How often did you shoot when you were younger?

During college I would often shoot once a month. This was back in '91. I would probably average about 100 to 150 rounds of 22LR and 50 or so .357 Magnum rounds. (Double those numbers probably once every six months or so for a big outing).

The thing is, when I went shooting then, and it's still true now, I have the best accuracy during the first 100 or 200 rounds. After that I don't hit the target center quite as well, so I often stop at that point, rather than expending rounds for poor shots.

Back in my younger days, before children, I would got to a private range once a month and shoot about 500 rounds of .38 SPL, 200 round of .357 Mag, 200 rounds of 9MM, 50 rounds of .380 ACP, and then shoot .22 LR until my thumb was sore from loading mags for my Ruger Mark I. Then I would spend a lot of my spare time reloading until the next month. Since I was reloading and conserving my brass I'll guess that all that shooting cost me less than $20.00 back in the day.

Not as much as I do now. I remember a box of LSWCHP .44 Spl costing upward of $18 in the mid-80's. That was a lot of money back then. And you had to show ID and sign a registry. If I shot much, it was my Model 60 Glenfield rifle in .22 LR.

Now, I reload, belong to a local range, and have a boatload more guns. And I make much more money, and don't have to scrounge from mom or dad.

I guess my Dad spoiled me, when I was growing up on a farm in Oklahoma, everytime you went to the creek, pond, barn or pasture you were carrying a 22 rifle or a shotgun. Mainly a 22. My brothers (2 older) and I shot all the time at targets of opprotunity. Heck we even would take turns shooting the walnuts off the tree in the front yard, from the second story bedroom no less. A live 22 shell was left on the bedroom floor one time and my mom ran over it with the vaccum. Killed that Hoover. We were all grounded from the guns for about a month.

32 now. Started shooting technically when I was around 9 or 10, but very little of it was practice. Mostly just while hunting, which equated to probably less than 100 rounds per year.

My dad wasn't (and still isn't) a big believer in target practice. Considered it "wasting bullets". Strange thing is while I'm better with a rifle (and MUCH better with a handgun) he still is better with a shotgun than I am.

It wasn't until I turned 21, got a job, and started buy some of my own guns that I actually got really into target practice (I figured out that I liked shooting more than hunting).

There's a whole lot of gun owners who really don't shoot that often. Some can actually be pretty good shots, its just that many aren't really "into" guns. They're just a means to an end.

As a kid everytime we could scrape together the few cents for a box of 22LR me and my little brother were out in the hills.

Now-a-days I travel so much that I am really only home for 6m a year. really cuts down on shooting, etc.

Actually pretty often. Mostly .22LR and .22WRM at first but then .357 and .44 Magnum before long. I got into loading the year after I started buying guns so that helped a lot. And ammo was a lot less expensive back then (a 500-round brick of .22LR cost maybe $5). And I could load 100 rounds of .44 Magnum for under $10.

At present I try to hit the range every two weeks but a few medical situations have gotten in the way over the past year (three major surgeries). Still, I do go pretty frequently and am back to going every two weeks now. Mostly it's 9mm with some .40S&W, .22LR, and 5.56/.223 thrown in. Depends upon how long my ammo reserves hold out.

My Dad would have us shooting 5-6 times a year, mainly with a Remmy Nylon 66 up at the cottage. My 13yr old son who likes shooting does several hundred rounds of trap a month when hunting season is closed, as well as rimfire rifles a couple times a month, and several hundred 9mm and .22 pistols a couple nights a month indoors.
We have a bit of an ammo bill, but its great together time.

CoyoteSix said:

How often did you shoot when you were younger?

Click to expand...

When I was a kid, I would have to wait until we came to visit Mom's family at her folks' farm (where I now live, btw). Usually at least twice a year. Then my same-age cousin and I would shoot all of the time, dependent, o'course, upon our ammo supply at the time.

As a young adult I rarely went to ranges, preferring, instead, open farm country for my shooting. Due to my upbringing, I think, I have always been much more comfortable shooting at 3D objects than at 2D pieces of paper.

About twice a year and whenever I got a new carry piece (I got my first VA CHP in Apr'75) I would end-up either at a range or in open country shooting. (50-100rds, usually)

Whenever my job took me to another location, one of the primary things on my list was finding open country where I could shoot.

For almost a quarter century I have lived in this house on the west side of the ancestral farm. I do most of my shooting in my backyard.

With handguns, I only shoot enough to convince myself that I can hit what I am shooting at and that I am comfortable with the operation of that particular pistol. I have never gone in for the (Tactical/Movement/100s of rounds expended) Training approach.

With longguns, in my life I have very rarely sat down and shot a whole bunch of ammo at a piece of paper. Once I determine that I have the sights properly adjusted, I am GTG for walks around the farm with that rifle.

These days I usually shoot when I have made adjustments to existing firearms, acquired new-to-me firearms or when I am working up loads. The old urges to just go out back and do some blasting are getting rare in me. Just a part of O.L.D, I suppose.

