Shooting can be as cheep or expensive as you want it to be, I was 17 or 18 when I got my SG licence. I came from a non shooting family so I had to buy a cabinet to start off, I went for a 3 gun one, looking back now a 5 gun would have been better but I have moved on to fac shooting too. I think I spent £75 on the cabinet and £125 on a Bakal side by side, that I still love. I had a more expensive gun that I sold since because I did not use it, but I still like my bakal, the Soviets did make nice guns at affordable prices.
As for needing a sgc number just write in pencil that you have appl