Anyone Else Thinking About Taking Some Time Away?

[Phydeaux642]

I got back into shooting a while back after being away from it for twenty years and selling off what I had back then. I got back into it because I wanted to get my carry license and I have. The by product has been that I really started to enjoy everything about shooting. I enjoyed the range, going to shops and looking for good deals, talking with other shooters, and reading about shooting. I even purchased reloading equipment in order to learn about another aspect of shooting. I had been having the best time. Then the current situation came about. I do realize that it is probably only temporary, but things are what they are.

Range trips are a thing of the past because they are packed where I live all of the time. I would have to make an appointment at the range I am a member of just to get an hour in once in a while. I used to enjoy the spotaneity of just grabbing my range bag and heading out. That is no longer possible.

I have recently been thinking about reviving a different hobby for a year or so and then see where things are. If they are still crazy then take a little more time away. Then after 18-24 months do another assessment. If things are still wild then I would probably sell a good portion of what I have. I would keep my carry guns and a plinker or two and try to get a little range time here and there to stay familiar with my carry guns. I would stay a member of the NRA and probably throw some money at a couple of other organiations.

I am not a guy with a lot of money and am making less now than I was a year ago. In fact, I wouldn't have what I have if I wasn't single. So, if things stay the way they are I probably won't be able to afford to shoot in the future.

Anyone else thinking about taking some time away to see if things cool down?

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I'm considering taking some time away from BUYING, and limiting my shooting to the .22, but every time I turn around, I either find another "really good deal" or another gun I "must" have. This turns out to be a double edged sword, as after I buy a gun, well, you know......ammo and other accessories....It's hopeless, I am john, and I am an addict......

 

[RP88]

yea, limiting to more .22 and saving for the final big purchases (a handgun or two for me, then that's it - may get into collecting Mosins and milsurps, then). The big guns haven't been shot in close to a month. They'll probably be waiting longer than a couple more before I get the ridiculous urge to drop $8.99 a box on PMC .223 and $6.99 x39 Wolf ammo ever again.

 

[Mike OTDP]

Think about a good air pistol or air rifle. Not the cheap plinkers, but at least an Izh-46 (midgrade target pistol).

$100 will buy you 5,000 match-grade pellets. That's a lot of shooting...and you can set up a range at home.

 

[catspa]

TJ:It's hopeless, I am john, and I am an addict......

Cheer up, bud. If you have to have an addiction, this is the one that puts you in good company.

Parker

 

[rbernie]

No, I just go shooting on weekdays. I can't imagine a week without blasting little orange disks outta the sky and struggling to be competent with a pistol.

 

[lionking]

Since my interest in firearms is across the board,not just the panic stricken ones no I will continue to enjoy buying,and shooting.I don't shoot that much ammo when I go out anyway,I tend to take slow aimed shots.

I am thinking about trap & skeet again though because it is fun,different and shotgun shells are plentiful,haven't done that in a while and I probably need to get alot better at it,in other words I probably suck at it.

My gun buying has slowed though,only because I am looking for a house to buy again and I just can't go buying crazy like I did last year,although I did just win a Argentine 1891 mauser tonight,first gun I bought in a few months.

Fact is I am just starting to really shoot alot of the ones I already had.

 

[jackstinson]

I shoot .22LR's at the range a whole lot more these days.
I also shoot .22 CB's when I get the urge to "just go plinking" on a quiet woods walk. A lever action rifle, a couple boxes of CB's, a valid hunting license, and a patch of wildlife hunting area (where there isn't very much game and no one hunts much). Makes for a nice afternoon of quiet plinking along the dry creek bed.
Oh yeah, I shoot .22 Colibri and Super Colibri when I can't get to the range and just have to shoot.

While the present situation exists, I shoot more 9x18 "Mak" than any other centerfire cartridge. My Makarov, P-64, and PA-63 get more use than my other centerfire pistols now. Brown Bear 9x18 FMJ is relatively cheap and still easy to obtain.

 

[LTR shooter]

I'm considering taking some time away from BUYING, and limiting my shooting to the .22,

That is what I am doing now , I have fired less than 100 rounds of various centerfire this year. Just got in a case of 22 ammo last week.

If the great deal comes along though I won't pass on a gun!

 

[aka108]

I'm selling off more than 80% of my collection. Not because I need or really want to. I'm getting older and don't wish to burden my wife with a bunch of stuff she knows little about. Am acquiring serveral additional good quality rimfire rifles and keeping the top of the old collection intact since I think my grandson is getting into the shooting sports.

 

[Carbon_15]

and limiting my shooting to the .22,

Where are you finding .22's

I havent been able to buy .22's localy for months
I'm limiting my shooting to .38's and 9mm because they really only cost me the price of primers and powder since I cast the bullets from scrap. I've got about 2000 .22's and have started rationing them out slowly. The days of blasting through a whole bulk-pack in a weekend are on hold for a while

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

My default state is taking a break from shooting. I'm too poor to make any real purchases for months at a time, even ammo. I get a new gun maybe once a year. And that's a stretch. Just getting 500rd to practice with my AR before ARNG Annual Training is something I have to save up for for a month or so. Not to mention it's a 2 hour drive one way to the nearest range where I can actually fire my AR. You people who have a safe full of 1911s and a few more safes with other guns amaze me. I can count my guns on 1 hand, and I'm still surprised I was able to buy them all.

