How many guns; how many bullets at a range session?

[ChattanoogaPhil]

I think it's often a function of how close the range is and how much free time to shoot. I live 2min away from the Club and am a retired bum. So a range trip is no big deal, sometimes more than once a day. Heck, sometimes go to the Club and get to BSing with another member and never shoot!

But in another life where it took about an hour to get to a range and was lucky to get a day or two a month to shoot, I'd take a truckload of guns and ammo and make a day of it.

 

[JaPes]

Wondering how many pistols folks take to a "normal" range session and how many rounds you shoot through each one each time.

What's your general practice when it comes to a half-day at the range?

Outdoor ranges are few and far between in my neck of the woods. I have to cross the border into Wisconsin to get to an outdoor range. $26 for an all day pass. First time I went, I brought everything. I quickly figured out that I was an idiot. When I go up there, I'll bring:

• 2 X center fire handguns
• 1 X semi auto military pattern/copy rifle
• 1 X semi-auto .22lr rifle

Ammo:

• Handgun = 250 rounds total.
• Rifle = 250 rounds total.
• .22lr = 300 rounds.

When I'm at an outdoor range on an all day pass, I don't feel rushed. I can take my time and work on basics. No time pressure = more fun. I bring that much ammo just in case. I usually never shoot all of it up.

Convenient range time are the few indoor ranges in the area. Average price for a pistol lane is $20/hr. Average price for a 50 yd indoor rifle range is $28/hr.; 75 yard indoor rifle range is $30/hr. When under time constraints, I bring around 100 rounds with me of either pistol or rifle. I'll shoot between 50 - 75 rounds.

 

[Redcoat3340]

Great comments and wonderful advice, especially from those who suggest they bring their .22 every time, no matter what else they shoot. Mine was getting dusty but now I'll be using it for every range session (it's a S&W 422).

Gonna cut down from three to two pistols per session as well...plus my carry gun.

One good thing I've noticed about shooting a bunch at each session: the range bag is much lighter carrying it back to the car after I shoot.

 

[Bozz10mm]

I take a minimum of two, sometimes three pistols. and usually 100 rounds for each. A lot of times I end up shooting only 50 rounds from each pistol. After about 150 rounds, my accuracy starts falling off. So I pack them up and move over to the rifle range and shoot 60 or 80 rounds of .223/5.56. If I'm not too tired after that, I will move over to the shotgun range and pop off 25 or 30 rounds of buckshot.

Makes for a lot cleaning when I get home tho.

 

[Rivoak]

I usually only take one or two handguns. Since I usually carry a 1911, that is almost always a practice gun. I also have an XDM I regularly practice with. Both are 45 acp, and I typically run about 150 rounds through them total. Occasionally I practice with a S&W 500 or a 460. Since those guns weigh substantially more than a 45 and have much more recoil, when I'm shooting one of them about 30 rounds is all I consider fun. So, with the bigger caliber handguns, I quit when the weight and recoil start chipping away my accuracy.

 

[bobbyd]

Four guns because that is how many fit in my old GunHo bullseye shooting box. My usual shooting session may run 1-1/2 to 2 hours so I will take 7-800 rounds with me and shoot until I'm too tired to be effective or just worn out, typically somewhere over 500 rounds.

 

[RJJ 1971]

Usually 2 - 3 firearms.
2 pistols and 1 carbine or 1 pistol, 1 carbine, & 1 shotgun.
At very least 2 pistols per session.
Pistol and carbine between 75 to 125 rds each.
Shotgun would be 25 - 50 shells (mix of birdshot, slugs, & buck shot).
About a year ago I started loading 3 to 5 rds in my magazines at the range. Forces me to reload more, take longer, & slooow down.

 

[cptrick3]

First, the indoor range is less than 5 minutes from the house. Second, I volunteer as a range safety officer. (gives me free range time)So, I shoot every week. Most times 100 rounds thru a 1911 chambered in 22 then 50 rounds with either my carry, a Shield 9mm or my nightstand gun a SD9VE. On rear occasions I'll bring my K frame.

