Last time you shot a practice round?

I was just wondering when was the last time you shot a practice round, or shot a round just for the heck of it?

I ask that because I was cleaning out some draws, cabinets at home and came across some papers, treasury reports when I was the secretary at the local club. Back then our club had a 1/3 the members we have now but we shot 3 times as many targets 15 years ago as we do now.

We used to grind targets back then, it was nothing for a guy to shoot a couple hundred rounds a day, 2 or 3 times a week back then just for fun or screwing around.

I got to thinking - heck it has been probably 4 or 5 years since I just went out and shot a round for fun. I still shoot a little registered, and will still shoot "Annies" or "meat shoots" but to just go out and blast away like we used to????

Of course 20 years ago a round cost $1.50 while now they charge $4 a round. I could reload back then for $2.10 a box. Back then a guy could go out and shoot 100 targets and shells on a Tuesday night playing around for less $20.

But I think something else is at play. We got 3 times the members but we shoot a 1/3 of the targets we used to. Today's members want to come out with a couple of buddies or their wife and kid and they want to shoot by themselves. They will shoot 25, 50 targets and it might take em an hour to do that. They shoot a couple, then someone else will shoot a couple then maybe the wife will shoot 1 or 2. They want to shoot by themselves, and they want to pull the targets by themselves and in no way in hell do they want to compete against anybody else. They will NOT SHOOT LEAGUES, they won't shoot the club shoot, they won't shoot "annies" or "meat shoots", they don't want their scores posted on the club bulletin board, etc.

And the thing is us old guys don't want to just go out and shoot for the heck of it. We wanna shoot for a beer, a dollar, a coke or something. It is Catch 22. Old shooters don't want to just shoot for the heck of it while spending $5 for shells and another $4 for a round and the new young shooters don't want to shoot if anybody can see em shoot or if it involves any competition at all - even if it is just for a dam Diet Coke.

 

End of October 2017

 

at 12:30 today

 

For todays kids --- Post a sigh -- Every shooter will get a ribbon for shooting!!!

 

Wow! $4 per round for practice? You are very fortunate....around Kansas City co$t is about $8.50 per round, then $5.25 for a box of promo shells. So a "fun" practice session of two rounds of singles and two of handicap runs over $50..... Forget doubles unless you dip into your health care budget. I am sure it varies around the country and is it any wonder trapshooting participation is on a slippery slope? Regards, Ed

 

Yesterday in a very high wind. Stayed in the low 20's with a strange gun for three rounds.

 

Retired last year -- and never shot so many practice rounds in my life -- five to eight rounds a week -- sit around the club -- drink coffee -- tell old shooting stories -- and any group that is short a shooter, I am glad to jump in -- Great way to meet new shooters -- RETIREMENT IS GREAT!!! GIVE IT A TRY!!

 

This last winter and up to now I have shot a min. of 200 rounds a week. If temp. was above 30 deg. I was out there. Sometimes there would only be 3-4 of us but we had fun. I even traveled over 75 miles one way to shoot some practice. Not every day of course but usually once every two weeks or so. I am fortunate (or maybe not) that I live less than 1/2 mile from where I do most of my shooting. That club shoots at least 2 times a week on the average. Some weeks they shoot four times a week.

Ross Randall

 

3 weekends ago.
Shot 3 rounds with one of my sons.
I ran the first 50 and dropped 2 on third round.
He ran first 25, dropped 3 on second and ran the third.
Close to beating the old man but no cigar!

 

I started again this year after battling a rare form of cancer. Hope to make it back to competitive shooting.