powdered rifle is $10.00/match including paper targets, SASS Cowboy Action Shooting is $10.00/match while muzzleloading pistol/rifle matches are $5.00 which use more paper targets than either USPSA or IDPA.

None of the disciplines/venues have either a shortage or overabundance of shooters.

I wonder what gives? Is it just a matter of charging what the shooters will bear or is it due to heavy licensing fees from USPSA, IDPA and Steel Challenge?
 
If the USPSA match has a classifier, then there is a $3 fee to USPSA to cover the classification system. Also, the cost for wear and tear on props must be covered. You do not replace steel and props every month, but at some point, they wear out and have to be fixed or replaced and you need money in the bank for that. That said, $30 sounds high.

Steel Challenge shooters tend to use lower power ammo and the steel is beat up less, less replacement needed, and no classifier fee, so lower fee.

Do the different matches pay "rent" on a per-shooter basis? Is that fee the same for all the matches? Maybe some match directors are better negotiators than others. :)
 
lmccrock said:
If the USPSA match has a classifier, then there is a $3 fee to USPSA to cover the classification system. Also, the cost for wear and tear on props must be covered. You do not replace steel and props every month, but at some point, they wear out and have to be fixed or replaced and you need money in the bank for that. That said, $30 sounds high.

Steel Challenge shooters tend to use lower power ammo and the steel is beat up less, less replacement needed, and no classifier fee, so lower fee.

Do the different matches pay "rent" on a per-shooter basis? Is that fee the same for all the matches? Maybe some match directors are better negotiators than others. :)
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For what it's worth, SC, IDPA, USPSA, ICORE, NSSF Action Rimfire, etc. all use the same steel plates at the same venue where I shoot. None pay rent, but the majority of the match fees go to the club.
 
Around here IDPA runs between $10 and $20 per 5-8 stage club match. In our case it's $20 and we provide a big lunch for everyone.

Sanctioned matches run more like $75-$100, generally, but the rates are climbing. MD States last year wanted $150, I think. I didn't go.
 
$15 for USPSA and IDPA for four stages at two clubs near me in Western NY. Steel Challenge is $10 or 15, can't remember.

I think $30 is outrageous. Paper targets are around $.60 each and if they're like my club use the targets until the perforations are totally covered with pasters.
 
Mostly supply and demand, but even painting steel targets costs these days. Up here a can of spray paint starts at $8Cdn. Plus the cost of IPSC/IDPA targets isn't exactly cheap.
 
Don't forget that someone has to pay for the insurance, property tax, utilities and cut the grass. Someone's time is donated to the club to administer and run matches as well as other club activities. The club deserves to be compensated for this.

Some disciplines charge a fair amount to record scores, the NRA gets $4.50 a head to report approved match scores.

Some matches pay out more than others and some not at all, this also impacts fees.

At the end of the day the match no matter what is has to pay it's own way and unless the club has other avenues of income they also must support club operations.
 
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Sunray said:
Mostly supply and demand, but even painting steel targets costs these days. Up here a can of spray paint starts at $8Cdn. Plus the cost of IPSC/IDPA targets isn't exactly cheap.
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The costs -- steel wear, paint and in some cases paper targets are the same for the different disciplines on the same range venue.

Either IDPA or USPSA (I forget which) used to be $40.00/match for six stages. It reminded me about one reason why I stopped playing golf.
 
Howard Roark said:
Don't forget that someone has to pay for the insurance, property tax, utilities and cut the grass. Someone's time is donated to the club to administer and run matches as well as other club activities. The club deserves to be compensated for this.

Some disciplines charge a fair amount to record scores, the NRA gets $4.50 a head to report approved match scores.

Some matches pay out more than others and some not at all, this also impacts fees.

At the end of the day the match no matter what is has to pay it's own way and unless the club has other avenues of income they also must support club operations.
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The insurance costs, utilities, weed cutting, etc. are common for all the shooting disciplines at the club. From $5.00 muzzleloading to $30.00 IDPA and USPSA matches. There is no property tax. It's gov't land.
 
Sam1911 said:
Around here IDPA runs between $10 and $20 per 5-8 stage club match. In our case it's $20 and we provide a big lunch for everyone.

Sanctioned matches run more like $75-$100, generally, but the rates are climbing. MD States last year wanted $150, I think. I didn't go.
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$20.00 with a lunch would be an extremely good deal around these parts. I wonder why the larger sanctioned matches are so expensive? I understand that to some degree it's a chance for clubs to earn some real $$$ for capital improvements. On the other hand, I'm curious about how much goes to support the different bureaucracies of: IDPA, USPSA/SC, SASS, etc?

