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SYO is here to stay.
 
We got the same issue at our club!
I been helping setting targets the last few months and turning targets that most people think they are hard to fun and challenging ones!
I hope this encourages more to shoot our register shoots even as a Hunter class. We are a private club only open to the public on tournaments days.
I do feel that most shooters do not want to pay the event fee if they feel it is cheaper to shoot the same targets the next day for less on their count key!
 
I would say the biggest detractors are:

  • Intimidation
  • Cost
  • Lack of awareness

Invite a friend, club member or not, to go shoot some clay birds. Encourage them to become an NSCA member and shoot some registered events with you.

Some shooters are just never going to want a challenge. They are happy shooting soft targets at their local clubs.
 
Maybe it’s because some of us feel that we just aren’t good enough and could never win. A handicap system evening the great shooters with the poor ones might help. It does in other sports
 
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I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Registered competitive shooting is a rich man's hobby - period. If you are complaining about the cost of a registered shoot, then this probably is not the hobby for you. I don't mean that as a disparaging remark, but rather as an honest evaluation. If you want to be even remotely competitive and climb the class ranks you are going to have to shoot a lot. A lot of people simply can't afford it.

I spend $115-$185 everytime I go out (I never shoot less than 150 and it's not uncommon for me to shoot a flat). Targets for me are 0.28 cents and I pay $85-$90 a flat. This is on the cheap end for a lot of the country. If I practice 3 times a week that's $450 a week or $1800 a month in just practice (averaging $115-$185 per outing). That's before shooting any tournaments. I don't always get out three times a week so call it $1500 a month. Now...I don't shoot in the summer much because it is too dang hot and we don't really have any registered shoots, with the exception of a few up north of me where it is cooler. This would be the same for those who don't shoot much in the winter (which happens to be the prime season for me).

Your average guy coming on here to purchase a shotgun for $500-$1000 just ain't gonna be getting involved. It's simply too costly. Maybe they shoot something here and there, but they won't be shooting registered targets consistently.

I'm a young guy and I'm blessed to make good money, but I'm hardly the wealthiest guy out there (yet) 😉.

"Registered targets are for the bourgeoisie" - Unknown
 
I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Registered competitive shooting is a rich man's hobby - period. If you are complaining about the cost of a registered shoot, then this probably is not the hobby for you. I don't mean that as a disparaging remark, but rather as an honest evaluation. If you want to be even remotely competitive and climb the class ranks you are going to have to shoot a lot. A lot of people simply can't afford it.

I spend $115-$185 everytime I go out (I never shoot less than 150 and it's not uncommon for me to shoot a flat). Targets for me are 0.28 cents and I pay $85-$90 a flat. This is on the cheap end for a lot of the country. If I practice 3 times a week that's $450 a week or $1800 a month in just practice (averaging $115-$185 per outing). That's before shooting any tournaments. I don't always get out three times a week so call it $1500 a month. Now...I don't shoot in the summer much because it is too dang hot and we don't really have any registered shoots, with the exception of a few up north of me where it is cooler. This would be the same for those who don't shoot much in the winter (which happens to be the prime season for me).

Your average guy coming on here to purchase a shotgun for $500-$1000 just ain't gonna be getting involved. It's simply too costly. Maybe they shoot something here and there, but they won't be shooting registered targets consistently.

I'm a young guy and I'm blessed to make good money, but I'm hardly the wealthiest guy out there (yet) 😉.

"Registered targets are for the bourgeoisie" - Unknown
I still think it’s a racket. I’m not cheap, and got plenty of money to stupidly dump into shooting. I’m glad to do it. Shooting sporting clays is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. I just don’t find any need or want to travel around trying to rack up registered targets. I’m not paying the nsca or the club more than I have to to shoot the same targets. Thats just my take on it. Everyone has different wants out of shooting. Mine is fun. Not competition.
 
I still think it’s a racket. I’m not cheap, and got plenty of money to stupidly dump into shooting. I’m glad to do it. Shooting sporting clays is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. I just don’t find any need or want to travel around trying to rack up registered targets. I’m not paying the nsca or the club more than I have to to shoot the same targets. Thats just my take on it. Everyone has different wants out of shooting. Mine is fun. Not competition.
Nothing wrong with that. Not knocking it, just as I don't knock those who want to shoot competitively. I've met some great friends through registered targets.
 
