What should a Reg round cost ?

[Hamster]

Not wishing to bust into the Horne thread it would be interesting to get both shooters as well as ground owners views on what exactly a round of reg ESP ought to cost ?

I have lately paid between £30 - £38 for a 100 bird, anything over £35 makes me look around trying to spot the hot spa facilities so when looking at a splash fest portaloo :bad:  , muddy fields for access as well as parking, the mind kind of goes fuzzy even before trying to make a judgement as to target quality.

My favourite shooting ground which by blissful coincidence happens to be clean, with a spacious log cabin, alcohol and eating facilities, hard parking, just off the main road, flush loo and hand washing, open Sundays gun shop, good scorers, huge towers, TWO different birds per stand and excellent quality targets that represent your average, charges £30 for members and I believe £32or4 if not. Their only slip is the fact they only have 10 stands as a very busy couple of extra stands are always running for beginners. 

So you can imagine my surprise when I have to pay £38 anywhere, let alone some twice a month site. 

 

[no.1topdog]

I agree with what Hamster said above.  :thumbsu:

My only thought about this would be, do the grounds like, Greenfields, Churchills, Southern Counties, Garlands, and the like, see the shooting as a means to attract customers through their facilities (shop/food etc) and can afford to look at the shooting side as something of a loss leader, because they make sales through the other side of their business?

The site that is just a shoot but nothing much else, has to pay for itself entirely from entry fees.

Looking at Majors like The Classic, British Open etc, with trade stands, catering, transport and other entertainment (pool shoots/have a go stands) seems to me to be good value as it offers an "all day entertainment" package.  :biggrin:

 

[maddmatt]

£40 for quality targets, no breakdowns, good clubhouse and prize money  :biggrin:

 

[Jim Wheeler]

good question.

at the risk of comparing apples and apples, and this is not an excuse to moan about costs,, BUT,, as a lot of you know, I am EX south African, and when I came back 18months ago I had a rough idea what clay shooting was about in the uk, but was somewhat surprised by the `amenities` available here. I new it was more expensive, and this was explained away by visiting top shots as good grounds , registered referee`s, clubhouses etc. i have become disillusioned at  the difference !

in SA is the clubs are mostly owned and run by the members, with committee`s voted up by the membership, also, they are not run as a business to make a profit, like the uk.( bear in mind that clays, ammo, guns, clay machines accessories, etc are all sourced in Europe or the UK, and are still an average of 20% cheaper there than here. )  the cost of a round of 25 clays at my old club just went up to equivalent  £3.40.for trap, skeet etc,,sporting , ie` fitasc or compak, is £4.00. this is for 2015.

there is NO money prizes involved, either `club championship`, or national comps are for trophies and class medals, there may be xmas shoots where there are prizes .so it`s all down to  `Glory` :biggrin: . I will also add that tea/coffee is a realistic price, or free,, and the pub and food prices are also at reasonable cost. and  most clubs amenities are excellent,, as are the ranges,, all very professional, as many uk shooter`s will agree.

Churchill's SG  is excellent, and is how I imagined many grounds would be, but in general, Hamster`s description is pretty accurate about the SG`s here. and considering that they are mostly owner operated, albeit by some enthusiastic shooter`s, it seems profits come before value at some shoots?

this my personal experience, please don`t take exception to my comments, as t/hey not intended to be argumentative, purely to show the difference between private and member ownership. I do realize it can be seen as a very unfair comparison!

 

[chanonry]

I can never stop myself doing the sums.

Lots of places i can shoot the same targets for 24p a clay during the week.  Many places (but not all) don't change the targets or leave them on for ages afterwards. So I don't see that I am paying them to set up a course. Sure there are a few refs. Say 10, £50 each, 100 shooters. So it should cost me £5.

So I am at £29.

Now you are moaning at £38 but I am losing the will to live as it cost me £45 typically and I am not getting the target quality you are. (you don't seem to be able to tip a trap at this latitude)

I even went to one (so called) Fitasc shoot where they charged me £50 but we just shot the sporting targets they always had on. 4 refs -> £2 additional cost for me. 24 p a target -> £26, and they are still making a profit otherwise why have a clay price of 24p.

That took the biscuit for me. Why would I pay them £50 to shoot with a half-wit referee when I can shoot the same targets on a Wednesday for £24?? 

I just look stupid.

 

[Will Hewland]

Supply and demand will dictate. End of..

 

[Rosso]

I will pay anything as long as I've had a good days shooting.

Don't smoke, don't drink, work hard, play hard and my play is my shooting.

I attended one shoot this year at a very well know club, it was so bad with no birds I got a refund.

Nothing worse than bad shoots.

Luckily those I attend are excellent. I will never go to an expensive dump with poor targets.

 

[chippy]

For £38 I want at least 13 but preferably 14 or 15 stands of quality targets. They don't need to be silly hard just well thought out.

 

[Darkside]

For £38 I want at least 13 but preferably 14 or 15 stands of quality targets. They don't need to be silly hard just well thought out.

How does £45 for 10 stands with 9 refs sound? (Scottish registered shoots are all subject to a £4 per head levy)

 

[westley]

Chanonry old chap, perhaps you should add £25 to that £50 and complete a C.P.S.A. Referee's course. Perhaps then with a good deal of practice, you may be capable of being a, (and I quote) "A half-wit Referee" (unquote) and then when suitably insulted, you too could collect your £50 and make your lonely way home.

Of course you could just shoot for the pleasure, as do we lesser mortals and save yourself some money. 

 

[chippy]

How does £45 for 10 stands with 9 refs sound? (Scottish registered shoots are all subject to a £4 per head levy)

That sounds like a rip off of epic proportions.

 

[Rosso]

+ 1

 

[MARK-POACHER]

+++1

 

[Darkside]

Chanonry old chap, perhaps you should add £25 to that £50 and complete a C.P.S.A. Referee's course. Perhaps then with a good deal of practice, you may be capable of being a, (and I quote) "A half-wit Referee" (unquote) and then when suitably insulted, you too could collect your £50 and make your lonely way home.

Of course you could just shoot for the pleasure, as do we lesser mortals and save yourself some money.

Playing Devils Advocate here, Chanonry wasn't refering to qualified refs, all refs or even many refs...he's just had a bad experience with an unqualified 'half whit' who happened to be reffing...

 

[Darkside]

That sounds like a rip off of epic proportions.

I will be surprised if I DON'T get stick from the ground owner (again) for complaining on social media about her grounds pricing...

 

[Simbo]

James, you getting stick.............never!

 

[Darkside]

James, you getting stick.............never!

Water...Ducks...Back

 

[evoracer]

Amen to this post!! 

 

[wylye]

So how much prize money are you expecting for this £32 - £35? None at all perhaps? Or maybe £10? Just a thought.