Shooting, or lack of it.

[Tower75]

Hi, Boys and Girls.

As I sit here at work, working*, I often ponder about the important things in life, such as rifles, books and pies.

My latest ponder is; I’m 26 and I’ve been a member of my rifle-club since I was 17 and I’ve been shooting full-bore, and most of the rest, since then.

However, during this whole time, which is scarily close to 10 bloody years (how’s that happen?) my shooting activities have revolved around shooting off 25-50 (1.5 hour detail, 2-3 per target) rounds a month at the local MoD ranges, with the odd trip to our indoor, 25 metre range to plink with a .22LR rifle or something small and fed on black powder. The latter I used to do every week. Now, however, I only really shoot on the MoD ranges, and our shoots have been reorganised, so now it’s 25-50 rounds every other month, which is £20.00 range fee, btw. How annoyed am I when I only get 25 rounds off.

I can pop down to the 25 metre range whenever I want, but I simply don’t. Why? To be honest… I don’t know. It’s an hour drive, not long, but that’s about £20.00 just in diesel even before I start. The only thing I have to use indoors is my BP revolver or muskets. For whatever reason, I don’t really enjoy shooting at that distance with a BP revolver.

The shooting I enjoy is the mid to long-range fullbore, unfortunately, I don’t get enough of it. Honestly, when I was in the US (Thanks, Burner! ) I fired off about 8-years’ worth of ammo – by my standards.

Honestly, i'm genuinely worried that I might start to lose interest in the sport. Which I bloody hope doesn't happen. Since I was 13 firearms has been my sole interest and later, hobby.

I feel my main limiting factor is cold hard cash. If I had more, I’d be down Bisley every week. Alas, that is not the case. (That’s not a "poor-me, boo-hoo" statement, btw, just fact. I earn enough to live on, but we all know how expensive this hobby is)

After 9 years of this routine I have decided that enough is enough and I must increase me shooty-shooty time… within the limiting factors of available time, availability to the old-man’s car and availability to HM’s currency.

So, if you were in my shoes, what would you do to “get back into it”? So to speak.

And just out of interest, am I alone in this cycle, or do others only shoot once or twice a month? Or are you all blattin’ off 2-300 round a week?

*You know as well as I that i'm not working

[TattooedGun]

I'm 26 next month and although I've been around shooting all my life, I'm in a similar situation.

However, the limiting factor for me, albeit cash too, is time! I just don't have the time to head to Bisley as much as I'd like, its a 2+ hour drive each way, so a day trip is a looong day, and not really what I want when I'm trying to have a social life too! I shoot smallbore once or twice per week, every week. and fun though it is, theres nothing quite like the fullbore experience.

the major downside is the lack of available ranges in the area. they've all gone. the closest was Kingsbury, but now thats been limited in calibre, and though I have a rifle that I could still shoot at that range, I'm one of the very few.... truly not enough people to get the range going :( which leaves Bisley... the £60-£70 round trip, to shoot at a target costing another £60-70 before you've even fired a shot.

When I think about it, I get disheartened too! :(

Especially, as you say, when you go to US and blat off a years supply of rounds in one session (4 machine guns and 2 handguns!). This countries shooting facilities are lackluster at best :(

[Steve E]

I predominately shoot Full-Bore target rifle or classic rifle at Bisley, for the simple reason that if I want to shoot at all that is where I have to go. The town where I live does have thriving club on its own a 25m indoor range, that only opens in the evenings. As i work permanent nights that range/club is not an option.
I do not shoot just to 'plink'. For me all shooting is either shooting a competition or practising for a competition, shooting has to be constructive. There is a group on the Forum' that shoot at Bisley on a regular basis as 'fungunners' so it may be worth replying to the range/target share threads. You would need to be a full individual member of the NRA to take advantage of this. There is always the NRA Shooting Club, which meets at Bisley twice a month and has targets out to 1000yds plus gallery rfile on Melville range. Again you have to be a Full Individual Member of the NRA to use this facility. There is a lot of shooting out there but you need to look for it or join the right club/association that gives you what you want.
I would be pretty well peeved if I belonged to a club, that when you attended a days shoot I only got to shoot 25 rounds. I would be looking to change the way the club ran its range days or find another club.(actually i did belong to a club that did this, so I left)
I think that you need to assess what you want to get out of shooting and make the decision to join a club/association that will enable you to fullfill your shooting aims.

[M99]

There is always deer stalking and or fox control?

[TattooedGun]

There is always deer stalking and or fox control?

If you can get the land and the permissions... which, living in a suburban area like I do, is not easy to come by :(

[M99]

There is always deer stalking and or fox control?

If you can get the land and the permissions... which, living in a suburban area like I do, is not easy to come by :(

Knock on some doors like the rest of us - I moved here 18 months ago, although I still had shooting ground in Cheshire and some in Wiltshire - I simply went knocking on doors. You get a fair few straight No's but you will also get a yes, once you have the one, prove yourself trustworthy and reliable and you will soon have a few more from word of mouth.

I've picked up some stalking today as the result of a conversation with a stranger in a gunshop - turned out to be a keeper on a local estate.

Mike

[Sim G]

I often ponder about the important things in life, such as rifles, books and pies.

:lol: :lol:

Thanks, Tower....... my new signature!


As for the shooting getting stale, yes it's happened once or twice in my 36 year relationship with "the gun". What I did was to turn to another discipline. Be that air, B/P, clays, but then always returned to my first love of practical/tactical, then long range.

When time was a real issue I spent 150 quid on a S/H springer air rifle and air pistol, a pellet catcher and half a dozen tins of pellets. Stepped into the back garden and shot them....

It soon comes back.

[Christel]

I have felt like that from day one taking up shooting, it seems to always be a struggle to find range time, suitable venue for what I want to do, consumables, time to reload and so on it goes. When I finally pull the trigger it is always with a mixed feeling of exhaustion and relief.

How easy life would be if I could go into the local supermarket and buy everything I need to shoot and then go to the local range which would be 5 mins drive away and shoot exactly what I want. Utopia tongueout

[techguy]

I keep it varied to keep it interesting...

I shoot indoor .22 once a week (just plinking really) but don't get to shoot many rounds as the range is so busy now
I shoot practical shotgun at least twice a month, gives me the 'big bang' joy we all know and love
I shoot clays if I feel like getting out for a couple of hours during the week if I'm off work or at a loose end at the weekend
I've started to take once a month trips to Bisley for fullbore
I can also shoot CO2 pistols in my garage (I have 5 of 'em - pistols not garages!) if I want a quick blat.

Variety is the spice of life :)

[Tower75]

Thanks, Tower....... my new signature!

Lol, you're welcome.

When I finally pull the trigger it is always with a mixed feeling of exhaustion and relief.

That is exactly how I feel. Nice to know I'm not alone in that thought.

How easy life would be if I could go into the local supermarket and buy everything I need to shoot and then go to the local range which would be 5 mins drive away and shoot exactly what I want. Utopia

Enter one of our yanks, who says: "That's what I do"