What should we old guys be doing?

[H Richard]

I'm 72, and I do shoot bullseye in competition. (A red dot sight is the answer to the eye problem). I also shoot trap & skeet in leagues. I enjoy handloading and developing loads and chronographing my loads. I still help teach some and I have been dabbling in collection in collecting the past few years. You don't have to spend huge amounts of money to collect, as I buy shooter grade (and shoot them). But I have filled in my initial goal, at least one shootable example from every decade from 1860 to 2010. That makes about 44 S&W's.

 

[Dump1567]

I'm not in your age group yet, but I go through phases. here's a few.

Hunting
C&R collecting
Garands
S&W's
Sigs
Semi-custom 1911's
AK/AR
Reloading
IPSC/IDPA


I've gone through some of these phases a few times. Selling off collections and using the money for the next collection.

As I've gotten older and a little wiser, I've slowed down. I try to keep a few of each these days, as it's just not cost effective to re-buy a gun I had once owned.

My favorite thing is probably tinkering. Building-up a gun to the way I like it. When I get bored, I change things around.

I also enjoy gun photography.

I firgured my retirement job would be working in a gun shop a few hours a week. That way I could play with whatever I want and wouldn't have to spend any money. I'd also get to talk guns and possibly do some tinkering.

Maybe you could go volunteer at a local gun shop or range? Help out those that are new to the sport.

At the end of it all, the material possessions we aquired are pretty meaningless. We're not taking any of it with us. That's why I don't like safe queens. We should go out and enjoy whatever we own.

It's seems life is really more about relationships with friends, family, Jesus, etc. If I can some how incorporate firearms into this, the better.

 

[PALADIN85020]

When I "retired" I decided to turn my lifelong hobby (guns) into an enjoyable and money-making project. First, I got really serious about photography. Guns make perfect subjects. Here are some examples:

Over the years, I've managed to accumulate a lot of pretty esoteric knowledge on guns, and put together a library of really in-depth reference material. I've always enjoyed writing, so years ago before I retired, I started submitting articles to various gun publications. The articles would always include pictures, as I've found that many publications pay for both words and pictures. So far I've been published not only in The Blue Press (monthly now), but in Handguns Magazine, American Gunsmith and The Gun Digest. I was honored to have won the John Amber Award for the best article in the 2003 GD.

So, the nice part is that I can use the money I earn from writing and photography to finance buying classic guns, which I then write about to earn more money. It's a vicious but enjoyable cycle.

At the same time, I've developed fairly decent general photography skills; I have my own Pentax album here:

PENTAX : PENTAX Photo Gallery artist page

In addition, I was selected to judge others' photographs on the Pentax Photography Forum, and this helps to keep my "photographic eye" sharp and learn others' techniques.

I do all this mostly for enjoyment; one of my favorite pasttimes is contributing to this, my favorite forum. You'll find a number of my photo albums on guns here.

I guess it keeps me off the streets.

John

 

[J-FRAME]

I go to the range a lot and try to take the time to help new shooters become better by giving them the fundamentals of shooting. Also I preach gun safety as the first and last lesson.

 

[corgiS&W]

Beautiful photos, DRYHEAT. I love the silver coins and Case Stockman.

I like the pocket watches in the photos.

 

[corgiS&W]

Steel plate shooting usually features fairly large targets at relatively
close distances. They are a lot of fun to shoot with revolvers, or autos.

This is a new idea for me. I'll look into where that might be available.

 

[corgiS&W]

To the O.P. make display cases for your guns. You never mentioned the wood work and how it consumed your time. I thing most people thought you were jingling change in your pocket all day. That's the picture I had. Build a gun cabinet. And how about some pictures of what you make.

That will be my next project. Here's a Shaker lap desk in butternut

 

[corgiS&W]

"At the same time, I've developed fairly decent general photography skills; I have my own Pentax album here:

PENTAX : PENTAX Photo Gallery artist page "

I love that white wall tire photo, John.
Bob

 

[sunnyd]

Dryheat, I love those pics

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

Thats easy,Sell all of your nice old Smith's to the "young" guys like me!

 

[PALADIN85020]

I love that white wall tire photo, John.
Bob

That shot was a closeup taken of a magnificent fully restored 1947 Lincoln Continental. I was just 8 years old when this boulevard battleship was first cruising the highways!

John