PRS Talk Average match fee

Lesco Brandon

Lesco Brandon

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
May 1, 2018
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273
#1
I’m new to PRS and my local PRS matches are $90 for single day and $250 for 2 day competitions.

Coming from a background of $20 matches this is obviously a bit of a shock.

Without sounding douchy
1) what’s the average cost per match in your area
2) why are these matches significantly more expensive
 
#4
bschneiderheinze said:
$50-60 one day match 10 stages usually meal included. Not sure why a 2 day jumps up to $250-$275 maybe having to pay RO,s. All of our one day matches are self ROed
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The amount of work and cost to do a 2 day versus a 1 day. Much bigger range and likely range rental fees. More targets. More indicators. Shirts. Catering. All the admin time you dont have for a normal 1 day like sponsors and ROs etc etc

$35-40 for local matches in New England (Minuteman Precision Rifle League)
 
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#6
I refuse to shoot the $90 one-day matches in Ohio, there are two places within the same driving distance from me that offer them for $30. I'll shoot those for practice/data collection to get ready for the two-day matches (around $275). I understand there are people willing to pay $90 and prefer the one-day format offered at that price point, but for what I use the one-day matches for I can't justify the cost.
 
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#9
Hollywood 6mm said:
While that definitely plays a part in it, PRS/NRL type matches also require significantly more land to host a match, there's steel to buy/repair, etc.
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In economics those are production costs and have nothing to do with demand. The market drives producers to maximize profit and set their price accordingly. The consumer gets to choose if they will buy at said price so it's simple.... The fact that people are willing to pay it, matches can charge for it regardless of the actual costs. Obviously it's in the surviving interests of the prs/nsl match director etc to charge a price that is worth their time and if those costs are 275 a match great...but those costs are irrelevant if the market is only willing to pay 20 bucks....
 
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#10
There's a lot more overhead with 2-day matches than 1-day matches. My club only charges $40 for 1-day matches though. We have small trophies that we give out but that's it. For our 2-day matches, we charge between $200-250. The year we charged $250 we had to pay the range $50 a shooter. We also provide meals both days, t-shirts, much larger trophies, swag bags, new steel, new props, tablets for Practiscore, back up batteries, timers (because cell phones and egg timers are stupid at a national level match), radios, etc. We can keep the costs low for our local events by reusing the stuff we buy for the 2-days.
 
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#11
$40-60 for a one day match.

The two day match I just shot was $275. I had the opportunity to see some of what it took to put that event together. Given the time, energy and expense that I believe went into making that event happen I have no issue with the price tag.
 
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#12
Chuggles said:
I refuse to shoot the $90 one-day matches in Ohio, there are two places within the same driving distance from me that offer them for $30. I'll shoot those for practice/data collection to get ready for the two-day matches (around $275). I understand there are people willing to pay $90 and prefer the one-day format offered at that price point, but for what I use the one-day matches for I can't justify the cost.
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Im in NE Ohio, besides Reyners, what other match is there in that price range?
 
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#14
I'm with @Chuggles . I refuse to pay $90 for the higher prices matches in Ohio because of other options. If I can't get a qualifier I may have to shoot one of the pricey matches, but Rayner's has a shoot every month for 1/3 the price and they do 22 prs matches afterwards for like $10-$15 I think.. Kentucky is $25 I believe, but I haven't made it there this year yet. I agree the price is whatever people want to pay, and I think eventually the matches will all become closer in price if numbers begin to fall at the higher prices matches.
 
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#16
Coming from 3 Gun land I can't wrap my head around precision rifle match costs.

I just went to a big 3 day major 3 gun match. 9 stages, a big range shut down for a week, elaborate shoot houses built, paths cleared in the woods, conex boxes moved around to build platforms on top of, cars and other props moved, paper targets that only last so long, clay targets are one use only, lunch all three days, pizza and beer at night, huge staff that ran their asses off all three days, 10x the amount of rules that need to be enforced, match shirts, huge prize tables, coordination with local businesses and hotels, and a million other backstage things I'm not even aware of all for $250 iirc.

