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Cost to go to EOT


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Howdy! So I'm thinking it's about time I went to EOT. On the other hand, I ain't made of moolah, so I need to save some pennies between now and then in order to be able to afford to go without breaking the bank. What I'm looking for are some ballpark figgers for about what I can expect it to cost me to go, including travel, lodging, grub, etc. Here's some particulars:

 

I'll be driving from eastern Oregon in a car that gets 30mpg. Won't be doing any Wild Bunch stuff, just regular CAS stuff. Planning to do the warm-up, maybe some side matches, that sort of thing, plus main match. So looking at this year's schedule, I'm thinking arrival Sunday afternoon, departure the following Sunday morning or afternoon. One night's motel on the road each way (it's about 1100 miles from home) plus seven nights there (Sunday thru Saturday), plus meals (I don't have a problem with the dollar menu at McD's if necessary to save money), plus fuel (call it 2 1/2 tankfuls each way, say 80 gallons total, plus gas back and forth to Founders Ranch from wherever I'm staying) which may be too expensive to even think about by next June. I'm planning to be sharing a motel room with another shooter if I can get him talked into going. I'm not including ammo costs, which I would have anyway whether I go to EOT or not, 'cause I like to shoot.

 

So roughly how many pennies do I need to stack up in the next eleven months in order to have my first EOT experience (hopefully it won't cost me two alternators to get there)?

 

And where's the best place (town rather than motel) to stay?

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Book a motel in Moriarty, NM. Book early since this location is booked first. The traveler's motels in Moriarty are not very expensive. You will be traveling during the driest time of the year in the Southwest with the longest days. You can easily picnic on the way and save money. There is little chance you will be rained on though winds may drive you into McDonalds. You could even camp at high elevation in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah (mid-point of your trip) and save a couple nights motel charges. (Don't camp at Founders Ranch. It's too hot.) Gasoline prices locally are approaching $3 a gallon. If they are low next year it would be very helpful.

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:ph34r: Wife and I combined resources with a shooting friend (his RV was better than mine)

and traveled from just west of Death Valley, driving straight through (13+ hrs). Fuel OUT OF CALIFORNIA was much cheaper--$3.29 v $3.79, and our total trip cost for it was $844. We pulled a pickup-bed sized trailer. Camping at the ranch was more enjoyable than getting up early to drive in each morning.

The pard across the 'street' from us had a pickup, ice chest, lounge chair, and a tent. He seemed to be doing just fine.

We bought lunch from vendors, and ate breakfast and supper at our RV. The wednesday eve potluck was great!

Save up and devise ways to economize. The experience will be worth it. We spent any extra we had with vendors anyway.....and THEN some :lol:

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add it up

 

Entry 250.00

Fuel 80 X 4.00 240.00 (Hope and change is part of life but Fuel Prises could rise agin!

7 day motel and food 700.00

total about 1200.00

high estimate but there are always incidentals. If you pard does the same you two will be able to go in style!

 

125.00 per month

Get you vacation time set and pay your entry early then there is no turing back!

 

Every one should attend EoT at least once it's after all the Meca of Cowboy Action Shooting.

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$1200-1500 will be close est.

 

FWIW, we took our motorhome and stayed at the ranch. It was plenty cool at night to sleep well and some days we only ran the generator 3 hours.

 

We had a much better time staying on the range than we had last time when we stayed in a hotel.

 

Possum

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Yeah - it looks like it would be in the $2200 range for me (entry fee, gas (3000 miles round trip with a F250), hotel, food, extras) if I ever get a chance to go by myself. If I had a camper that would cut down about $700, but would have to rent a camper so maybe that would be negated)

 

However....some folks go together and that makes a HUGE difference depending on how many are in the 'wagon' I guess.

 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Cheap money for a vacation .especially if you are having fun.

 

The FUN is not what's being disputed - some just can't afford the time and expense.

 

Someday it'll happen ;)

 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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Cheap money for a vacation .especially if you are having fun.

Hi Charlie,

 

I wholeheartedly agree with TJB, about this ;) !

 

I think everyone should attend EOT, at least once, and participate in all of the events you can afford. You will meet some great folks that way! :)

 

Thanks to BJT, Bud, and Maggie, I was able to go once. We stayed in a hotel way across ABQ (about a 45 minute drive to the range). I'd love to go again and, the next time, stay at the ranch. We did not attend any of the evening festivities, other than one that ended at 7:00. Like Possum Skinner indicated it would be more fun to be on site.

