Anybody Shoot for Pleasure & Accuracy?

[stickhauler]

Does anybody shoot for pleasure and accuracy anymore? It seems almost everybody on the forums is obsessed with trying to (dare I say it) kill a bad guy. Or should I say trying to find the latest super duper hyped up expensive handgun ammo that claims to stop a charging rhino.

Sorry if I find that statement offensive, but how is discussing new loads of self defense ammo an automatic proof that people want to kill a bad guy? I doubt you'll find those here using jacketed hollow point ammo, or whatever self defense load they choose as a practice ammo. Sure, most of us make sure we fire some of it, simply to assure ourselves it will load and fire correctly, and consistently in our firearm.

The ammo I use for carry and what I use for practice is the same grain ammo, but I sure ain't taking several boxes of carry ammo to the range to punch holes in paper, full metal jacket, or wad cutter ammo works the same in a firearm as jacketed hollow point does.

It kind of seems you're making assumptions based on something I sure haven't seen here or elsewhere on line in gun forums.

Shooting skills are a perishable skill, if you don't practice regularly you lose the ability to hit a target effectively, and accurately. I'd ask you to not read into discussions of self defense ammo that doing so means anyone wants to draw down and kill someone. I'd wager everyone here never wants to fire a shot in anger, unless they're forced to do so to avoid being killed themselves.

 

[Irate Iguana]

Up this way it's not a choice. Shooting handguns for fun is the ONLY game in town.

It's the same where I live. Shooting at a certified range is the only possibility. So most of the time I shoot bullseye for fun.

So that leaves us with club range target shooting, IPSC, IDPA, Cowboy Action, club sponsored modern three gun and other club match events.

Most of those aren't even available where I live, or it takes a long time to drive to a club that does. Even then I can't count on regular practice with those disciplines. So mostly I just shoot bullseye and enjoy myself that way.

 

[bigfatdave]

how is discussing new loads of self defense ammo an automatic proof that people want to kill a bad guy?

Good question.
Perhaps there is less discussion regarding range ammo and target shooting because most folks have figured out that generic range ammo is mostly all the same, and that the goal is to make the holes as close to the mark on the paper as possible ... so what's left to discuss?

 

[Mike OTDP]

I wouldn't be shooting ~175 rounds/week if self-defense were my only interest. You don't shoot that much unless you love it.

 

[wanderinwalker]

How can you take a K-frame .22 to the range and NOT be having fun there? Definitely BIG FUN! Hit those 25 yard plates fast DA, and enjoy.

 

[Quoheleth]

It's my #1 reason to go to the range: gunpowder therapy. Yes, I want to see how well I can shoot, but I'm not pretending to be a range commando. It's just shooting for the joy of shooting (so I can reload for the joy of reloading).

Q

 

[Eaglecreekbrewer]

Simple answer, yep.
I shoot twice a week in small bore, am an assistant coach for the Jr. Small Bore team, shoot high power once a month, along with my plinking range time. 99% of my shooting is about fun and accuracy. Like I tell the kids, it has to be fun first and foremost.

 

[herbie1]

I shoot purely for the enjoyment of shooting paper targets.

I am fortunate enough to live in a very low crime neighborhood, so I don't think I have a lot of SD needs.

I don't hunt either. I guess I can't bring myself to killing animals (but maybe someday I will give it a try), although I do love eating meat. I especially love medium rare NY strip steaks!! Yum Yum Yum! I guess I prefer my meat to be shrink wrapped and refrigerated, or already cooked and served to me .

Right now my favorite is to mount a 2x scope on my .22 and push the target out to 25 yards.

Some day soon I would love to take up skeet shooting. I would like to try shooting moving targets.

H.

 

[w_houle]

I shoot merely for the fun of shooting. I go out and shoot things; hedge apples, clods of dirt, cans... whatever. Sometimes I'll make targets, but mainly to post the fact that I can hit things smaller than a bread box. It's not hard to keep some ammunition so to have loaded guns at hand, but SD is merely a side bonus. I have fun and enjoy a leisure activity.

 

[nerfsrule2]

Personally I find pleasure in meeting up with a couple of my buddies at the outdoor range each with our cast lead reloads and waste an afternoon seeing who can shoot one handed the tightest groups, scoring the highest at 25 yards after each ten shot round. Does anybody else do that anymore???

... That what we do every Friday night... A few of us get together (Palmyra Sportsman's Association) and just shoot...We shoot at 7, 10 and 25 yards indoors...Just for the fun of it..Nothing Tactical(Tacta-cool).. Just Fun...We are usually there for at least 2 hours,we have shot 300 rounds and as little as 15.. The conversation is always there to supplement the Shooting.. What a Blast...

 

[jerrard]

Relevant to "kill the bad guy" I once read this statement, I forget the source but I always remember it.

"At that point in time when one must shoot another, whether that person lives or dies is irrelevant,

what is relevant is that you stop that person from doing whatever it was that caused you to shoot

in the first place. That accomplished, the life of that person is of coarse relevant."

I own guns, reload and shoot for fun. But I also feel defending life, limb and family with a gun is

a rational subject. (I live in L. A.)

