Anyone else notice a decline of recreational shooting?

[Murphy]

I live in a rural area, the county population is roughly 37,000 people spread out over the 2nd or 3rd largest county in Oklahoma (McCurtain). I live in the county seat, a small town of 7,000 in population.

When the weather permits, I enjoy sitting on my back deck, watching squirrels, etc. The police range is roughly 1.3 miles to the south of me. I can easily hear when the range is in use, which is outside of city limits. There is a good deal of private property and it wasn't uncommon to hear a few shot's now and then out in the country. This is on a 3 to 4 times a week basis. I have heard fewer shots fired in the past year, than I once heard used to hear in a week's time. And yes, the price of ammunition being what it is, has brought a lot of shooting 'for fun' to a halt.

How is the situation in your area? Just curious.


Murphy

[BLAHUT]

Covid shut down all not many compitisitions to be found

[gc45]

My range closed most on 2020 and part of 2021. Open again but not as much shooting.

[Winger Ed.]

Oh yeah.

Gun stores and shooting ranges are considered essential in Texas, so ours didn't close during COVID.

I'd always go to our range during the week when it's just a few old retired guys there.
There'd usually be one or two, a few times even three people there when it got close to deer season.

Since the prices of ammo went crazy-- out of the last 5-6 times I've gone,
and I stay at least a couple hours, there has only been one guy there.
He was sighting in a scope. 10-12 shots, and he was done.

And darn near no brass on the ground or in the range scrap metal can for it.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Haven't stopped my recreational shooting, just changed to smaller guns, 25/20, 32/20, 218Bee and 22 Hornet that give more bang for your buck.

[Hick]

We have a really good range open year round in Winnemucca - and I haven't noticed any real change in usage. Last year the range added 2 more pistol bays (up from 2 to 4) and often they are all in use. I visit twice a week during the week and its rare to be alone. Too busy on weekends to even bother unless you are early. Don't know if it is just bad timing on my part to hit busy periods, but recreational shooting in our area does not seem to be reduced.

[imashooter2]

At the ICORE East Coast Regional last weekend there were only 51 entries and 43 that showed up. Normally there are twice that many. Casual shooters are all but gone.

[Four-Sixty]

Our public range is no longer manned. The last two times I went I picked up so much brass that it was tiring. The number of people going has seemed to trend down to.

[Milky Duck]

recreational shooting and hunting is on the decline...the PC brigade and the woke Karens of the world are making it harder and harder to recruit new people into the sports.... its crazy how the greens are so ANTI hunters when in effect we give them free control over animals that would otherwise get poisoned.
I have made a point of introducing as many to hunting or shooting as I can.... even last weekend away on SAR training weekend we had a couple of educational adhoc teaching sessions,how to unload rifle etc...and the opossum 75 yards from hut that got 7mm mag treatment with a thermal scope was eye opening too.....lots of little hot bits to see after the shot was fired LOL...
someone made mistake of telling me rifle was unloaded.....they were put right.
I made big show of making sure no bullets in rifle,then leaned it on fence,turned my back and had a pee...meanwhile accomplis loaded a round in rifle and put it back against fence...I turned back around "this rifle is unloaded,I can point it where ever I like" spectaters yelled NO its loaded...I replied "no its not I just unloaded it' pointed it in safe direction and fired it!!!!!! absolutely PRICELESS .... the white faces and looks of shock told me I had got point across.....
it works even better with a .12ga

[deltaenterprizes]

I have not been to the range but a couple of times because of the extreme heat and when I went there was only a couple of people.
The ones that were there looked like they were planning to stay in little while.
I stay out of the extreme heat so I only stay about an hour and then I only shoot about 50 rounds.

[Thundarstick]

I think the heat we've endured here(and continue to endure) have stifled a lot of outdoor activities, shooting included. Money is tighter as well.

[barnabus]

they dont have that problem in the cities.lots of shooting there.

[eastbank]

seems to be lots of targets in the hoods that don,t shoot back, for the gang bangers.

[Shawlerbrook]

Between the decline in old shooters, less places to shoot, supply disruptions and inflation there is definitely less shooting here in rural Central NYS.

