Anybody else not shooting enough?

[TCB in TN]

I have been sooooooo busy lately that it seems that I hardly get to enjoy my collection of firearms. Anybody else here feel like a lot of their stuff is underused?

How about a pep talk!

On the subject, as a teacher, I see a terrible decline in the number of youth excited about the first day of deer season!

Our great grandchildren will, I'm afraid, live in a shooting deprived world!

I do understand that, started teaching last Christmas and my shooting time has dropped big time. Of course being assistant elementary football coach and head JV and Varsity basketball coach while teaching 2 sections of 6th grade math, science, and social studies doesn't give you much extra time to work with! But now living here in the stix, we still have lots of kids that hunt. My boys 11 and 14 have killed 4 deer this year, in my two classes there are about 25 boys and 10 of them have went with 6 of them killing at least 1 so far, 3 of my girls said that they went on the first Juv. hunt and 1 shot and missed and another killed a spike. Most of the boys on my Varsity B-Ball team have killed at least 1 and a 1 boy killed 3 during Juv. hunts and another during the first muzzle loading hunt. I would guess a good third of the boys (of that age) in our school will hunt before its done. Of course we still live in an area filled with deer and a lot of public hunting land.

 

[oklahoma caveman]

yea thats the story i got. price of lead brass etc due to the war. i think its a bunch of b.s. just another way to jip us outa our guns. they may never take our guns but they sure can make it to dang expensive to shoot them. y im tryin get into reloadin

 

[Leitmotif]

I haven't been shooting much lately. My transport got stolen and the insurance/bank are wrangling it out, so I've had no transport to the range. It's all I can do to get to work and back...

 

[41 Mag]

I am trying to do my part for the future in getting the grandson out. In the past three months he has burned almost a pound and a half of powder in reduced loads getting read for hunting season. This also has come with the price of gas for the couple hour trip one way to get up there to him on weekends, but what can one do.

Two weeks ago we had our youth weekend of deer season. We were up and out the door before the sun sitting in our pop up in 34 degree weather. Nothing for the morning hunt, but he dropped this on the evening hunt out just past 150yds



He got a shot at a young 4 point the next morning but we were not ready when it came out and the shot was a bit rushed, and with the added buck fever he missed it completely. WE did look for sign for 5 hours just to be sure, as I hate to leave with out proving to myself that we might have been wrong. The daughter saw the same buck the following weekend which confirms our finding. THe boy will hopefully be a lifelong hunter if we can keep the grabbers away from our heritage.

As for me, I get in just enough trigger time to keep my edge up, but it has dropped dramatically since the grandson has gotten involved. He still likes to watch me shoot something from time to time just to test him out. Sort of like he is sayin," lets see what you can do pawpa". I have loads worked up for just about all my arms and know that if I put it on something where it should be, if it isn't there, then I have to get a little more trigger time. Fortunately that hasn't happened very much lately. More so with the handguns than the rifles. I missd a chip shot at a broadside yote several weeks back with my 41 mag out around 200yds. I blame the new fiber optic sights, with the old target set, he would have been doing the funky chicken. Thats my story and I am stickin to it.

 

[Black Adder LXX]

I haven't been in over a month. Money's been tight...

 

[Hokkmike]

Hey 41 Mag, excellent pic!

 

[CajunBass]

I've never shot, hunted, or fished "too much." Time, prices, and who knows what other factors contribute to it.

For what it's worth, even back when I had time, and reloaed my own ammo, I still didn't shoot enough. I've always said one of these days, I'd like to have the opportunity to wear out a gun. Any gun. Doesn't matter which one.

 

[JohnBT]

sm -

Hey guy, thanks. I'm doing well, just not shooting or hunting much, but duck season is coming if the weather ever turns cold enough to freeze the ponds and creeks and force the birds out into the tidal marsh. I have hopes for Thanksgiving weekend.

One of these days I'll take my dad's favorite Python to the range and burn up some match wadcutters. It came with most of a case of Federal and another partial one of Winchester. That reminds me, I need to pick up some more .410 for his Winchester 37.

I have time to buy ammo and that's a good thing in the long run.

John

 

[silverking]

I don't get to shoot nearly as much as I'd like. Thought once I retired I could go as often as I wanted. Doesn't happen with today's ammo prices. Thinking it's time to get a nice .22 and load up on less expensive ammo and start enjoying plinking. Just wish there was a town dump close by so I could help control the rat population.

 

[MarshallDodge]

I am starting to catch up on pistol but I have not been shooting enough rifle. The year started with a new rifle purchase and I took it out about every other week until June. The summer got busy and then my nine year old started playing football.

This fall the pin shooting started at the local range and I have been making it every other week. A couple weeks ago we went up to a friends cabin and shot about 100 rounds of 12 gauge, a 550 round box of .22's, and some centerfire pistol.

The cost of ammo and fuel has not kept me away, it is time that has been the problem. Gotta go, time to reload some .45 for tonight's pin match.

 

[Rumble]

I haven't been shooting in months. Haven't even carried my pistol. I live 4 minutes from work; spend all my time there (a "you will get fired for carrying" type of place); and then spend the rest of my time at home (where they are accessible, but not on me).

Frankly, it's been so long I'm not all that confident in my abilities. I need to get out and shoot.

 

[aguyindallas]

Yes....YES!

This has probably been the year I have shot the absolute least since I got "into guns". A new promotion at work has consumed ALL of my energy in most cases to even really want to get out like I used to. I really enjoy IDPA, but I think I have only shot 1-3 matches this whole year. It sucks, it really does. Sorry I cant offer a pep talk for ya, just know you are not alone.

 

[I LIKE IT!]

Talk to me when you've reached the TWO year mark.

Been working in California, saving for my title 2 stuff.(75-80% paid off)

Damn this sucks, but it'll all be worth it once I have my MP5.

Just alittle bit longer......

 

[bdhawk]

i have the same problem. i have plenty of ammo, and my own range just behind the house. main issue is time. i work too much, and when i do get a day off, the wind is blowing like nuts. or, if the wind is not blowing, i need to mow (two acres), or work on the house or car or Blazer, or truck, or motorcycle. if that's not enough, my wife wants to go somewhere and do something like shopping in the big city. and.....well i fess up, i do my share of housework.

i do tend to be able to shoot much more in the summer when the daylight is more abundant. when sunlight is scarce, so is my time on the range.

 

[Deacon Blues]

My wife has been begging me for some range time. Work is kinda getting in the way of that right now; maybe it's time to change jobs.

Ammo prices aren't great either; likewise with gas. Before long, it'll be too expensive to drive to the range! Shooting never was the cheapest hobby, but still. Here's to shooting 9mm and reloading.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

I'm ashamed to say I haven't been in months. Not good when you carry. In my own defense, the last time I went to the range, it had also been months, and I hadn't lost anything as far as accuracy goes, but how many times can I hope to repeat this? I'm going to try to go this weekend, over the Thanksgiving break, and several times during Christmas. At Christmas, I'll be itching to try out the new toy. Now, hopefully, I can afford to go.