How much $$$ in Competitive Shooting ?

[GetReal]

Obviously There's a fair amount of money on the retail and smithing aspects of hunting, hobbyist, and competitive shooting.

I think people have made some money off of the YouTube / podcast Angle of gun reviews and Discussion topics. (I kinda follow Honest Outlaws vids and reviews on Youtube, and a few others)

I wonder though how much money is In the competitive shooting world.... guys like Doug Koenig or Jerry Mikulek or Taran Butler of JJ Racaza.

Let me be clear... i'm not wanting to nose into those specific guys net worth.... i'm more wondering at hiw capitalised / financed competitive shooting really is .... how it compares to something like major league baseball or pro motocross / supercross sports.

I'm wondering about guys that have gone to some of the bigger shooting competitions, and whether , it's all prize table stuff or cash money.

Does anyone actually make a living off of competitive shooting?Or are they kind of independently wealthy ppl who maximize their hobby ?

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

Obviously There's a fair amount of money on the retail and smithing aspects of hunting, hobbyist, and competitive shooting.

I think people have made some money off of the YouTube / podcast Angle of gun reviews and Discussion topics. (I kinda follow Honest Outlaws vids and reviews on Youtube, and a few others)

I wonder though how much money is In the competitive shooting world.... guys like Doug Koenig or Jerry Mikulek or Taran Butler of JJ Racaza.

Let me be clear... i'm not wanting to nose into those specific guys net worth.... i'm more wondering at hiw capitalised / financed competitive shooting really is .... how it compares to something like major league baseball or pro motocross / supercross sports.

I'm wondering about guys that have gone to some of the bigger shooting competitions, and whether , it's all prize table stuff or cash money.

Does anyone actually make a living off of competitive shooting?Or are they kind of independently wealthy ppl who maximize their hobby ?

Shooting sports does not have the fan base to generate the $$$ to make a living from. pro sports have that where do you think the millions/billions come from to pay a pro athlete? when was the last time you saw a commercial on a major network tv about any shooting sports?

Lee

 

[jthor]

From what I’ve seen, best way to make money on shooting is to compete and then use that knowledge to make products to get into the industry at that level.

 

[bpd459]

The way to make a million $$ in competitive shooting, is to start with two million $$.

 

[Walt Krafft]

If your good enough, join the Army and get assigned to the AMU. Or get a job with one of the gun or ammo companies that employ shooters/sales people. Or, to make a million bucks shooting, start with two million.

 

[Walt Krafft]

The way to make a million $$ in competitive shooting, is to start with two million $$.

Great minds think alike.

 

[xswanted]

Obviously There's a fair amount of money on the retail and smithing aspects of hunting, hobbyist, and competitive shooting.

I think people have made some money off of the YouTube / podcast Angle of gun reviews and Discussion topics. (I kinda follow Honest Outlaws vids and reviews on Youtube, and a few others)

I wonder though how much money is In the competitive shooting world.... guys like Doug Koenig or Jerry Mikulek or Taran Butler of JJ Racaza.

Let me be clear... i'm not wanting to nose into those specific guys net worth.... i'm more wondering at hiw capitalised / financed competitive shooting really is .... how it compares to something like major league baseball or pro motocross / supercross sports.

I'm wondering about guys that have gone to some of the bigger shooting competitions, and whether , it's all prize table stuff or cash money.

Does anyone actually make a living off of competitive shooting?Or are they kind of independently wealthy ppl who maximize their hobby ?

Other than maybe a handful of competitive shooters across all forms of competitive shooting the people that are “doing it for a living” are most likely working for a company in the industry as some kind of sales person, marketing person or other public relations type of job.

There’s money to be won for sure in some of the disciplines but no where near enough to cover the cost of travel, expenses and gear.


When I look at the PRS series Pros, I can’t even wrap my mind around what I KNOW they have to be spending on gear alone, even with inside discounts, to shoot the amount of matches they do.

 

[TC260]

I wonder though how much money is In the competitive shooting world.... guys like Doug Koenig or Jerry Mikulek or Taran Butler of JJ Racaza.

Just a guess, I suspect people like that are earning their living primarily through company employment, sponsorships, endorsements, speaking engagements, classes, etc.. At least the people I know personally in a similar situation but unrelated industry, that's how they do it. It's not one big income source like a pro athlete, it's multiple smaller income streams. For the ones I know it's really hard work. Yes they get to travel a lot and do a lot of cool things but they're always on the road and really have to hustle to make it all work.

