Lean into what you can get…

[Ru4real]

Currently on the prowl for reloading supplies for the next 20 years of hunting. Purchased 1k Sierra 70gr spritzers in 223 a few weeks back for $0.12 per bullet.

Today I picked up my new Mathews bow. C3X 29 with a 70lb draw. I can archery elk hunt every year, regardless of draw results. So I’m leaning in hard on the archery hunt. If I draw a mule deer, limited elk, pronghorn, moose or bison tag, great! But I will take what I’m guaranteed, for sure!

My bow. My shooting range from the living room down the hallway. Look at that group! *

* Caution - married guys don’t try this at home. I’m the boss of my domain, you probably aren’t.

What are you leaning into?

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[Armored farmer]

Archery and black powder are really good substitutes for hard-to-get modern components.
Another great alternative is the new technology that is being utilized by the air rifle makers. You can find really nice, high quality air rifles at pyramid air and airgun depot, among others. These rifles easily rival .22 shorts for power. Ammo is easily ordered and can be delivered to your door.

 

[jmorris]

Currently on the prowl for reloading supplies for the next 20 years of hunting.

How many shots a year, on average, do you take hunting? What is your prey?

 

[buck460XVR]

Have had reloading supplies and factory ammo to last 20 years of hunting for the last half a century. At one or two shots a year, even a box of 20 should last at least a decade. Problem is, I like to shoot when not hunting too.

Have hunted with archery equipment for over half a century. Been fairly successful to the point where I gave up hunting deer with firearms for several years. Now I only use handguns during the firearm season. Yep....with the handguns, lucky to get one or two shots a year. Have given more hunting ammo to my sons and Grand-kids than I have used the last few years. Due to the cost of those high priced carbon arrows, I tend to back up farther than in your picture so I don't damage a ten dollar shaft. Same with deer hunting. Each shot from the .460 or .44 is about a dollar. With the bow, between the &10 shaft and the $10 dollar broadhead, it's a crisp Andrew Jackson every shot I take.

 

[Ru4real]

How many shots a year, on average, do you take hunting? What is your prey?

Compared to practice, very few shots are taken annually hunting. Big game and small game, none with shotgun. Big game archery and rifle/handgun. I’m a meat hunter, eating everything I hunt.

I shoot just about every week as practice, gun and bow. A month from archery opener, I shoot every day. From 2007 through 2015 that’s all I did was archery hunt deer in semi developed areas shooting 3 deer every year. Limit for the intensive harvest area was 5 Minnesota deer, but 3 worked best for me and my two kids, so about 180 pounds of venison a year.

 

[Shooterbob]

Now if you can get an elk in your hallway your good to go!

 

[jmorris]

Compared to practice, very few shots are taken annually hunting.

Combine both, how many?

 

[Highland Lofts]

I generally take four to five deer a year, one shot/one kill.
I do not shoot at running deer, I shoot them and they go down.
I hear guys off in the distance emptying thier semi auto rifles & shotguns, tells me they are taking running shots hoping to connect.

 

[Ru4real]

Combine both, how many?

Times are tough. In Jan, Feb and Mar so far this year I have about a thousand total down range 22LR, 223, 358, 38/357 and 45 Colt.

How about you?

 

[Ru4real]

Added 10K 22LR recently. Can’t have too much 22 ammo. I think that’s a law of nature or the universe.

 

[Chuck R.]

I generally take four to five deer a year, one shot/one kill.
I do not shoot at running deer, I shoot them and they go down.
I hear guys off in the distance emptying thier semi auto rifles & shotguns, tells me they are taking running shots hoping to connect.

So, where do you hunt that all the deer stand still?

Ya know there are some parts of the country, and some ways of hunting, drives for example, standing deer are hard to come by.

Just saying... I've managed to hunt in a couple countries, and 10 states, the techniques vary IAW the conditions.

As for leaning into. I've always followed the "train as you fight" mantra. Meaning I minimize time spent at the bench and try to maximize realism.

While times are hard, I make pretty good use of 'trainers", whether that's a .22LR or a .223 set up like my hunting rifles. I've got an air rifle and indoor lane, but most of my indoor practice I work IDPA drills with a laser cartridge:

From the gunroom to back wall is about 30yds:



Laser tgt works wonders for practicing "support" hand only:



Last year I prepped for a WY antelope hunt, so I spent quite a bit of time shooting from field positions and off backpacks, bipods and a tripod.



Barricade work for 3Gun:



This fall we're hoping to draw in for a NOV guided mulie hunt in MT, guide reservations and down payments are in and the draw is this month. So it's more practice off field positions. My backyard range goes out to 760yds, so there's no problem getting out for short practice sessions. I'm even moving some rocks around and deadfall logs to create a "PRS-like" practice lane with steel TGTs at variable distances. I've also got a bunch of .22LR silhouettes with stands that are a heck of a lot of fun. This season I'm learning a new precision tripod:

 

[Barry the Bear]

I took up archery last year during this ammo and component crunch, I am not as good as you but I bet I could take a deer

 

[jmorris]

Times are tough. In Jan, Feb and Mar so far this year I have about a thousand total down range 22LR, 223, 358, 38/357 and 45 Colt.

