Plinking by yourself...

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Sean Dempsey

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There's no real range around where I live. We have a unsupervised place out by the fairgrounds, but it's really just a cleared out dirt lot against a hill.


there's a place about 5 minutes from my house, another just desert area where lots of people go to plink. It's just basically out on some trails, there's a few big berms you shoot into.

I want to get at least 200 rounds in practice a week, but I can never find people who want to go shoot with me, and I have never gone alone. but now, I am wondering if I should just go by myself.

Is this something to consider, or is it a major no-no? and if I do decide to go alone, what are some precautions the rest of you take? My wife is against it, but I hate only getting a chance to shoot every few weeks.
 
There are some major minus' to consider if shooting alone...
1. it is not nearly as much fun
2. if you get injured there is noone there to help
 
Man, if I didn't shoot alone a good part of the time I'd never get to shoot.

I do let someone know where I'm going and when I'll be back, but I do that all the time.

It's relaxing too, I can take all the time I need, fiddle with my guns between shooting sessions; clean them, adjust sights, do any work that needs to be done, test handloads etc. Just have some quiet time to think. It's my favorite way of shooting.
 
I've shot with someone else MAYBE 5 times. I always go alone, because A) No one I know shoots, B) my "range" is a long government road leading into government woods that no one ever uses that's located just a mile and a half up the road.
 
Man I wish there were places like that around where I live in Michigan.
 
1. My range is in my back yard.
2. I have no friends.
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I dunno, Larry.

Anyone with a range in their backyard is my friend, or, I'd like them to be. ;)

Sawdust
 
Just about anything that you ever do is safer with a buddy. That's why the military is big on the Buddy System. Stifles individual freedom a bit, but is more fun and tons safer.

That said, I'd say shooting by yourself is probably no worse than hiking by yourself, and is _far_ safer than swimming by yourself.


The more important question: how many noobs could you get into shooting if you tried? There's got to be somebody at your church, workplace, burger joint you frequent, friend-of-friend, etc. who wants to try out shooting, but has never been invited...

-MV
 
Short of shooting yourself in the foot or a particularly nasty KB, I'm not sure what you are that concerned about. Wear your eye and ear protection, stay aware of your surroundings, and don't get lazy about the 4 rules just because no one is around to see you.

Just take a cell phone, tell your wife where you are going to be and when you are coming back. Make sure to call her when you are running late, since no man can keep track of time while shooting.
 
Only concession that I make when shooting alone is keeping the AK loaded and accessible. I do tell someone I'm going too. Shooting alone on public land tends to bring one into contact with some people who can sometimes strain the definition of "responsible and upright citizens".
 
We have thousands of acres of state and federal forestland in Michigan. I take a two track less than a mile from my house into the Manistee Forest. Natural pot holes make good places to shoot; natural berms and many times the DNR dumps stumps out here too. They make great backstops especially against a hillside.
Just make sure you clean up the area of targets and police your brass.;)
 
Some good points have been raised, I feel much better about it now.

I want to go alone to do some serious practice. Most people want to shoot 30-50 rounds and then they are done, or too hot, or tired... I am there to do 200 rounds slow and controlled into designated targets, chart my improvement, and practice technique. So, I'm not really doing it for fun, I'm doing it as sort of a "workout"...I want to be able to be pretty accurate with my handguns.

I think I'm gonna give it a try. I'll give the wife my schedule, and all that, then head out. She was really scared, but as a college graduate :)barf:), i did PLENTY of reasearch with statistics... so if I am more inclined to die swimming alone than shooting - I'll take my chances with shooting.

Oh, and +1 the comment about running into unsavory characters at the informal desert ranges. Half the time, I think I'm gonna be running into Zed from Pulp Fiction... pretty freaky looking vagrants.
 
If your wife is against you shooting by yourself, then tell her to come with you. Then take her to dinner afterwards. It's a date, almost.

If she's against you going by yourself, and won't go with you, go anyway.

My wife doesn't like me to hunt by myself. I rarely get a chance to go with people that I would want to go with, and she doesn't really want to come. So I do it anyway, because it's important to me.
 
quote;The more important question: how many noobs could you get into shooting if you tried? There's got to be somebody at your church, workplace, burger joint you frequent, friend-of-friend, etc. who wants to try out shooting, but has never been invited

one might be surprised to find there are alot of people who want to.At my work,because I can talk about shooting,I have had a few times where a co-worker has wanted to go or found someone who already likes shooting.

I am a introvert by nature,so if Im solo I enjoy myself anyway.I prefere to shoot solo specially if Im sighting in a rifle.But other than that it is much more fun to have a friend or friends along.

