Cost of registered sporting clays

I'm not sure I agree, about not drawing people from the golf course. People have limited time and money for entertainment purposes, and we are all competing for that time and money, be it the shooting industry, the golf industry, the baseball industry, the television industry etc. Note by golf course I meant generically, it's just the top of the list as something I see people going and doing regularly around here.

We have to ask ourselves as a sport, what can we do to make coming out and shooting a priority over golf, the bar, american idol etc, and make it a priority for more people. Obviously for you and I it's already a priority.

As you've said, it has to be affordable, and it has to be fun. I'm not real sure how to make the sport more fun then it is, as I'm already having a blast, however I'm certain there are those out there with idea's.

Would possibly making it more of a team event help? I know it's really easy for people to let something that only effects them slide, but when there is a team relying on them, suddenly it becomes a top priority. We seem to be raised that way. I remember as a kid there was no way I was ever allowed to miss a hockey game or practice, even though hockey was a minimum of 4 nights a week, for months on end. When I took up hunting, which was 6 days a week for one month, suddenly my parents were wondering why I couldn't miss one day of hunting for something else.

Maybe if a person made league nights a team event like bowling, so you can make up a score if you do miss, but your team is relying on you coming out.
 
Scar270,
Affordable also means more fun because affordable will lead to more shooting which is more fun, especially if it mean breaking more clay. There are all sorts of things than can to make sure that there is more fun. Your idea of league shooting is good. I know it works for trap.

I think there is something else that we often take for granted. I shoot clay because I like breaking clay. The more clay I break the more fun I have. I love challenging targets and I can handle missing a certain amount and I can handle a bad day or shoot because it motivates me to get better. What I do not like is an over abundance of very difficult targets. If I may badly quote the past president of our association who was quoting someone else? "Most do not come to shoot. They come to break clay." I have been to many shoots where good shooters have been humiliated because target setters made too many presentations that would have challenged an Olympic class shooter. I have seen good shooters walk away never to come back and new shooter regret that they came in the first place. I am not for fluffy easy shoots, but I think a little moderation is in order. Difficult targets, easy target, or moderate targets? The best shooters will still be the winners. No need to set every target or many target like a world class event. To have fun, a new shooter needs to break more than just a target here and there.

I feel that I have strayed a bit from my original post, which was to question the cost of registered targets and the amount of targets required for a competition.
 
I can see what you are saying about targets. I personally like challenging targets, and I don't mind missing lots. However I have seen some of what you are talking about, and I do agree you need to keep the average scores up to maintain shooters.

I've noticed that generally the practice courses are set up easier then tournament courses for just that reason.
 
Covey Ridge said:
Scar270,

They come to break clay." I have been to many shoots where good shooters have been humiliated because target setters made too many presentations that would have challenged an Olympic class shooter. I have seen good shooters walk away never to come back and new shooter regret that they came in the first place. I am not for fluffy easy shoots, but I think a little moderation is in order. Difficult targets, easy target, or moderate targets? The best shooters will still be the winners. No need to set every target or many target like a world class event. To have fun, a new shooter needs to break more than just a target here and there.

I feel that I have strayed a bit from my original post, which was to question the cost of registered targets and the amount of targets required for a competition.
Click to expand...

Target difficulty is a double edged sword. There are some who of course want easy targets so they can be successful. On the other hand, I have shooters that come to my 5 stand that want difficult targets, If they are too easy, they don't want to shoot.

I have 8 traps on the 5 stand. I try to set 4 challenging and 4 not so; however, when you put them in a true pair, you can ratchet it up some. Nevertheless the easy targets are there too.

We have a fairly informal 5 stand where shooters can shoot my menu, or they can call their own targets, singles, reports and trues.

Our experience has been that sucess is certainly a hook. Last week, as part of the safety course I set a long incomer for everyone to try, With as few as 3 targets thrown, I hooked 70-80% who can't wait to get out and shoot some more.

It can get pretty frustrating for a newbie to be blasting away with little success. Shooting clays is a bit like throwing a ball in the dark and you only know you are successful when the target lights up..

There is no doubt; however, that we are in competition for the recreational dollar. I find shooting is no more expensive than other recreational passtimes though. I have found it a great way to meet interesting people and get me to places I would never go ordinarily.

I've been to Great Britain, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, New York and several places in Canada to shoot and met some really interesting people, and shot some challenging courses. All in all, I can't think of a better passtime.
 
Doug,
It must be a challenge keeping both edges of that sword sharpe? We need the Elite and the not so elite in the game as well as balance the books. No easy task! Looks like you are doing OK:D
 
Doug, I talked our electrical genius into putting a delay timer in our 5 stand set up. That can make for some fun pairs. ie our five stand is set up on about the 25 yard line of our trap house. So give a teal with the trap house delayed so it launches right about the time the teal peaks, so you either have to take the low house at 50 yards, or take the teal on the way up and get back for the trap house, or wait, take the trap house, and take the teal as it plummets towards the earth.

And if you don't want to be mean and dispicable, you can delay the teal instead, or even as true pairs they are nice.

Sorry about getting off topic.
 
Scar270 said:
Doug, I talked our electrical genius into putting a delay timer in our 5 stand set up. That can make for some fun pairs. ie our five stand is set up on about the 25 yard line of our trap house. So give a teal with the trap house delayed so it launches right about the time the teal peaks, so you either have to take the low house at 50 yards, or take the teal on the way up and get back for the trap house, or wait, take the trap house, and take the teal as it plummets towards the earth.

And if you don't want to be mean and dispicable, you can delay the teal instead, or even as true pairs they are nice.

Sorry about getting off topic.
Click to expand...

I can control the release of all my traps. I have a Longrange wireless setup where I can program the menu, or make it up as I go along.
 
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