The Price Of Clay

The cost of manufacturing and or purchasing clay targets is relatively cheap. If you compare the cost of a round of trap at your local range vs purchasing your own clay targets to shoot in an open shooting area, you would notice that there is over a 300% markup (not to mention that ranges’ get their clays at wholesale price so the markup could very well be in the 500% range). Now before you go storming into your local range demanding that they lower their prices, you should understand that when you pay for a round of any clay sport at a range you are not only paying for the cost of their targets but also for the overhead of their entire operation. The machines that are used at ranges are usually of high quality, very expensive and require routine maintenance. With that being said here are some of the average costs when shooting various clay sports…

Average Round Of  Trap/Skeet/5 Stand:
Around $8

Average Cost Of Sporting Clays:
$25 to $30 For 50 Clay Targets | $45 to $50 For 100 Clay Targets

How To Save Money…

As with most hobbies, clay shooting isn’t the cheapest way to pass the time and a day at the range can add up quick but there are ways to help cut the cost a bit.

• Memberships: A majority of Ranges and Gun Clubs offer memberships to those who frequent their venue. Membership benefits usually include a discounted rate for each round of clays you shoot.  If you are shooting at the same venue often enough then purchasing an annual membership tends to pay off with the money you will save shooting there throughout the year. As an added bonus there may be additional benefits such as special events that come along with your membership.
• Punch Cards & Keys: Another cost-saving option is to ask ranges if they have bulk discounts. Some ranges offer a way for you purchase rounds of trap or skeet in bulk at a lower cost per round and sporting clay venues may off the same in the form of a key preloaded with targets. On top of receiving a discount, obtaining punch cards or keys means you can check in, skip the cashier lines and start breaking clays faster upon arrival.
• Making A Day Out Of It: Unless you are one of the lucky ones and happen to have a shooting venue a short distance from you, chances are you will have to drive a bit out of town to shoot some clays. If you are driving 2+ hours each way to shoot clays, shooting one or two rounds might not make sense since you will be paying more at the gas pump than at the gun club. Load up on ammo and cash and plan to make at least a half if not a full day out of shooting so that you get the most out of your time and wallet. Invite friends and family to come along in hopes that they will chip in for gas and find a popular food joint to visit afterward to enjoy your time out of town.

DIY Clay Shooting:

If you live in an area that has open shooting or you have access to a private range you can always buy a box of clays from Walmart or your local hunting store and go clay crazy. All you need is a (legal) open shooting area, a clay thrower (hand thrown or mechanical), a case of clay targets and a large quantity of ammo!

The average sporting goods store (with a hunting section) will most likely carry a case of clay targets from the $9-$20 range depending on the quantity and quality of targets.
The last time I checked my local Walmart a box of 90 targets was $10

As for making your targets fly, you can find hand throwers online or in stores for $10-$20. If you are shooting alone or find yourself too lazy to throw targets for friends all day you can invest in a mechanical thrower which ranges from about $100 to the price of a nice car.

If you are a DIY’er you may want to look into making your own flash targets! If you don’t know what flash targets, are check out this video:

Basically, you fill the top cavity of a clay with colored powder and seal it off with some glue and paper so that it stays put when launched but turns to a beautiful powdery visual confirmation of a broken target. They look great at night or against green Olympic backstops.