 

Charlie, I hope you get to go!

 

Regards,

 

Allie Mo

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Thanks for the info, folks. Somebody told my bud that it would cost $3000, and he's not even close to being able to afford that, so he's already wanting to bail out of the project. I was thinking more along the lines of $1200 to maybe $1500, like seems to be the concensus here. I think I can swing that, if I cancel some of my usual yearly activities. Anybody else wanna chime in?

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Stay in Moriarty, closer and easier to get to the ranch than Albuquerque. Splitting a hotel room and gas will really help. We started st the Best Western and it was full of cowboy shooters. Cleaning guns in the parking lot was not frowned upon! Fast food within walking distance. This was my first time but I plan to be back next year.

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I did not see the cost of Ammo.

 

Like I said in the OP, I'm not really figuring that in, because even if I stay home, I'll be burning up ammo...

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EOT is a "lost brass" match don't forget ;)

LG

 

The cadets do a great job clearing the brass, and they sell it back for very reasonable as I recall. So your only out 115 pieces or so, not a deal breaker compared to gas, entry and lodging.

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Family of 4 from Louisiana to Moriarity,NM for 7 days, I spent $1500. This included a room at childress,TX going and coming back home, all fuel, eats and motel rooms once we arrived. We have stayed the past 3yrs at the Best Western in Moriarity, very nice place but call early for a room. If your Law Enforcement or a Goverment employee they will be glad to give a Goverment rate on the rooms ;) . Hope this might give you some kind of Idea, Slick

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Gas and motel cost are what they are. You got to eat no matter where you are food at the ranch is expensive so figure a few meals there because it is cheaper than leaving and returning. You can hit some parties and snack some if you watch the schedule close( sass wire, life members etc). Cheapest is get a large cooler and a small gas grill portable type and cook your meals. That is what me and a pard did for the last few days for lunch. Side matches re listed on app so is side matches, nice thing side matches are all one fee except for the fund raising ones. Get a digital copy of the 2012 EOT program to look at schedules and what side matches are available. Find someone to travel with you and cut the trans and lodging costs in half. Share a cart that you bring, the only other thing is how much you'll spend with the vendor and seeing local attractions here and along the way especially if this is the first time here and your ot sure if or when you'll be back.

Normally I spend several hundred buck in addition to the base costs of the match since I plan on buying my lead and other expendables and or custom clothes and save on shipping. This year I didn't need. As much and only spent a few hundred on engraving. You can walk into EOT in shorts , tee shirt nd flip flops and get everything you need to shoot the match and then get the supplies and equipment to reload your ammo when you get home. So plan ahead and build a budget with some funds for the unknown itme(s) that you cannot live without.

The experience is worth the costs just like going to any of the large shoots. If half of th sass members shot a large match each year and went back and told the other half so that every monthly shooter shot a large match a year the matches would be even better. Pick a new match every other year and attend it.

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$508 Round trip airfare

200 WB and main matches(split the cost on a buy one get one free)includes cart fee

250 Half of car rental and gas (van or suv would have been $450 for 10 days. Rented a Lincoln Towncar for

$300 and rode in style!)

400 Food

435 Motel for 9 days

 

Brass left on ground was a non-issue for me.

 

$1793 Total give or take a hundred bucks. I carefully vacuumed all the New Mexico dust from my belongings and sold it to the locals for $60. :)

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Best tip BY FAR is to share the costs where possible... Rooster and I come over there regularly... and while the airfares are an unavoidable individual cost being able to split car/accomodation costs is what makes it somewhat affordable...

 

Without a buddy I couldn't do half the trips I do... well.. that's a lie.. I could probably do EXACTLY half the trips!!!

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The OP wanted to know EOT costs, and this is one of them.

Brass is not cheap these days, maybe the WB should review this issue for the future.

LG

 

 

Define cheap!! and I suppose which caliber. For this discussion I will talk about 38 special brass, the more common cartridge. If you shoot something different, then there is a different analygy but the principals are the same.

 

 

Pistol brass; shoot whatever you have reloaded, the older the better, so long as it is not split. It will work just fine and if it splits, it is easy to remove from the cyclinders. Besides you get it back anyway at the ULT. No additonal cost

 

Rifle brass: Shoot better stuff but IMO, it doesn't need to be brand new, but the number of reloads on it should be known. Reload and shoot it 5-7 times at your local matchs. Then reload it for EOT and shoot it. It will still be new enough that it will not split or cause ammo problems while ejecting from rifle. Thus, you have probable got 70% of the life of the brass used up. Conclusion is, you left approximate (your guess is as good as mine) 30% of the cost of the rifle brass (150rds? use at EOT) on the table. At $130per thousand new, you do the math. Don't forget, a person looses anywhere from 10-30% of their brass at their local match. Or at least I seem too. So, if you factor in normal rifle brass loss, then your lost brass cost at EOT goes done. If you get all your brass back at local matches, you are lucky.

