I messed up.

[3 gun Gus]

I've out lived all my shooting buddies.

No one at the range now except the guys that only want to see how fast they can empty their plastic pistols.

Gus

[725]

You're not alone. I'm getting there, too.

[toallmy]

Fond memories last forever my friend , and I hope you do as well . Show them young shooters a little something . Some of my regrets are that I didn't just set and listen (to the older people ) when I was younger .

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Yup! Black plastic rifles with dull black metal everywhere, hardly a nicely grained wood stock to be seen, and little polished blue. Noisy. Makes me wonder what the deer woods are like now days. Now if only all us grumpy old timers could go to the same range.........

[Skunk1]

Yup! Black plastic rifles with dull black metal everywhere, hardly a nicely grained wood stock to be seen, and little polished blue. Noisy. Makes me wonder what the deer woods are like now days. Now if only all us grumpy old timers could go to the same range.........

Wouldnt that be nice. I always feel out of place with a wheel gun and "wooden" rifles. Bought one of them plastic rifles just to see what the fuss was. Sadly, no fuss here. Been in the safe since the first time I shot it.

[OilyPablo]

I've out lived all my shooting buddies.

No one at the range now except the guys that only want to see how fast they can empty their plastic pistols.

Gus

All those guys shooting black rifles and pistols are not idiots. I'll bet the smarter ones are pretty interested in steel and wood rifles. I'll bet they would love to fire one of the big boys.

You didn't mess up. Life happens. You have the ability to pass on some knowledge and skills.

[Preacher Jim]

Everytime I go to the range with my single shot bolt action rifles and 1911's the plastic toy guys look, empty another 20-30 rounds go look at their target look over at the little group come back ask how do you do that, I smile an say I aim not hose the target. Getting old can still be fun and once in awhile you can teach the young fellow the fun of shooting.

[Frank46]

I have a Springfield Armory 1911 on the NM frame that I bought years ago. All I shoot out of it are 230 grain hard cast bullets about 825 feet per second. Even with old eyes and arthritus in both hands I still manage to get good groups. Always fun to watch the younger shooters (I'm 69 going on 70) do their pray and spray and usually one or two are watching my targets. They get patterns and I get groups. Then to really get them going I stick a 10 round mag and shoot 10 rounds fast. Now that gets their attention. 2300 grains of lead down range. Still good groups. And as for the wonder nine guys trot out my Sig P6 And do the same. What is it they say "old age and skill beats youth and treachery?" Sadly haven't been shooting as often as I used to, must be slowing down. Frank

[Cowboy_Dan]

I've out lived all my shooting buddies.

No one at the range now except the guys that only want to see how fast they can empty their plastic pistols.

Gus

To reassure you, I am [only] 30, but all 0f my long guns wear wood and 75% of my handguns are 5-shot revolvers. My generation of shooters is thankfully not only a bunch of "spray and pray"-ers.


All those guys shooting black rifles and pistols are not idiots. I'll bet the smarter ones are pretty interested in steel and wood rifles. I'll bet they would love to fire one of the big boys.

You didn't mess up.

I do enjoy a black rifle now and then, but I love my Mosin and my Kentucky Long Rifle. Each has its own purpose. My brother's black rifle lets you just spray out your frustrations whenever that is necessary (with a good sight picture, of course). The Mosin is my "precision on a budget" rifle that I get to fuss over. And the Kentucky Long Rifle is just a blast (pun somewhat intended) as a spctacle.

[twc1964]

I really appreciate the light weight and ease of carry of my black rifles but also love the look of a fine traditional rifle. Since I work with fine wood on a daily basis, I guess I've developed a love of finely figured woods. Both have their places. To each their own.

[shredder]

Well 3 gun Gus I would pull out a few favorites and meet you at the range. I have no black plastic or slick fast shooters. Mine generally wear old walnut and burnished bright steel where bluing once was. Or at least my favorites do. The problem is I am so very far away up here in Canada.....

