2013 Shooting Habits, How have you changed?

[ColoradoKid]

I've been to the range a mere 2 times this summer. This time last year I was hitting the range at least twice a week. There are a few reasons that I have had to cut back on my shooting i.e. work, budget, time, hiking, but mostly the availability and insane cost of ammo right now.

I don't reload and therefore am at the mercy of the ammo manufacturers. Tried to stock up on some ammo right before "the big scare" and the re-election of the greatest gun salesman in history, but it feels as if I missed out by just a couple weeks or so. Most of the ammo that I had ordered was almost immediately put on backorder and after a couple months of being on backorder the company that I had ordered from decided to cancel my orders.

I refuse to pay close to as much (or more) per round for 22 rimfire and .223 ammo as I do for 450B ammo.

I would love to be able to go to the range and pop off 22lr all day long, but we all know what the likelihood of that is being that I have very few rimfire rounds in the old ammo collection.

It's really a bummer, my son spent most of the summer at his PaPa's in northeast Texas and came home with two new toys, lever action .22 and a 30-30. We can't even go play Can't find any ammo.

So to sum it all up, I haven't posted lately simply because I haven't been shooting and therefore don't really have anything to contribute. I still check the forum quite frequently and get excited when I see new posts, but I am personally waiting to see what direction the firearms industry is headed for certain before going out to the range and waisting the precious ammo that I do have on hand.

[Hoot]

Rust never sleeps!

Here's a Link to a recent range report I did on a different forum. Lots of rocks to turn over in perfecting rimfire shooting. I'm actually hoping to improve my skills enough to participate competitively in my local club's Rimfire League next spring.

As for 22 availability. If you're just looking for plinking rounds, they are starting to show up and last a day or so locally. Remington Gold Bullet for $2.25/box of 50, CCI MiniMags for $6.99/100, Winchester Wildcat for $2.50/box of 50. Still challenging to beat the scalpers to the ammo, but the local forum guys help by informing one another when they stumble upon something.

Hoot

[AR_Hunter]

Hey Guys!

With the addition of twin boys, my "spare" time is nonexistent! I did manage to take my daughter to the range this past weekend to shoot her rifle. I shot my pistol a few times but that was about it. I don't shoot rifles that often including the big 450. I've got about 15 rounds left that I'm saving for the upcoming hunting season. I can find the ammo around here if I look hard enough but it's at a premium. This weather here makes shooting miserable. It's now ninety degrees with about 90 percent humidity. Having said that, time is still the biggest factor in the change of my shooting habits. On the other hand, I have been taking more new shooters to the range than ever before. Several of my neighbors are also first time pistol owners thanks to Obama.

I was digging through some of my phone pictures and realized I never posted the pics from last years hunting season. I've got some good pictures of the bullet expansion at 200 yards. When I get a few minutes I may make a post, if anyone's interested.

I'm glad to see that the core is still here and well. I follow Sheepdawg constantly on Facebook and get most of my info there. I will make a point to visit this site on a more regular basis. Carry on my friends!

[wildcatter]

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

Yeah what he said and.."Things will pick up" as soon as summer is over, otherwise the old diehards will keep reading/posting. And, Bushy has the 450b uppers and complete guns back in the SKU and have been making deliveries, which for this month, and for some-time into the future, I expect to be a record setter. So, as the new guys need help, we'll stand-by. "Fresh-Fish"..

..t

[Wicked Hunter]

I'm still hanging around. I'm not much of a talker, but I do still check the forum every morning when I get off work.
The only shooting i've been been able to accomplish this summer is 8 groundhogs, and that was with the 6.5 Grendel i built over the winter. I have plenty of reloading supplies, I just dont have the time. I've been working 72 hours a week for the last 3 months. Hopefully things are going to slow down in the near future and I'll have some time to get to the range. Till then I'll still be around, just probably won't have much to say.

[bushmeister]

I hate to say it, but the shortages kept me away from the range this year. I will go check my sight in time for deer season, but it will be a 3 round group if all goes well.

[Hopalong]

First off I'd like to say the technical difficulties were a minor inconvenience, but just that. I think we need to tip our hats to the people who keep this place running.

I have cut back a bit, but had enough components to keep shooting some. My hip surgery really slowed me down, but now that I can get around it's pretty much back to normal. I'd like to find some $20 a brick 22, but it'll show up one day.

Hop

[Jim in Houston]

First off I'd like to say the technical difficulties were a minor inconvenience, but just that. I think we need to tip our hats to the people who keep this place running.

I have cut back a bit, but had enough components to keep shooting some. My hip surgery really slowed me down, but now that I can get around it's pretty much back to normal. I'd like to find some $20 a brick 22, but it'll show up one day.

Hop

I also barely noticed the technical problems with the site earlier, so that is not a factor with me. Good job and keep up the good work to the people who maintain the site.

BTW Bass Pro Shops has bulk 22 lr in their recent mailer. Still not down to $20 per brick, but it is apparently available in enough quantity to advertise. Check http://www.basspro.com/Rimfire%20Ammo/_/C-4294541155?taCategory=Rimfire%20Ammo&taSearchTerm=ammunition. Some of it is in-store only.

[Colohunter]

I still check the forum at least 1-2 times a day, I just don't post very often. I haven't been able to shoot much this year, mostly because of schedule. I've been wanting to take the kids out more, but I haven't been willing to wait at line at Walmart at 7 a.m. for a chance at 22 ammo. I never really kept more than a 500 round brick or two because I always thought of 22 ammo as something that would be easy to find when other ammo is in demand. So much for that theory. I have a fair amount of bullets set aside for my more common calibers, but will probably run out of powder and primers before I get to them all.

[Hoot]

Hop and others.

If you have a Cabelas near you, they have been throwing out bricks of Remington Gold Bullet bulk 525 packs about twice a week for $23.99 with free ship to store. So, you're only on the hook for local sales tax. It usually lasts between 6 and 12 hours before it's scarfed up, but that's an eternity compared to the past 6 months when it sold out within minutes.

If anyone wants, PM me a good phone number and I will call you when I see more available. Do yourself a favor and create an account in the mean time. You're going to need it when you go to order.

Hoot