is it me or shooting is expensive?
- Thread starter Kryogen
- Start date
or married with children.Still cheaper than dating
Everything is relative. The bigger the cal or the more you shoot costs go up incrementally. No different than buying a water treatment system. Can be a large initial cost outlay but over the course of a year or two the system will pay for itself vs buying bottled water.
Originally Posted by K-Roc View Post
Shoot .22 , reloaded 9mm, 7.62x39, and 12 gauge bulk bird shot. Keep your collection small, stay away from these $1000+ guns with all there accessories, suddenly it's not so expensive.
Shoot .22 , reloaded 9mm, 7.62x39, and 12 gauge bulk bird shot. Keep your collection small, stay away from these $1000+ guns with all there accessories, suddenly it's not so expensive.
what he said.....oh the horror!
I like to shoot .22 , 223, and 308. I reload myself, and take my time at the shooting bench. Probably costs me $20-30 per range visit, twice a month. Some outings I only shoot .22, and they are the $10 days. I'm happy with either. Sometimes I need the visceral punch in the shoulder. I find slowing down helps my aim and makes for a more meditative range session. Buying my reloading components on sale means about $.65 per round for .308, and $.32 for .223.
Sometimes I like to shoot trap, but even a game of trap is only $13 all in. ($6 for clays, $7 for ammo)
The other thing to think about is that if you buy mid range gear and look after it, it will probably not depreciate in value much.
It's all relative. On the fun to value scale, it ranks pretty high.
Most hobbies can be done pretty inexpensively if you do the maintenance yourself, and don't need the latest an greatest every year. There is definitely a point of diminishing return in this sport, as with most.
Sometimes I like to shoot trap, but even a game of trap is only $13 all in. ($6 for clays, $7 for ammo)
The other thing to think about is that if you buy mid range gear and look after it, it will probably not depreciate in value much.
It's all relative. On the fun to value scale, it ranks pretty high.
Most hobbies can be done pretty inexpensively if you do the maintenance yourself, and don't need the latest an greatest every year. There is definitely a point of diminishing return in this sport, as with most.
I would think hookers would be less costly because they are a sure thing. I heard that in "Pretty Woman". I'm I wrong?
Every now and then I think the same. There is a lot of "money" in my gun cabinet, on my reloading bench, etc.
But then I consider what it has cost to raise my two children so far with many years left to go (I hope!), buy a house, move to another house, build a business. I'm really only spending a fraction of that on my hobby.
And of course, if things ever get tight, I can sell a rifle or two, and get back near as much as I spent on them or more (hint: buy guns that will appreciate, or at least ones that are sought after on the used market). I can't do that with my kids!
But as others have pointed out, you can shoot on a budget, if you're careful and reasonable. I remember my first years with my one and only rifle. I had a blast - probably just as much fun as I do now with a safe full of them. Just be smart, and remember that credit cards DO need to be paid off!
But then I consider what it has cost to raise my two children so far with many years left to go (I hope!), buy a house, move to another house, build a business. I'm really only spending a fraction of that on my hobby.
And of course, if things ever get tight, I can sell a rifle or two, and get back near as much as I spent on them or more (hint: buy guns that will appreciate, or at least ones that are sought after on the used market). I can't do that with my kids!
But as others have pointed out, you can shoot on a budget, if you're careful and reasonable. I remember my first years with my one and only rifle. I had a blast - probably just as much fun as I do now with a safe full of them. Just be smart, and remember that credit cards DO need to be paid off!
Yes it's expensive but the items used retain value really quite well. The ammo can get pricey but if you don't shoot it, it still has value. A quality firearm can gain value. Whenever I think it's pricey I think about my friends who snowmobile. You definitely need to pay to play for that hobby...
Someone might have 22 guns and shoots 2-5 times per month and still wants more.
Lots of my friends or people that worked for me have told me the costs of their hobbies. Good downhill bicycle- $5000+++ and get a new one every two years if you ride lots.
You can get a top of the line rifle for that cost and hand it down to your kids 20 years later.You can get a great setup for $2500 and shoot $500 in ammo a year and still be ahead of other hobbies.
But lots of shooters and hunters are indeed cheap. They will buy $40 000 trucks but whine abotu the price of a bit of ammo.
You can get a top of the line rifle for that cost and hand it down to your kids 20 years later.You can get a great setup for $2500 and shoot $500 in ammo a year and still be ahead of other hobbies.
But lots of shooters and hunters are indeed cheap. They will buy $40 000 trucks but whine abotu the price of a bit of ammo.
Bustercluck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fort McMurray
The part I hate is paying $15 shipping for a $10 item. I pretty much order everything online and you can't get everything at one store.
I have about 15 guns and I only use one year round. I probably take it out twice a month and 50 rounds an outing. Other than that I'm just working up a load in my hunting rifle and that gets used a few times in the fall.
I bring the kids out to shoot their .22 now and again, but they won't come with me if I'm going to the big bore range. They get bored too fast.
I have about 15 guns and I only use one year round. I probably take it out twice a month and 50 rounds an outing. Other than that I'm just working up a load in my hunting rifle and that gets used a few times in the fall.
I bring the kids out to shoot their .22 now and again, but they won't come with me if I'm going to the big bore range. They get bored too fast.
I have a running average of about 5 hobbies, give or take. Shooting is one of the less expensive, but one of the highest per-hour-fun cost than the others.
If I amortized my ~$10,000ish bicycle over 2 years, it is about half the cost per hour of my Sig Legion and ammo. But I ride way more than I shoot. And that's not counting all my other guns and ammo and gear! (Or my other bicycles lol)
Nature of the beast.
My most expensive per hour hobby was my Harley, but I worked so much I never got to ride it in over 2 years, and then sold it for another KTM.
If I amortized my ~$10,000ish bicycle over 2 years, it is about half the cost per hour of my Sig Legion and ammo. But I ride way more than I shoot. And that's not counting all my other guns and ammo and gear! (Or my other bicycles lol)
Nature of the beast.
My most expensive per hour hobby was my Harley, but I worked so much I never got to ride it in over 2 years, and then sold it for another KTM.
donthedrummer
Member
- Location
- Saskatoon, Sask
Swiss watches can leave a big, gaping hole in your disposable income.
But the care and feeding usually amounts to a lot less.
But the care and feeding usually amounts to a lot less.
I guess it depends on your income. I only shoot .22 and reload for .303 Brit. Bullets are the biggest expense but I don't feel like casting anymore. I think black powder is cheapest if you cast round ball or conical's, something I've done for a couple of decades but not since last year. Just being around friends with the same interest on a nice summer day is priceless.
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Logged many 1000's of kms on my sleds over the years. I got out of it due to cost. 200$ a day to run it, 600$ a year just to make it legal to run and not to mention the horrible depreciation on the sled itself...and that isn't considering maintance, trailering, the possibility of wrapping it and myself around a tree, etc.