I remember a few years back a big sanctioned match was announced. It was something I was well prepared for at the time. The fee was simply silly high. As soon as I heard about it I didn't give the match a second thought. No animosity and very little curiosity -- just plain ignored it.
 
I wonder why the larger sanctioned matches are so expensive? I understand that to some degree it's a chance for clubs to earn some real $$$ for capital improvements. On the other hand, I'm curious about how much goes to support the different bureaucracies of: IDPA, USPSA/SC, SASS, etc?
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Several reasons Sanctioned matches are more money:

They almost always shut a range down completely for up to a week (sometimes more). That becomes not a matter of borrowing a few pits, but rather of renting the entire facility for that period of time.

There are often insurance issues -- more required, additional insureds and stuff like that.

Lots of (usually quite good) food for hundreds of competitors, and the staff. Sometimes multiple meals a day, plus drinks, etc.

Better props and stages. Lots of stuff to build and buy and paint, and even sometimes minor earthworks. Often junker cars/trucks hauled in and then hauled away.

Often utility vehicles or 4-wheelers rented to help Staff get around quickly on wider spread facilities.

Trophies made for multiple divisions, classifications, and places. (An average IDPA Sanctioned match might have more than 100 plaques and trophies all to purchase and have logo'd and engraved.)

Printed T-shirts and match "swag" for competitors. Better "official" gear for the Staff.

And PRIZES. A good MD will come up with as much donated kit as he can scrounge to give away, but a really good one will match the better parts of the donated winnings with purchased prizes. Around here many sanctioned matches conclude with give-aways of 6-10 new guns.

All-in-all, these are really well-done events. As "professional" as possible. An event. Not just a "match." The highlight of many shooters' year.
 
Sam1911 said:
Several reasons Sanctioned matches are more money:

They almost always shut a range down completely for up to a week (sometimes more). That becomes not a matter of borrowing a few pits, but rather of renting the entire facility for that period of time.

There are often insurance issues -- more required, additional insureds and stuff like that.

Lots of (usually quite good) food for hundreds of competitors, and the staff. Sometimes multiple meals a day, plus drinks, etc.
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None apply where I shoot. Food is available but it's extra.

Sam1911 said:
Better props and stages. Lots of stuff to build and buy and paint, and even sometimes minor earthworks. Often junker cars/trucks hauled in and then hauled away.

Often utility vehicles or 4-wheelers rented to help Staff get around quickly on wider spread facilities.

Trophies made for multiple divisions, classifications, and places. (An average IDPA Sanctioned match might have more than 100 plaques and trophies all to purchase and have logo'd and engraved.)

Printed T-shirts and match "swag" for competitors. Better "official" gear for the Staff.
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T-shirts are extra for shooters. Staff for the day do get free t-shirts and a meal. The trophies are typically donated by the match sponsors. The other costs you mentioned don't apply where I shoot.

Sam1911 said:
And PRIZES. A good MD will come up with as much donated kit as he can scrounge to give away, but a really good one will match the better parts of the donated winnings with purchased prizes. Around here many sanctioned matches conclude with give-aways of 6-10 new guns.

All-in-all, these are really well-done events. As "professional" as possible. An event. Not just a "match." The highlight of many shooters' year.
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It seems as though ALL is donated here. I do remember one where there were four $50.00 gift cards awarded along with everything else which were purchased.
 
Wow. And those are major "Sanctioned" or Regional/State level matches? With $75-$150 fees? That seems out of the ordinary.

I'll be the first to admit that PA is sort of "shooters' paradise" and we tend to put on a whale of a good time. But I've never heard of a Sanctioned match where they didn't at least provide lunch for the shooters! And you pay for your t-shirt? I can't imagine that going over well. :D
 
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I was thinking about that recent Trijicon World Shooting Champion. Even though it was sponsored by the NRA and a host of gun-related manufacturers, it still cost $500.00 to enter -- unless you were a known name of course.
 
Sam1911 said:
Wow. And those are major "Sanctioned" or Regional/State level matches? With $75-$150 fees? That seems out of the ordinary.

I'll be the first to admit that PA is sort of "shooters' paradise" and we tend to put on a whale of a good time. But I've never heard of a Sanctioned match where they didn't at least provide lunch for the shooters! And you pay for your t-shirt? I can't imagine that going over well. :D
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It might very well be out of the ordinary...

I think when they reduce the fee for juniors for example, that precludes them from "walking the prize table."
 
Oh. Hmm... those big "gimmick" national/international shoots are their own deal. Can't really speak to what the're doing or if it's "worth" it.

They do advertise:

First place will receive $50,000 cash!

