Is it time for me to leave the hobby??

[lightman]

First of all, I salute you for still being active in the shooting and casting community at 80. I only hope that I can make it to where you are someday. I too, wish you were a neighbor. To visit and drink coffee together, maybe shoot a little, talk guns, ect.

Only you can decide the direction you want to take concerning guns and shooting. Some of your decision could depend on what family or friends that you have that have the same interest. If you sell off your guns and casting/loading equipment you can still enjoy the hobby through sites such as this one.

I wish you Good Luck with your decision.

[fatelk]

It's funny that you mention Albion, Nebraska. I know that little town fairly well. Small world. You probably knew some of my family at one point or another.

Interest and involvement in a hobby is up to you, of course. I've found that sometimes I need to consciously decide what I really want to do. For example, I gave up hunting nearly 20 years ago. I was raised around a lot of hunters, have friends that live to hunt; it's just something that a man does. I wasn't very good at it and I just don't like to kill things. One day I realized that it really wasn't my thing and I was just doing it because I somehow felt that I should, so I quit. Nothing against it, just not my thing.

I know that's different from where you're at because it sounds like you enjoy guns and shooting, but if you feel you'd rather back off and do something else, more power to you. I'm at a similar point myself. I'm quite a bit younger, raising a young family and worrying about how to support them. I'm currently getting rid of a lot of my accumulated junk to focus on raising my kids and paying the mortgage.

Yeah, politics and such get me down too. I get tired of all the fight and drama and hate all the time. It scares me just how polarized this country is. I was talking to a guy a while back who said he was worried that all the craziness could be leading to something really bad, kind of like pre-WWII Europe. That seems drastic to me, and I certainly hope he's wrong, for my kids' sake.

[popper]

It's just like driving, when you can't do it safely, stop. Mom is 98, loved to play organ. Played by memory after she couldn't read the music, then when the fingers stopped working well, down the road for others to use. Now she can't walk and is really bored. If YOU want to continue, use what works and you like, down the road with other stuff.
The world has always been a little nuts anyway. Don't let what others do bother you - for what you want to do. You have family to take care of you when needed, consider yourself very lucky.
This board & others have lots of different personalities, you have lots of experience, maybe it needs another Mod?

[Col4570]

I am 80 and was shooting yesterday (Sunday).Just a 30 Bird Sporting Clay Shoot but enjoyable.I also shoot Rifle,45.70,50.70,577,32.40,Whitworth rifle,22 RF.I love it and will continue until I can no longer do it.At Present I am good to go and believe the Shooting keeps me going.

[Grmps]

You have lived a full life and have seen and gone through a lot. You have enjoyed firearms and reloading longer than most here have been alive. You deserve what peace and tranquility you can obtain in your “golden” (they should have called it grey) years.
I’m afraid that giving up a hobby you have loved for a better part of your life due to your distaste of what political liberals and zealots have done and are doing to your hobby and rights will not ease the discomfort you feel from their bantering’s. You will always have a fond place in your heart for your life long hobby/ way of life. You get rid of what you love, you will miss it, even if you can’t do it anymore and you will still feel anger and discomfort at the bantering and changes.
Selling you guns, staying off the gun boards and avoiding the news will limit, but no eliminate the exposure to your bane but I’m afraid will also leave a hole in your life. You will miss your old friends (both your guns and some members on the boards)
You turmoil reminds me of this quote/prayer
“Lord, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”

[quail4jake]

I was taught to shoot trap when I was 11 years old by a 94 year old man. He was still shooting including handicap when he was over 100. Don't quit.

