Too Frugal to shoot?

[ARlife4me]

I've noticed a big drop in participation at my local range the past two years. Prior to that there was regulars that was always there when I was. I think the the whole ammo and reloading shortage has people conserving their resources and shooting less.

Same at my range.............oh wait! I shoot alone also. When I'm there it's packed, when I'm not it's empty

 

[Hugnot]

For me it's the large rifle primers - I keep my LRP stocks at a certain level but have lucked out with a brick of Fed 215M last month. A LGS has an ample supply of small rifle primers. This means shooting with .20P, .204R, .223, and 6CM & 6.5CM.

Small rifle primer .22-.250 brass would be ideal. Primers like CCI 41's with extruded powders in 32-36 grain range would be good for much shooting. The .22-.250 is a much-underrated round and with pointy 75-80 grain bullets it approaches many mid-size 6mm rounds loaded with 105's up to 500 or so.

CCI 41's have proven to be satisfactory in SRP 6CM & 6.5CM with extruded powders, primarily the 4350's. Rem 7 1/2's are OK with lighter loads of ball powders, like 103 6CM & 140 6.5CM loads.

Less activity at local range, less range brass.

Our renewed interest in .22LR shooting - up to 200 rounds each range visit.

Big blasters, like .300WM & .375-.338 sit unused in back of gun safe.

 

[Buzzsaw]

most new handgun bought their guns , shot them once, stuck them in a draw hoping to remember how they work when the boogie man comes.

now its back to soccer games

 

[Another Casual]

I won't be shooting my AR-10 until I can find applicable primers for a reasonable price. Tons of other hobbies to get to that aren't up 300% in pricing like primers are.

 

[Rick Richard]

Not frugal, but a lack of components for long guns has kept me from shooting…them. However, now shooting much more hand guns which is about a once or maybe twice a week trip.

 

[memtb]

I live in rural Ohio and have a private range, with pistol and up to 300yd rifle. This year there were only two friends that came out to shoot pistol and nothing for deer gun season or any other shooting. I usually see 15-30 friends and neighbors coming over every year just for Deer. Haven't seen anybody to ask yet, so my thoughts are the cost of the sport now?

You've just pretty much described my life! Other than others shooting at my place…..I'm pretty much anti-socia!

Between the cost and availability of components and the present political scene…..I'm conserving the components that I've spent the last 40 years accumulating!

Though, I need to shoot more, as my heirs will not appreciate what I sacrificed to get what I have! memtb

 

[skipglo]

Thought about that!

And the conclusion was.........

 

[del2les]

Scarcity of ammo and components along with high prices and overall inflation hit a lot of people very hard. Locally, we saw a considerable drop in range participation and number of rounds fired by those who did show. While this hunting season, some ammo choices did improve, but prior, we heard several people complain they could not find a single box of their hunting ammo and only fired a couple of rounds to check sighting and were left with a partial box to begin their hunts.

Similar with pistol and shotgun ammo, though now, we are seeing much more on the shelves but at higher prices. Many people are getting hammered by inflation in everything.....except their paychecks.

 

[del2les]

And the conclusion was.........

Begin showering twice weekly.

 

[waspocrew]

I live in rural Ohio and have a private range, with pistol and up to 300yd rifle. This year there were only two friends that came out to shoot pistol and nothing for deer gun season or any other shooting. I usually see 15-30 friends and neighbors coming over every year just for Deer. Haven't seen anybody to ask yet, so my thoughts are the cost of the sport now?

Which part of Ohio? I'd join you if close enough!

 

[myshootinstinks]

No slowing here in WY that I can see. Local guns/ammo dealers say business is brisk. It is getting more expensive, powder I paid $28-$32 per pound a few years ago is now $50+. Primers that were $45-$50 a brick are now $100. I know some of this is supply issues but I'll bet when the supply returns the price won't go down much if any.
Out of state hunters coming to WY are gonna be in fo a shock. Elk over $700, deer nearly $400, antelope over $300, and if you should draw a moose tag figure on taking out a mortgage.

 

[HSmithTX]

If I had a place to shoot rifles with a friend close by my consumption would go WAY up. I have to drive 45 min to a range with rules I disagree with completely and is full of complete yahoo's that make me nervous to very scared. You cannot enter the building with a cased rifle for example, that alone drives me nuts and seeing the business end of a couple rifles seals the deal. The other range is closer to an hour, nice place, but it's an hour away. Feels like mounting an expedition to load up all the gear, drive there, shoot on their schedule for target changes, etc. Turns load development into work and takes most of the fun out of shooting. My lease is the third option, but it's an hour and 20 min each way and 100% of the work is on me there for shooting and it's been deer season for a few months. When it dries out I will be shooting at my lease more but with the distance to get there I try to shoot in conjunction with work that needs done so just shooting for fun isn't something I have done for a while. Handgun shooting around here is limited to a couple indoor ranges or at the outdoor ranges with the same concerns. At the indoor range you see complete ditships on every trip that demonstrate complete lack of safety. If odds heavily favored them hurting themselves I probably wouldn't care much but I don't like seeing the bore of a gun I am not holding and intentionally looking at the bore. They shoot a box at 7 yards and the target looks like it was shot with a machine gun at 600, I shoot more than one every 3 seconds into the same hole and I get cautioned to slow down.... I need to just join a private club but waiting lists to get in have kept me from doing it so far. I miss shooting more.

 

[lancetkenyon]

Crazy. Even though prices have tripled or quadrupled, I don't think I have slowed down a bit, and load more than ever.

If I was closer, I would come shoot with you almost every weekend!

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I drive 150mi in the morning to shoot at our club every week, unless its too cold. I shoot early in the morning on weekdays, leaving the club for working members on the weekend. Most weeks when I shoot, it's just me and my buddy. We have the entire 150 acre facility to ourselves. Occasionally, guys start coming in around 11am when I'm leaving.

For all of the guys who don't reload, there hasn't been much ammo at any price. Now that it's returning the prices are definitely higher than pre-pandemic prices. Handloaders have seen sharp increases for most components.

I'm not sure why participation is so low. Maybe it's cost and maybe it's other issues (flu-Covid-RSV-Senior life). Who knows, but it's noticeable.