PRS Talk Club level match price

[lead ƒarmer]

Ok I hope I don't stir up any shit with this thread. I'm a new match director, but have been shooting PRS/steel type matches for about 4-5 years now. I'm interested in hearing your opinion on what the entry fee should be. My match has 10 stages, 90+ rounds for the course of fire. I serve a hot lunch and provide water throughout the day. I've got a zero range setup with various steel out to 1K to check dope before the match begins. Targets for the COF range from 200-1200 yards. I am trying to challenge the experienced guys while still being inviting to new/inexperienced guys (aren't we all? lol) Other clubs in my region charge $50-$60. Lay it on me, I can handle it.

 

[SonoranPrecision]

Standard price out here in AZ is $40

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

Is your product comparable to the others in the region? Are they offering lunch included too? Will you make enough at 40 to cover your costs?

Keep in mind, you don't want to charge $40 for your first match and $60 for the second you hold, unless you offer something additional for the attendees. Your first cost and experience you offer will anchor in their heads.

I'd probably try to mirror the offerings/prices of the other local matches, but adjust for what your match offers (like lunch) that they do not, or what they have but you do not (# stages, round count, etc). But I'm not a MD and my ramblings are worth what you paid for them.

 

[Jefe's Dope]

Do provide ROs at each stage or are participants required to keep their own scores, spot, etc?

 

[lead ƒarmer]

Do provide ROs at each stage or are participants required to keep their own scores, spot, etc?

No ROs, spotting/scoring is done within the squads. Same as the other matches in the area

 

[Jefe's Dope]

I voted $50 because you offer a hot lunch. I'm assuming it's decent food.

I'd pay more for ROs. For me it's nice because 1. I can be selfish and concentrate on MY needs. 2. I regard calling hits/misses as extremely important and take it extremely serious which then I tend to put pressure on myself to get it right because I don't want to be the guy who dinged your score with a bad call. That takes some of the fun out of it for me. I don't dislike doing it, it's the pressure I place on myself. It's not a big deal or a deal breaker for me. Just a preference with an over explantion.

 

[SonoranPrecision]

I missed the part about a hot lunch. I’d definitely pay $50 for that.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

I voted before reading your post. If you're offering lunch, water and zero ranges, then I'd gladly pay $60.

 

[acudaowner]

Id be more than willing to pay 60 dollars for a hot meal and a day of shooting you could charge more a nice bbq with ribs and briquette some slaw mmm and a day of shooting put the hog in the ground and burry it to slow cook lol good luck how ever you do it .

 

[Mk32784]

Our local matches are 5-7 stages with a fun COF, no food. $40.

If there was 10 stages + food. $60 would be no brainer.

 

[Jefe's Dope]

Id be more than willing to pay 60 dollars for a hot meal and a day of shooting you could charge more a nice bbq with ribs and briquette some slaw mmm and a day of shooting put the hog in the ground and burry it to slow cook lol good luck how ever you do it .

This is actually a pretty good idea. If you make the BBQ/food a good reason to come out with shooting as an addition ( I realize this is primarily a shooting match), you'd have a good reason for more people to come. As in family members. Offer a BBQ price and a shooting/BBQ price. Make it a family friendly event that would be just as much about the good food as shooting and you'd bring more people in to shoot who just came to eat but see the fun being had by the shooters as well. I realize we're getting off base here but if you're at all interested/competent in offering food, it's a serious money maker and attractant.

Edit: You could easily experiment with this idea by just hiring a food truck or three and see what they bring in during the match.

 

[Olen_4504]

Damn we pay $80-90 for a club match here in VA/NC and have to bring our own lunch

 

[lead ƒarmer]

Damn we pay $80-90 for a club match here in VA/NC and have to bring our own lunch

ouch... Sorry bud. If you ever feel like driving 2700 miles for a club match lunch is on me! lol

 

[Jefe's Dope]

I paid $30 or $35 for a nice center fire match in Laramie. No water or food or ROs.

$20-$25 for .22 PRS matches usually. Sometimes we even have ROs. On a square range mostly though. Hoser's are $15 or $25 for both morning and afternoon.

A local NRL22 is $10 and usually has Gatorade and bottled water and donuts.

$60 for a full day NRL 22X with water at stages and a dinner/late lunch w/ a soda/beer, or two if you asked, provided. Would/will do again. Totally worth it.