[Hogtamer]

What a special post. Thank you Opos! A wiser man than us all, Solomon, pondered as you are doing about a lot of things and gave us the book of Ecclesiastes. I'm not sure a young man can appreciate all the wisdom therein but you are in a special season that God grants some. You might start in chapter 3. Thanks again for the reminder that long life is so much richer and deeper than concerns for the moment. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage...3&version=NKJV

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Opos, I am in the same boat as you, to quote a tired old metaphor. I am 83 and have a safe full of guns, mostly single shots, some of which I have not fired in years. I care nothing about the black guns and hate to be seated to the right of one at the rifle range. The spent brass they spew out can be downright dangerous. I also love San Diego, it has the best climate in the world without any bugs. I was stationed there for three years in the early '50s. I tried to find a place to move to when I retired and looked at several areas in various states. My wife and I have also traveled across the country over the years. They all had their problems. I love California. While some of our friends are posting pictures of heavy snow falls, it is still in the 70s here. What is the point in living in a state with large shooting areas if you are snowed in much of the year. I know the old equipment museum that you mentioned and it is a great place to visit. I used to take our son there when he was young and he found it fascinating, especially watching the blacksmith. I heard one bit of advice that really helped me deal with all the horrible news. Stop listening to it. I listen to Rush in the morning and fox news at night and skip the rest. You live in a lovely area and have some great rifle ranges to enjoy. You live in a great place. Enjoy it and stop worrying about things you cannot control. Remember John 14:1-6. God Bless

[RogerDat]

You do what you've a mind to. As long as you can enjoy the activity safely and legally no reason to stop unless you decide it isn't something you want to keep doing. It's your life do what makes you happy as long as it isn't hurting anyone else. Doesn't matter what others that share the hobby do. Not all hunters are ethical, not all shooters are safety first oriented. These sports need gentleman and ladies who can provide the examples of classy and righteous behavior. If nothing else to show folks that the mall ninja, Rambo wannabes and sign shooting hunters who can't read no trespassing notices are the exception and not the rule.

You stick around we can use the help. And like I told my dad when he was in his 80's "go ahead and have the bacon for breakfast if you want to, it isn't like your gonna die young from it"

[Duckiller]

Opos I am 5 years behind you. Haven't been Albacore fishing in probably 30 years. Inshore waters too bad for bonito. Trout fishing in the sierras is a little too much for me. I do have gunsand I understand your problem. I probably have too many guns but I do have three children that will shoot many of them after I am gone. My problem is the casting and reloading equipment. Children know how to do it but I am not sure they will. Handguns are standard calibers so no probblem. Rifles and 16 ga shotgun may be a problem. 257 AI, 30 Rem, 32 WS, 348 Win are calibers that may require reloading to shoot in the future. Understand your desire not to move. #1 son moved to Portland ,Ore and thinks he may stay in the area. #2 son and daughter are local. # 2 would like to the Portland area . #1 and #2 have encouraged my wife and I to move to the central valley of Ore. and we may do it. Daughter would probably come with us. Sooner or later I am going to have to decide if I want to get rid of toys or let children take care of everything. Like you I am probably never going to get a concealed carry permit in Calif. Not to worried abouturban areas, since I don't go into areas that I worry about however there are BIG KITTIES in our lcal National forest where I would like to go fiahing. Had a Deputy Sheriff in Tatical gear tell me I didn't need a permit since the cat was going to sneak up on me and kill me when it attacks. That id ok because then I become the sheriff's problem. My concern is the cat that attacks and doesn't kill me in the first rush. A 4 weight, 6 foot flyrod isn't a good defensive weapon. State law lets us carry while fishing . Need to talk to sheriff station to see how I carry without them putting me face down on the ground. My prpblem. Yor problem , what to do with toys. I would have a or several talks with those family and or friends that might be interested in using them after you are gone. If family and friends aren't interested in your hobbies You may want to dispose of toys. Do it now when you can determine where they go. As you know we have wild and wonderful anti gun laws going into effect in Cal and if Gavin Newsome becomes our next Governor we will probably see many more. You may want to take a hard long look at your firearms and sell off those that you don't want to shoot again. Our heirs may have a problem selling gun in the future. Understand you problem but hope you have many years to think about it.

[opos]

What a positive and nice day on the "board".....I've had some great and very uplifting comments both on the thread and by p/m...

I'm usually a pretty positive guy and realize how lucky I've been and that I am for a long and really interesting life...Sometimes in conversations with my friends and family someone says "tell us about the ........" fun to know that they enjoy hearing about my life....I was fortunate enough to travel (sometimes I wondered about how fortunate it was) for my entire business life....got to see many things and do many things...I had some major bumps along the way but with the fortunes of a higher power I've been able to have a tight knit family in my life and been an asset to the world rather than a liability which could have been the case.