Small locals still require a ton of work, they average $25. Big locals with prize tables, tropies and lunch are still only $60.
I've never seen a precision rifle match that required the setup of one big 3 gun stage.
 
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#18
JesseB81 said:
I’m new to PRS and my local PRS matches are $90 for single day and $250 for 2 day competitions.

Coming from a background of $20 matches this is obviously a bit of a shock.

Without sounding douchy
1) what’s the average cost per match in your area
2) why are these matches significantly more expensive
Click to expand...

Down where I live, 1 day match is only 40 bucks!
 
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#19
Curious to see how this has aged. Costs have gone up and the economics of putting on a very good 1 day match (which can cost 15-20K just in equipment startup costs to do it right) and similar costs for a 2 day, assuming you already have all the equipment, insurance props, steel, ect. Then add in trophies, catering, renting venues, transportation ,ect.
 
#20
It's about the same but up some with centerfires at about $90-100 for the one days and $300 for the two days but the place it has raised is the rimfire one days as they used to be $25-30 and now $50-60 with the occasional lower price. And with the PRS telling MDs they have to charge $180 for a 2 day rimfire match it gets tough to go that route.

Also I don't remember ever seeing a true start up coming into the game recently as most places running matches have their steel and everything needed to run a match and have been running them a while.
 
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#21
The thing that gets me is the places charging $60+ for a one day and not even supplying lunch or water. Its such a simple thing and the cost is really minimal to provide a great shooter experience. I shouldn't have to haul a gallon of water on top of all my other shit just to try and stay hydrated.
 
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#22
$40-45 1-day PRS centerfire or rimfire around me. Water is provided. Lunch is not usually provided. If it is, it's usually donated by someone. MDs are not making a killing running 1-days, especially considering how much time goes into making it happen and associated liability.
 
#25
I come from a world where, I charged no more than $15 but normally it was ten a gun and a fellow or lady could shoot as many classes as they could fit in a day. LOST MY SHIRT! I don’t feel the least bit bad about $95.00 match fees with a lunch. Heck, I’ve spent as much as a thousand bucks or more to put on a match including lunch, charged the normal rate of ten per class, took in 220, give a hundred each to my two target setters lost over a thousand.

Don’t begrudge those match directors…Life isn’t free. (And don’t ask me to put on any more IHMSA matches either).
 
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#26
Best matches around here are also the cheapest. $15-30. The $30 match is even a money match. 1st-3rd place, ladies, juniors, top FNG even gets his match fee back. I guess we just got better MD's here.

These MD charging $50-$100 with no trophy, trinkets, or take home swag for the winners are a joke. They will stop gouging you if you stop attending. How bout some stinking badges for the winners?

PMS matches have always been around $250-$300. But we used to at least get decent gift bags for showing up.

Money matches are the best.
 
#27
Rob01 said:
It's about the same but up some with centerfires at about $90-100 for the one days and $300 for the two days but the place it has raised is the rimfire one days as they used to be $25-30 and now $50-60 with the occasional lower price. And with the PRS telling MDs they have to charge $180 for a 2 day rimfire match it gets tough to go that route.

Also I don't remember ever seeing a true start up coming into the game recently as most places running matches have their steel and everything needed to run a match and have been running them a while.
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The 180$ fee was just a recommendation based on expenses. Stiner and Stewart were pretty up front about it and trying to make a actual pro series for rimfire. Unfortunately rimfire shooter will build 5k$ guns with zcos on them but won't pay for a real series. Another reason centerfire shooters don't take rimfire seriously.
 
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#28
M4orturnate said:
The 180$ fee was just a recommendation based on expenses. Stiner and Stewart were pretty up front about it and trying to make a actual pro series for rimfire. Unfortunately rimfire shooter will build 5k$ guns with zcos on them but won't pay for a real series. Another reason centerfire shooters don't take rimfire seriously.
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Well the MDs I spoke to didn’t take it as a “recommendation”. Well kind of like when the mafia makes a recommendation you pay them. Lol

ETA Forgot to mention nice try at trying to pit centerfire shooters against Rimfire. Unfortunately a lot of people shoot both so it’s the same crowd.

