Anyone have new hobbies encroaching on your firearms hobby?

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Take a number and get in the back of the line ... ;)

Obviously, you'll get a lot of sympathizing, but none of the rest of us have any real answers, either ...

My kids are grown ... they never really "go away", though, so don't fall for that line that they're "gone at 18" ... be warned. They always know how to find the wallet ... uh, I mean the parents ...

Anyhow, since I got back into motorcyles about 3 years ago ... bought 4 of them in that time ... AND adopted an interest in cigars last fall ... if it wasn't for the "free" ammunition my agency provides, I'd be having some hard choices to make. :uhoh:

As it is, sometimes I can enjoy a few of my current hobbies by riding my bike to the range when I'm working ... train other folks and get some of my own practice done ... and smoke a cigar when things are a bit slow in between flurries of shooters.

Matter of fact, I think I'll do those very things this afternoon. Gotta work a CCW class ... ;)

Wish I had some answers, though ... for you, and for me.
 
I have my hunting dog which takes a little time. Working on training him to hunt birds and hope to compete in some field trials starting this fall. Also I work on computers, I like to build them and play multiplayer games. I have neglected playing the guitar for over a year and I hope to get back in to that. Plus a house, two kids and another on the way. Too many things, too little time.
 
Geez, now that I think about it, I have waaay too much to do. Besides my gun collection, shooting and reloading;

Restoring our 1933 Arts and Crafts farmhouse on;

Our 35 acre farm;

Four John Deere tractors - two usable, one needing small repairs, one needing total restoration.

1960 Thunderbird in garage, half done;

Four grandsons that we're trying to help raise the country way;

One granddaughter on the way (August);

And then every once in a while we like to sit on the porch or deck with a glass of wine and relax.

In amongst those things I have to run a business and my wife works full time to help pay for all this.
 
No. My firearms cut into other hobbies. If my cars could talk, they wouldnt have anything nice to say about my guns.
 
Anyone have new hobbies encroaching on your firearms hobby

Yeah. Its called "Life".

Three kids, with everything that entails. Son in College. Daughter #1 just brought home the Prom Dress this weekend. Daughter #2 is on her way early next month to a 4 day Marine Aquatic Camp. She's a little more than a year away from The Car.

Last week we had our second water leak under the slab in 6 months. Had to pay for them to replumb the whole damned house in through the attic. Uninsured, of course. No water damage yet, and it doesn't make sense to let it go long enough to get the damage. Now that the plumbing is done, I've got to begin repatching the giant holes in the drywall, try to somehow match the wall texture, and begin the repainting. All this to alleviate the tears from my otherwise tough-as-nails Mrs. AZLib. We're praying the 26 year-old air conditioner makes it through one more summer. Our hoped-for vacation to Hawaii this year probably just went into plumbing. It never ends.

But you know, I wouldn't have it any other way. To varying degrees, all five of us enjoy shooting--so what's to complain about? I'm somehow managing to pay the bulk of the bills. We're all healthy and, after 9/11, I try not to take any minute of life with them for granted. I can't complain about anything that's really all that important.
 
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Booya. :cool:

edited: I paid $1300 for a little red 'X'?!?! @#$#@ web server!!! :cuss:
 
My next hobby is going to severely cut into my gun budget: Law School

Hopefully, I should be able to make up for my lack of gun buying later!! :)
 
I thought that guns were an expensive hobby until I got back into photography. :uhoh:

Between the costs of lenses, flash units, camera bodies, film and developing, the cost of shooting firearms suddenly doesn't look so bad. ;)
 
I don't have hobbies anymore, too busy with the offsrings hobbies. Dang kid has two cars, neither of them run and both are in parts in my garage. He spends hours confusing me about overboring (which it is), Strokers, torq, etc. Have to keep a constant eye on him or else he'll be souping up the wife's minivan. Kinda funny tho', my dad used to gripe at me for misplacing his tools, now I'm borrowing my son's. Haven't lost any of his tho, he won't let me use them without supervision.
 
Sailboat - a hole in the water surrounded by wood or fiberglass into which one throws money. In the off season, I just stand in the shower fully clothed running tepid water and tear up $50 bills. I know Spring has sprung because I got the first bill from the boatyard last week . . .
 
at the moment, all my other interests have taken the back seat...

I've been known to spend lots of money on guitars and my motorcycle...


But currently, my milsurp rifle hobby is impeding my handgun hobby!!! :neener:

James
 
I won't count my wife and kids as hobbies.

