Shooting less,enjoying it more,an irony

[canoe on the yukon]

I am getting up in years and may ramble a bit and so I apologize in advance but of course,one always has the option of moving to another thread.

I'll try to briefly give a disclaimer or two so the reader won't mis-understand the salient point of the thread.....I don't propose even for one moment that others should feel or think as I do and so the following is not intended to be advice on any level.....Also,at first the subject seems to only be related to shooting itself but if one reads on,I'll try to convey how this has effected my handloading in a very direct way.

Years ago,I did a LOT of shooting.Burned up many,many primers.Partly for competition and partly for my own satisfaction and amusement.As for skill development,I found that once a certain level of ability was acheived,only limited amounts of repetition were needed for maintenance.In other words,twice the shooting did not equate to twice the skill.There is a learning curve to good shooting but once it's arrived at,one would get rusty indeed if he were to stop entirely but to shoot vast amounts of ammo to keep perhaps 95 % of his or her ability is not necessary.There is a law of diminishing returns at work.Whether or not one finds it desirable to continue shooting vast amounts in order to keep perhaps the other 5 % or so is up to the individual.

This has effected my handloading in ways other than volume itself.With so many thousands of rounds of ammo being expended in years past,I found it necessary to reduce the power level of ammo in order to extend the useful service life of the gun.Also,recoil has an accumlative effect on the nerves and causes flinching.......but with the lower number of shots being fired,these concerns reduce greatly which leads me to a reversal of my previous handload practices.

I am not particularly recoil sensitive.I take it in stride and largely ignore it.Firing with limited repetition does not (for me)effect my shooting by way of inspiring a flinch.In addition,loads within reason have little detrimental effect on the lifespan of the gun.After all,that's what it was made for.

Since I've already been so long-winded (and perhaps few readers are still present),I'll try to wrap this up rather quickly......My shooting today is done with very few reduced loads.I personally find powder puff blast and recoil to be about as interesting as watching paint dry.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Same page, not age!

Well canoe,
I'm probably not as old as you are ( ) but in my loading and shooting, I'm right there with you!

I too have burned up a myriad of 3.5gr of Bullseye, 38spl loads. Along with a ton of 200gr LSWC from the 45ACP and, while I do still find that fun, I have turned to other pursuits as well. I shoot less, but the rounds have a much bigger BANG, BOOM really!

My recent foray into the 45Colt for example. Believe it or not, I have even went to H110/W296 several times when working on it and the 44Mag, muzzle blast/fireball and all! (Something that heretofore was a deterrent to me using it.)

My interests have also turned to handgun/rifle combinations. I recently purchased a Ruger 45 Convertible and have been "wringing" it out a bit. Same with the M92 Puma in the 45 Colt caliber. It has been enjoyable.

So, even though I am nowhere near as old as you, , I understand completely!

 

[flat top]

Canoe; Same here. Competitive shooter for most of my life (until age caught up with me)....shot thousands of rounds a week, and attended match's on the weekends. Shooting skills are just about like everything else in life....once developed it doesnt take much practice if any to be profficient again. I spend most of my time now at the reloading bench developing and experimenting, or at the workbench building custom firearms. I usually hit the range a couple of times a month to check the above work or to give my hunting guns a little refresher. Other than that the only other shot I take is at game. The pace is slower, much more deliberate, and relaxed...but the thrill is still there, especially when the results are satisfactory.........but, anymore, its not so much about the destination...but the journey, that brings satisfaction. As I look back over the course of my shooting career (almost 50 years) I have had the opportunity to win a match or two, develope a line of wildcat cartridges, build some very interesting firearms, converse with some of the shooting sports most notable people, and spend time with some of the finest folks I have ever met in "any" venue. I have been blessed to be able to take part in such a wonderful sport and hobby. So, even though I dont pop a cap as often as I used to, it sure doesnt make the sport/hobby any less interesting or entertaining......its all FUN!

 

[Dale53]

I competed for over fifty years. I am now 74 years old, and still try to make it to the range a couple or three times a week. I am less enthused with using the indoor range, although it is WONDERFUL to have the opportunity during the nasty winter days.

I have run the full gamut of competition (smallbore, big bore, shotgun skeet and trap, NRA Bullseye pistol, PPC, and IPSC as well as hunting with the big boomers).

These days I find more pleasure with centerfires trying to shoot the best slow fire scores possible. Recently, I shot my personal best (97x100 with six "X's" on the slow fire target) with my 625-6 .45 ACP. I found that VERY gratifying. I am so old, these days, that I am reminded that each day may be my last really good chance to up my score. However, with the use of a Red Dot sight, I have extended that time span a good bit. I now have to use my "off eye" but after just a couple of sessions, I was back up to par. The human body is capable of amazing adaptability...

I no longer compete with any one except myself, but THAT competition is still VERY much alive.

