Not enough time for shooting

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ChronoCube

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Lately I've noticed that I'm not able to get a lot of range time. This is because I work part-time on the weekends. I don't work that many hours on the weekend. However, it really breaks up my time since it is in the middle of the day. This is extremely frustrating. The range I go to typically opens at 10am, and it gets dark by 6. This means instead of going to the range for 4-5 hours, I can only go for 2 hours at a time. It also takes 30 minutes to go from the range to work, so I don't even have time to go home and unwind. This means I actually have to plan my schedule meticulously instead of going with the flow, so I don't miss my work shifts. I could go again after work, but it costs more, and I spend another half hour driving.

This range also doesn't allow FMJs. To use all the surplus ammo I have, I need to go to another range about an hour away. I don't see any time on my work schedule that allows me to make that trip in the foreseeable future, unless I request a day off.

Does anyone else have trouble having an interrupted block of time at the range? How do y'all deal with it?
 
Don't feel too bad, I work full time on the weekends (40 hours between friday-sunday) and I'm a "non-traditional" student putting myself through school during the week. A full time job plus full-time school leaves NO time for shooting. That 2 hours of range time would be a blessing. I haven't been able to shoot in about a month and a half. I'm not trying to start a pissing match or anything, but I think we all wish we had more shooting time, you're not alone :)
 
Two jobs and a score of hobbies have me getting very little range time myself. The difference being that I set my own hours on weekends, so I just schedule time to shoot once a month. :) You'll make time if you can, but don't beat yourself up over it.
 
True, range time is very sporadic for me. To make things worse, I like shooting with friends or my sons. It compounds the problem to co-ordinate two or three schedules.

Life is tough...:( but shooting is too fun to quit! :D

Mark.
 
I am an over the road truck driver:( I often am away from my babies(and my kids) for more than a month at a time, sometimes two. As you can see, it is very hard for me to get to the range! In fact, I got my carry permit, and a brand new SA XD.45 in the early part of Jan. and still have not been home to use either. I have on the other hand, decided that since I own my truck, I am going to start keeping at least 1 gun with me. There is no law preventing me from this, just a company policy of the carrier I lease to. Since I do own the truck, they have no reason to ever know. There are times when I could bobtail, or take a cab to various ranges for a little practice. Also, if I ever need it, I would rather be alive to find a new carrier, than not have it and be dead!
 
My range time is always less in the Winter months than the summer, it isnt the cold that bothers me, but the wind does. Kind of hard to tell if it you or the rifle with a 25 mph. cross wind. I try to shoot on the weekends that the little lady is working, I just cant bring myself to leaving her alone on the weekend so I can go shoot, I am trying to get her to come with me this summer though.
 
Range time for me isn't very often, although I shoot on my own property at home. It's nice and convenient, however there is a catch. I have neighbors close by...closest being maybe 400 yards. I try to shoot as much as possible and keep my trigger finger happy and try to shoot as less as possible at the same time to keep them happy.I used to shoot several times a week and I finally cut back mainly due to the neighbors.

With that said, I only shoot every couple of months, but when I do it is usually an all afternoon affair. It's an attempt to make of for lost time.
 
When I trucked, I had time for nothing except keeping wheels rolling making money. (And spending it....)

Now that I am done with truck I have time to take care of house, spouse and everything else in life.

But shooting time? Im lucky to get 3 hours a month range time.

But when I do go, I make it count. REALLY count. But I always try to take care of everything else first. Chores first, fun things like shooting last so that I can just think of the shoot 110% and not get distracted and get hurt or hurt someone.

That intense half hour or hour of shoot is more than enough when on a camcorder. You can go over it and see little bits like... OMG I nixed that safety that time, what a stupid idiot I was and learn not to do it again next time I shoot.

I go to the range because it is safe (I know... bear with me) environment to use the weapons and learn them. And maybe learn yourself and spouse as well.

If I had nothing at all and only money and chests of ammo, I would be on that range all the day.

And then in the doc's office racking up a lung from the fumes, shaking from the chill of lead infection, staggering from a leg gone numb from that table leg, a blown shoulder from the recoils, deafness and blindness galore from the excesses of shoot.

Not to mention emptying brass of all sizes from the shoes, eyeballing every object that remotely looks like a gun muzzle, shifting from person to person eye to toe evaluating thier posture and weapons arm/hands and mentally cataloging thier intentions or pending issues.

Whew... I need a drink and a moment to get a grip. Range time is supposed to be FUN!!!! LOL.

I rather fire 20 rounds, feel good and go home. Not live at the range LOL or worse die from it.

As much as we enjoy the shoots.... we also pray that we never have to be put into a situation where we must use it to stop a invasion. It is one thing to want to go do something badly for lack of time or other problems, it is different when one remembers WHY you go to the range in the first place.

For us, the WHY is to shake out the mistakes, learn and become better so that if that day does come; we have a fighting chance.

I will allow this tidbit. Shoving beef by the pallet off the trailer aint fun, but now shoving boxes of ammo and such out of the trunk at the range IS fun LOL.
 
Home dry fire & air gun

About 80% of what I need to work on at the range I do at home by dry fire practice and/or shooting with a good airgun. Probably only 15-20 minutes/day. No gas, blocks of lost time, or range fees, and the dry fire's free. Weekly range visits are 1 hour and very productive.
 
Luckily (?) my schedule is 3-1-2 (ie Mon-Wed in, Thurs off, Fri Sat on) meaning I either have all day Thurs (which is nice, very uncrowded) or Sunday (meaning a REAL early trip - it opens at 8am and gets crowded quickly on Sun). So scheduling time isn';t too much of a problem - finding affordable ammo is more of a problem.

But I do get a weekend off each month - like next week. Means I work Mon-Fri with the next weekend off. Its an amazing change going 5 full days of work all of a sudden with no breaks ...grin.
 
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