 

[Cyrano]

I'm retired so I go on weekdays when the range is less crowded and I can spend as much time as I want. But I'm 82 so I tire easily and can't shoot too long a session. It depends on what I'm doing. If I'm sighting something in, or checking loads, it will be anywhere from 5 rounds to about 20. If I'm function testing a firearm, it will be anywhere from 20 to 50. If I'm practicing offhand with a rifle, 20 is all I can do before I get too tired to shoot accurately. If I'm out there just to have fun shooting, it could be a lot more; at a gun show recently I got a 22 conversion for a Glock 19, and a Kimber conversion for a 45; after I got the bugs worked out, I'd shoot at least 100 rounds of each just plinking before I called it a day.

 

[ameridaddy]

Local indoor pay range - carry gun, one other, shoot ~25-30 rds each, work on trigger pull, sight alignment.
Up the country all day - carry gun, do draw and shoot 30-50 rds, and/or
one other gun, long or pistol, do load work up ~50 rds.
Ammo, even reloads are relatively expensive now, so the days of see-how-fast-I-can-empty-the-magazine at the tin can are over.

 

[Andyd]

I go shooting at least once a week and usually have one rimfire and one centerfire handgun plus one rifle with me. I shoot 50 rounds through each handgun and 15 to 50 through the rifle.

Often I bring another handgun just to check a new reload or cast bullet before going into "production".

Back when I had a serious falling plate addiction, I had MTM loading blocks and speedloaders and shot 120 rounds in about 15 minutes several times a week, warming the gun up somewhat. I could reload a box of .38 Specials with bought bullets for about $2.50 in the good old days ...

 

[rwsmith]

At least 2 or 3....

I take at least 2 or 3 pistols to the indoor range and sometimes add a couple of revolvers. (I like variety)

If I go to the outdoor range, I usually take a rifle also and sometimes a shotgun.

Somewhere between 200-300 rounds of pistol ammo (I may not shoot all of that) and about 30 rifle shots. Maybe a few scatter gun shells.

I'm usually good for about 1 1/2 hours until I start getting fatigued, 2 hours tops. However, if I go to the outdoor range it takes an hour to get there so I plan on spending more time if I can and conditions are good.

I just got gifted a chrono from a forum member here and will be spending more time on the outdoor range. I hope I get over this bronchitis I've had for a month so I can get serious.

With semi auto pistols, I find myself shooting and and therefore reloading more. I just went through some proving sessions to test and assure reliability in defensive guns and I burned up quite a bit of ammo over a month or two. I don't think I can keep up that pace.

Oh, at those extended outdoor range sessions, my range bags are considerably lighter than when I carried them in.

My indoor range is only 10 minutes away.

 

[rwsmith]

I'm having a lean spell financially..

Local indoor pay range - carry gun, one other, shoot ~25-30 rds each, work on trigger pull, sight alignment.
Up the country all day - carry gun, do draw and shoot 30-50 rds, and/or
one other gun, long or pistol, do load work up ~50 rds.
Ammo, even reloads are relatively expensive now, so the days of see-how-fast-I-can-empty-the-magazine at the tin can are over.

I'm a tad broke, but for some reasons I'm shooting more. I have to slow down because components are expensive although I practice the cheapest form of reloading as I can make it. It irks me because I'm trying to stock up on components in case of bad times, but I'm not making much headway there.

 

[swsig]

I go once or twice a week. I always take my EDC, or my principal home defense pistol, or both. For a second (or third) gun, I'll rotate among my five other pistols as I feel like it, and I try to fire them at least once a month. I never fire less than 200 rounds per session.

I'm retired and I know I can't take it with me, but I can send it down range.

 

[hoc9sw]

Annual LEO/Public Service membership at my indoor range, free standby weekday lanes. Have to pay on weekends.

