Love of Shooting in the Age of the 'Rona and The Big Guy

[sgt_zim]

What's everybody's pulse like on shooting since the 'rona?

I shoot a great deal less today than I did 4 years ago. Components have certainly gotten more expensive, but that isn't it for me.

I have a lot of powder, I'd surmise in the neighborhood of 35-40#.

I have probably 2K+/- LR primers

I have heaven-only-knows how many bullets and brass for all my rifles.

What I lack is the confidence that I can replace any of that if I start to run low. So I don't shoot nearly as much as I would like.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Spot on Zim. I have something of the same numbers on components. I live in a remote place, and mostly shoot stuff I can't find at our local store, or even Anchorage many times. So if I want to shoot it's on me. And I echo your sentiments: I am cautious about my ability to replace what I use. I still shoot quite a bit, compared to many in my part of the world. But it's decidedly a scaled back amount compared to what it used to be. It's also affecting my outlook on a few things. I posted earlier this week about a rifle that's for sale locally. Logically, my brain knows I should buy it - the price is super reasonable. But, as of today, I still have not, and the reason is I had planned on splurging on powder and primers in the near future. Soooo.... new to me gun/caliber, or reload components?

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

What's everybody's pulse like on shooting since the 'rona?

I shoot a great deal less today than I did 4 years ago. Components have certainly gotten more expensive, but that isn't it for me.

I have a lot of powder, I'd surmise in the neighborhood of 35-40#.

I have probably 2K+/- LR primers

I have heaven-only-knows how many bullets and brass for all my rifles.

What I lack is the confidence that I can replace any of that if I start to run low. So I don't shoot nearly as much as I would like.

I shoot a great deal more rimfire than I did before. My local range is just up the road so I shoot two or three evenings a week in the spring summer months. Where I used to shoot 80-100 rounds of rifle rounds a night I now usually shoot 20 rounds of rifle ammunition and spend the rest of the evening with rimfire.

 

[ZG47]

Spot on Zim. I have something of the same numbers on components. I live in a remote place, and mostly shoot stuff I can't find at our local store, or even Anchorage many times. So if I want to shoot it's on me. And I echo your sentiments: I am cautious about my ability to replace what I use. I still shoot quite a bit, compared to many in my part of the world. But it's decidedly a scaled back amount compared to what it used to be. It's also affecting my outlook on a few things. I posted earlier this week about a rifle that's for sale locally. Logically, my brain knows I should buy it - the price is super reasonable. But, as of today, I still have not, and the reason is I had planned on splurging on powder and primers in the near future. Soooo.... new to me gun/caliber, or reload components?

Get the gear for what you have. It is a pain to be waiting months for essential components so that you can shoot a newly purchased rifle. Never again for me!

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Get the gear for what you have. It is a pain to be waiting months for essential components so that you can shoot a newly purchased rifle. Never again for me!

That is typically what I do. For example, I have a 6.5 Grendel single shot pistol on the way. Primers, brass, and dies are already here waiting. I have other .264 diameter calibers, so bullets and powder were already onhand.

 

[ZG47]

That is typically what I do. For example, I have a 6.5 Grendel single shot pistol on the way. Primers, brass, and dies are already here waiting. I have other .264 diameter calibers, so bullets and powder were already onhand.

Yes, I learned the hard way!

 

[mdwest]

I shoot a good bit less these days… but for me it really isn’t tied to ammo or components… I’ve managed to stockpile a very large reserve of both hunting and range ammo across all calibers of pistols and rifles I own…

For me it’s really more a matter of time and priorities these days…

I still probably average at least 1 range day a month and shoot a good amount while I’m there…

But between work, travel, being constantly on the go with our youngest and all of her activities, etc.. it’s rare I can squeeze in more than that..

 

[WAB]

I must be the exception. I shoot more now than I ever have. My range is 100 yards from the house, I have steel hung at 100, 200, 300 and 600, and there is an embarrassing stockpile of loaded ammo and components in the gun room.

I am shooting fewer shot shells simply because I have to drive to skeet or sporting clays. I am committed to correcting that personality flaw in the near future.

 

[Hunt anything]

I probably shoot less, mainly my .375 Ruger and .416 Rigby, I shoot about the same in my handguns, AR and other rifles BUT I don’t use my cache of ammo, I will go buy what I might shoot that day. I’m somewhat paranoid I may not be able to replace what’s in the safe if I shoot it up.

 

[jpr9954]

I must be the exception. I shoot more now than I ever have. My range is 100 yards from the house, I have steel hung at 100, 200, 300 and 600, and there is an embarrassing stockpile of loaded ammo and components in the gun room.

I am shooting fewer shot shells simply because I have to drive to skeet or sporting clays. I am committed to correcting that personality flaw in the near future.

May I say that I hate you but in a nice way! Just kidding as I am very envious of you for having a home range that reaches out to 600 yards. It is something that I can only dream of having. Congratulations on however you did it.

 

[mdwest]

I am shooting fewer shot shells simply because I have to drive to skeet or sporting clays. I am committed to correcting that personality flaw in the near future.

We drive 35 miles once a week to a school range and about 50 miles once a week to a club range… my daughter averages about 250 shot shells a week on trap/skeet/sporting clays… but I haven’t shot a clay pigeon in months lol…

I’m definitely planning on putting a couple of machines in bunkers less than 100 yards from my back porch once we build our forever home in a few years… I miss clay busting (even though I see a lot of it every week lol)…

 

[skydiver386]

Having been through lean years several times, I do two things.