 

Shotgun hulls: I shoot Remington Gun clubs. Get the hulls from the range. Cost, zero. Shotgun hulls are left or lost at EOT. You lost nothing as far as hulls.

 

 

So, in the big picture, when the other cost of going to EOT is in the $1200-1500 range, what is another $5-10?

 

Of course those people that have moral issues about their brass vs economics, they should consider not going and skip the grief.

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Define cheap!! and I suppose which caliber. For this discussion I will talk about 38 special brass, the more common cartridge. If you shoot something different, then there is a different analygy but the principals are the same.

 

 

 

Pistol brass; shoot whatever you have reloaded, the older the better, so long as it is not split. It will work just fine and if it splits, it is easy to remove from the cyclinders. Besides you get it back anyway at the ULT. No additonal cost

 

Rifle brass: Shoot better stuff but IMO, it doesn't need to be brand new, but the number of reloads on it should be known. Reload and shoot it 5-7 times at your local matchs. Then reload it for EOT and shoot it. It will still be new enough that it will not split or cause ammo problems while ejecting from rifle. Thus, you have probable got 70% of the life of the brass used up. Conclusion is, you left approximate (your guess is as good as mine) 30% of the cost of the rifle brass (150rds? use at EOT) on the table. At $130per thousand new, you do the math. Don't forget, a person looses anywhere from 10-30% of their brass at their local match. Or at least I seem too. So, if you factor in normal rifle brass loss, then your lost brass cost at EOT goes done. If you get all your brass back at local matches, you are lucky.

 

Shotgun hulls: I shoot Remington Gun clubs. Get the hulls from the range. Cost, zero. Shotgun hulls are left or lost at EOT. You lost nothing as far as hulls.

 

 

So, in the big picture, when the other cost of going to EOT is in the $1200-1500 range, what is another $5-10?

 

Of course those people that have moral issues about their brass vs economics, they should consider not going and skip the grief.

 

Thanks for laying this out BM. Besides when the cadets or boy scouts brass at smaller events I usually slide them a 5 any how. I don't mind helping the scouts.

 

Brim.

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BM, I shoot .44 mag.

The cost for me is higher.

https://www.starlinebrass.com/order-online/caliber.cfm/caliber/44/

 

Is it a big loss? NO, it's not. The OP wanted to know EOT costs, this IS one of them.

 

LG

 

At least we agree that it a'nt a big finalncial loss.

 

A $5-10 swing in a $1200-1500 analysis aint worth mentioning.

 

I took from your OP that you though lost brass was a big thing. Got that issue resolved.

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Thanks for laying this out BM. Besides when the cadets or boy scouts brass at smaller events I usually slide them a 5 any how. I don't mind helping the scouts.

 

Brim.

 

At the last annual I shot, I gave Boy Scouts a $20 for ten stages. They shagged brass and painted the targets for the next posse. Worth it for me to not have to pickup brass or hound the possee to go out and paint targets. I figure it was a win-win situation for all parties. Like you, I don't mind helping the scouts.

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At least we agree that it a'nt a big finalncial loss.

 

A $5-10 swing in a $1200-1500 analysis aint worth mentioning.

 

I took from your OP that you though lost brass was a big thing. Got that issue resolved.

 

It is an unecessary expense that I would like to see done away with.

LG

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If you are sharing the fuel and motel bills with someone.

Would think you could do it with $1,200-$1,400 bucks. Which would cover your

entry fee and all. Give you enough to have a great time, and still have some to spend

at the vendors and eat pretty darn good.

Depending of how much you spend with vendors. You should have some left over. Could do it

for much less if you don't plan on spending anything with vendors and eat real cheap. But with

$1,200 or so. You should have enough to have a really good trip and not watch pennys to much.

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I think shooting 44mag in SASS is an unnessary expense. To each his own. You are welcome to your opinion.

 

How so?

No more $$$ to shoot than some and cheaper than others.

I load BP & smokeless to .44 Special specs.

"You are welcome to your opinion", is a 2 way street isn't it.......... <_<

LG

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