 

[jackstinson]

I haven't been able to buy .22's locally for months

I buy CCI Mini-Mags online at Natchez usually. With shipping, it comes to about a half cent more per round than Walmart, but delivered right to my front door. Colibri and Super Colibri I buy online from Natchez or Coles.
My favorite local shop stocks many pallets of different brand .22's. They usually have CCI Blazers on sale every month for $14.99 per brick of 500. I tend to buy 2 bricks whenever I stop in there. I also stocked up on Walmart Federal 550-bulks before they ceased to be on the shelves. Most of my .22 hand gun and rifles shoot either Blazers or Walmart 550-bulk just fine...the rest dine on CCI Mini-Mags.
Jack

 

[woad_yurt]

Phydeaux642:
Is calling for an appointment all that bad? Yes, it's not spontaneous but what's more fun for you, the spontaneity or the actual shooting?

 

[runrabbitrun]

We are being conservative as far as shooting right now
due to the high cost and scarcity of ammo.

We did get to the range last week
and blew off 60 rounds to ensure our SKS was hitting the mark.

Blew off some old 22 rounds and a few mags of 9mm as well.
Next trip (unless ammo prices drop)
we will be primarily shooting the Marlin 60.

The 9mm and SKS will just be there so they don't feel left out.
I doubt we will shoot more than a mag or two out of them,
if we shoot them at all.

We like to keep a back up stock of 500 rounds for the SKS
and at least 100 rounds for the Browning HP 9mm.
We have a good surplus of 22, so no big concern there at the moment.

 

[krs]

I shoot pistols at home now, and haven't been to the local club range, that I'm a member of, for over two years. And even though I've got a good stock of reloading supplies laid in I've been shooting the .22's a lot more. The act is almost the same and I'm an old bullseye shooter at heart so slow carefully aimed precision shooting is more interesting to me than any of the self defense prep sort of shooting. So I keep myself brushed up on my carry, draw to fire routines and leave off it if I feel smooth and easy with it.

I've got more than 20,000 rounds of target grade .22 ammo.

I've also been thinking about getting back to the International Air Pistol. I sold my Feinwerbau match gun several years ago, but the Baikal match gun is looking pretty good to me now. I remember some pretty hot scores were fired with those when they made their appearance in the 1980's. Back then I was too full of myself to consider one, but now I think it'd be perfect.

With all of that I do find myself reading up on a couple of my old hobbies to get current. My head is getting interested in machining again, and photography used to be a biggy. I'd have to change out my good film equipment for digital stuff though.

 

[jackstinson]

Ooops.....I neglected to mention that I still do "my old hobbies":
I still race slot cars and have a slot track in the basement. Actually, manufacturing/selling silicone slot car tires pays for my shooting hobby.
I also still play guitar and sing in a band...which helps finance my shooting as well.
Jack

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

In these times---the .22 is your friend.


Still very available--affordable and more places to shoot vs a high powered rifle.

You still get trigger time and maintain your skills.

 

[Phydeaux642]

Is calling for an appointment all that bad? Yes, it's not spontaneous but what's more fun for you, the spontaneity or the actual shooting?

No, not that bad. I just have to grab time when I can find it, so, appointments don't lend themselves all to well to that.

 

[CoRoMo]

Anyone else thinking about taking some time away to see if things cool down?

Forgive me, I don't understand the premise at all. Cool down?
I do understand post #10, and I also understand the frugality of taking more .22s to the range as opposed to the .50bmg every weekend. After all, when gasoline is more expensive, I drive less.

What confuses me is getting out of it and selling off all the guns.
Mine are tools, and each has a needed purpose. Selling them would be the same as selling my table saw, shovel & rake, socket wrenches, etc. What do I use after selling them? Sell the saw; what do I now cut wood with? Sell the mower; what do I do when my grass gets too tall?

The same is true for my guns.
If I sell my .270 Win, what will I use in October's elk hunt?
If I sell my P11, what do I protect myself with everyday?
If I sell my 12ga, what do I do when pheasant season comes up?
Etc.

I guess if the 'gun thing' is just a range plinking hobby, then I'd see how you could phase in and out of the fad.
I'll stay in it until I'm too old to use my tools for their intended purpose.

 

[Raines]

I can understand the worries over ammunition cost and availability. I myself have limited my ammo expenditure to what is absolutely necessary to keep in practice with the arms that I may need or carry.

But getting out of it and selling? I am in full aggreance with Coromo. My firearms have specific uses and needs, they are tools. And unlike a lawnmower, if I find myself in need of one of them and dont have it, the grass just doesnt get longer, the consequences could mean the lives of me or my family.

I dont have the extensive collection that some of you have, I cant afford even 1/4 of what I want, and the thought of selling any one of the few I have, makes me sick to my stomach

 

[DHJenkins]

Are you kidding? Before the election & economy crash, my wife thought buying 'extra' guns was a waste of money.

Now I'm "converting my free cash into tangible assets in anticipation of the current and upcoming changes to the economic & societal landscape."

If I wasn't losing my job in 4 months, I'd be buying even more!

 

[Mike OTDP]

Be careful, krs. Those air pistols are addictive. You can wind up spending $2k or more on one of those new electronic-trigger Steyr LP10e pistols.

Which I'm saving up for myself.

 

[vikz]

This thoughts have cross my mind too i mean i can always go to the range and do some shooting but the prices of ammo is getting too much, i have a brand new Dan wesson and RRA AR15 that i haven't shot yet becs of ammo prices( that is if i can even find some) 22lr's are great that is what i usually shoot now too..

 

[Prince Yamato]

Yeah, I feel the same way. The ranges are always crowded and everything is over-priced. I'm committed to shooting .22s though. So much so that I even purchased a .22 suppressor (currently waiting approval from ATF). I stocked up slowly starting 2 years ago. I'm good to go. I'm personally thinking of taking up ballroom dancing. I can still CCW while dancing.