Thanks to all my friends, new and old for the fun thread today..guns are sleeping peacefully in the safe tonight and I'll be watching Johnny Carson reruns at 7.

Opos
Bob

[richhodg66]

Unless you need to sell off the guns and stuff, just take a break from it and come back to it if you want to. Nothing wrong with that. I sat on a tree stand from well before the sun came up til well after it went down Saturday and didn't shoot one. Much as I love doing it, I needed a break from it and took it easy Saturday, watche a movie, took the wife to breakfast, went to a gun show, shot a little and squirrel hunted a little with oldest son. I needed that down time from something I have a passion for. Maybe you just need a break.

[MUSTANG]

If movies are an escape for you...try some old Westerns, black and white. I have a collection of them and when I feel overwhelmed I watch those and stay away from the computer, don't have regular TV so that's not an issue anymore.

In the old Westerns the good folk are always being taken advantage of but in the end evil is triumphed over by good!
That always reinforces my basic belief in humanity even though lately it's been running pretty thin!

Interesting. Over the last month or so the wife and I have been DVR'ing the old Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wells Fargo, etc.. 1950's/1960's westerns. Interesting to watch simple "Good/Wholesome/Simple Plot TV Watching.

[runfiverun]

your problem is where you live.

I have none of those laws. [never even heard of the single shot thing]
I don't have to walk down to change targets [public range] I drive if I want, others drive if they want.
we are patient here, we will wait.

guns and ammo are just a thing around here, you just assume everyone has one, even the kids.

[OS OK]

Interesting. Over the last month or so the wife and I have been DVR'ing the old Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wells Fargo, etc.. 1950's/1960's westerns. Interesting to watch simple "Good/Wholesome/Simple Plot TV Watching.

It used to be that the old western movies actually taught morality, honesty, good sportsmanship, turn the other cheek and so on...anymore it's just violence, sex, drugs and rap!

[MT Gianni]

We will all reach the point sometime that we are too old or feeble to shoot. I hope we can all make the decision respectfully with out any gvt intervention or political involvement.

[opos]

your problem is where you live.

I have none of those laws. [never even heard of the single shot thing]
I don't have to walk down to change targets [public range] I drive if I want, others drive if they want.
we are patient here, we will wait.

guns and ammo are just a thing around here, you just assume everyone has one, even the kids.

I know your area to some degree...years ago in Business I spent some time in Pocatello and it's great country...If I were physically able to live at that elevation (ove 5000') I'd be back in Colorado (not Denver or Boulder) where you get all the good living of the Mountains and the larger cities within a reasonable distance...but with only one lung...asthma..and worst of all "end stage" COPD I am pretty well resigned to 1000 feet max altitude for any length of time...I seldom go to our local mountains which are just 3000' or so....Besides...I can't catch marlin or tuna in Idaho (great trout fishing though).

The unfortunate truth is that certainly right now you have all the benefits you speak of...when I lived in Denver and Fort Collins in the 40's and 50's it was a big Conservative cow town and all the "freedoms" we want and have lived for were just a daily way of life...then the liberal movement took place in the 60's and 70's and the Eastern Slope of the Rockies is "Little San Francisco"....and that will someday hit all the smaller communities...look at Oregon and Washington as well as Colorado...if it's pretty and unspoiled..someone will "discover it" and the spoilers will move in.

[Finster101]

"...if it's pretty and unspoiled..someone will "discover it" and the spoilers will move in."


That my friend is a powerful, well said and sadly true statement.

[largom]

"...if it's pretty and unspoiled..someone will "discover it" and the spoilers will move in."


That my friend is a powerful, well said and sadly true statement.

How well the American Indians know the truth of that statement.

[OS OK]

There's just too many people raised with the 'credo' of..."Hurray for me and screw you, I'm first!"

People don't have any idea of how to live and 'let live'. You need to conform to their standards cuz after all that's how their peers do it.

The concept of minding your own business is foreign to them.

Awe heck...that's enough bout that...I don't want to get off on the wrong foot this morning! Where's my Joe? But...it is the reason that I left SoCal and moved to the snow line in NoCal in the Sierras.