2013 Shooting Habits, How have you changed?

[Texas Sheepdawg]

So, With all the chaos now showing some signs of leveling off, I am starting to see replenishment in my favorite stores starting to show some signs of life. But, I find myself wondering about the future. While I am starting to see stripped Lowers creeping back into the market, some are still over priced, and yet some markets are selling them for the $99-$150 range. AR parts are still hit and miss, especially anything with a Bushmaster name. Hornady has shut down production of some of its ammunition lines. 22 Long Rifle ammunition is scarce and expensive.
Meanwhile, it seems we have all become strangely silent here on the forum.
I don't think that I have ever seen our industry in such a state.
Personally, I have been very resistant to shooting this year. My family hasn't been on my range in a little over a year. Usually, we have at least two sessions a year. But with the ammo shortage, everyone seems to be conserving their ammo. And that includes me. I've only shot two videos, expending a total of about 70 rounds during both sessions while re-zeroing scopes and sites on my ARs and just goofing around with my new Weatherby shotgun and the turkey choke I bought for it.
So how about you guys? How has this latest attack on the Second Amendment changed your habits? I can tell ya.... I know it has because all of you guys have been VERY quiet this summer. (Yeah, this includes me too). Is that due to just conserving ammo? Are you concerned about who's reading our forum? Is the fear of "Big Brother" now watching everything, influencing the way you post or what you post? Are you like me in that I am seriously itching to get out and shoot, but afraid to "waste" ammo merely for recreational purposes? Or have you simply lost interest?
What is going on, guys?

[kottke_35]

I'll expand on this later however here's a few highlights:

Wedding $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
It seems that all my extra time and money is spent on the wedding stuff however that is coming to a close here in a week. Maybe after that I'll be able to rock and roll.

Cost and availability of ammo/components
I am not one to pay inflated prices on materials, so I try and catch them when they come in stock at the local gun stores. I've not been very successful. I've had a little luck no and again but for the most part, striking out. I have noticed a slight increase in product stock as of late tho.

Weather
Seems when I have the extra time or money, this Colorado weather does not cooperate. Too hot or rain mostly.

Not organized plus lack of ammo/components

Distance to the range plus range fees

B.

[commander faschisto]

Only rounds I've touched off have been for zeroing or hunting purposes with the long guns, other than my Rem 5mm mag rimfire, which I just happened to have a bunch of previously bought stock. Haven't fired a handgun round in the better part of a year. I think everyone's just sitting on their hands until the current stupidity passes and supplies/prices approach what used to be "normal" levels. Around these parts, some items are showing signs of in-store availability beyond the first fifteen minutes after a shipment arrives, but you never know what's going to show up. I haven't seen a single round of Fiocchi brand in the "popular" calibers for over a year now...online or local. I emailed them to ask them if they were still in business, and they claimed to be working 24/7...

I've been trying to work up some of my own "Hog Hammer" 275gr loads for the 450b, but I'm hesitant to use up supplies of components that might take a year to replace if I use them now.

[Nosparks]

Time and weather are the only things slowing me down. I have been testing loads for 3 different calibers, and chasing pigs when I can. The my local gun shop has had a decent selection of "gun stuff" for months now. It's my belief that the like the economy, the firearms supply is on the rise. At least it appears that way to me here in central Florida.

[Jim in Houston]

95 degree temps and humidity have put me off, 'though I have been shooting a couple of times to check reloads with different primers, to zero a new scope, and to function test a new shotgun.

But I have noticed a drop-off of posts to the board. No one has reported a magazine problem, FTF or FTE in a long time, or asked for reloading advice. Maybe we are maturing as users of the 450BM?

[Texas Sheepdawg]

We have a lot of members that have not checked in lately. We would really like to hear from all of you. There must be a reason why activity here has fallen off. I know I'm one of the ones who has not been posting as much and I've already explained why. I just wonder if everyone else is sharing the same experiences. It's not that I have lost interest. It's more like a hibernation during a real cold winter. With the winter being our current economic and political climate.
Does that make sense?