Also what is charged should be up to the MD and let the shooters decide if it’s worth it. Not appointed members of a family ah I mean organization. Lol
 
#29
There is a certain level of amenities and quality you expect at a 2 day national match. When you travel you expect this and whenever I shoot a 2 day match with shitty/lack of lunches, I am having to be my own RO, using crappy timers or a gimmicky course of fire that proves the MD is not a shooter... it reminds you how many bad mds there are out there. So I don't mind paying $300 for a match when I know I will have a great shooter experience , understanding alot of that money goes Into the event. Letting yahoo mds with no experience running 1 day centerfire much less 2 day pro matches is going to be a recipe for disaster. Matt can handle it but many of the other mds can't. Then it becomes a comparison, people wondering why mkm charges 250 for a 2 day when everyone else is charging 100. Not realizing some guys will host a legit 2 day pro style match and others will just be 2 one day matches smashed together.

Rimfire lost its fun for me, so I stopped shooting it. The best shooters and events are in centerfire anyway, and you can only shoot so many matches before getting burnt out from all the traveling.

I would say to the guys who want 2 day rimfire matches to be a thing...just go shoot centerfire. You might just end up liking it more.
 
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#32
Rob01 said:
Well the MDs I spoke to didn’t take it as a “recommendation”. Well kind of like when the mafia makes a recommendation you pay them. Lol

ETA Forgot to mention nice try at trying to pit centerfire shooters against Rimfire. Unfortunately a lot of people shoot both so it’s the same crowd.

Also what is charged should be up to the MD and let the shooters decide if it’s worth it. Not appointed members of a family ah I mean organization. Lol
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I'm not putting them against each other, I shoot both. Just kinda lost interest in rimfire because it's easy. The MD is completely free to set there own price but the guidance was there because a lot of them never hosted a 2 day and overlook all the extras that go into it. I sure wouldn't do all that work for less then 180 a person. With travel and everything else the match fee is only a small fraction of cost.
 
#33
M4orturnate said:
I'm not putting them against each other, I shoot both. Just kinda lost interest in rimfire because it's easy. The MD is completely free to set there own price but the guidance was there because a lot of them never hosted a 2 day and overlook all the extras that go into it. I sure wouldn't do all that work for less then 180 a person. With travel and everything else the match fee is only a small fraction of cost.
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Guidance is one thing but telling them $180 is the price isn't and and MD told me he was told that so it is what it is. Maybe he was confused. Bottom line is MDs should set their price as they know their work load and costs.

Not sure what rimfire matches you shot but the good ones aren't easy at all especially with the wind blowing. Sure they can be easy if the MD makes it a meatball match just as that can happen in centerfire but a well designed rimfire match is as challenging as a centerfire match.
 
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#34
Rob01 said:
Guidance is one thing but telling them $180 is the price isn't and and MD told me he was told that so it is what it is. Maybe he was confused. Bottom line is MDs should set their price as they know their work load and costs.

Not sure what rimfire matches you shot but the good ones aren't easy at all especially with the wind blowing. Sure they can be easy if the MD makes it a meatball match just as that can happen in centerfire but a well designed rimfire match is as challenging as a centerfire match.
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Not to argue but when I show up to 3 matches in year and make the finale then show up to that without ammo and use what I'm giving ( and wouldn't feed for shit) and I still end up in the top 30 it's too easy. Unfortunately I get the targets can't get smaller due to the precision of the ammo but I'm not a good enough shooter to be in the hunt at every match I go to and I am with rimfire. I shoot mostly at mkm so the competition is there.
 
#36
The good two day matches that are well run are worth the money and same goes for the one days I've been too. Once you go to some of the well run matches, it makes it hard to pay money to go to a match that is just thrown together with little thought for the overall experience.

The Barrel Maker Classic was pretty hard to beat in terms of bang for your buck and being a well run match. The match book Ken used should be the standard across PRS.
 
#37
Lesco Brandon said:
I’m new to PRS and my local PRS matches are $90 for single day and $250 for 2 day
Click to expand...

tenor.gif
 
#38
Mormegil87 said:
The good two day matches that are well run are worth the money and same goes for the one days I've been too. Once you go to some of the well run matches, it makes it hard to pay money to go to a match that is just thrown together with little thought for the overall experience.

