Budget allocation

A good friend of mine is looking at taking up clay shooting, but he is one of those irritating people who budgets for everything.  His question to me (I’m the worst person he could have asked as my gun buying is based on how shiny things are) was ‘ if I had a budget of £10k and to get to a decent standard, how would I spend my money’

I thought I would throw this open to you guys to try to reach a consensus of opinion, I think the  money should be allocated -

Gun  £3,500 inc fitting 

Safety equip £500

Luggage £700

Clothing £300

Lessons £2,500

Cartridges £1,000

Practice Clays £1,500

So, if it were you, what would you suggest this years allocation should look like?

There will be people that spend a hell of a lot more time and interest in clay shooting than me that answer but for me the cost of a gun is 2k over the odds and the cost of the lessons roughly the same.

I'd rather get a close to fitting gun as possible off the shelf, and after a couple of lessons with a good coach i'd stick that extra 4k up the barrels. 

With woody on this. Perfectly good gun for 2k maybe a couple of lessons, few hundred on gear then bank the rest for shooting 

I always thought it was better to get a gun that fitted as close as you can off the shelf, shoot loads and then when you have a consistent mount, then get it fitted? 

I would think, for a total newbie, doing it semi properly, budget £5k for year one.

£500 on some initial lessons, using club gun(s). 

£1000-£1500 on nice used gun, that the nice man in the shop reckons fits you about right. 

£2-300 on basic glasses and clothing

£500 on a stock of low recoil, but sensible cartridges such as good 24g or 28g Hull superfast. 

£1500 on 25 practice rounds and 5 lessons mixed up.

Then you are off shooting registered comps with whatever is left, plus whatever else for years.

I would go: -

Gun  £1,500 

Safety equip £200 - (passive plugs or cans, some second hand glasses ) 

Luggage £300 - (second hand slip or break down case, range bag)

Clothing £80 - (shooting vest and 'at in the sales - seriously, what are you guys spending money on?)

Setup £200 - (Licence,  safe, cleaning kit)

Lessons. Maybe a £3-400 ish on some initial lessons, a break to practice, then another £300 at somepoint after the first few months.

Everything else (£7k) on clays, carts and travel.

Lord v said:

I would go: -

Gun  £1,500 

Safety equip £200 - (passive plugs or cans, some second hand glasses ) 

Luggage £300 - (second hand slip or break down case, range bag)

Clothing £80 - (shooting vest and 'at in the sales - seriously, what are you guys spending money on?)

Setup £200 - (Licence,  safe, cleaning kit)

Lessons. Maybe a £3-400 ish on some initial lessons, a break to practice, then another £300 at somepoint after the first few months.

Everything else (£7k) on clays, carts and travel.

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300 on luggage! Image more than practicality then i have a fairly decent leather gun slip 100 razorback range bag last for ever 60!

Is that list serious or a piss take ?

500 quid for safety equipment?? ... £ 100  tops a set or pelltor muffs and a set of Beretta glasses and you will have change from a ton

luggage 700 quid FFS get a grip

3.5K for a gun !! A good second hand  gun can be had for less than a grand!

2.5k for lessons now you are having a laugh

Anybody and I mean anybody can shoot for less than 4k for a year and do quite a lot of shooting too

my budget for a total see if I like it starter

second hand quality gun £1500 tops

safety glasses and muffs £ 100 tops

a holdall to lug your stuff and a slip for the gun £ 100 tops

pair of wellies, vest and waterproofs £200

the rest can be spent on cartridges and lessons, if you want them. So that is a lot of shooting. And if your buddies cannot chip in with some advice the not much of a set.

I have never had a lesson and shoot quite well... but trap is that easy some say it can be done blindfold   :lol:  

schmokinn said:

300 on luggage! Image more than practicality then i have a fairly decent leather gun slip 100 razorback range bag last for ever 60!

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I spent £120 ish on a very naice second hand slip that will outlast me and £30 on a bag. The first slip I bought cost £11! 

I was being a little generous. 

