Guns:Gear:Ammo:Training cost ratios?

[Failure2Stop]

Beyond the simple monetary, how much time do you spend on each?

How much time do you spend trying to find the next best widget versus the amount of time you spend getting proficient in whatever task the widget promises to make easier/better/faster?

How much time do you spend on the Internet looking at what you want your gun to look like versus the amount of time you spend shooting or dry-firing?

How long do you spend trying to save $20 on an optic or ammo instead of getting a dead nutz zero?

Many things in life are quantified by dollars spent, when really it is the hours spent that makes the difference.

[rob_s]

The problem with the time equation is that it assumes you're otherwise free. For example, I can take my netbook into the bathroom and surf the 'net while I take a dump. I can sit at my desk at work and log in to one of the various forums from there. I can't exactly be spending that time shooting. I have to be at work, and I don't work at a range, and I have to take a dump but my toilet lacks a good backstop.

Similarly is time spent watching kids, not really enough time to jump in the car and head to the range vs. it only takes 15 minutes at a stretch to jump on the computer and check out the forums, etc.

[Failure2Stop]

Rob, aplogies for the minor derail, your thread just made me think about how much more time many spend on the Internet feeding a hobby instead of honing a skill. I did not mean to imply that I am "holier than thou", or anyone else for that matter.

Money is relevant to income, but time is a constantly diminishing commodity: you simply aren't getting any more. My goal is not to spend the most money (or the least), but to make my time worth it's passage.

No problem with the thread, just my thought on what "cost" can mean other than the amount of cash one hands to someone else in exchange for goods or services.

[rob_s]

I actually do agree with you, and after reading the "how many rounds/year do you shoot" thread started to post something along the same lines, but chose this route instead.

[tradja]

Great question, rob_s. I love guns and gear, but get the most return on training. I don't have a budget but only spend the proceeds from eBay/forum sales and gift money. In other words, no wages go into my hobby fund.

My general spending plan is to obtain the guns and gear of sufficient quality that I need, but to spend most of my hobby funds on training and the ammo to support that. I'm not perfect, though -- I have indulged in a few non-essential guns lately (a Mossberg 500 for local 3-gun, an M&P45c and a very sweet 6" S&W 686).

For the past several years, my actual expenditures have been:

Guns: a LMT lower with BCM upper. No rail, on-sale EoTech 512, Black Friday VCAS sling, and an affordable Surefire G2X in an equally affordable VTAC mount. I've got about $1150 into it all told. A G19 to take the place of my G26, $425. Extra mags for both have been either on-hand from years ago or obtained in small lots through small trades. Unfortunately, I don't have a spare AR.
GUNS TOTAL: $1540 Counting my "non-tactical" range gun spending, $2870.

Gear: not much. A few milsurp pouches, a $10 5.11 chest rig, my used Wilderness Instructor belt, and some CCW holsters. I cut my own patches from rags and don't have many additional cleaning expenses.
GEAR TOTAL: Say $350, mostly holsters.

Ammo: I reload almost all my range and match ammo (even 12ga) except 7.62x39 and .22LR. When I do buy ammo for classes or the AK, I search high and low for excellent deals.
AMMO TOTAL: Including components, a little factory SD ammo and stocking up on cheap factory bulk ammo for classes, maybe $1500 in recent years.

Training: I try to keep my lodging and travel expenses to a bare minimum -- in a certain sense, it "keeps it real" but mostly it simply makes the difference between affordable and not affordable. I was lucky to attend my first 4-Day Defensive Handgun class for $50. I camped on BLM desert near the facility and ate sandwiches and fruit all week. During other courses I have stayed with friends nearby. My local range is free, but I do pay $10 2x monthly for local match fees. These are mostly fun, but I do try to gain training benefit from these experiences.
TRAINING TOTAL: My recent-years tuition and fee total is $2025, probably a little more including some minimal gas and groceries. I'm including a non-firing Glock Armorer's Class in this total because it broadens my knowledge of the platform I use in shooting classes. I just bought 2500 rds of 9mm and 2000 rounds of .223 for some classes in April, but I guess these count as ammo expenses above.

These numbers put my cost ratios at:
Guns: 43%
Gear: 5%
Ammo: 22%
Training: 30%

I would not have guessed that the guns ratio was so high. Removing the 3 range guns from the math (I almost consider them a separate hobby), the ratios are:
Guns: 28%
Gear: 6%
Ammo: 28%
Training: 37%

My ideal ratio would be somewhere around the second set of numbers above. Now that I have some good guns set up, it will be a few years before I need to replace anything major.

[YVK]

No specific budget.
I buy ammo every time I see a good deal, trying to keep several thousand of each caliber I own.
Training - I constantly scan for classes that interest me, and take them as logistic/work and time off/travel issues/ etc. allow.
Practice - approx. $290 for annual membership at two local ranges, shoot all you want, I try to have one practice session weekly. I limit the amount of ammo expended in one practice session to no more than 200 rounds, usually less.
Weapons - trying to exercise restraint. I am probably 50/50 so far between hardware/training expenses, maybe 40/60, however expenses are diminishing as I've gotten just about anything I want, while training expenses are increasing.
Gear - strangely, that's a steady expense. I've not bought a piece of nylon since my very first carbine class, but I tend to try new holsters, belts, mounts etc.

[Ed L.]

No constant ratio or budget. It depends on how much money I have available what training is available and how close that training is.

If I have to travel by car to a motel, that adds the expense of the motel and boarding the pets for the days that I am away.

If you try to follow ratio budgets religously you can get your self into a jam by purchasing subpar equipment to go to training. I think someone starting off would be better off buying a decent AR and a decent optic at the expense of a training class the first year rather than show up to training with a $600.00 AR and a $99.00 optic. A good AR and optic are one time expenses that can last a long time.

[jklaughrey]

Guns 10%
Gear 10%
Ammo 20%, although I shoot lots of "free" dept ammo, and plenty of "test" ammo from ATK where I work PT as a LE consultant.
Training 60%, mostly dept and SRT team trng. Although there are many of us in the varied LE community that get together for drills. Including some Forest Service and FBI/DEA guys. But they have a harder time procuring dept ammo for "personal training" off schedule than us SO/PD guys.

[YVK]

Thinking of this a bit more: Rob asked everybody to report in percentages, so everybody did. The question is what percentage points actually convey. One's 50/50 split on weapons/training may mean twice as much funds allocated to training than other guy's 20/80, if first guy's absolute expenses are 10 grand and second guy's 3 grand.
So, I think we need some clarity in what's being asked:
- how much goes into financial planning of training/ownership
- what's folks priorities are, which is probably best reflected by percentages
- how much people spend in total

[Raven Armament]

Well, I keep private finances private.

I don't think Rob was looking for a specific dollar amount, rather ratio of whatever expendable income for this way of life. Percentages matter more than fixed numbers.