[Blackwater]

This is the downside of growing older. Lemme make a suggestion, though. Some awfully good old men are the ones who got me so hooked on shooting in my early life. Surely you know some young tads who'd genuinely like to learn to shoot. It's amazing to me now how many young kids there are who've been trained to think of shooting as something beneath their dignity, but if you can just take that in stride, and smile, and just show them what guns are REALLy all about and for, you may plant a very, very good seed that might have a chance to grow, and that seed might give rise to others. We always have and likely always will grow at a geometric progression sort of way, and we've gotten cynical and have forgotten that. Just make it fun and safe, and I've seen very few youngsters who didn't enjoy the real sense of purpose and accomplishment that goes along with shooting. Teach them WHY you do the things that we do for safety, and that teaches them presence of mind - something sadly lacking in a great many today.

So .... in our old age, let's all see if we can't get some young ones started. Them trees gotta' have water and food, and who better to provide it than us? We just can't "let George do it," or leave them alone just because they're not our old shootin' buddies. Sometimes we've just got to go out and find new ones. I think we've all done that before. It won't stop our missing our old ones, but it sure can be just as satisfying. Moreso in at least some ways. Just a thought anyway.

[Clay M]

I feel your pain . My shooting buddy died of cancer back in 2005.
He was an old State Trooper with lots of years experience handloading and casting.
I am on my own now, just me and my son.
My son works about sixty hours a week, so I do all the loading and casting.

[Geezer in NH]

I am 64 now and my passion is Flintlocks, I have owned full auto's sub guns and belt feds but keep going back to the flinters.

I am not depressed because someone else likes some other style and do not have sympathy for someone who does not. I thought shooters were brothers but it seems the FUDDS are not.

Having problems seek help from a Doctor but not from me.

Shooters of whatever they like are OK to me.

Seek help it seems you need it.

[Alstep]

I love encouraging & coaching young shooters. Keeps my young. To me it's payback time. When I started shooting as a kid, a lot of "old timers" helped me get going. Now it's my turn. I've been working with a junior rifle club for the last 20+ years, enjoy every minute of it. Kids that shoot just seam to have a positive attitude, are focused on what they do, and turn into better patriotic citizens as they grow up. We instill into them the importance of the Constitution & the 2nd amendment, and an appreciation of the freedoms we enjoy and must constantly defend. I'm proud of all "my" kids.

As far as the black rifle goes, just look at the scores at Perry, AR's are shooting better scores than the M1 or 14 did years ago. Lighter and no recoil, ideal for juniors and women. Not much goes wrong with them. No beding problems. They're a lot cheaper to shoot too. And the AR space guns and Tubb offshoot bolt guns are just shooting out of sight. Yea, I still like the old wood & steel, can't get that out of my blood. I still favor my M1 & 1911. This old timer may not be able to beat them any more, but I'll give them a run for their money.

Sure, the Rambo types are out there, but when they show up at a highpower match to show everybody how it's done, they fail miserably, and never show up again.

I'm 74 now, arthrits slowing me down, and getting in the shooting positions is becoming more difficult. So I took up action pistol & IDPA shooting. I'm way down on the bottom of the list time wise, but near the top in accuracy. It's just the basic shooting fundamentals. And I'm even learning something from some of these young whippersnappers too. Hang out with our youth, good way to stay young!

[Wayne Smith]

I was at the range a week ago. Mike, the range master, was shooting a bolt 308 at 300yds, and his assistant range master was shooting his M9 at 100yds and hitting more than he missed! I don't mind shooting with those young guys. Helps to be in a heavily military area, both are retired military. Mike likes my unusual guns as much as I do as well.