[georgerkahn]

Between the decline in old shooters, less places to shoot, supply disruptions and inflation there is definitely less shooting here in rural Central NYS.

...as is in upper, upper NYS ! Not to mention the new LAWS in NYS requiring such that it now is a chore (cased arms in one compartment of vehicle; all ammo in a separate, LOCKED case in another; NO firearms on any private property; "safe zones"; etc.) to go... Not that long ago I'd gently lay down a rifle or two behind seat of my pick-up; ammo in a coffee can or two on floor-board (passenger side) -- my box with glass, stapler, 'ears', and targets kept in rear) -- and off I'd go...
While the NRA touts a big victory from their support of ruling re handguns in New York City -- that decision resulted in Governor enacting some really excessive laws affecting ALL firearm owners -- 'special emphasis to pistol permiters -- since. (Thank you, NRA! You'll never ever again see as much as a penny from me!)

[Half Dog]

I used to visit and support a local range. The last time I was there it cost me $43 for kiddo and I to shoot on their rifle range. I haven’t been back there since.

[Land Owner]

Truth be told, I have not fully recovered from the '17 loss of my Reloading and Shooting Mentor, who for 25-years was my food-plot-for-wildlife, hunting, reloading, and firearm accurizing accomplice. The loss of a cherished friend, my shooting buddy, is a non-starter. Motivation went right out of the window.

I was stronger then but got bacterial pneumonia in February/March of '19 (before testing), just as it was being labeled "weaponized Covid-19", which was very bad, O2 deprived, stayed home 10-days with antibiotics, and recovered.

I got both viral and bacterial pneumonia in late '21, stayed home 10-days with antibiotics (as before), and Covid antibodies (from before), O2 deprived, very close-to-death, hospitalized, tested positive for Covid (-Delta I believe), 10-days in isolation, and recovered.

Then flu-like symptoms mid-'22, tested positive for Covid (-Omega I believe), that was a "piece of cake" & "sinus sniffles" by comparison, took antibiotics, and recovered in 4 days.

After-the-fact, Covid made me extremely tired, took months on the first two occurrences, to recover to a state that was not fully where I started. O2 depravation deletes memory and depresses cognitive brain function. Pneumonia induces shortness of breath. These diminish in time.

Recovering most assuredly sucked the wind out of my shooting, but NOT out of my casting!!! In a well-ventilated space, I have made thousands upon thousands of cast boolits in many calibers and tried my hand PC'ing over the past year! I have shot once or twice too, but nowhere near the frequency or quantity I once did.

Supply, demand, personal loss, kids grown and gone, and I don't need to because I am "not mad at the deer anymore" affect recreational shooting.

[ioon44]

My local USPSA matches have about 50% less shooters than before Covid and the primer shortage. Tha IDPA matches are still about the same number of shooters and a lot of new shooters.

[Handloader109]

I shoot here at home, but I've only been out once in a while, I try not to be out shooting when I have any customers due and I've been fairly busy along with avoiding the 100 degree heat in July and early August. Spring was actually really wet and kept me inside.
Neighbor and at least a couple of friends have fired off ARs magdumping in the past, I hear them once in a while, last weekend for sure, but over past 2 years, less often and less rounds, most probably due to prices... got a newish neighbor that has a couple of young adults that picked up a couple of handguns and have shot near their home a few times. I can easily hear them as it is straight line pasture between us.

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[GhostHawk]

I have powder, primers, and lead in abundance. But any primers I shoot it will cost 3 to 4 times as much to replace. Powder prices are coming down but still are trending higher than before. Lead is up and harder to find.

With Covid I got out of the habit of shooting and going to the range. And I have not pushed myself to get back to it.

If I really feel the need to shoot I can walk down into my basement and shoot airguns all afternoon long if that is what I want. Average cost per round is about 1.3 to 1.5 cents per round, and I have pellets stacked high wide and deep. No hauling heavy guns and gear to the truck, no driving, no hauling same stuff into the range, shoot for an hour then reverse the process.

I am not totally happy about it, but it is what it is.