Since I shoot so much less than most of the guys&gals here seem to (and I decided awhile back to not get any selectfire items), I figure that the ammo stockpile (and reloading supplies) that I built-up (mostly) during the first decade of this century will last beyond my need.

Be Safe & Enjoy!

Early teens, just about daily, target shooting with a Winchester Model 52, on our own range. It was therapy to help stop the shaking from having polio. Was not allowed to participate in other sports because of polio.

"and now shoot about half the days of the month. " Green with envy here. I used to shoot as much as I wanted. Now life, career and family seem to take up most of my focus.

When I was younger it never even occurred to me to count. The army provided lots of bigbore ammo and rimfire ammo was both cheap and available.

We had a .22 range at the house, so nearly every day after school.

I grew up on a ranch in South Dakota....5 miles from the nearest town, and further yet to any of my real "friends" houses. Thus, I was on my own for entertainment a good share of the time, and a fishing pole and a .22 rifle became constant companions. I was fortunate in that my parents furnished me with all the .22 ammo I cared to shoot. As such, I shot pretty much daily, if not plinking in the backyard, shooting cottontails in the shelterbelts around the home place, or prairie dogs in any of the various towns that used to exist. I probably shot a couple hundred rounds every week doing something or another. I don't shoot ANYWHERE near that often these days....but my Marlin 881 from that era still functions like an extension of my arm, and I doubt there will ever be a gun I shoot as well as I shoot it.

I grew up on ranches in SE Montana and from about 8yrs old could take the .22 or .410 out and run the creek bottoms on the weekends. At first I was limited on ammo until I was able to start buying my own with money I made selling cream. I only made about $3.75 a week on that back in 1956 but that would keep me in bubble gum, soda pop and ammo. Dad about shat a brick the time I saved up enough money to buy a 500 round brick of .22LR.

I've never really shot rifles much because I'm more of a collector, but I used to shoot handguns regularly, sometimes twice a week and a typical range outing would consist of 1-200 rounds of 9mm and 5-700 rounds of 22lr through my heritage arms rough rider, that gun has at least 10k rounds through it and that may be a low estimate.

The 80s had me shooting rimfire almost every week. I had my Ruger standard that I shot everything with from snakes (vipers) to squirel and rabbit. It was all fair game on the Kansas / Missouri praries. Then I joined the service, and shot almost more than I cared to. Now I just take in the leisurely fun at the local range once in awhile as prices have continued to become more than my budget will now allow at $50/ 500 of .22lr and range time is hourly, I can't afford it like I used to now that I live in the city.

With more than BB's or Pellet rifles, only Two or three times a year, I was lucky in having a few friends with Dads who shot as well.

My old man kept his well secured by any reasonable standard, but all that did was teach me how to pick padlocks while they were at work. NEVER underestimate the power of a bored kid.

However, my interest wasn't to be stupid with them, but in dry-fire practice with the Model 10 or the Chief's special, and cleaning/oiling them, not causing havoc.

The BB/Pellet rifles and pistols however were free access, with a trap in the basement, and I made extensive use of them, all year long.

Pretty much EVERY day, as i've always lived where i could shoot right at my house. I just wouldn't live where i couldn't do that...

DM

Don't ask why, cuz I honestly don't know, but I bought my first handgun just 4 years ago.

When I was 12 I learned that the Boy Scout camp had rifles!
Remained a Boy Scout thru age 16 - then had to get a job.

Joined the Army at age 18 cuz they had rifles, & handguns & LAWs oh my! LOL

Then for some reason I did no shooting til 4 years ago.
Now I not only reload my own, I also cast 8 different calibers.

SO obamanation can take his schemes & ... well this is The High Road, so I'll leave it there.

God Bless America

When I was a kid say 8, 9, 10 or so just about everyday after school, after home work & before chores, .22LR half a box or so...............

Just about everyday with my Crossman air rifle and once a week with a .22 with the 4 position junior shooting program sponsored by the local police range. I was I think 14 years old and spent my entire savings on a rifle for that program, my mom thought it was nuts. But it's the same rifle I still shoot today almost 40 years later, listed below in my signature.

In Jr. High and High School, I would shoot a box of 50 .22 LR every day that it wasn't raining. Just plinking out on the farm... mostly at timothy hay brushes which I occasionally hit. My grandfather made darn sure I policed my brass, too...

From the age of nine, onward, a very very great deal. (I never had enough 22's; and I would get 12 gauge shotshells whenever I could afford them.)

when i was 28 i had a career change, this gave me a considerable change in income. i worked 2nd shift, and wife and kids were gone all day, i would shoot 4 to 5 days a week, i would reload after work about 2 to 3 days or every chance i got. i had a it bad, i done that for about 3 years, and got called to take a 2 year course for my job, i actually went through withdrawls, i would set in class and think about shooting. then for the past 25 about 1 to 2 times a month.
about 6 months ago, i took off work for knee replacment, i made it part of my therapy, walking to targets. i went back to work yesterday, i have had a great 6 months off except for 2 to 4 weeks of pain