[Clay M]

I shoot everything from muzzleloaders to AR-15's Really don't care what someone else chooses to shoot, but I do miss my old shooting buddy.
Made a new friend of my UPS driver. He is a handloader and likes long range shooting , so I am hopeful we can get together.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I used to have friends and relatives of those friends come to my place and use my private range to either do sight in work or just shoot their guns at their pace. Now most of them are either deceased or moved to a different state. The last of the relatives of those friends that showed up put the stop to any more non family (my family) users of the range. The offending shooters were playing "How fast can I empty my plastic guns magazines"! Sure enough! Had a state trooper drive up wanting to see who had the `assault weapons` that a neighbor had complained about hearing automatic fire from. All the guns were semi`s, it was just too many guys firing at the same time. I won`t go into how much damage all the firing did to trees and target frames by these guys on my range or on the fringes of it. I was just out of the hospital at home during this incident so I didn`t know what they were doing. Now I am the only user of the range with maybe my BIL once in a great while.Robert

[aephilli822]

...Sure enough! Had a state trooper drive up wanting to see who had the `assault weapons` that a neighbor had complained about hearing automatic fire from. ..

Had a Sheriff pull up while I'm standing out by the road and ask if I had heard any "semi automatic rifle fire?"
"Yes, sir I did!"
"Any idea where?"
"Yes, sir" as I held my hands about 6-8" from my right hip "right about here, would you like to try a magazine thru it?"
AK74, tried it, once, wanted to see what all the fuss was about, prolly never do it again.
I think the only thing that had alarmed anybody was the rapid fire, I usually shoot much slower....:bigsmyl2:

[JSnover]

Give them time. In the beginning I thought I had to have the latest/greatest/fastest/blackest/most tacticool guns. I grew out of it when I saw how well the old geezers (no offense: I'm looking older and more geezy every year) were shooting their 'antiques.'

[mold maker]

Antiques shooting antiques !!!!!
Me to.

[PS Paul]

At the range two weeks ago with my 14 year-old boy, a boy about 10 and his Grandpa were two lanes over. The boy said to Grandpa, "What are those round guns? They shoot really good!". Grandpa told him, "Those are revolvers. They only carry 6 rounds". They went back to shooting their auto-loaders, but the boy couldn't take his eyes off the little groups on our "little" targets (3" pasters). I think he won't forget those good-shooting round guns!

[RP]

I guess I am not old or young at 51 but I like the old wood guns but they are hard to find without dropping a lot of coin. Well for the ones I love to own I don't go to the range anymore I just shoot at the house or over at a friends place that I can get 600 yards the range only has 300 max. I did like going meeting new people seeing all their toys but the fees they charged was just to much and the drive was to far since I can shoot elsewhere. What I noticed is all the guys shooting ARs at 100 yards and fine tuning them to get tight groups along with spending more money on them to do it. I did sit down at the 100 yard range with my ruger ranch rifle target model and started shooting clay birds I had placed on the berm sideways since they break better. I had a 20 round mag and with very little recoil and a good scope my fire rate was fairly fast and I missed one. Instead of talking to me they packed up their ARs and left. I meet no new people that day but shooting my 45/70 BFR in the shooting booths did not help there either lol.

[Frank46]

I lost my best friend and shooting buddy to cancer 5 years ago. Didn't matter what the day was or wether raining or cold. He'd call and off we went. Always goofing with each other and having fun. I sure miss him. Frank

[Nose Dive]

Gus... buddy... 'new fellas-new toys'... 'we' don't have to 'know all about'em'... but...the younger fellas do need our 'inputs' when offered as helpful and kind, and polite and...well... you know....

I sold all my plastic guns and 'electric sighted' things too. Hands are too weak and shaky and eyes can't focus anyway. glaucoma.

BUT...when I pulled out my old German and Persian Mauser's and Russian revolvers' at my range a few week ago...some of the kids ask what do I 'have there'. So...I stop shooting and start talking to them. Yep... I "talk to the kids' and let them shoot the 'old man's old stuff'. I think they enjoy it as much as I do. Well, no...I enjoy it more.

I won a marksman slips, pistol & rifle- in US Army in years past....sniper too....SF... I don't share that with fellas at the range unless pressed as it brings back some bad memories and have to go home and take my medicine which I don't like. but.. I wanted to share how to hold, focus, relax, breath...and let things go. And... the fellas are generally attentive and nice to me if I am the same to them.