 

[Capstick1]

Out of all the guns I shoot I think I enjoy shooting at paper and steel targets with my "Old School" .357 magnum revolvers the most. I use cheap cast bullet reloads with velocities kept under 1000 fps. When I get done using the range all I got to do is grab my targets, guns and leave. I usually bring a small bucket with me and everytime I fire a cylinder full of ammo I just dump the brass in the bucket. I don't have to spend any extra time picking brass up off the ground like these people shooting modern semiautomatics do. I'm not sure if a revolver qualifies as a good self defense gun anymore but I shoot both types of handguns pretty well. I do wish that more gun ranges would set up IPSC matches for revolver shooters.

 

[CooperThunder]

I enjoy shooting...it is a pleasure to do so and a joy to me when I hit the X mark. Sonny boy is constructing a teenie-weenie shooting range for me for my Christmas present. He even offered to pay for one half of the price of the gun of my choice. And it won't be airsoft either. So I can't wait for Christmas...(payback time!!!)

 

[GreySmoke2]

I live in the Peoples Republic of Illinois so I primarily shoot for enjoyment. Entirely handguns at an indoor range (until the tundra thaws). It is a great stress remover, not just a reducer a complete remover for me. Lately I have been shooting 500-750rds per session. Mostly 22lr but quite a bit of 9 & 40 also. .45 is still too pricey for volume shooting.

 

[NinjaFeint]

I shoot mainly for pleasure. I post here mainly for discussion of firearms and shooting as a hobby. I do have guns/ammo for defense but I am not sure what kind of discussion I would need to have on them here. I will participate in weapons reliability discussions though.

 

[McCall911]

Anybody Shoot for Pleasure & Accuracy?

Oh, yeah.
I guess all my "bad guys" are paper targets, cans, milk jugs, scrap lumber, tree stumps, etc. There's a very large tree stump about 100 yards behind my house that has everything from .44 Special to .357 Magnum to .41 Long Colt to .380 bullets imbedded in it. (Of course, it's against a large hill so that I know where the bullets will be going if I miss.)
Few things relax me more!

 

[chriske]

All my shooting is for fun.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Does anybody shoot for pleasure and accuracy anymore? It seems almost everybody on the forums is obsessed with trying to (dare I say it) kill a bad guy. Or should I say trying to find the latest super duper hyped up expensive handgun ammo that claims to stop a charging rhino.

Personally I find pleasure in meeting up with a couple of my buddies at the outdoor range each with our cast lead reloads and waste an afternoon seeing who can shoot one handed the tightest groups, scoring the highest at 25 yards after each ten shot round. Does anybody else do that anymore???

All my shooting is for pleasure.
It doesn't matter whether I'm just sitting and trying to shoot little groups or moving and shooting BG targets.

Punching holes in paper with a 22 or shooting my latest "man stopper" pistol loaded with the most destructive ammo I can find is all part of the interesting sport, hobby, whatever you want to call it, fun to me.

 

[LeonCarr]

When I am at the range, regardless of how I shoot, it is pure nirvana. Everything is right in the world when you shoot different combinations of handloads, and then you shoot the one that goes into a one hole group. When I go to the range the stress of everyday life just melts away after a few rounds downrange. The second best thing to melt away the stress is finding that one hole group load, and then going home and loading several hundred rounds of it .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[ar10]

It's my #1 reason to go to the range: gunpowder therapy. Yes, I want to see how well I can shoot, but I'm not pretending to be a range commando. It's just shooting for the joy of shooting (so I can reload for the joy of reloading).

Same here, I love trying out different powders and bullets.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

The possibility of a gun owner having to shoot a person in self defense, should the topic become of concern to them, is a very big one. The people who post here are probably 99% law abiding (most of the time), and would hate to take a life, but do, on occasion, reflect on "what if". So, they share it here. I think we would ALL like to shoot for fun and the challenge of being good or accurate, but budget constraints cause us to be just a tad more practical, if self defense is one of our objectives, and spend our time and money reaching that goal. I shoot a lot, because I reload and can shoot more than I could if buying retail. This allows me to get to a certain level of proficiency with all my guns, and I'm sure that enhances my ability to defend myself, my family, and others. I am no longer obsessed with self defense, as I have reached a comfort level with my abilities (I used to be in LE for 20 years). For each shooter, they will be at a different level of competency and goals that they set for themselves. So, any apparent preoccupation with self defense is tied to being aware of the possibilities of self defense, and making the best of time and resources to become proficient at it. It might be what a "reasonably prudent" person might do........

 

[Jonah71]

The only time i shoot my gun is for fun. I rarely think about personal defense as I live in a quiet town with minimal crime.

I'm kinda on the same page here. We don't have a crime problem and I love going to the range frequently. But the range rounds I use are not the same as my CCW rounds. Those are the ones I never want to use.

 

[m2steven]

i strictly shoot for pleasure. I do carry a pistol for protection, but i don't practice for that. I'm very comfortable shooting.

 

[tipoc]

I enjoy shooting period. All types. I have guns which are primarily for accuracy work at distance. Others are primarily defensive. I shoot both and enjoy both.

tipoc

 

[Elvishead]

Anybody Shoot for Pleasure & Accuracy?

I don't, I shoot for accuracy & then pleasure. Either way it's pleasure.