How about you?

I would be a waster of ammunition to a lot of people because I mostly shoot for entertainment. I do not have near the number of hobbies I used to and shooting has been one that has always been funded to surplus on an “over the years” scale. I admit to not buying much during panic years but I purchase much more than I need when things are plentiful and cheap, when my dollar has the most buying powder.

My wife might not have understood why I bought so many $99/5000 primers when I did or so many bullets I got out the forklift to unload the USPS truck but lots of folks here would think it was a wise choice. Of course she would too, now, if I sold them but then I wouldn’t be able to enjoy shooting like I do.

Even though I could probably make it to the end of my life on shooting gear and supplies I already have, the squirrel in me finds comfort in the extra nuts, so to speak. So I’ll play with air rifles sometimes.

PCP’s can go a long way to replacing .22lr but there is a substantial “buy in” for most.



You could always get a flint lock and make your own black powder. Not a lot to it.



I have dabbled with laser projecting guns and adjustable sensitivity reactive targets. That’s basically free “shooting”. You might be amazed how accurate one can get “point shooting” with practice.



Then there are also apps that turn a tablet into a scoring system, using any target you can print off. Complete with “bullet holes” and gun shot noise.





Other things that can reduce component consumption but still keep you in the shooting state of mind are projects that can conserve components while you gather the data you need.

Like building a machine rest to remove, at times the largest variable to gather consistent results or a bullet trap to catch your bullets…



…so you can turn the lead into more bullets for you to shoot.



There can be a lot more to this hobby than driving from store to store (I guess searching the web now a days) looking for ammo.

As for hunting, depending on what and how many, I might be able to make it several years off a single 20 round box.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I tend to think the OP doesn’t have a nice yard to practice in and is doing the best he can. I’ve been there myself.

I am lucky enough to have a 1 acre lot I live in for any scenario of archery I expect in the woods. 50 yds is my limit for practice and 30-40 would be my limit hunting depending on the scenario.

Speaking of being lucky, I also have 30 acres of woods in middle GA to practice longer range although it is 2 hrs away. When I was a member of a range it was 45 mins away though and cost 500-625 per year which is two months payments on the land. They raised the price again this year so I resigned it since I have the land now.

 

[Ru4real]

I tend to think the OP doesn’t have a nice yard to practice in and is doing the best he can. I’ve been there myself.

Thank you for the sentiments. Plenty of room in my yard to practice but I wouldn’t for two reasons. Lots of kids around - unintentional stuff can go wrong shooting a bow in town.

Also, there is about two feet of snow in my yard right now

 

[earlthegoat2]

Thank you for the sentiments. Plenty of room in my yard to practice but I wouldn’t for two reasons. Lots of kids around - unintentional stuff can go wrong shooting a bow in town.

Also, there is about two feet of snow in my yard right now

I was driving through a dense residential area in FL last year and a guy had gaffed up a utility pole and was shooting his bow down into his back yard from a tree sling.

I’m thinking the utility company would have a dim view of this but I just figured Florida Man made it work.

 

[buck460XVR]

With the bow, between the &10 shaft and the $10 dollar broadhead, it's a crisp Andrew Jackson every shot I take.

.....got lucky today. Was frost seeding a foodplot that had just lost it's snow cover this week. Between last fall's plants being ate down to the ground and what was left, mashed down due to the snow cover, the bolt I took a fall turkey with, stuck out like a sore thumb with it's bright yellow/blue fletching against the winter browns. It was in perfect shape except for the dull replacement blades. Was almost like finding a twenty dollar bill on the sidewalk. Funny thing is, even tho it was exactly where I thought it should have been, I never saw it when looking for it before.

 

[Random 8]

I've been doing a lot more single shot pistol caliber rifle shooting in the backyard in this time of stupid components. A pinch of powder, a cheap .38cast bullet, and whatever "small" primer I can find still makes for affordable and interesting practice as I back the steel plates out or make them smaller. Also still chiseling away at my supply of surplus 7,62x54R from many years ago. I have A LOT still. I picked up a set of IHMSA steel silhouette targets so those have been getting use with the "new" contender in .357 as well as the single shot Henry and the Blackhawk .41. When I'm doing it right, the 100m walk every 4 shots really cuts down on the ammo consumption and makes for good exercise.

Shooting less big boomer stuff and less blammo 9mm. I've been giving some of the forgotten rifles in the safe some range time to use up small quantities of non-standard components with informal offhand practice. A lot less .223.

Also took up traditional archery this summer. It was very peaceful to get home from work and launch 30 or 40 arrows into the target in the backyard. I felt I was proficient for whitetail hunting by fall, but my work and the weather this year were not cooperative to getting out much in the woods.