Aside from that, let's see... tennis, running, rock climbing, motorcycles (riding and restoring), chess (now that my oldest son has started playing), cycling, golf, etc...

As far as shooting goes, I still shoot a bunch of clays, some highpower and birds when in season.

I could probably concentrate REAL hard on my shooting and be very good. Instead, I settle for being proficient and spend a lot of time doing a bunch of other stuff for fun.

There's a funny thing I've noticed... ALL hobbies cost more than you think they should. I've got a fair amount of $$$ wrapped up in guns and reloading stuff... but I just about balance that out with bicycles and may exceed it with motorcycles.
 
Like Mike in VA, I own a sailboat, AKA the floating money pit. Most of my running rigging needs replacing this year. I think I need a new battery and I know the teak needs polishing. Fortunately, my hardware seems to be in good shape.

Balancing my spare time between shooting, sailing and umpiring baseball is a challenge. Then there is the small matter of home maintenance and such. Been working on finishing the basement for too many years.

Then there is the matter of the kids. The most expensive team sport one can play is hockey. The most expensive individual sport/activity is dance. Guess what my kids do? Actually, my son only played hockey for a couple years, by my daughter is in her 11th year of dance. Ca-ching! There goes a tuition payment. Ca-ching! There goes a costume fee. Ca-ching! There goes a competition entry fee.

Good thing I get paid for working baseball. 20 spring games on the schedule now. First couple of game fees will go to pay off the equipment I had to replace. The rest? See above.
 
If you want to know what expensive is... you should wait till you have a house.... then a kid, then a couple of kids..
Click to expand...

Amen. ANd Blueline....that was hilarious.

Hobbies: (in some order of importance)

Guns. (reloading is NOT a seperate hobbie, it is a side-effect)
Jeeps. (Don't even get me started)
Motorcycles (have to have two now that the kid can ride)
Reading (anything!)
Cows. (been ranching my whole life)
Horses (see above)
Roping. (See the two previous)
Traveling. (Going to Alaska this summer)
Schlitterbahn! (usually have to go 2 or 3 times a year, I love that place)
Dutch oven cooking. (actually the eating is more fun than the cooking)

THen there is that annoying little "Life" thing. Food, utilities, shelter. Built a new house last year, still trying to make the yard look like something other than a construction site. Kids are major money pits. And on and on and on and on.....

Smoke
 
In terms of both time and money, putting our personality on the house we bought to make it a home.

I am spending so many hours in the yard doing sweat equity on landscape and even then paying out so much that I have formally stepped down from competition and club activities for about a year.

Down to the last 500 bullets, 1/4 pound of powder and primers. Fortunately in one sense, the ammo shortage is balanced out by the fact that I've only had about 6 chances to shoot in the last year. Might be getting to the point where I can start ramping up again for target shooting in the next few months.
 
I know about VW's. I used to be obsessed with them, I always wanted to own one. I would read those VW mags when I was 14 or so. Man, I still want one.


Anyway, I am in college, I work 28hrs a week and usually end up dropping to 6hrs of credit depending on the difficulty of the class. I keep my car running and get to spend about $40 a month on ammo, but never get to shoot it so I havent bought any ammo except what I had with my State Tax Return.:D

With gas prices on the rise, Kerry's desire to put a $.50/gal tax on gas (and he can kiss my a$$ too:fire: ), just short trips to and fro eating up gas and my car's useful life, I have decided to get a motorcycle. Its a darned expensive hobby. And all I want is a small cruiser.:eek:

For those that are interested, I will be getting a 2001 Honda Shadow VLX, w/ lots of accessories for $4100. If the dealer cooperates, I will get him to throw in a jacket and helmet for free. Otherwise, the price will be lowered or my money walks.:)
 
-Making Cash
-Physical fitness
-Wing Chun
-Independent Education
 
I think Mike a Shadow will prove most enjoyable!!:)

My shooting is seriously disrupted by two other hobbies .. but they are far from new .... nevertheless they do both eat some funds that could go to shooting ... plus they take time. I have to ''share'' out my spare time carefully! The weather helps in the decision making tho!

Altogether I spend way too much on all my hobbies but then I claim the ''geriatric factor'' . :rolleyes: ... late in life ... need to play harder!! So little time - so much to do! :D

So ... it's bikes and planes .... the R/C variety. First pic is my VTX1300 C4 and under that a recent aquisition .. a ''G-Shark'' with a 50cc gas motor. Should be flying soon ... and got out on bike today! :) :)


vtx_14_s.jpg



g-shark_01_s.jpg
 
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