1. Buy cheap, stock deep.
When times are good, buy all you can at the lowest price you can find. When hard times come, you'll have plenty.

2. I do many different types of shooting that I never imagined in my youth. Air rifles and pistols, archery, crossbows, muzzleloaders, rimfires, shotgun sports, etc. If there aren't adequate supplies for one, there's usually plenty for something else. Variety is the spice of life, and I think it makes you a better shooter.

To answer the original question directly, I shoot some specialized things less, but my overall amount of shooting has increased.

 

[TheSayHeyKid]

I'm on the same page as most of yous guys. I'm sitting on plenty of components, but lack faith in being able to replace said components. I too find myself shooting a lot of rimfire just to scratch the itch. Us guys get together every couple of week to send 'em down range at the farm. Sometimes it's a few games of rimfire golf (gambling is encouraged) and other times we set up 2' x 2' targets at 200 yards to make it interesting. We have a great time, but I certainly don't shoot the amount of centerfire I used to.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Spot on Zim. I have something of the same numbers on components. I live in a remote place, and mostly shoot stuff I can't find at our local store, or even Anchorage many times. So if I want to shoot it's on me. And I echo your sentiments: I am cautious about my ability to replace what I use. I still shoot quite a bit, compared to many in my part of the world. But it's decidedly a scaled back amount compared to what it used to be. It's also affecting my outlook on a few things. I posted earlier this week about a rifle that's for sale locally. Logically, my brain knows I should buy it - the price is super reasonable. But, as of today, I still have not, and the reason is I had planned on splurging on powder and primers in the near future. Soooo.... new to me gun/caliber, or reload components?

The old debate of which came first the chicken or the egg.

With the economy the way it is and the unknown in acquiring ammo and reloading supplies.

I would lean more to splurging on ammo and reloading components just so I could keep shooting and stock piling ammunition for the future annual hunting seasons. Oh wait that's what I'm currently doing.

But I still need to replace the .357 mag I sold to go with my 38 spl / 357 mag reloading supplies and ammo and I really want a 22 mag.

Well Damn!....Suddenly I find myself in the same situation you are in.

What is not spent on a firearm will be splurged on more reloading components. Problem solved. Or is it?

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I feel your pain/uncertainty Paul, I truly do. Now if I could just win a lottery or two it wouldn't matter - I could just buy every gun that catches my eye and STILL have enough to be that arsehole who buys all the reloading components at whatever cost is asked and leaves others in the lurch, grumbling curses about me. Yeah, I could live with that.

 

[B0MBOY]

I only really shoot 22 rimfire, 45-70, and a handful of 9mm. My 375 comes out on special occasions.

My AK looks so sad and lonely in the corner of my gun room, but I just can’t bring myself to pay quadruple what i used to for ammo pre ‘rona.

 

[PARA45]

I'm actually shooting less now. When I do go out to shoot, I end up shooting the most common stuff, like 22, 308, 30-06, etc. I'll shoot my Weatherbys to check zero, and that's about it. I do have quite a bit of reloading components.

When I was prepping for my safari in 2022, I shot once a week, started with my 22 rifle, followed by the 375 H&H, and would end the session shooting some more 22. This worked for me.

 

[mdwest]

1. Buy cheap, stock deep.
When times are good, buy all you can at the lowest price you can find. When hard times come, you'll have plenty.

My starter wife (long since replaced) used to get pissed when I'd come home with yet another brick of .22LR.. at one point I think I had close to 40K rounds of it... but at the time it was selling for about $0.021 a round.. you could get a box pretty easily for about $1.09... and a brick of 500 was typically $9.99..

Today a really good price for really crappy .22LR is about $0.03 per round and anything of "average" quality like rem thunderbolts or win white box is going to run you $0.04 - $0.05 per round minimum... and it wasnt all that long ago that finding average .22LR was running about $0.08 per round..

Its been at least 15 years since Ive bought any 22 LR... and I've still got enough of a stockpile that Im pretty sure I'll still have plenty on the shelf long after I pass from this earth..

Theres something to be said for buying cheap and stocking deep...

 

[Just Gina]

What's everybody's pulse like on shooting since the 'rona?

I shoot a great deal less today than I did 4 years ago. Components have certainly gotten more expensive, but that isn't it for me.

I have a lot of powder, I'd surmise in the neighborhood of 35-40#.

I have probably 2K+/- LR primers

I have heaven-only-knows how many bullets and brass for all my rifles.

What I lack is the confidence that I can replace any of that if I start to run low. So I don't shoot nearly as much as I would like.

Time is my main issue. I spend more time looking through a windshield these days than I care to.
I agree with you in that there is a replacement concern. Aside from shooting some nuisance critters I don’t get to shoot. I miss it, however I want to get all this overwhelming chaos over and done with so we can get back to regular chaos.

 

[375Ruger416]

Post COVID, I’m definitely shooting less. Time is an issue, but ammo price and availability is too. I laughed at my brother in law 10 years ago for paying $100 dollars a box for weatherby ammo.

A lot of ammo is $70 to $90 a box here in Canada for quality stuff these days. Absolutely bananas. As a result, I am working on downsizing my (small) collection. Going to focus on fewer cartridges and have ammo available in the cartridges I actually use.

Was thinking about reloading, but the time commitment, expense and unavailability of components the last few years made me change my mind.