The Barrel Maker Classic was pretty hard to beat in terms of bang for your buck and being a well run match. The match book Ken used should be the standard across PRS.
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Ken's match book was exemplary in all regards.
IMO, Adam and Fred's down in Indiana fill that spot now that Ken isn't MD'ing.
(to be fair, I haven't seen WI's new MD's matchbooks, so they may be on par with Ken's.)
 
#39
MDof2 said:
Ken's match book was exemplary in all regards.
IMO, Adam and Fred's down in Indiana fill that spot now that Ken isn't MD'ing.
(to be fair, I haven't seen WI's new MD's matchbooks, so they may be on par with Ken's.)
Click to expand...

They are using the same format and template. Brian and Richard do a really nice job.

I'm bias but I'd say the Barrel Maker set the standard for matches not held at K&M with Punisher being a close second. It's really a shame we don't have the Barrel Maker anymore.
 
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#40
I wish there were more good 1-day matches. For normal people, with jobs/families/businesses/lives/etc... 2-days can be a bitch.

I'm in TN, so I'm a bit spoiled compared to some with 1-days at K&M for $90 (I can even sleep in my own bed as long as I'm willing to wake up early and bend a few traffic laws). 2-days there are the usual $295-305.

I don't have any problem with the fees other than maybe not taking the Friday before off and signing up for the Friday tune-up day at K&M means your choice of t-shirt will be extra-small or extra-small. For ~$300, I would actually like a t-shirt instead of another shop rag for once lol.
 
#41
The whole game is getting pretty pricey. Match fees and components. It won't be long and the only sponsored shooter will have any chance at competing on a national level.

MDs need to and should make money but there will be a point where the average guy says "Fuck it, I'll go shoot pistol or archery instead" or "I'll put that money towards a hunt."
 
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#42
CK1.0 said:
I wish there were more good 1-day matches. For normal people, with jobs/families/businesses/lives/etc... 2-days can be a bitch.

I'm in TN, so I'm a bit spoiled compared to some with 1-days at K&M for $90 (I can even sleep in my own bed as long as I'm willing to wake up early and bend a few traffic laws). 2-days there are the usual $295-305.

I don't have any problem with the fees other than maybe not taking the Friday before off and signing up for the Friday tune-up day at K&M means your choice of t-shirt will be extra-small or extra-small. For ~$300, I would actually like a t-shirt instead of another shop rag for once lol.
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Want a tee shirt, wear large or extra large (I hate tight fitting clothes) come on down to Louisiana, Been a cycling competitor for a decade and a half. Every blasted race yu get a tee shirt. Some really nice, great material. some, jsut plain ole cotton with some writing on it. Got Drawers full of the things. Enough to wall paper a room, maybe two rooms. Can’t find places to put al the darned things. Anyway, me, I could use a couple good shop rags. Brenda gets a bit tired of me stealing her towels.

Now for building bikes, good quality paper towels are really necessary. Takes me an entire roll to put one (a child’s bike) back together, with all bearings, and their is a bunch, have to be greased. The bottom brackets on many use the old individual ball bearings in the cup. Takes lots of grease, and it goes everywhere. like I said, takes an entire roll. Now firearms, can’t use paper on them, need a good cloth.

IMG_0253.jpeg


1719671197154.jpeg


The little blue one was my all time favorite.

Before covid got things crazy, i could dumpster dive and find lots of usable bikes that were thrown away. Kept everyone I found and used the ones too bad to rebuild for spare parts. Brenda hated it because we had junk bicycles every where (my parts store) But once done, stripping down to bare metal, replating, or repainting everything that was repairable and replacing all those parts that weren’t, left me with some pretty nice bikes to give to families that could not afford to buy a bike for their young child. Now, the market is flooded and no one rides anymore anyway. Anyway, spent hours polishing chrome, and getting the paint just right,, all the time knowing it would be neglected again, but just to know that some little fellow would have something to be proud of, for just a moment, was worth every second, minute, hour and week.


Brenda had one rule I had to follow, if the restoration cost more than going to Walmart and buying new, i was not allowed to rebuild it. makes perfect sense.
 
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