Shooting re-evaluation?

[Hamster]

wow, how does anyone make money from this sport?

If you manage to HG it tends to cover the days expenses including fuel but not the depreciation on your car getting there OR the £100k+ you have to spend acquiring the skill to HG a shoot.  

 

[Charliedog]

If you manage to HG it tends to cover the days expenses including fuel but not the depreciation on your car getting there OR the £100k+ you have to spend acquiring the skill to HG a shoot.  

I would imagine if you totalled up all your shooting related outgoings against your winnings there cannot be many make money (If any)

 

[Jan Powell]

I would imagine if you totalled up all your shooting related outgoings against your winnings there cannot be many make money (If any)

I can’t really comment on any discipline other than trap but the top few probably break even or make a small amount. Costs are offset with sponsorship and winning major events. The Krieghoff DTL alone has a £3000 prize pot split 5 ways on the Friday and in excess of £10000 to be won over the weekend.

International competitors are doing even better with shooting related business, more competitive sponsorship arrangements and Sport England funding.
 

 

[Hamster]

I would imagine if you totalled up all your shooting related outgoings against your winnings there cannot be many make money (If any)

About 4 years ago I totted up what I reckoned I’d spent on ALL my shooting related apparatus, it came to circa £160k and because of costs of shells and the entry fees I think a good two thirds would have to be attributed to clay shooting. At the height of my powers I’d be lucky if I won more than approx £3k-£4 in a given year so the one thing that’s a given for 99.9% of us is that this hobby is a money pit, we do it because we enjoy it. 

If I were to hazard a guess I’d say there are probably no more than half a dozen in any given country who make a decent living at it (coaching included), another dozen or so break even. 

 

[Lloyd]

If you manage to HG it tends to cover the days expenses including fuel but not the depreciation on your car getting there OR the £100k+ you have to spend acquiring the skill to HG a shoot.  

Ohh... just another £90,000 to spend and I’ll be HG

Anyone know someone who wants to buy a couple of kidneys? 

 

[squimp]

I've spent quite a bit the last 2 seasons on a handful of serious pheasant days each year.

Last year I thought about giving them up; this year it is a definite change of emphasis. Smaller days with good mates is the way to go.

When the serious days go well they are fantastic, but there is too much that can go wrong and too much money involved. A couple of times this year I felt as if the shoot was taking the guns for granted. We did moan -  but at the end of the day the only real recourse you have is voting with your feet.

The good news is that only this week I was invited (Covid permitting of course) to take a gun on a small shoot in N Wales that is really lovely…...

Fingers crossed.

 

[Cosmicblue]

Sorry to read of the loss of loved ones - there are no meaningful words of comfort I do know.

Yep, more than anything I miss the social interaction and fluffy rabbits with the lads.  Breaking targets hasn't really mattered too much - perversely I had discovered that being relaxed about the whole thing really helps the score prior to the end of our adventures.

I note, as predicted a couple of weeks back that the government guidance is now indicating that social distancing will have to remain in place until a vaccine is available and that's slated to be the second half of 2021.   I don't feel that I'll be feeling the walnut up close and personal for quite some time yet.

 

[Wonko the Sane]

Sorry to read of the loss of loved ones - there are no meaningful words of comfort I do know.

Yep, more than anything I miss the social interaction and fluffy rabbits with the lads.  Breaking targets hasn't really mattered too much - perversely I had discovered that being relaxed about the whole thing really helps the score prior to the end of our adventures.

I note, as predicted a couple of weeks back that the government guidance is now indicating that social distancing will have to remain in place until a vaccine is available and that's slated to be the second half of 2021.   I don't feel that I'll be feeling the walnut up close and personal for quite some time yet.

Yeah, that's about it for me too.  With the age related decline in general being able to do things that I GAF about and/or interest me leaves me in a shrinking world.  Not shooting cos the club is closed deletes all of the associated activities as well as others have noted and I have to admit that has become very dear to me.  I don't know how many years I may have remaining if I get to the other side of this but I can tell ya straight and true that a year ana half could be a sizable  chunk and it righteously pisses me off.   :growl:

all y'all please try to stay well and happy and

 

[jwpzx9r]

I haven't fired a shot for about six weeks and we are on lockdown until mid May. But to be honest even when this lockdown is concluded I don't think I am about to just run out into the world as though this virus does not exist anymore... it is going to be around for years to come and I reckon my approach to everyday life has now changed irrevocably. I am down to shoot in the euro champs  at Ychoux in September but I am thinking about withdrawing from that I just don't see the point in risking my health. I have a really big garden and I have really enjoyed the peace working away in it. It is strange but I have actually enjoyed the quiet there is never an airplane in the sky and the roads are empty... it's been great! I live way out in the country but even being in what would be called a quiet village I can still notice how much less activity is going on. The restriction in France are a bit more stringent than those in the UK I am lead to believe. I am not allowed to travel more than one kilometer radius around my home and cannot leave the house for more than one hour if just taking exercise . We even have to carry a signed document explaining the purpose of being outside signed timed and dated before you leave the house :lol:

 

[westley]

I am not surprised that you want to withdraw from that shoot at Ychoux...................I can not even say it without sneezing   !   

 

[ColinD]

I haven't fired a shot for about six weeks and we are on lockdown until mid May. But to be honest even when this lockdown is concluded I don't think I am about to just run out into the world as though this virus does not exist anymore... it is going to be around for years to come and I reckon my approach to everyday life has now changed irrevocably. I am down to shoot in the euro champs  at Ychoux in September but I am thinking about withdrawing from that I just don't see the point in risking my health. I have a really big garden and I have really enjoyed the peace working away in it. It is strange but I have actually enjoyed the quiet there is never an airplane in the sky and the roads are empty... it's been great! I live way out in the country but even being in what would be called a quiet village I can still notice how much less activity is going on. The restriction in France are a bit more stringent than those in the UK I am lead to believe. I am not allowed to travel more than one kilometer radius around my home and cannot leave the house for more than one hour if just taking exercise . We even have to carry a signed document explaining the purpose of being outside signed timed and dated before you leave the house :lol:

Totally agree, this virus isn't just going to disappear if and when they lift restrictions.The idea is to slow the infection rate down to more manageable numbers.

