The Cost of a Silhouette Match

[dustinflint]

I am the match director for several annual championship matches in Louisiana, including the high power state championship in Zwolle, LA. This match is (I think) the longest-running championship match in the United States (51 years) and it's in my opinion the most fun match in the country.

This year, participation at this match was very low. Several shooters that attended last year did not come this year; and 12 shooters backed out within the last two weeks before the match. It was a bit depressing.

While I was discussing this with one of the shooters at the match, he told me that he thought that more shooters might attend if an accounting was provided to show where their entry fee goes. He said the assumption amongst the shooters is that match directors (or promoting organizations) make lots of money off silhouette matches.

This doesn't make sense to me. The match fee is just one of the considerations I make when deciding whether to attend a match - it's just a cost of attendance, and a minor cost at that.

Anyway, I've decided to show everyone that attended the Zwolle match this past weekend where their entry fee went. This is the last time I'll ever do this since we keep our Louisiana matches pretty spartan in order to keep the entry fees low; and I think that our entry fees are fair, especially considering those fees have not increased in the more than ten years I've been running matches, despite costs rising dramatically.

So here is where your entry fee went this weekend. A couple of notes for this particular match: food costs are usually higher for us - the owner of the range decided to provide food this year and the cost was almost half of what it usually is. Also, there are usually costs for paint that we didn't have this year because we used leftover paint that we had laying around.

The entry fee was the same as the entry fee for all of my championship matches: $100 for adult shooters; $50 for juniors. We had two juniors and one shooter that shot 1/3 of the match and paid a $40 entry fee. One shooter paid an extra $25 and refused to take it back; so that is added into the total. The turnout was lower than expected by 10-15 shooters.

Of each adult shooter's $100 entry fee:
$58 went to the target setters.
$27 went to awards.
$11 went to range prep (grass cutting and control).
$8.50 went to the Port-O-Let.
$6.80 went to food.
$4.50 went to the NRA.
$1.20 went to small incidentals like scorecards and drinks for the target setters.

Here is the math: $100 - $58 - $27 - $11 - $8.50 - $6.80 - $4.50 - $1.20 = -$17.00

So it cost us $17 per shooter to put on this match.

Hope that answers some questions.

Dustin

[c4p6t7r188]

Thanks for the break down. At some matches the people running the match don't even get to shoot! They give their time and energy and still have to submit scores etc.

[squinty_shooter]

Dustin, Well stated, I hope all shooters have a better appreciation of what it really takes to put on a match!
Kimbal

[atomicbrh]

Dustin, Thank you for posting that.
The nra has zero transparency and I think the lack of true leadership by the organization that claims to be the sanctioning body has fractured the sport.
By the time average people pay their property taxes, car insurance, property insurance, utilities, mortgage/rent, cell phone/internet, gas and food there is no money left to go to matches.
Then many have credit card bills, a second mortgage and healthcare bills on top of that.
It is simply a matter of math.
They want to shoot a lot of matches but they literally do not have the money.
We are not physically able to compete now but if we could pure economics would prevent us.

[frankmako]

in today world it is not the match fee that is the killer it is the cost of travel to/from the match. fuel prices, hotel/air bnb, food, etc... is the real cost of going to a match. it is not the match fee. it is hard work to put on a match and i am glad that you still do it.

[SWHenry]

Dustin,
Thanks for posting this! I run one regional every year and spend plenty of my own money to make it happen - fuel back and forth to range to get everything ready, using my own equipment and time spent at home repairing targets as needed. I don’t shoot all of the matches I host, there’s just too much going on and to keep everything running smooth takes way too much physical and mental energy. All of our match fees go to our club (Tulsa Red Castle) and I expense what I can to reimburse myself but it doesn’t cover all expenses. I will continue to run matches as long as I can physically do it and find target setters (paid) plus enough volunteers to put on the matches.

With that said, the club makes a meager amount on the match but that’s quickly eaten up by our paid help to maintain the range through out the year.

We do it to keep the sport going and because we have a passion for it.

Stan

[cedestech]

Everyone wants to eat, no body wants to cook and fewer yet want to do the dishes….

I’ve run matches, I know a ton of people who run matches.

NO ONE is getting rich running a match. Monthly club to the biggest national match you have ever been to. It always cost the match director and any other volunteers time, effort and usually some sort of financial penalty to host/run a match.

Plus the added expense and liability of floating the match till it actually happens and God forbid it gets canceled…. Who do you think is on the hook for the trophies, catering, porta potty rentals…. Those generally have to be paid in advance and unlike the shooter who expects a full refund if the match gets cancelled, those can’t go back and or there is heavy cancellation fee.

99.999% of the people who run any match you have ever attended do it for the love of the game or because they want to give back to people they consider friends.

IMHO, YMMV etc, etc…