I’m not paying the nsca or the club more than I have to to shoot the same targets. Thats just my take on it. Everyone has different wants out of shooting. Mine is fun. Not competition.
The problem around where I shoot and live is that you can't shoot the same targets unless you enter a registered event. At other times the corses are so soft they are boring.

This of course done for corporate events. I don't have unlimited funds to compete. I shoot what I can afford.
 
The problem around where I shoot and live is that you can't shoot the same targets unless you enter a registered event. At other times the corses are so soft they are boring.

This of course done for corporate events. I don't have unlimited funds to compete. I shoot what I can afford.
I have to drive an hour, if not two or more to shoot. I’m fortunate that a few of those courses have separate hard and easy courses, and a few of those ranges have registered shoots. After the shoot they usually leave the targets. I couldn’t care less, but I’m sure for some, they’re only content or having fun if they’re being challenged, or knowing they’re shooting “tournament targets”
 
OP, any idea how many of your league shooters are former NSCA members? I know quite a few former competitive shooters that just burned out on it for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons is cost. The price of fuel, airfare, hotels, restaurants, ammo and entries has risen to the point that common blue collar working people just can't justify anymore. Other reasons I've heard have to do with SYO, lack of trophies, the punch system and hard targets set for the pros that just aren't fun anymore.

The ratio of recreational shooters to registered shooters is nothing new and not confined to SC. Back in the 90's when I had my small club we saw the same thing in trap. I had over 150 shooters once a week shooting league trap targets but rarely over 35 on an ATA shoot day. It was a similar ratio with my NSCA shoots vs. league. Another common thing mentioned with family people was they liked to shoot a league after work one day a week, but giving up a weekend day or two wasn't in the family plan.

Good luck with your recruitment strategy and please let us know if you hit on a winner of an idea.
 
^^^ and they aren’t.
 
I still think it’s a racket. I’m not cheap, and got plenty of money to stupidly dump into shooting. I’m glad to do it. Shooting sporting clays is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. I just don’t find any need or want to travel around trying to rack up registered targets. I’m not paying the nsca or the club more than I have to to shoot the same targets. Thats just my take on it. Everyone has different wants out of shooting. Mine is fun. Not competition.
Yeah, we get it. So what, exactly, have you added to the discussion of how to recruit league shooters to registered targets, aside from poo-pooing registered targets?

To the OP...this might be a bit unorthodox, but could also kill 2 birds with one stone. If you already have registered events at your club, how about offering registered newbies a perk for trapping a registered event? Maybe it's half price entry to the next event or maybe it's something else. If you can pair them with an experienced trapper, then they get to see the whole show in action, realize it's not that intimidating, can be fun, etc and they are not "on the spot" since they have a partner there the whole responsibility doesn't fall on them. The added benefit is it's not SYO.

I would never have enough bodies for this where I'm at but sounds like you have a pretty active club.
 
Yeah, we get it. So what, exactly, have you added to the discussion of how to recruit league shooters to registered targets, aside from poo-pooing registered targets?

To the OP...this might be a bit unorthodox, but could also kill 2 birds with one stone. If you already have registered events at your club, how about offering registered newbies a perk for trapping a registered event? Maybe it's half price entry to the next event or maybe it's something else. If you can pair them with an experienced trapper, then they get to see the whole show in action, realize it's not that intimidating, can be fun, etc and they are not "on the spot" since they have a partner there the whole responsibility doesn't fall on them. The added benefit is it's not SYO.

I would never have enough bodies for this where I'm at but sounds like you have a pretty active club.
Sorry I didn’t spell it out. Find a way to make it not take half a day and twice as much to shoot the same 100 targets you usually would, while gaining nothing in return but a “punch”. I like the idea of trophy’s or a belt buckle.
 
Sorry I didn’t spell it out. Find a way to make it not take half a day and twice as much to shoot the same 100 targets you usually would, while gaining nothing in return but a “punch”. I like the idea of trophy’s or a belt buckle.
From what I’m told trophies used to be common but shooters wouldn’t stick around to pick them up. Or come back to get them. So clubs stopped having them for most shoots.
 
Couple of points to ponder:

1. Most leagues I have been involved in have been SYO and these offer prizes. So why is a SYO registered shoot objectionable?

2. Would more people participate in a registered shoot if the clubs didn't leave the targets up for the general public post shoot? If this happened the only way you could shoot "good" targets would be to join the NSCA. The downside to this is a competitor can't go back and practice a tough station, and creates more work for the club. Also, not sure how many people would care about losing out on the chance to shoot challenging targets.
 
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