 

[Skg_Mre_Lght]

Standard price out here in AZ is $40

$50 all over Wyoming.

 

[msstate56]

This is my biggest problem with PRS matches. Price. Even at $60 your match would be cheap. All the matches in the SE are at least $90 for a 1 day club match. We had a new range that opened up and charged $60 for an “outlaw” match (unaffiliated). Then they decided to become an “official PRS match” and jacked the price to $90. Maybe 5 shooters out of 60 give a shit about PRS points. I can see charging more if the match provided ROs. But when we still have to do all our own ROing and score keeping, where is that money going?

Also the lunch thing- if your match is an all day 8a-3/4p thing, I can see offering lunch. But here where matches are over by 12:30-1p, I’d rather they charge $10 less and let me eat a sandwich on the way home.

 

[Campguy308]

If you have 10 stages and targets to 1000 yards, combined with a lunch, as a shooter, I would consider $50 to be a great price.

$50 is not an insignificant amount of money to me, and I have seen club matches charge that while offering less than what you are.

One thing ive seen at club matches that I dislike is people keeping their own scores, and then turning their sheets into the MD. If you are charging more than $25 for a match, you better have a more solid score keeping system than that IMO. Also, some MDs seem to run their club matches as simply a "prep" for 2 day matches, and dont seem to put much emphasis into the club match itself. I understand the "prep" part, but some people don't shoot 2 day matches, and consider a club match a "big" match. I think the club match MDs should keep that in mind more often.

 

[1moaoff]

I dont like matches without a dedicated ro/scorer. There's nothing wrong with them i just don't like it for me. Over the years I have seen people get mad or just lie and I don't want the drama. It doesn't hurt my feelings( I don't have those according to my wife)
This is a hobby and I want to go and relax. I can afford to pay more for what I want.

I'll happily pay more with good food.
I'll happily pay more to have dedicated staff.

Eta: I would happily pay more to have hot women scantily clad or normally dressed to carry my bag

 

[Campguy308]

I dont like matches without a dedicated ro/scorer. There's nothing wrong with them i just don't like it for me. Over the years I have seen people get mad or just lie and I don't want the drama. It doesn't hurt my feelings( I don't have those according to my wife)
This is a hobby and I want to go and relax. I can afford to pay more for what I want.

I'll happily pay more with good food.
I'll happily pay more to have dedicated staff.

Eta: I would happily pay more to have hot women scantily clad or normally dressed to carry my bag

Same here. Charging people to participate in a contest and then relying on the honor system for scoring is bad IMO.

 

[lte82]

Figure out how much it costs to run a season of matches, and what your expected attendance is, and how much $$ you want to make, if any. That's your price.

The attendance will sort itself out based on the match quality, not cost to shoot it. $40 vs $60 is not much for a single shooter considering the other costs associated. But, $40 vs $60 can be $1000 difference for the match director, which can make or break the long term viability of the match.

 

[smooth]

Easily a $50 or $60 dollar match.... As long as there is a shitter out there

 

[Ryan7839]

$75 all day here in the Northeast region, without ROs. One local group here requires you to RO a match to qualify for their finalie. Great idea IMO.

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

My experience at running a matches left me with one thought. Its tough to break even. its tougher still to get the work done. Whatever is charged, it is well worth it to see a match. Giving lunch is a great benefit, but it costs, so be thankful for all those folks willing to do this as it is hard work.

 

[LH_Gina]

Standard price out here in AZ is $40

In AZ, Cowtown ( the match that's PRS affiliated) is $40. No lunch, 8 stages, usually 70-80 rounds. We assign two experienced club guys to run each squad and give them a discount on their match fee. If competitors help set up, we give them a discount as well. The range charges a set amount per shooter so we have to cover that first. Anything left over goes to new steel, paint, props, etc.

There is a range on the east side of Phoenix that charges $20. It's 6 stages. Still no lunch but we're done shooting in time for brunch.

To the OP, the Southwest lags behind the rest of the country on club match rates. If you're going to throw in lunch and give shooters a full day of competing (which I'm guessing you'd be doing if you've got 10 stages), I'd lean more towards $60 depending on what the facility you're using charges per head.

 

[MDof2]

$60 and roll $10 per head back into your prize table / end of season event.