I'm afraid until a vaccine is available people are still going to get ill, some more than others and with terrible consequences

Now if only someone could educate the Orange clown on this across the water

 

[jwpzx9r]

Totally agree, this virus isn't just going to disappear if and when they lift restrictions.The idea is to slow the infection rate down to more manageable numbers.

I'm afraid until a vaccine is available people are still going to get ill, some more than others and with terrible consequences

Now if only someone could educate the Orange clown on this across the water

The virus is going to be just like the flu virus eventually in that is will continue to re emerge . The subject of a vaccine is interesting.Scientists have been working on a vaccine for the SARS virus for nearly 20 years now and still haven't found one . I know there may much more effort being put into the work on COVID19 but I am not pinning my hopes om a vaccine being found in the near future it may take years.

China has a lot to answer for with regard to this virus and its spread. I am of the opinion that the way this virus was introduced into the population was more than likely from a laboratory than at a wild food market. However the way that the Chinese government have handled the whole affair has been very poor from the outset. They knew this was a very dangerous pathogen and did little to let the rest of the world know about it initially.

 

[Wonko the Sane]

I'm pretty sure that China doesn't actually GAF what anyone thinks or threatens to do.  Xi Jinping is like Puten only in a better economic position - way better.  China isn't out to conquer the world, they don't have to.  They have buy-option leases on most of it already and can hang around with that until the West goes totally in the dumper and they pick up what they want out of that from the bargain bins.  Suggest to your younger relatives that they learn Mandarin Chinese so they can talk with the bosses and read their performance evaluations

just a thot

 

[Wonko the Sane]

I have a really big garden and I have really enjoyed the peace working away in it. It is strange but I have actually enjoyed the quiet there is never an airplane in the sky and the roads are empty... it's been great! I live way out in the country but even being in what would be called a quiet village I can still notice how much less activity is going on.

 

[chippy]

Obviously no clay shooting but I've been shooting crows every weekend and had some decent bags so all is good.

 

[rocky]

Tbh I’ve been quite happy plinking about the garden with my old air rifle during lockdown it’s just so instant & faff-free. I might offload the shotguns if/when normality returns get some money back in. 

 

[Freddypip]

Two years ago I shot twice in six months with a gap of 4 months at one point. Before I picked it up again I did a bit of bedroom practice (with the gun !!) and if anything shot better.

I'm not an unsociable person by any means but I am going to try and be as nice as possible to fellow shooters when the grounds reopen.

Sorry to hear about those who have lost loved ones, both now and in the past.

 

[Luke_(NL)]

I've been mulling over this question since it was brought up. First of all I do really miss the shooting. Not for want of pulling just any trigger, but because it was (and will be) a "me-time" moment, whether that be morning, midday, evening or even the odd (and lucky) whole day of just hanging out with mates, doing what you like doing, meeting like, and enjoying the atmosphere and the outdoors. Its been absolutely cracking weather here, which only makes me miss the clay range more as it was ghastly the last few times I did manage (before the lockdown obviously). 

So, will I change anything? I suppose I will in terms of making more time for it, taking it for granted less and enjoy it more when we're allowed back out there. I've cleaned up most of the contents of the safe and I intend to vary a bit more in what I shoot (which may mean less time for clays and more for rifle) but we'll see how that goes as all but the clay-shooting is outdoors, so in fair weather it is just nicer to be outside and miss those pesky orange discs. Can't wait... For now it's back to work and after that a bit more polish and oil. Am still turning my stick into a proper safe-queen, seeing that's where it'll for the foreseeable future    

 

[Finners]

Interesting reading through this thread, firstly I'd like to offer my condolences to those who've lost loved ones due to this awful virus.

Having never been a competitive shooter, by that I mean I don't do Competitions and have never been CPSA registered. As such, I have often said to newbies on here, you'll need to decide if you want to do this purely for fun or on a Competitive basis. In my view, it's one or the other, ie you can't be a casual competitor or casually competitive, either way you'll end up not really achieving what you set out to do.

So, what's interesting to me is how many who've said that they may lessen their obession with chasing averages and relax a bit more.

For my part, now that the opening of grounds is near (per CPSA's memo yesterday) I've realised that I don't really miss the actual shooting that much at all. It's the meeting people and a few beers at the pub afterwards that I miss. Suprisingly, I also don't miss the beers, just the pub atmosphere. To me, that's what it's all about, people. 

Stay safe and enjoy whatever you decide to do and however you decide to do it (provided it's legal of course )

 

[jwpzx9r]

I am heart sorry for those who have lost loved ones through this terrible virus it has been tragic... and it has not finished yet by a long way! I am considering shooting at the moment whether just to pack it in altogether or whether to just shoot practice rounds. I love shooting in the big events there is always a great buzz about the grounds ... but shooting lines of three wearing face masks I am giving them a miss just not worth the bother. Even a club competition is going to be a challenge say 60 shooters for a 100 target UT on a Sunday. That is 20 lines for our two fosse club impossible for a normal day. I think all comps will be shot over two days or cut to 50 targets. And after you have finished your round you retire to solitary ? Where is the fun in that? By the way shooting with a face mask... my glasses steamed up immediately I put my mask on when we visited the market the other day  :lol: No way I could shoot with a mask on!