Market research question

[wylye]

Why not do away with prize money altogether?

Lets face it only 12 - 15 people benefit from it out of every shoot and the high gun prize will go to the same 8 - 10 people every time. Take the prize fund factor out of the entry cost, £6 - £7, keep the classes and run the shoot the same way as we do now. There will still be a high gun winner and class winners will have their name in lights as they do now and shooting will be cheaper for everyone.

Just a thought.

 

[Jaykaysea]

Why not do away with prize money altogether?

Lets face it only 12 - 15 people benefit from it out of every shoot and the high gun prize will go to the same 8 - 10 people every time. Take the prize fund factor out of the entry cost, £6 - £7, keep the classes and run the shoot the same way as we do now. There will still be a high gun winner and class winners will have their name in lights as they do now and shooting will be cheaper for everyone.

Just a thought.

Name in lights works for me.....

 

[Will Hewland]

Why not do away with prize money altogether?

Lets face it only 12 - 15 people benefit from it out of every shoot and the high gun prize will go to the same 8 - 10 people every time. Take the prize fund factor out of the entry cost, £6 - £7, keep the classes and run the shoot the same way as we do now. There will still be a high gun winner and class winners will have their name in lights as they do now and shooting will be cheaper for everyone.

Just a thought.

Trouble is people are used to it so its a brave owner that changes the system. When I came into shooting I couldn't believe there were cash prizes! I had done many years of Motorsport.. Simple system there; put a huge amount of money into your sport for enjoyment sake (and honour and ego..) and never expect a penny in return.

 

[tiptop]

Steve, some people may travel to shoot your shoots because of the prize pots available(as well as the great targets). If you start to introduce more classes and the prize money reduces some of those shooters may stay closer to home as they can win as much with out the travelling.

I'm all for encouraging people in the sport,but as said if your good enough to be classified in what ever class then shoot in that class.

Peeps the question is about cash in classes not trophies or cartridges etc.......just saying.

 

[Will Hewland]

For the first time, I tracked my prize money against entry fees over the last 6 months. I am just ahead in prize money, but a clay or two less and I would be behind. I am at the top of my class, so in the good zone for cash in theory. A few years ago BO would have been a no brainer. The prize thing is a distraction for most. Keep track, you probably lose out on constant comp entries..

 

[Hamster]

Yes the vast majority do lose out slightly but nobody is going to travel 300 miles for a plastic trophy, somewhere deep deep in some landfill is a black plastic bag full of tastefully  :mosking:  gold plated figurines   I gathered early on living snugly together.

There is no question people will patronise cash payout shoots in preference to man holding bent gun treasures, despite what some may lead you to believe. We're all dreamers at the end of the day.

 

[Steve Lovatt]

I have thought of that and it works to some extent on what we do at windrush on Saturdays , charge £30 , no birds only and only pay out £40 or so to the first two in the classes , but I do ask myself if people don't want to shoot for money why are our birds only entries on a Sunday so low , approx 6 - 10 percent

Thanks everyone for the replies makes interesting reading

Steve

 

[** Pending Removal **]

That is what CPSA Board people normally say.....it is interesting... 

:wink:

 

[Santa2512]

From a newcomers point of view,  cash prizes are irrelevant,  the chances of me  going home with one .... Zero.

I'm going in for my first reg comp on Sunday,   not that i'm bothered, but its the only way i can get to shoot 100 birds local to me ...

When i phoned to enquire about pricing, the person i spoke to was keen to push the  pool  element  of the entry fee. 

Now i dont mind a gamble when the odds are fair, but lets face it,   all I would be doing is handing my pool fee to 3 or four regulars...   nice for them, 

But offers no incentive for me.

Similarly when i used to enter Archery comps, it used to really pee me off that they would advertise prizes to 3rd in all classes... 

Yet when you get there, because there arnt enough in your class, they run it as non trophy, so although you win, you get no trophy

If you want to keep youngsters and newbs interested, Trophys and medals keep them happy.   Then when they reach a certain level, / classification

then move them to  cash prizes    

Mart

 

[ehb102]

I always shoot birds only because I'm not going to win anything. The day I would have won the pot if I'd not shot birds only is the day I'll start paying the extra. Like not playing the lottery, I reckon I'm going to be ahead for a long time.

I'm only competitive at the point I have a sniff of actually winning.

ETA I'll take a trophy/badge/bit of ribbon in ladies' class over potential cash loss right now. If I want to shoot for money I can shoot as a senior.

 

[shootinguru]

:fie:  Steve, as an ex groung owner I would say the main reason for poor attendences on Saturdays is that most people shoot on Sundays and cannot afford to shoot both Sa and Sun, plus they want to shoot with their mates.