So PP, I think we all agree, tell your mate to have a damned good two week Caribbean holiday for two, flying business class, then come back and spend what’s left on first year of shooting.

I don’t understand the £700 for luggage ,  but hey if you recommend a Croots slip and cartridge bag you can spend that and a lot more.

Around these parts I can get a lesson for £80 including 50 clays and cartridges, and that is from someone who coaches champions . So why your buddy would need 30 + hours of coaching I don’t know .  I don’t have a problem with the rest . If he has the disposable to spend £3500 on a gun , make it a quality used one as he will change it inside 12 months .

At the end of the day it’s all about disposable income .  If he is the CEO of a blue chip, who is going to turn up at the shoot in his 18 plate Range Rover Autobiography,   £10 grand will be a drop in the ocean . If he’s earning minimum wage, or his family will suffer from the expenditure  it would be a bloody daft plan . 

Well my take. 

Browning 525 sporter one with adjustable comb. £1700. New . Out shoot any one and last for years.Jack Pyke bags/ slip. Couple of lessons with decent coach. Deer Hunter skeet vest. Any old coat over the top when it's cold. Millions of pairs of disposable plugs for £5. Decent but cheap glasses like the aforementioned Beretta's. Then shoot. 

When he gets bored he won't be that much out of pocket.  He Can sell the browning for £1200 .

Guys, as above, he has a budget this year for shooting of 10K, just trying to decide no to apportion it.

I’m sure future years budgeted will increase exponentially if he takes up game shooting.

PP said:

Guys, as above, he has a budget this year for shooting of 10K, just trying to decide no to apportion it.

I’m sure future years budgeted will increase exponentially if he takes up game shooting.

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Spend the £5k as suggested, then shoot masses of registered shoots etc to spend the rest. The message is, you can’t buy results past a certain basic point, it’s then all about lead in the air.

After today, I would probably say "Sphericals to it"  .........................then spend the money on Golf Clubs    !     

westley said:

After today, I would probably say "Sphericals to it"  .........................then spend the money on Golf Clubs    !     

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You would properly hit more clays with a golf club  :angel:

PREXACTLY  !

PP said:

Guys, as above, he has a budget this year for shooting of 10K, just trying to decide no to apportion it.

I’m sure future years budgeted will increase exponentially if he takes up game shooting.

Click to expand...

Well in that case he will naturally need to buy the perfecto helmet. Essentially it is a set of standard Pelltor III ear muffs... BUT they have been modified by an electronics / motivation consultant to ensure totally and unsurpassed concentration levels at all times .. you can add 10 - 15% to your scores for the modest sum of £2.5k . The active part of these ear muffs is the modification which plays a HiFi quality rendition of the late and great  Ivor Cutler's " Life in a Scotch sitting room Vol 2 " which has been clinically proven not only to improve scores BUT it also reduces perceived recoil ! Don't get caught out and buy the slightly cheaper but quite fake version , made in China by the way, which plays the inferior " jammy smears " ... it has been shown to actually increase perceived recoil and some users have had to visit their doctors due to having hallucinations !

When this fellow does move up to shooting game there is a very useful add on available for the "Perfecto" at a modest £1000, which is plug and play, it plays either Jimmy Shand's  " Blue Bell Polka" recommended for High Pheasant and  as an alternative " Roamin in the gloamin "  Sung by Sir Harry lauder  apparently essential for driven grouse and useful for Partridge.

£1500 tops on the gun. ( Browning, Beretta, CG, Miroku, used )

Safe, vest, licence, bag, safety glasses and ear defenders .... £500

£550 on a lesson and a thousand practice clays thereafter ( 50p for clay and cartridge at £200/1000)

£5500 on 10000 shells, clays and comp entries.

£200 on a few sessions with a coach ( depending on location ...... I spent the best £30 with a bloke this last week for an hour of seriously good, insightful, corrective advice! ) over the course of the 10000 shots.

He's got a couple of grand left if his budget didn't include driving to the ground/coach 50 - 100 times  Maybe upgrade the gun or continue shooting comps. 

Most importantly shoot with other people, someone at least who can point out where a miss was.