All guns & ammo for competitors provided.
Features pistol, rifle, shotgun and combined arm segments.
Four days of shooting in twelve equally weighted official shooting disciplines.
Over $100K in match cash, over $200K in prize table awards.
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Kind of explains a $500 fee. Serously...FIFTY THOUSAND in cash to the 1st place winner?
 
iv only shot maybe 2 dozen uspsa lvl 1 matches but they are 8-12$


been a few months since my last gssf match but I belive those are 25$ to enter.
 
Level 1 IDPA matches in this area (NY/PA) are typically $10 entry fees. There are many costs associated with running matches, the least of which is the annual fee paid to the IDPA. Besides cardboard targets, there are pasters, spray paint, target stands/sticks, score sheets, steel targets, props/walls, moving targets, timers, staples, etc. I just spent $1800 on moving targets and will likely spend at least that again in the spring. Now if I (and other match directors) added in the cost for our time (and all the other volunteers required to run a match), then match fees could get really ugly.
 
Somebody likes going to those pricy higher level matches.
They usually get sold out real quick.
 
tarakian said:
Level 1 IDPA matches in this area (NY/PA) are typically $10 entry fees. There are many costs associated with running matches, the least of which is the annual fee paid to the IDPA. Besides cardboard targets, there are pasters, spray paint, target stands/sticks, score sheets, steel targets, props/walls, moving targets, timers, staples, etc. I just spent $1800 on moving targets and will likely spend at least that again in the spring. Now if I (and other match directors) added in the cost for our time (and all the other volunteers required to run a match), then match fees could get really ugly.
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That is very good value.

Yes, ranges cost to maintain and outfit. These costs however are fairly common for all the "action shooting" disciplines at the complex I shoot at, yet the match fees range from $15-30.00 for monthly matches.
 
When I used to run the CMP Vintage rifle matches it cost the match director $2/head for club members and $8 for non-members that went to the club. Then about $5/head to CMP for sanctioning the match. So: $7 for members and $13 for non-members cost to run the match.
I charged club members $10 and non-members $15; the "profits" as they were, used for targets, frames and end of season prizes that didn't amount to much; sort of "Thanks for coming by".
We never ask the club for money for prizes (although some disciplines there do) but do ask for help maintaining the range (and frames) we use and the club has been generous providing that help.
 
I ran rifle shoots for $5 (non NRA) and $10 (NRA approved) this year and ended up $683 in the hole!

Next year the fees go up a little!
 
Here locally, the least expensive .22 rimfire Steel Challenge is $15
The USPSA and IDPA matches are $20 and $25- all usually 5, but sometimes more stages. One of these has high dollar steel moving targets, like tilting Plate Rack and of course the Texas Stars.
Discount's are given ($10) for help with both set-up a couple of hours before and tear down after.
Our weekly "Fun Shoots" are $20 for 5 stages. Club Members pay $15.
I've been shooting here for 10+ years, and $15 is the cheapest I've ever seen for a 'match'.

NONE serve food or even water except at a few annual big events that cost more. None have food available. Most have water nearby. Shooters often meet after a match at the closest places for lunch.

Several of these do have class-act props for walls, windows, ports, etc. Almost all use good/excellent condition steel targets.

ON the OTHER hand. My practice range fee is $5 for all day with any number of pistols for those of us that were members and turned 65. Rifle range is the same cost/conditions.
$11 per day for others. I can set up 4 USPSA-Type targets here and tape/move/change them as needed.
 
I'm still trying to figure out where on the "Central Coast of CA" they are charging $30 for a monthly match. The only range I could think of was SLO's Hogue range. It does seem excessive.

We charge $20 for our monthly IDPA matches...as do the two local USPSA clubs. That is also what Richmond (north bay area) and Winton (central valley) charge. We have a hotdog/burger vendor come by...I get the carnitas or tamales...$5 including drink and chips

We just held the IDPA State match and the entry fee was $100. We did not include a shirt, hat or lunch...although they could be ordered...but we did have Hydration Stations with iced water or Gatorade available (I think that cost the club $600; we had 1 gal of water left over)

We did have 4 guns on the prize table (3 Glocks and 1 S&W Revolver) and 4 Dillon presses ((2) 650 and (2) 550) besides enough prizes for everyone to walk away with something...I think the smallest prize was a set of Magpul 1911 grips
 
At my local club the range fees seem pretty much set at $20-25 for "members" of the gun club/range or of the local Org (USPSA/IDPA/etc. club) running the match, and $30-40 for non-members.

and this seems to generally hold true through disciplines with some variations, like the fact that your $20 gets you ammo (and maybe a loaner rifle if you're a first timer) at the CMP Garand match. and I think the 3-Gun matches were of higher cost.
 
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