Sundays have always been the main day for clayshooters and many shooters have to go shopping with their "old dragon" or take the kids somewhere?

Another reason is disposable income, once its gone its gone! :fie:   :fie:   :fie:   :hunter:

 

[Wonko the Sane]

I've always advocated have as many classes as you like with whatever trinket for a trophy, and an optional open class with the HOA and money.  Feeling birds only or need the love, shoot the classes.  Feeling like you got the goods, shoot the open.

Way easy and everyone gets to do what they want

BTW - you only get to shoot in ONE class!  No woman senior vet trophy if she picks the open class.  Here the ATA screws up mightily and all you have to do is check out their scheme and you know instantly how NOT TO DO IT.   Moving all the money to an open class would put to rest every whine there is

just a thot

Charlie

 

[Steve Lovatt]

Hi there Cyril don't get me wrong I am more than happy to with the sat shooting as it is

Steve

 

[Salopian]

I think a stumbling block for the majority is the actual distribution of the competition surcharge.

As has been said many entrants realise that they will win nothing and will opt to shoot the targets at a cheaper cost.

Now, If the prize fund is only going to be won by maybe ten expert shots classified in AA the vast majority in B & A class will be disillusioned as they are actually swelling the pot and have no chance , or very little of a return.

By the same token if the A or B class only prize fund was vast then the AA shot who had honed their skills would be disadvantaged.

Why should a High Gun from AA have £200 prize and his mate have £100 for winning A class? Because they are good, but it is hardly fair when the B class have provided the majority of prize cash but the winner can only win £100 maximum. 

Maybe if a formula could be used where the classes that provide the higher percentage of the pot could be paid back in more places that may be an incentive to enter competition.

 

[spuddog]

IMO as a C class shooter, I want my money to to to a C class winner, not high gun. as said before I have no way of winning high gun. That is not being pesimistic just realistic.

Having boundaries that can be controlled by number of entrants in class comp would make sense as mentioned earlier, 20 people pay to 3rd, 25 4th etc.

The whole point off the class system is to have some parity of competition, but doesn't mean it is any less of a success to win class.

 

[Sian]

I'm like Santa in as much as I am not going to win either ladies or C class any time soon but I nearly always pay competition price. sometimes it's because the way I see it if there is a ladies class, by entering competition I contribute to the probability of enough ladies shooting for a better one to actually win something. I have won one competition which was novice ladies at JJs in Dartford. I don't think you actually win anything have not been back yet but I got to see my name on the website which makes a welcome change from seeing it near the bottom of every shoot I do. I know we should all be shooting equally but whilst there are some excellent ladies out there there really are not that many compared to men shooting. Those really good ladies often shoot in class anyway like Cheryl Hall.

 

[cjc]

Surely the person who wins the shoot outright gets the biggest prize, it's the same in every sport u wouldn't get a pub darts player winning more than the world champion,

Also if you start putting bigger money in the classes than the high gun surely this would lead to sandbagging because every1 would want to be in the class with the biggest percentage of entrants

Say the person who won B class beats 50 people they should be rewarded but the person who wins hg by beating 150 people should get a little more

There needs 2 be a carrot to win in every class

Steve I think it would be good 2 have ladies and juniors classes it would encourage more people

At the end of the day we,re all trying to reach our full potential and if u shoot well on the day u should be rewarded what ever class ur in

 

[Macc Ladd]

Surely the person who wins the shoot outright gets the biggest prize, it's the same in every sport u wouldn't get a pub darts player winning more than the world champion,

Also if you start putting bigger money in the classes than the high gun surely this would lead to sandbagging because every1 would want to be in the class with the biggest percentage of entrants

Say the person who won B class beats 50 people they should be rewarded but the person who wins hg by beating 150 people should get a little more

There needs 2 be a carrot to win in every class

Steve I think it would be good 2 have ladies and juniors classes it would encourage more people

At the end of the day we,re all trying to reach our full potential and if u shoot well on the day u should be rewarded what ever class ur in

spot on chris could not of put it better!!

 

[Salopian]

It just goes to show that some of you don't read too well or listen at all. I never said A or B class should win more than HG.

I said that if a class pays in the majority of the prize fund, that class should share it out more evenly.

Maybe this is why 23000 of you didn't vote, because it would have used up too many brain cells .

 

[Jaykaysea]

It just goes to show that some of you don't read too well or listen at all. 

Maybe this is why 23000 of you didn't vote, because it would have used up too many brain cells .

I have had a long crap day and I come on here for a bit of light relief....some people need to be a bit nicer to each other....it would be boring if we were all the same and I like a bit of debate but really there is just no need to be so RUDE......

I am obviously in a worse mood than I thought so I am going to lie down in a darkened room....