Biggest impediment to shooting?

[Mr_Flintstone]

Where I live there are no ranges, but it is perfect for handguns. I can shoot from my back porch, yard, etc. My problem is that all the hills are too close together for rifle practice. It's tough to find a place to shoot that's more than 50 yards without hitting a house or a hill.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Limited energy vs multiple responsibilities. I need to drastically improve my time management.

 

[villagelightsmith]

Impediments to shooting

For nearly 7 decades I could shoot on my own place whenever I pleased.
Then a neighbors moved in, slowly. One good fellow passed away, and the sound of shooting made his widow nervous, so she would call the State Police or the County Sheriff. We always invited them to have a sandwich and bust some clays with us. They said "No, Thanks, durnit!" No problem, but they just had to respond and check who it was. We thanked them for stopping by. We owned the land; they were always welcome to come and shoot. Then a sibling forced the sale of the farm.

Right now, it's 25 miles, 45 minutes, each way to my favorite range, where I hold a membership and a key. I may pick up memberships for closer ranges. Otherwise, it's a longer drive to a place where the noise will not bother anyone.

The sum of all these, is the noise. We have a very foolish mandate from the Imperial State (local and Fed) to leave our guns unmuffled or pay a $200 tax for each suppressor/muffler. Plus all the associated paperwork and expense ... per gun. When people are unaccustomed to hearing gunfire it bothers them. For my old ears, the noise is a health hazard. Even with ear plugs and muffs, some kid with a Winchester Super-Short-Magnum in a savage Striker with a muzzle brake will shake the sound baffles around our covered firing lines. It will drive me up to the clubhouse for a bit. That's okay; he won't be there long. When he leaves, I'll go back to the firing line and shoot the rest of the day with my Hornets, Bees, Fireballs, 17's, blackpowder, shotgun, low-intensity handguns and 6mm stuff. I understand the noise issues we have; I just wish we could do something sensible about it.

 

[villagelightsmith]

Try the .17's! The rifle just sits there. Doesn't wiggle. And the bullet got there yesterday!

 

[Zaydok Allen]

My budget and the cost of ammo. Trying to get my reloader moving, but it's a big initial investment when you pay a mortgage alone.

 

[Teachu2]

Work for the most part. Between going to and coming from, I am gone about 11 hours a day if not overtime is involved.

Other than that most ranges around me are too far away to make it worth it or not accepting any new members. There is a range up the road within walking distance that I would be at every day I could, but they aren't accepting new members until 2018. I might apply anyway and hope for a hail mary. Another range is opening in November about 15 minutes away.

Show up there on a work day with gloves, cold drinks, and a willingness to volunteer your labor. They will suddenly have an open spot for you.

 

[huntsman]

Trying to get my reloader moving, but it's a big initial investment

Yep it seems about once a month I load up my Midway cart with reloading equipment then I look at the total + shipping and balk, next trip to WW I buy a couple of boxes ammo and that satisfies the itch for a couple of weeks.

 

[Chuck R.]

Like many I have my own range out back, and shoot out to 750 yards. I also reload, so ammo costs aren't that severe.

Biggest impediments are the day job, to pay for having a range out back, and I'm also the range-master/grounds keeper. So I shoot in between the job, reloading, and mowing......

Chuck

 

[TwoFirstNames]

Can't say anything new, but I will chime in and add another vote for money being my biggest impediment. There are other hurdles too, but money is by far the biggest.

 

[JTHunter]

plodder said:

Gainful employment to support my habit.

Twiki357 said:

Range fees.

The only indoor range is pistol rounds only and is small, dirty, and exorbitantly expensive.
The only outdoor range within 30 miles is PRIVATE and also exorbitantly expensive.
As if that weren't bad enough, you either provide "sweat equity" or pay an additional fee.

 

[3212]

At 72 and retired I can't complain.The weather and my wife's health problems are the only issues.20 minutes to the range and its open 7 days 9AM to sunset.Weekdays its usually empty.

 

[WiTom]

I am blessed to be able to have a 50 yd and a 100yd range set up out my backdoor, but the wind has been relentless this spring, and also very wet, though I'm not complaining about the rain/snow as we don't need any drought this year. We didn't get as much snow this winter as normal, so making up for it now.

 

[IlikeSA]

Time and a decent place to shoot. The nearest long(er) range is 1.5 hours away.

 

[Gun Master]

Lack of an acceptable place to shoot, and my physical limitations.

Used to like walking through the woods, river bank, or under the bridge, "pero, no mas".

 

[browningguy]

Time!

 

[Arkansas Paul]

What's YOUR biggest impediment to getting some quality shooting time?

Time.

I work 40+ hours a week.
I have a 15 hour college schedule.
I'm studying for the LSAT which I take in June.
I still have to find time to be husband and dad.

Not a lot of time left for what I want to do right now.
It'll get better though.

 

[entropy]

Time.

I work 40+ hours a week.
I have a 15 hour college schedule.
I'm studying for the LSAT which I take in June.
I still have to find time to be husband and dad.

Not a lot of time left for what I want to do right now.
It'll get better though.

Bwahahaha! Oh to be young and optimistic again.....

Like the Kenny Chesny song says, don't blink.....

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Bwahahaha! Oh to be young and optimistic again.....

Like the Kenny Chesny song says, don't blink.....

Oh I can already tell you all about not blinking. I swear yesterday my daughter was watching Dora the Exlporer and playing with Barbies. Now she pulling an iPhone out of a Coach handbag and texting her boyfriend. :banghead:

We are on pace to graduate the same year, her from high school and me from law school.

But what I'm saying is that in a few years I won't have to worry about college and studying for exams anymore. That is a lot of hours a week that will be able to be spent on other things. Who knows. Maybe one of those other things will involve getting out and shooting.

 

[mnrivrat]

Biggest impediment to quality shooting?

It is illegal to shoot the preditor weasals that need to be culled . Even though there are too many of them.

 

[rugerman]

Arthritis!

 

[herrwalther]

Show up there on a work day with gloves, cold drinks, and a willingness to volunteer your labor. They will suddenly have an open spot for you.

That thought did occur to me. Great minds and all. This range has work days where work needs to be done around the range. Volunteer to get stuff done and great. Miss the days and they tack on a fee for next year's membership. In any case the range has a gate with entry only to members. Would be tough to show up ready to work a detail with no one around.

 

[TreeDoc]

Time and a place. I don't like ranges much and have been spoiled in my youth being raised on a farm. As many have said the 'burbs' are moving ever closer and with them brings laws against firearm discharge. I used to have a great spot on an old river bed. New homes went in 1.5 miles away. County Sheriff ran me off. "Somebody heard a machine gun" is what he told me.
I went back one last time to take a couple shots as a fare well to the home owners. 4 packets of Tannerite made a heck of a noise.

 

[joem1945]

Weather. Can't take too cold or too hot anymore.

 

[Gun Master]

This is a true and on point declaration (for me and others):

"My mother and my father !"

Mother Nature and Father Time.

 

[1911 guy]

My biggest impediment to shooting more? Time. I could use about 40 hours in a day.