 

[Rat Rifle]

GetReal

 

[Forum Boss]

I have met with Taran Butler personally a couple of times. He's won some cash prizes, sponsors have paid for travel costs, he gets some ammo and equipment for free. However, the vast majority of his income comes from training Hollywood celebs for movie rolls involving gun handling. Without the movie money he would be doing something completely different.

Here is Taran working with Keanu Reeves:

 

[Ron IA]

Sometimes people make money doing the darndest things but not shooting have a friend his kid when he was in high school made over a $100,000 a year racing RC car's lol

 

[Downeast]

Sponsorships, training/teaching, social media. And that is only for the top tier shooters. Most people like games, not sports. When you have individuals competing against other individuals, or even themselves, then I consider it a sport. Team events are more like games. They even call them "games". Did you watch the "game" this weekend. No one watches golf "games". That's because golf is a "sport".

Like previously mentioned, overall the money is in "games", excluding a few such as Golf, where you have major corporations, golf courses, and a lot of participation. Major league football, baseball, basketball, and other games are big money makers even though they have very little participation. Maybe that is why I never was interested in watching major league games? If I can't participate, why bother? It's quite easy to compete in a tournament at the local golf course on a Saturday with your friends while sipping on a beer.
Most sports are based on individuals. This makes them quite boring to watch. Golf, bowling, archery, shooting, fishing, overall, quite boring to watch because you're not doing it. You don't have a bunch of people running around playing their game while being watched by thousands of screaming and cheering fans that are SPENDING MONEY! No one goes to a shooting match drinking beer and eating hotdogs after spending a paycheck just for a ticket to watch. Unless you are shooting it is really boring. In a nutshell, there is no big money or support for the shooting sports. I have never seen a set of bleachers or vendors walking around selling cold beer and snacks at a match. They may exist, I've just never seen it.

Most shoot competitively because they enjoy it, not to make money.

 

[butchlambert]

I have met with Taran Butler personally a couple of times. He's won some cash prizes, sponsors have paid for travel costs, he gets some ammo and equipment for free. However, the vast majority of his income comes from training Hollywood celebs for movie rolls involving gun handling. Without the movie money he would be doing something completely different.

Here is Taran working with Keanu Reeves:

Taran butler??

Forum Boss: Here is a profile if you have not heard of Taran Butler.

 

[steve210]

As my buddy KC Young use to say, there is a lot of money in benchrest, I know because I put a lot of it in it. If you are looking to make money you better find something else to do! LOL!

 

[M14AMU]

Ask David Tubb

 

[linebaugh]

There is a lot of money in competitive shooting, you can watch it go right out of your bank account.
Sponsors and support are great but I would doubt you will win/take home more than you put in.
Enjoy your sport and the people there, learn and enjoy yourself. Nothing we do is cost effective but it's COOL!

 

[Jeff Porter]

Very few matches I attend where there is a prize table, the ones that have one or payouts, you may get your entry fee and some bling back but when you add up lodging, fuel, meals, and ammo cost …. And barrel depreciation for 100 rounds …. I can count on one hand where I actually came out on top of the expenses.

 

[ronsatspokane]

Those of us who shoot F Class do so for the 6 figure payouts and the groupies...

Yeah, that's it.

 

[davidjoe]

I would suggest that no one appreciates seeing good shooting more than us. That said and speaking for just myself, when I extrapolate how much I have voluntarily paid someone else for the privilege of watching them win a match, well they better keep their 9 to 5.

Forget the average person on the street, how many wives and husbands of diehard shooters ask “hey, when is your next travel match, I’m so glad you love this; I can’t imagine how awkward it would be for me to show up at matches to watch, alone, if we weren’t a couple.”

Ironically, the better a shooting match is going, the less enthralling it is to watch. Stoic follow through, again, on the 10th clean shot in a row, match 1, relay 1, … the dear uninitiated are leaving the building.

There isn’t a living in shooting well, just like there’s no money to be had in posts of eating delicious food. Your buddies are kind of” happy to see you eat that giant buttery lobster, but they sure don’t feel compelled to chip in when you come home and tell them what it cost.

 

[Fairchaser]

You just need to invent something everybody wants, win with it, manufacture it, market it and sell it. Ask Erik Cortina!