I go with 3-6 firearms, .22, .38, 9mm, .45. Bad weeks, once. Worse, don't show. Just to say I don't remember good weeks. Very rarely shoot .45 because of arthritis. Being a cancer survivor (so far), showing up at all is a good week.

Whatever I shoot, 100-300 rounds. Have to make cleaning worth the effort.

 

[OLDSTER]

Range fun

Fun day at the range yesterday

S&W 360J--50 rounds plinkers

S&W 15-2 Combat Masterpiece--50 rounds plinkers

Browning Hi-Power--50 rounds plinkers

Model 54 CHI-COM Tokarev--50 rounds PPU

Ruger MK III .22--250 rounds

 

[kbm6893]

No more than 2. I insist on clean guns so I don't want to clean more than 2. Usually 100 rounds through each, although last week I fired 150 through my Model 67 with laser grips. Such fun shooting out the middle of the target while firing from the hip.

 

[gallar]

I'm probably guilty of taking too many guns....my friend reminds me: "beware the man with one gun". I usually take a smaller caliber, k-22 or .380 or .32.(50 rounds).Then the majority (100-150 rounds) of .38 special from one of my S&W's. Then usually a 9mm or .44 or .45acp for about 50 rounds. I meet up with a couple retired guys once or twice a week at a free public range nearby, so probably as much yakking as shooting.

 

[Joe Hohmann]

Since my club is only a 8 minute drive from my home, I can easily spend relatively short periods of time there. Some days it's 2 handguns (usually a Model 41 and a Model 686), another day air guns, and another day bow and arrows. I pretty much gave up skeet shooting since I no longer want to arrange meeting people there...and most important...I stay away from the weekend crowds (I'm retired).
I'm lucky to have a club like this. As a senior, it's only $75. a year for membership (you take a 2-hour course before joining).

 

[pharmer]

3-4X year, 200-300 .22lr and 100-200 centerfire each outing. Not much but more than 95% of the people I know. Joe

 

[Old cop]

I use an indoor range about 30 minutes from home and usually take one gun (lazy - hate cleaning) and around 200 rounds. My EDC (M&P .380 and/or a J frame) gets most of the shooting time but fun time is reserved for my M&P .22 Compact, Model 14 or Model 10.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Assuming I'm going to target shoot (and not test /compare reloads) I generally bring about 75 rounds per gun regardless of caliber. I find that about right( and actually bag them up in that quantity when reloading.) I also generally take 2-3 guns per session. That's the sweet spot for me as I generally shoot for no more than 2 hrs or so at a leisurely pace. Any more ammo/guns, and I find my self rushing (or just blasting).

 

[GatorFarmer]

I have one of those heavyduty lawn wagons like they sell at Home Depot. A couple of times I had that loaded up. But then the tire blew from over use or too much weight or some such, so I cut back.

I paid $50 for an old Marlin bolt action .22 that was in pieces and rusty and once assembled didn't want to feed. I refinished it, fit the magazines, etc. Now I normally take that, whatever centerfire rifle I am tweaking, and a handgun. I am on blackpowder hiatus until it is warm enough to sit outside and run the garden hose.

 

[Bigdog357]

I usually take two wheel guns and two semi auto pistols. I always bring a couple long guns maybe a couple Marlin lever guns or some 22's or a couple Encores. Ammo - Pistols usually 100 rds for each, rifles - 50 rds each caliber. Don't usually shoot all the ammo up, seems I spend about half my time at the range talking to other shooters. Ha, all this shooter talk is making me want to go to the range. Think I'll go pack up my gear and head out there this afternoon.

Happy Easter to all
Bill

 

[Valmet]

I generally bring 4-5 guns to the range with me (a few Glocks, a S&W or two and an AR) and prob shoot up an average of 250-300 rounds per visit. Bulk 9mm and 38/357 handloads make up the majority of the ammo with 5.56 and .45 sprinkled in.