What should we old guys be doing?

[corgiS&W]

Sitting on the front porch late last night drinking a glass of wine [maybe two or three] and wondering what us old guys should be doing with our interest in firearms. I've had a CC license for about 30 years, and while self-defense is still important to me it's not the focus of gun ownership. Collecting is interesting, but spending $10,000 for two collectible Colts or S&Ws is certainly outside my SS retirement income range, so I thought I would try some competition at a local range. One week is .22 cal and the next is center-fire [both semi-auto at present], but then I realized my 73 year-old eye-sight is not up to the challenge. The competition was to use the 5 best shots to build a poker hand. I was okay at 15' but after that I couldn't even read the cards. Then when they changed the sequence I couldn't use my memorized locations and was really lost.

My current collection is 10 guns, with a .45, a .380, a 9mm, two .22s. and five .38/.357s, small but varied. What do we older guys with limited funds do to have fun with our guns? Suggestions appreciated.

You may see this post on several forums, as I am really seeking some answers.

 

[Cal44]

Reloading is one thing.

I'm starting to get interested in black powder guns also.

And then you might try optical sights on one of your guns -- see how it works.

 

[A10]

Chase folks off your lawn.....

 

[Frank46]

I'm 66 and since the funshows down here aren't I've been picking up some of the older BP firearms that I can afford.
Peabody 56-50 hopefully to be converted from rim fire to center fore.
French model 1874 grass musketoon, had to get another bolt as this one was missing the bolt head.
1875 martini carbine in 577/450 and need some parts and wood to make it complete.
The French gras kinda looks like a pirate gun as the bbl bands and buttplate are brass.
Anyway, keeps me busy cleaning them up as the gras had a lot of surface rust on the exposed metal.
Frank

 

[STCM(SW)]

I'm doing BP + I shoot this target:


And I reload & mold bullets.

Hit 72 last month........

 

[mkk41]

Well , I can't just go out on the back porch and fire away like I used to. My gun club, while nice, is 20mi away and it's paper targets only. Even that gets boring after awhile. I still like collecting , and with this internet thing , I enjoy researching guns and sharing my meager collection and knowledge.

I can honestly say this forum has heightened my appreciation for Smith & Wessons and I probably wouldn't have the ones I've accumulated since I became a member here.

And if I'd have joined sooner , I wouldn't have sold my 696!

 

[Mike McLellan]

While shooting is the most fun, cleaning and tinkering with my guns seems just as enjoyable. Tonight, after dinner, just for the heck of it, I took the Wolff main spring out of one 32-20, and put it in a different one. Neither of them really need a reduced power spring, but I simply enjoy tearing them down (without buggering the screws) and putting them back together. I don't know. Call it a hobby.

 

[arjay]

Tinkering with them,reading and collecting.And I still enjoy heading to the hills for a little tin can plinking.Punching paper has always felt tedious to me.

 

[jack the toad]

I'm not quite your age but I've found that I enjoy taking grandkids shooting about as much I do shooting. With the cost of firearms being so high priced in the market right now, I kinda enjoy hunting for bargains since I don't game hunt much anymore. I have those g-kids though that some seem to want to hunt so that'll keep me busy.
I went to my first SASS event couple months ago and took the g-kids. We went as spectators but my oldest g-daughter (9 y/o) expressed an interest in participating so I'm on the lookout for a Ruger Bearcat and a SxS 410 for her. I have a Browning BLR but needs the stock shortened for her until she grows into it so I'm looking for bargains again to fulfill her wishes. Besides firearms, I've gotta get her period clothing so that will keep me busy. Thank goodness for g-kids.

 

[alwslate]

Handloading is rewarding in and of it's self. Endless combinations can
be put together and tested for accuracy. You can add many guns to
your little collection over time without going broke. Lots of long guns,
milsurps, 22 rifles and well used shotguns can be bought very cheaply
at times and you probably have the free time to do lots of hunting.
Some shooting ranges have organized matches for 22 sporting and BP
competition.

 

[Rickkster]

I agree with everyone else that mentioned handloading. I have enjoyed that for years now and still do. I also got back into casting a few years ago and have fun at that. When I load, I do it for myself, my wife, my two sons and daughters in law. It is great to talk to my family about shooting, hunting, going to the range with them, etc.