I had 10 fellas at the range a week or so back that I talked to for about three hours. Nice kids. Very polite, and very obedient to what I was trying to share with them. When I pulled out my old Persian 8MM, they stopped shooting and asked what the heck I had. I too stopped shooting and told them the history of the old 8MM in Germany and Persia. (I had an old 98 with me too ) Yes…yes…yes… they asked to shoot it and under my safety restrictions…or instructions…all agreed. We went through about 300 rounds..(OK..OK..Milsurps) I loved it…and I think they did too. When I told my older son how much fun I had, he told me later they were 'gang bangers' as they were tattooed and in long shorts, shiny shirts and short haircuts. I don't know anything about any of that as I too wear shorts, I have tattoos from Hong Kong, Manila and Da Nang, have short hair and I wear shiny 'jerseys'. And, I didn't see any 'butt cracks' and the kids were showered, shaved, spotless clothes, spotless shoes and smelled good. And really, when we all left, (this breaks my heart) two of the kids told me, "You're the first white person, heck, any person who has talked to us at this range". I think this is sad. I do consider myself a ‘redneck’. Am conservative. Go to church. Drink beer. Why was I the first to talk to these kids? Why? Are we Vets too selfish...too conceited...too afraid...too disgusted with what we 'see' to step in and say 'hay man..like to shoot an old rifle older than me?" That's about all I own any more.

I don't know anything about the fellas back ground at the range. (I guess I really don’t care, I don't know what a 'gang banger is') All were minority kids and well, most of my unit in the central highlands of Nam were minorities. BUT...I can tell all, their blood ran as red as any of us 'white persons' blood when hit. Ask me how I know.

I think.. If we don't remember our past, our past experiences, and share them now, with the kids now, our past experiences will be lost and our kids today will have to relearn all of our mistakes, endure all our bad experiences all over again for themselves. [Why did we live through it and not share it?]

Lastly, I ask ALL OF US, what the hell did we go through WW II, KOREA, NAM, IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, and not tell our kids how 'fuxckedup' up it all is? My dad 'harvested' cockroaches from latrines in North Korea during WW II to boil in sea water for 'soup' as a POW. My Mom 'surtered' injured soldiers on Luzon and Corregidor with communications wire. Nam memoirs will not be shared.

I guess the 'societal war' now being offered is indeed beyond my old man mentality. If the kids show up,,,nice to me..I'll be nice to them

Nose Dive

Cheap, Fast, Good. Kindly pick two.

[lead-1]

I got a couple new shooting partners a couple weeks back that are 25 year olds. One let me gander at a handful of TC muzzleloaders and few black plastic type firearms in his collection.
Well tonight after a trip to the gun club he tells me I will think he is crazy but he likes older wheelguns like S&W 686's and GP 100's. I got to tell him that I disagreed and have at least seven wheelguns myself, I would say that the next time we visit the range it will be with six shooters of some sort.
That will be interesting because I am over twice his age and he likes older stuff like me, that my kids his age razz me for shooting. But they don't turn down a chance to shoot them when offered.

[mjwcaster]

Have any old milsurps?
Want to turn the youth onto them?
Try finding a youth shoot to bring them out to.
I volunteer at a youth shooting camp that used to have someone bring his collection of milsurps out.
I was working the AR line, sharing the range with him.
All shooters between 10 and 16.
The kids loved the black rifles, but would stop and stare when a mosin nagant fired.
The garand would get their attention also.
I would have to make them concentrate on the ARs and tell them they would get to shoot the milsurps next.
Or how about some single action revolvers and lever actions.
Still amazes me that kids who grew up on call of duty and don't know who the lone ranger is still love old cowboy guns, but they all do.

It won't be the same as an old shooting buddy, but nothing is more rewarding to me than helping the kids out and welcoming them into our sport.

[TXGunNut]

My club's a little different, I hear tell average age is 70-something. I don't think that's true but at 56 I'm often the youngest on the trap field and quite often other ranges as well.

[dolfinwriter]

Gus... buddy... 'new fellas-new toys'... 'we' don't have to 'know all about'em'... but...the younger fellas do need our 'inputs' when offered as helpful and kind, and polite and...well... you know....

