Plinking and punching paper

[dverna]

I did not know where to post this. Moderator, if it is the incorrect sub-forum please move as appropriate.

I love to shoot. Pistols, rifles or shotguns...it does not matter. At one point, for every 1,000 rounds I may have killed one varmint/pest or harvested one game bird or deer. Now, that I live in the country and stopped competitive shooting that has gone to maybe 250:1. So 99.6% of my shooting is for fun.

Working up loads, and testing new toys makes up some of that. Some is shooting clays, but the vast majority of rifle and pistol rounds are plinking and target shooting.

I used to do most of that fun shooting with .22's, cast 9mm and cast .38 Spl. I have pistols and carbines in each caliber. During the last "event", it was cheaper to shoot 9mm and .38's than .22's!

Although I have a good inventory of stuff, the current situation caused me to think differently. I had enough "stuff" to keep shooting for the rest of my life, but I am too cheap to burn up primers at $100+/k or powder at $50+/lb.

As a result, I have moved almost all my fun shooting to PCP's. I enjoy quality guns and demand accuracy so none of them are the kind of air guns at your typical LGS. My shooting has actually gone up and I am having a lot more fun. No time needed to cast or reload. No cases to police and clean and no hearing protection needed (I have a range at home).

I am curious how others have delt with this "event" and have these questions WRT to your fun shooting:

1 Are you shooting less, about the same or more?
2 Have you moved away from using up expensive primers and powder to using .22's?
3 If this becomes the new normal, what are your plans?

My answers are:
1 I am shooting more
2 I moved to PCP's as an affordable option
3 I will sell off more of my "toys" (guns, Star, Master Caster, molds) if they are too expensive to feed.

[Half Dog]

The current prices are keeping my shooting frequency down. Not only the cost and scarcity of the components but the fees to shoot at our local range has increased to $20 + tax. I don’t mind the tasks associated with reloading, collecting brass, cleaning etc... because it seems I have the available time. I have entertained the thought of a PCP but I’m not ready for it yet. So:

1) Less
2) No
3) Archery

[Nobade]

Mostly shooting muzzleloaders using homemade powder bullets and caps. Plus flintlocks. I find I am having more fun than I did with the cartridge guns and the slower pace of shooting means I might fire 30 rounds in a day instead of 300.
Would love to have a PCP air rifle, but the cost of the compressor (nowhere around here to fill the bottles) has me put off a bit. Still might get one some day.

[sharps4590]

Weather and having to be a nurse for my wife has curtailed my shooting more than ammo prices but, I don't remember the last time I bought a box of rifle ammo or, handgun ammo for those I shoot for fun. I don't shoot any semi-auto's for fun and I don't reload for them. I just carry them.

My shooting is pretty slow paced but intense on development for obscure cartridges. Consequently I don't burn up hundreds of rounds an outing. 50 rounds would be an extremely busy day shooting for me. My outings can be every couple hours if I want as my range is out my basement shop door.

[Winger Ed.]

I've got more ammo loaded than I'll probably ever shoot, but I don't get to the range as often as I used to.
However; I do shoot my pump it up, single shot, .22 Benjamin off the patio much more than I used to.
This year, I plan to work on the turtle infestation around the dock with a .22 this year
instead of trapping and fishing for them as much.

I figured out we can have turtles in & around the dock, or fish. But not both.

[Hick]

I backed off a little in how much I shoot-- Used to go to the range twice a week and shoot 150-200 rounds-- now more like 100 rounds per trip.

I have already lived more years than either my dad or grandfather, and I had some inheritance money tucked away-- so I have paid some higher prices for components. My logic being you can't take it with you so why not enjoy it. But-- I haven't gone crazy: I used to have a source of primers for $30/k, my latest buys have raised my average to $50/k. I only have enough to make it into my 80's so I'm hoping it is not a lifetime supply. May have to look into PCP myself.

[Outer Rondacker]

1) Yes less powder burners, more in pcps, trigger time is half or less
2) More .22s and pcp's. Looking into more pcp rifles but they just cost so much. 3 guns = 1 pcp
3) Learn how to make primers, bust out the slingshot, rocks are still free

[dverna]

1) Yes less powder burners, more in pcps, trigger time is half or less
2) More .22s and pcp's. Looking into more pcp rifles but they just cost so much. 3 guns = 1 pcp
3) Learn how to make primers, bust out the slingshot, rocks are still free

One of the PCP rifles I have is a .22 DAR. It cost $300 and i am getting 1” groups at 50 yards. The Crosman 1701 pistol cost under $400 shoots under 1/8” at 10 yards.

[charlie b]

I stopped shooting a lot of pistol years ago. Maybe 50rnds a month now.

Rifle is where I shoot the most. About 200rnds a month on average. But, if I can't get anymore primers before the end of the year I may have to slow down a bit.

I thought about air rifles, and still am. Might get one this year, probably a spring or gas piston rifle.