[BayouBob]

Robin, I think a lot of us kind of gave up on the board after the technical issues popped up. I know I kept checking it but there wasn't much activity when it got back up and running so I kind of quit my normal routine of at least scanning the board a couple of times a day. I've always tried to stay well ahead of the game with ammo and components just in case something made them hard to get. I shoot a lot so I have always tried to keep my supplies up enough that I can shoot without worrying. I have slowed down on my rimfire shooting. I keep a lot of rimfire ammo of many kinds because I'm a rimfire nut and everytime I find a new toy I run it through a bunch of ammo types to see what it likes. My favorite 4 rimfire rifles all happen to like rounds that have been almost impossible to find the past 6 months and I only have a couple of bricks for each of them. Normally that would be a supply for a few months that I would replace as I shoot it but since it can't be found (I refuse to be gouged on ammo.) I don't take my rimfires to the range as often and when I do I shoot maybe a couple of dozen rounds instead of a few boxes. I don't do any rapid fire shooting so most range sessions even in the good times for me are less than a hundred rounds of centerfire, often only 15 or 20 rounds. I can't afford to shoot hundreds of rounds a week anytime and I'm paying off 3 weddings so even less so now. I'm content to work on loads at night and then run over to the range 3 or 4 times a week and shoot and record 12 or 15 rounds. I have noticed that my local shop, the big shop in Little Rock I frequent and Cabelas are back fully stocked with all their ammo except rimfire and at normal prices. Haven't worked on Thumper lately so nothing to report on the 450 B board.

[Texas Sheepdawg]

The technical issues have been resolved for some time now. But I know some folks found that event annoying. But as with any Internet forum, there will always be the occasional hiccups. You Tube and Face Book have them all the time.
So how many of you were negatively affected by the technical issues with the forum? I know I had some withdrawal issues. But I knew MudBug would get it all resolved and he did. One thing to remember is none of us get paid to maintain the forum and we have to deal with issues on our own time, which is becoming more and more preoccupied with the daily struggles of just trying to keep our heads above water. Personally, I am studying to take the exam to upgrade my water license and trying to maintain my small farm, and just pay bills, but when it comes to shooting, I have recently found myself hesitating. My first concern is primers. And more recently, Hornadys' announcements of halting production on the 230 Gr. FMJ-FPs that I shoot for plinking. I'm not so limited on propellants but still, I find myself hesitating to shoot. I'm just wondering if I'm the only one.
As for giving up on the forum, I'm not gonna do that and I find this explanation fascinating. I would like to hear from more of you so please encourage members to stop by and check in. I want to hear from all of you.

[Hoot]

I only have a few minutes before I hit the shower and get ready for work. Perhaps that's a good thing as I can't start out with a simple reply that morphs into a long diatribe.

We lost a lot of momentum when we sat at rest for a month and don't discount momentum for one second. When the 6.5 Grendel forum went down, it took a long time for it to recover most of it's momentum and it still hasn't. When we had to sit a second time, I don't think that had as much impact. It's not just this forum. A lot of forums that deal with fringe work have dwindled. In the case of the 450b, IMHO, it is the cycle of life. The earlier in a fringe caliber's life, the more work there is to do. I'm out of interesting (to me) rocks to turn over. Sure availability and the resultant price rape of consumers by the greedy has taken it's toll, but again, that's just one contributor. Where there's a will, there's a way.
I do not think we can blame the political climate for this, other than sparking a lot predation by the greedy, upon the uncertain consumer. Some folks are taking some time off and remembering that there's more to life than this one hobby. I for one have been spending more time with my family, but I'm still involved with shooting. I'm slowly working on a wildcat caliber and also precision rimfire shooting. Teasing the masses with promises of infusion of new material will only hold their attention for so long. That's not a dig on Tim. He is a business man who's work has trickled down to amateurs like us.

Oops you are saved by the call to work.

Hoot

[Jeepejeep]

I too have cut back drastically on my shooting for a number of reasons. Heat has been a big deterrence, cost and availability of ammo too. Since I live in the horrible State of NY, I will not bring my AR to the range at all. There have been stories of State cops showing up at ranges and breaking peoples balls over their ARs and anything semi-auto. I have shot it a few times upstate on my land but have to restrict myself to the one 10 round mag I have. That truly sucks. All in all, it's a tough time to be a law abiding citizen here because the gov. has made us into criminals. I hate it here and cannot convince my stubborn wife that I HAVE to move so as soon as I sell my land, I'm moving weather or not she wants to or not. Bad times, My Friends, bad times.