I sold all my plastic guns and 'electric sighted' things too. Hands are too weak and shaky and eyes can't focus anyway. glaucoma.

BUT...when I pulled out my old German and Persian Mauser's and Russian revolvers' at my range a few week ago...some of the kids ask what do I 'have there'. So...I stop shooting and start talking to them. Yep... I "talk to the kids' and let them shoot the 'old man's old stuff'. I think they enjoy it as much as I do. Well, no...I enjoy it more.

I won a marksman slips, pistol & rifle- in US Army in years past....sniper too....SF... I don't share that with fellas at the range unless pressed as it brings back some bad memories and have to go home and take my medicine which I don't like. but.. I wanted to share how to hold, focus, relax, breath...and let things go. And... the fellas are generally attentive and nice to me if I am the same to them.

I had 10 fellas at the range a week or so back that I talked to for about three hours. Nice kids. Very polite, and very obedient to what I was trying to share with them. When I pulled out my old Persian 8MM, they stopped shooting and asked what the heck I had. I too stopped shooting and told them the history of the old 8MM in Germany and Persia. (I had an old 98 with me too ) Yes…yes…yes… they asked to shoot it and under my safety restrictions…or instructions…all agreed. We went through about 300 rounds..(OK..OK..Milsurps) I loved it…and I think they did too. When I told my older son how much fun I had, he told me later they were 'gang bangers' as they were tattooed and in long shorts, shiny shirts and short haircuts. I don't know anything about any of that as I too wear shorts, I have tattoos from Hong Kong, Manila and Da Nang, have short hair and I wear shiny 'jerseys'. And, I didn't see any 'butt cracks' and the kids were showered, shaved, spotless clothes, spotless shoes and smelled good. And really, when we all left, (this breaks my heart) two of the kids told me, "You're the first white person, heck, any person who has talked to us at this range". I think this is sad. I do consider myself a ‘redneck’. Am conservative. Go to church. Drink beer. Why was I the first to talk to these kids? Why? Are we Vets too selfish...too conceited...too afraid...too disgusted with what we 'see' to step in and say 'hay man..like to shoot an old rifle older than me?" That's about all I own any more.

I don't know anything about the fellas back ground at the range. (I guess I really don’t care, I don't know what a 'gang banger is') All were minority kids and well, most of my unit in the central highlands of Nam were minorities. BUT...I can tell all, their blood ran as red as any of us 'white persons' blood when hit. Ask me how I know.

I think.. If we don't remember our past, our past experiences, and share them now, with the kids now, our past experiences will be lost and our kids today will have to relearn all of our mistakes, endure all our bad experiences all over again for themselves. [Why did we live through it and not share it?]

Lastly, I ask ALL OF US, what the hell did we go through WW II, KOREA, NAM, IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, and not tell our kids how 'fuxckedup' up it all is? My dad 'harvested' cockroaches from latrines in North Korea during WW II to boil in sea water for 'soup' as a POW. My Mom 'surtered' injured soldiers on Luzon and Corregidor with communications wire. Nam memoirs will not be shared.

I guess the 'societal war' now being offered is indeed beyond my old man mentality. If the kids show up,,,nice to me..I'll be nice to them

Nose Dive

Cheap, Fast, Good. Kindly pick two.

First for Nose Dive, thank you for your service, and God bless you.

I like a variety of firearms, but I have not been fortunate enough to inherit any old wood stock guns. Everything I have I either bought or traded for (save for an old double barrel muzzle loader that my grandfather rescued from an old barn, sadly too late to salvage it. It will never fire again).

My stable does include my old Glenfield bolt 22 that was my first gun, and has the original wood stock. That one is a tack driver with a modern scope on it for my eyes that aren't what they were 40+ years ago, and it will go to my son when I'm gone.