FWIW
Dale53

 

[canoe on the yukon]

Much of my equipment has become little more than relics.There is dust on my Dillon 550.My 30/06 has become all but ignored.The only reason I shoot less than full power in my 44 mag revolvers is because I still have so much Unique powder on hand.The 357 mag is nothing but a wussy if it's not a snubby with full power loads.Rifles are a complete bore unless it's a minimum of 458 win mag (full power only).Would love to get my hands on an 8 bore.Have considered selling my last 12 gauge shotgun.I have zero interest in anything less than the 10 gauge 3 1/2".

When I visit the range,it may not be as often as it once was but it's far more satisfying.The total number of shots fired are far fewer than in times past but the pleasure is greater than ever.To use an analogy,one could liken it to sipping on a good mixed drink rather than gulping down several beers.

The quantity is less but the quality more than makes up for it.

 

[Iggy]

I agree with the others who have posted here. 40 years ago I was in LE and I practiced drawing and firing endlessly. I found that I reached a plateau and was satisfied with my proficiency.

It kept me alive in some serious encounters.

When I left LE I quit the serious practice as other priorities took up my time.

I posted a thread here a few months back where I took my old partner (a Model 58) out of retirement for a day and had a wonderful time shooting it. I found that while I wasn't as fast or as accurate as I was in my youth, we did alright for a couple of old timers.
That old revolver and I still make a pretty good team.

I spend more time with a .22 or a .38 today than with the magnums and I think I enjoy it more.

I sure don't miss the blast and the recoil of the big bores, but it was fun to go back for a day.

 

[eglide]

I have more fun with my old Ruger single six .22 than with all the centerfires I have accumulated. Especially with the price of components nowadays. Although the days of $10 bricks of .22's are long gone.
Someday I'll find a shooter grade K22 that doesn't break the bank.

 

[Jellybean]

My main shooting interest was 'gunfightin' in respect to LE. I loaded my practice ammo to a level that I felt was best suited to that purpose. After about 20 years of keeping up with the latest and most modern combat, tactical, blah blah blah techniques I did a 180 degree turn and changed it all. It was back to the range for a whole different twist on the same purpose. But I did find that there was a place for light sissy loads with the new regimen.

But I too am getting more into lever action, pistol calibered carbines. My loading levels for most handgun cartridges pretty much cover the whole spectrum.

 

[Beans]

At 66, with many years of competition and Magmum shooting behind me, Several years ago I adopted a new philosophy in my shooting.

Lite is right.

No more sore wrists Etc.

 

[Cyrano]

I'm only 76 so I may have a few more years to go before I acquire wisdom. When I was in he Army, I fired on various teams from Army commands, and had all the shooting I wanted, and then some. That was years ago. For the past 15 or 20 years, I haven't done enough practice shooting with my self defense guns to keep up good proficiency. I hope that doesn't come back to haunt me. And any load development that I do is always time consuming. I load or have loaded for almost 40 calibers, and trying to keep on top of even a few of them takes almost more time than I have.

 

[lafayne]

I will turn 70 in January and still shoot nearly every weekend - all outdoors at a friend's farm. I don't shoot large quantities, but I do experiment with different bullets and powders. I shoot a lot of .22 ammo - mostly in 17's, 617's and my one m41. I have Ultra Dot 30's on a 617, 686 and 625 when I really want to try to shoot more accurately.

My favorite centerfire Smiths are the .45AR in the 25 and 625. I like the .45Colt and the .41 mag in my Ruger Bisley's. I seldom shoot the .38's or .357 - but did buy a nice M19 a couple of weeks ago.

As others have stated, as I age and the skin gets more thin ( you know, when the back of your hands look like they were beat with a log chain ) recoil can be an issue, but I still like those big bullets. That's why I like the Ruger single actions for the bigger stuff - lots of steel for inertia and smooth grips.

I have always enjoyed the technical aspects of reloading more than the quantity and the old Oehler chrono is still lots of fun and educational. I also seldom shoot my rifles - handguns are just more fun and more challenging which is what it is always about anyway.

Went to a gun show last weekend and walked away with 1500 CCI SV
.22's at a great price - ain't life fun.

Ken

 

[Engineer1911]

All of you have given me hope

I hit the big 62 this month and my 'Bama check starts in February '09 for the rest of my life. In the meantime, unemployment is paying the bills just fine. In November '08 I thought I had ordered a "shooting lifetime" of powder and primers. My plan was to hang up shooting at 70 and have a whale of a gun sale.

Your posts have prompted me to think that I should have bought more .22 LR ammo for my golden years. I may just have that gun / reloading / stuff sale and take several dream vacations in succesive months. Oh the joys of having a wife 10 years younger than me. One bullseye match per month, go to the lake fishing at least once a week, and build that 2-car garage now.

 

[canoe on the yukon]

If being past sixty is in some manner being "over the hill",I'm in big trouble.If a man were to think of himself as a twenty-something when he's in his senior years,he would be a fool however I fear that some may create obstacles in their mind that are,in fact more in the imagination than reality.Health problems,etc are not be be denied nor ignored but some may magnify these things more than necessary.

 

[deanodog]

I too, am north of 71 but I still enjoy shooting, reloading,buying,selling, trading and talking guns more than anything else so that is what I do for what little entertainment I have nowadays. I hope to do it a while longer but who knows. I still like the light target loads but I want some big boomers too.