I actually enjoy cleaning my guns and just handling them.

Also spending time on this and other forums has taught me a lot. Reading about firearms is an enjoyable past time. I find myself looking for gun bargains (not finding many lately ) but still enjoying the looking.

I'm just semi-retired, but enjoying my interest in firearms (it started when i got my first cap gun as a kid, haha) more and more.

Cheers,

Rick

 

[Willeys]

I recently turned 70 and still enjoy collecting and occasionally shooting (just trying to hit the target). Last year I changed direction for the collection I started in the 70s and 80s. I sold most of them and decided to buy guns older than the 50s. Although I look for good deals, my collections is only a 1/3 the size it used to me. I still enjoy collection and sharing what I know.

 

[varmint243]

Hang out at your club more, make some new friends.
Help new shooters with safety, safety, safety, basics, basics, basics.
Think of knowledge transfer of your years of experience and the value that has to other shooters.
Design a shoot or stage of your own to level the field between shooters.

 

[MichiganScott]

Remember the old adage, "Those that can, do. Those that can't, teach". I now spend most of my range time coaching.

I look for calibers that I haven't owned yet and reload them. It easily takes 2-3 years to try most common powders, primers, and bullets. The knowledge gained can be incredible. I just picked up 9x57 Mauser sporter just so I could reload it.

 

[Old cop]

I have a disability that precludes working, but if I could I'd like to work part-time at a small gun store. What better way to share your knowledge and enthusiasm for our hobby?

 

[POPPER]

Wheel gunning is a sickness maybe because at age 74 I live to fiddle with my guns all the time, clean them, reload all my own stuff and crazy enough I guess to carry a 4"28-2 and a 4"686 in crossdraw holsters around all the time when my back doesn't hurt, my neighbor and I have a great place to shoot between our places when my legs don't hurt too bad to walk down there. And lastly I guess I really enjoy sitting down with some Tennessee sour mash whisky checking out what you guys are up to on the forum and reading Skeeter Skeltons old articles for the umpteaned time. I'm a warped old geezer I reckon. Popper

 

[GM4spd]

I'm still climbing up on moving ships and I'm almost 64
but those days are fast coming to an end "man's got to
know his limitations". But I do like the money! With the
great weather I have here in SoCal I can get to the range a
lot but am shooting more 22LR then anything else.Got a
pretty good ammo stash but the main shoo tables are 22
and 556mm.I had to get off the 30-06 and 762 a few years
ago because not only is affordable military surplus hard to
find I am handicapped with it having to be Non magnetic bullets
also( for fire danger).For those non believers I am here to tell
you magnetic bullets bounced off rocks and gravel WILL
start a wildfire! Not real interested in starting over in reloading
TIME is at a premium especially when you don't know how
much you have left! The eyes keep getting weaker but I still
like looking at the S&W revolvers and Colt autos .Can still
do ok at the range out to 400 yds with military sights on my
Colt and SIG 556 rifles hitting steel and for work I can still
pick up a ship on the horizon at 12 miles (with no binoculars).
Shooting and guns have been great since I got my first Stevens
ss rifle for Christmas in 1960-the affair never ended and God
bless this site and all the others,Pete

 

[weatherby]

What do we older guys with limited funds do to have fun with our guns? Suggestions appreciated.

We mentor and pass it forward....all of it.
Our rights our heritage and enjoyment

 

[pharmer]

I took 3 new shooters to the range Friday. A little jumpy at first with the report from other shooters on the line but after a couple hours everybody was on paper. About $175 and I fired maybe 40 rds out of 500 but the smiles were worth it (The group of Japanese students shooting and filming themselves was a hoot, the range provided an employee to keep them pointed downrange. Whew!). Joe

 

[SgtLumpy]

I enjoy the heck out of taking new shooters and non-shooters to the range. I still shoot really well with a revolver dispite slowing eyesight and joints. So it's kind of fun seeing younger people say "wow" when the old guy puts holes in such a small spot. I buy the ammo, they buy lunch. One of the best parts is when a non-shooter, over lunch, says "So what kind of pistol do you think I should buy?".


Sgt Lumpy