I have several 20 year-old Police trade in Glock 17s, one of which is a Gen I, and a newer Glock 22 Gen III. I have a brand new Beretta PX-4. I have an old Tokarev. I have an RIA 1911 .45 (what I was trained with in the Navy, and wouldn't I love to find a USGI 1911 for a decent price!). I have a Ruger Mk II that I bought a few years ago specifically with my now 13 YO son in mind. He's also the reason for the Beretta (smaller grip).

I do not however, currently own any revolvers. I had a nice S&W 586 some years ago, but sold it to pay for some other guns I was buying. I've never shot very well with it. I've been looking at a few recently, but I haven't broken down yet and bought any.

I take that back--I did grab a Pietta Navy cap and ball revolver awhile back on sale at Cabela's. It's a beautiful looking piece. Haven't shot it yet--I have caps, balls and patches, but I still haven't found powder locally. I haven't been searching terribly hard though... I'm splitting my time between too many projects at the time.

I do have two of those evil looking ARs, one in 22LR only, and several other "black and part plastic" guns, such as my Hi Point carbines in 9mm and .40, a GSG-5, Keltec SU-16. But I am especialy fond of the old milsurp shooters--the SKS, Mosin-Nagant 91/30 and carbie variants, M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, Yugo Mauser, Enfields, Carcanos... Some of these I own several variants of, and they are always the object of admiration from SOMEBODY at the range.

And there is a small variety of shotguns that includes a Remington 870 20 Ga with a wood stock.

For the most part, the plastic stock guns come cheaper and are less susceptible to damage from banging around or from cleaning chemicals. For a number of years when I was on active duty and for awhile afterward, that was all I had, due to the cost. I don't judge anyone for having them. But we would have a serious discussion if they were to claim that they were superior to anything else that I own.

[Half Dog]

I've out lived all my shooting buddies.

No one at the range now except the guys that only want to see how fast they can empty their plastic pistols.

Gus

And most of those don't even want their spent brass but I guess that works out good for me.

[1bluehorse]

It's o.k. to miss our life long friends. We all lose friends if we live long enough. That's just a part of life. Maybe instead of just being "annoyed" at those young whippersnappers that don't shoot what you like, or shoot the way you like, why don't you take the "first step" and go see what they're up to. See what they like and why. Maybe you have some pointers you could show them and maybe, just maybe, they can teach you something in return. I read a quote from someone a long time ago and sometimes it is very true......"with age comes wisdom, but sometimes, age comes alone." If you're still on the grassy side, there's always something else to learn....quit moping, make some new shooting' buds. I enjoy shooting my AR and my Ruger SR9C, they're just a lot of fun. They're also the only two "plastic" auto loaders I own. But what do I know, I'm just a kid, will be 70 in Sept.

[prsman23]

I've out lived all my shooting buddies.

No one at the range now except the guys that only want to see how fast they can empty their plastic pistols.

Gus

I'm 34. I like blued steel, walnut and fine craftsmanship. There's hope left for the younger generations. Not much. But some.

[M-Tecs]

I love my Trapdoor Springfield's, 73 Winchester's, and pre 64 model 70's and Colt Peacemakers, however, my AR15 match and varmint rifles are my favorites.

[Four-Sixty]

Well, it is probably older guys that have been marketing plastic pistols to the younger guys. So, the older guys have some of the blame don't they? The old guys have been at it a while to.

The plastic pistols make owning firearms much cheaper, and therefore more accessable to a wider audience.

I love revolvers and single shots by the way. I hardly look at plastic guns, or semi autos at all.

[mold maker]

Ever heard the saying, Don't knock it, till you've tried it?
If we ignore our youth and their ideas, our generation with its treasures will disappear, and only the pictures in history books will remember.

[dolfinwriter]

Ever heard the saying, Don't knock it, till you've tried it?
If we ignore our youth and their ideas, our generation with its treasures will disappear, and only the pictures in history books will remember.

One other thing, regarding the comment earlier about the kids trying to see how fast they can empty they plastic pistols.. I had my family trained the week before Christmas by a 4 time NRA champion shooter. That would be my wife and my teenage son. And me too. I learned also. Much of what he had us doing was speed drills which I never did in the military. It may not always be what ya think.