[Three44s]

Shooting has come to a near stand still. I have an adequate supply of most components but I am doing my part by not buying much of any components in the hope that other folks are like me and “we” collectively forge change in prices.

A little more air gun useage but not dramatic.

Mostly I have dove into .223 brass prep to pass the time.

Three44s

[Outer Rondacker]

One of the PCP rifles I have is a .22 DAR. It cost $300 and i am getting 1” groups at 50 yards. The Crosman 1701 pistol cost under $400 shoots under 1/8” at 10 yards.

I have had a modded Benjamin Discovery (Disco) in .22 for 14-16 years. Love it. I will be buying one of the new JTS Aircuda Max in .22 also in the upcoming months once they hit the shelves. $420 dollars for a regulated gun getting 34 FPE out of a .22 cal. Getting 55 shots per fill. Not bad and the regular Aircuda not regulated is going to be $320. Look them up they look promising. I was looking into FX and Edgun. Pffff no way not on my mountain man lifestyle.

[Texas by God]

I try to shoot a gun every day. It doesn't always work out though. Today I shot some cow patties from the tractor seat with a .22 pistol. Only 9 shots. Tomorrow I'm breaking out the 06 brothers and perhaps AR15s.
And I've got to get that new claybird launcher lined out.
I still shoot quite often, but not a lot of ammo expended each time.
I've nothing against air guns but living out in the sticks I've never seen the need for one.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[M-Tecs]

I view the value of my inventory as what I paid for it. Not what I could sell it for today. When I purchased it I had zero intentions of selling it. Nothing has changed. I shoot what I want, when I want and how I want.

[pworley1]

I still shoot about the same. We don't know if we will be hear tomorrow.

[NSB]

I’m a little bit fortunate in how my shooting preferences have changed over the last ten to fifteen years. I gave up competition shooting several years back. Most of the guys I shot with have passed away or simply got out of shooting it due to age. I developed an interest in PCP air rifles, and single shot rifles such as Sharps, High Walls, and Low Walls. I had enough primers, cases, and powder on hand when I quit competition to last me for many years of recreational shooting. For years I shot almost 50K rounds a year between rifle, handgun, and shotgun. Now it’s probably a couple thousand rounds a year. I’ve gotten back into fly fishing again and I can’t believe how much I missed it now that I’m doing it again. I don’t think all of my shooting reduction is just because of cost of components and lack of availability. A lot of it is simply age, friends to do it with, and some of it just to having “been there done that”. I think it’s a natural progression.

[GhostHawk]

With the current shortages and vastly increased costs of primers my powder shooters have been oiled and put away.

My #1 air shooter is a Beeman P17, around 50$ at Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I set mine up with a 12$ 11mm dovetail to Weaver/picatinny adapter. And a 50-60$ Truglo Red Dot sight.

The Beeman P17 has a VERY good trigger. It has an automatic safety I do not much care for. But it is a simple 2 min job to drift out a pin, remove spring and a small lever, and the safety is no longer automatic. Safety still works if I turn it on. But it does not turn itself on.

I have a homemade bullet catcher setup in my basement. 20' range is shorter than I would like but as long as I can manage.

Yesterday I managed to drill a 9mm brass with the beeman pistol. Hit it dead square centered and it drilled both side.
That piece of brass was so small at 20 feet I had to take my eyes out of my sight 3 times to verify its location.

On a good day with a scoped rifle I shoot 1/4" round push pins.

I also have 3 ss spoons, handle wrapped around a mandrel, cut off, and mounted on a piece of threaded rod with pipe spacers.

Even the P17 will twirl those 3 or 4 times around with a solid hit. And a inch by inch and a half spoon is not a huge target with poor lighting and old man shaky arms. Gives a nice "ting" and twirl when you hit them square.

I have not stepped into the "Dark side" of PCP, yet. I am resisting.
I prefer to power and load my air rifles one shot at a time. It slows me down, forces me to concentrate to make that shot count.

Bit like a single shot .22lr compared to a 10 shot Ruger 10/22 semi auto. Too easy to shoot fast and not make each shot perfect. IMO.
But everyone is different. YMMV.

[Baltimoreed]

Shot a 5 stage cas match yesterday [normally are 6 stages]. 50 rds rifle, 50 rds revolver and 20 sg with 9 cowboys, I was the only duelist. Shot it clean but rough shotgun loading killed my times. It had been 2 months since my last cas shoot as we got snowed out in January. I only shoot enough cf to verify my loads and guns sights and function prior to shoots. Otherwise I’ve been shooting my .22 M2 and M52s at steel. Enjoy them a lot. I do need to get my dummy sg shells out and practice some. At a match or two a month with limited practice I should have 5 years of primers. Assuming no more are purchased.

[robg]

i shoot every week,sometimes more often mainly paper ,rabbits / squirrels /pigeons /crows and other pests when i have time.sometimes i just take rifle or shotgun for a walk.