Hunting and shooting can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you want to make them. If you’re looking to make the most of your money (who isn’t), you want to look for value—not necessarily the cheapest or the most expensive item, but the one that gives you the most bang for your buck. And take it from me: Doing things the right way the first time saves you money in the long run, and even though we all love a deal, taking the cheapest route often costs you more in the end.
To make the most of your money in hunting and shooting, beware these four budget-busting habits.
1. Buying Cheap and Rebuying
This applies to lots of categories, but especially to holsters, gun belts and concealed-carry purses. I’m a big fan of the “buy once, cry once” philosophy, but even if the best of the best isn’t in your budget, at least aim for middle-of-the-road items of quality.
This is particularly relevant to the items that hold your concealed-carry firearm secure. And I get it: Holsters, purses and belts can have eye-popping prices, especially if you’re new to this world and didn’t know what to expect the first time you went shopping. But cheap items are cheap for a reason—they might not hold the gun properly, they might be uncomfortable, and they’re almost guaranteed to wear out more quickly than better-quality gear. If you end up buying three inexpensive holsters over the course of a year because you keep picking cheap models that just don’t work for you, you haven’t saved any money. You should have just bought a high-quality piece to begin with.
Now, granted, when you’re new to concealed carry, you don’t know what kind of holster works best for you, and you’ll be understandably hesitant to drop a pile of money on something when you have no idea if you’ll even like it. That’s understandable. But once you have been doing this for a while and you pretty much know what works and what doesn’t, don’t waste money on cheap stuff you’ll have to replace.
2. Not Doing Your Research
When you’re booking a hunt or a shooting course, it’s critical to do your research. Different outfitters offer vastly different hunting experiences and levels of service—everything from full-service luxury resorts to the most bare-bones “the field we have permission to hunt is over there, you’re on your own for calling, butchering, lodging, food and everything else” experience. Bare-bones is fine if that’s what you’re prepared for, but don’t book the cheapest elk outfitter you can find if you have no idea how to hunt elk and you expect five-star food and service. Always talk to an outfitter’s references and speak to the outfitter directly before you book. Ask a lot of questions.
The same goes for shooting instructors and shooting schools. There’s a huge variety out there, and each instructor or school will offer you a different experience. Decide what you want to learn, what kind of instructing style you prefer (high-speed, low-drag, hard-core military-style vs more low key), whether you want a small class or you’re ok with a large group, whether you prefer a female instructor or an all-female class, and more.
If you’re going to drop cash on an experience, you want to know what you’re getting into and set your dreams in line with your budget. Booking a class or a hunt that doesn’t match your expectations will leave you feeling like you’ve wasted your money, no matter how inexpensive it was.
Trying to Buy Skill
Famed shotgun instructor Gil Ash is fond of saying “There are two things you can’t buy: A good tomato and a good sporting clays game.” He’s right on both counts, as I learned last summer in my gardening adventures. When it comes to shooting, money can buy you instruction, and that will improve your game if you follow through on what you learn. But in the end, skill isn’t bought—it’s earned. And that only happens through practice.
Where the money-wasting comes in is when people convince themselves that they’d shoot better if they just had the latest gun or a better scope or the upgraded eye protection with the interchangeable lenses. To a certain extent, good equipment can make things easier, but there’s no getting around the fact that you have to put in the work if you want to improve. Buying newer and better stuff is no substitute for hours behind the gun—you’ll almost certainly be better off putting that money into more practice ammo than into more expensive gear.
Get good at something before you decide to dump a bunch of money into upgraded equipment. You’ll make a more informed decision that way and be more likely to pick out something that really suits you well.
Trying to Fix a Gun That Doesn’t Suit You
Sometimes a gun just isn’t the right gun for you, and trying to upgrade it until it’s workable turns into throwing good money after bad. There are lots of reasons why a gun might not suit you. Maybe you bought a cheap piece of junk before you knew better. Maybe it’ll never fit you right because your hands are just too small or your neck and cheekbones just can’t find the comfort zone on the stock. Maybe you’re recoil-sensitive (hey, plenty of us are) and it kicks like a mule. Or maybe you bought a rare or less-popular model and it’s expensive and difficult to find holsters and aftermarket parts for it.
Sometimes these problems can be fixed, especially fit (and especially on a long gun). But other times you’re better off throwing in the towel and starting over with a whole different gun that suits you better off the rack. If your concealed-carry handgun needs a trigger job and you have to replace backstraps so it fits your hand and it requires a custom holster because it’s an unusual brand that no one makes aftermarket accessories for, there’s still no guarantee that it’ll work great for you once you spend the money on all those fixes. You might have saved money by selling the gun and buying a popular model that has readily-available accessories, interchangeable grips/backstraps and a good trigger right from the get-go.