I rarely go to a public range,I prefere the great outdoors out in the middle of nowhere because its nice to get away and the freedom to shoot anyway you want.I stress out in the middle far far FAR away,and with a place that has no way of rounds harming anybody.

Now that summer is ending and cooler weather will be coming Ill be going out more often.Goodbye mosquitos.
 
I almost alway shoot alone. I go out to my parents place in the country, they have 30 acres in the middle of nowhere. I like the tranquility of being outside in the woods on a crisp fall day just me, my thoughts, and whatever gun/guns I decide to bring along. About the only time I shoot with somebody is when my little brother is home (he still lives at home) he will usually come down into the holler and run a mag or two. The closest range to me is at Olins facility, and they are only open to the public two days a week, and always crowded. If I go to the indoor range in Belleville during the winter (which is usually rare I take the few months to save money on ammo for new guns) I go during the afternoon when vacant. I wish we had some public land around here to shoot on as my parents are selling their place, and soon I will have no choice but to go to the range :barf: .
 
I am there to do 200 rounds slow and controlled into designated targets, chart my improvement, and practice technique.
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That's not plinking.:)

Some things are best done alone, or with a friend of like mind. That might be one of them.

The other day, I set up a little air rifle range from the couch, through the living room and to the back of the patio. I shot alone, because it wouldn't be safe any other way (1000 fps scoped air rifle is not your father's BB gun). I wanted some scope practice.

Shooting can be fun and social, but it can also be practice. I work out, shoot, etc., with a serious mindset. And I use the skills in a social context. It's cool either way.
 
oh shooting by yourself is fun,i shoot by myself all the time because i live up in the mountains so there aint no one up here cept me my computer and my dogs,lol.so i go shoot targets i make out of wood or just do some other stuff like axe throwing and such.i make some in the shape of deer and goats and diffrent animals and i like it because you can think about diffrent things like loads and what you can do to improve your accuracey and such,and you dont feel embaressed if you miss.then once a year after all my practice me and some other folks who live in the mountains or just enjoy mountain man sports as we call em all get together and have a little contest.so dont rule out shooting by yourself it really can be at times more rewarding and productive than shooting with a bunch of folks.a lot of times you can be like :banghead: how did i miss that shot,and it was because you are so worried about impressing your buddies.
 
Jorg (post 9): You beat me to it.

Sean said:
Oh, and +1 the comment about running into unsavory characters at the informal desert ranges. Half the time, I think I'm gonna be running into Zed from Pulp Fiction... pretty freaky looking vagrants.
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I always think Matix and Platt when I am in the desert by myself. I always tell my wife where I am and I always carry a cell phone. Further, I always have at least one gun loaded at all times.

For those who do not know, Matix and Platt were the two bank robbers in Florida who got into the infamous 1987 shootout with the FBI, which lead the FBI to realize that 9MM was underpowered, which led to the development of 10MM and .40S&W. <DEEP breath>.

They obtained their automobiles by carjacking people in the everglades who were target shooting by themselves.
 
If you're shooting alone, I'd make sure to have a cell phone on your person, plus a FA kit in your vehicle, or even by your feet. Also make sure some you call knows where you shoot at.
 
In addition to the risk of lack of assistance if you're injured, there's also the risk of having no one to watch your back if you're alone in a "public" place. I think the bank robbers of the notorious FBI Miami shoot-out obtained some of their firearms from folks shooting in the back country. Just noticed the History Prof mentioned this; I didn't catch the recent history of postings!

I do a lot of my shooting alone -- but like others here I'm on my own property. Matter of fact did that tonight when I got home from work, burned a few rounds through my AR.
 
boy keith your just making happier and happier i live in the mountains,lol.where i am at i dont have to worry about none of that it is to isolated and such.but that doesnt mean one day some crazies wont come this way thinking they can hide out or something.
 
She'd go shooting, but during the week and such we've got our 11 month old boy who she wants to watch, and as much redneck as I have in my genes, we're not leaving the baby in the car while we shoot our guns :D :neener:

The place I go isn't really "vagrant" territory, I always see mountain bikers and ATV's. It's literally only about half mile from where I live, but the desert has so many hills, once you're there, you're as good as 10 miles away.

I am more creeped out by vagrants than self inflicted injury. I am a person though who lives in condition "closer to orange than yellow" (which is a bad thing), so I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for badguys. I'll practice with the XD;s and keep the model 28 .357 ready for self defense :what:

If there WAS a supervised indoor pistol range, I'd be there at least twice a week for at least 200 rounds each time. Guns are also a hobby to me, so shooting them is important just for the satisfaction factor, let alone self defense.

BTW I am in Southern Utah, washington county, if anyone knows the area.
 
Don't sweat it

If you are not afraid to be alone at other times, why would you be while shooting? I know that while shooting, I'm probably MORE careful than any
other time.
 
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