Covid, life, gunpacolypse, firearms...

[nammac]

Covid will pass, it'll leave its scars, but it'll pass. Society and social behaviours may shift and change, but the world is what we make our little piece of it. We all have our own microcosms that we live within, who we associate with, where we travel, what we do, activities and interests.

I've been fortunate as my employment has not been interrupted, so from a financial aspect no real covid impact. But theres things we'd normally do that we currently aren't able to or don't care to expose ourselves to do. Dining out for example, simply not worth the risk. Local theatre's are still closed for another. Hitting the local mall is another. Air travel, out until we've come out from under this covid thing.

But hiking, nature trails, home family movie nights, getting back to game nights, the wife continues her running, I continue my shooting, so we are doing things that keep us active physically and mentally. Biking as a family now the weather is improving.

The point is we have to make our own happiness, don't let whats going on out there drag your world down. As for firearms, it's always been an ebb and flow hobby for me. As I mentioned in another thread, I wheeled and dealt my way into a collection that satisfies my needs and many of my wants. Once I secure the Ronin caliber conversion, I'll feel closer to having satisfied my wants.

Sometimes we just have to find that happiness and contentment in what we have. Look around you. Health, family, love, happiness and peace (in our little portion of the world). Thats what does it for me.

 

[arakboss]

I am just a young one here at age 34. Covid and everything happening has fueled my buying even more plus I'm almost going on 2yrs of using blood money (lol, donating plasma, now good for almost $400 a month). This year might just be a record for me in finding ammo and adding calibers. This year alone including what I still have to pickup, 2 more basic pistols, AR9, couple 7.62x39 ARs, 350 legend AR, 300 blackout AR (not sure where to find ammo but if I do, I can now use it), 5,000rds 7.62x39, and put an order in for a dream rifle (which I need to find ammo) hoping to stockup 300+ rds by the end of the year. .50bmg.

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Dang $400 a month. I have a needle phobia but with a little ativan before each draw I might be able to convince myself to give some blood up for $400 a month. How many trips a month to make $400. Do you have to be vaccinated.

 

[Mikej]

Dang $400 a month. I have a needle phobia but with a little ativan before each draw I might be able to convince myself to give some blood up for $400 a month. How many trips a month to make $400. Do you have to be vaccinated.

Always looking for an angle aren't ya? Sell off all the loading supply packages you could afford to lose? I'll admit that that $400.00 simoleons turned my head for a bit too! Funny, when Wifey and I first met neither one of us had a pot to pee in, she was giving plasmid at the time as often as they'd let her. If you do it all the time it builds up a scar tissue in the crook of your elbow. I thought she was using intravenous after we got close(r)! 'Till I realized what it was from.

 

[Mikej]

@Reno If I were still young and physically fit I'd sure like to go camping again. Something to consider now, where we live. Anywhere you go out of the city to get away from things, there is everybody! Getting away from the city too. If you get a trailer where ever you go, every body will be there already. Have you though about a rig like this?


Or this....


I remember the days of getting out in the mountains/deserts with few people around to camp. The days of hitching up the trailer and finding a neat place to park it for a few nights that hasn't been reserved a year ahead of time are pretty much gone.

 

[OrPackrat]

Dang $400 a month. I have a needle phobia but with a little ativan before each draw I might be able to convince myself to give some blood up for $400 a month. How many trips a month to make $400. Do you have to be vaccinated.

I Hate needles, yet a prescription I have, I have to give myself weekly intramuscular injections. Been doing it for 18yrs, still hate needles...

Most you can do it is twice a week, figure 4 weeks a month, $47 per donation. You do not need to be vaccinated. The place I go is CSL Plasma, I could even send you a referral link if you like. There was a promotion I was in a bit ago, gave me an extra $780 over 12 donations.

I alternate arms since I have the veins for it and give time for them to heal up.

Your not giving up blood, just the Plasma in the blood. The process is rather safe, no chance of getting blood from another person at all for how it all works.

 

[arakboss]

I Hate needles, yet a prescription I have, I have to give myself weekly intramuscular injections. Been doing it for 18yrs, still hate needles...

Most you can do it is twice a week, figure 4 weeks a month, $47 per donation. You do not need to be vaccinated. The place I go is CSL Plasma, I could even send you a referral link if you like. There was a promotion I was in a bit ago, gave me an extra $780 over 12 donations.

I alternate arms since I have the veins for it and give time for them to heal up.

Your not giving up blood, just the Plasma in the blood. The process is rather safe, no chance of getting blood from another person at all for how it all works.

how much time involved in each visit?

 

[Member 34319]

@Mikej we went trailer shopping yesterday, as well as looked at a few close to us storage lots. The shear lack of inventory and timing on our part may push us towards exactly that sort of thing. It would be a fraction of the cost As well. We can test the kiddo out that way too. So far we are looking at getting a truck cap and roof tent for the truck. Budgeting about 5-6 thousand in gear vs 12-14 thousand a trailer could cost.

The only other option we considered was a pop up trailer that is small enough to store in the garage. Like regular trailers, lack of inventory due to Covid may push that out till a later time as well.

One of my more enjoyable YouTube channels is a guy that makes a survival stove. Fireboxstoves. Check out his channel. He has a Tundra rig in a few that he, his family of 5, and two dogs camp in. It has certainly been a motivational push for that sort of camping.

The only thing that I like about a pop up or actual trailer is having a bit of inside space available in the case of poor weather. That and even though my wife has had her surgery (7 years ago) her lack of a colon always concerns me.

 

[oremike]

My wife and I have entertained the thought of a smaller bumper pull toy-hauler. That way the front half is the "house" and the back part is the garage/shopmulti-use area.

 

[Member 34319]

Firearms used to be a hobby. I've mentioned this a time or two on this forum and don't mean to keep bringing it up, but the wind in my sails and the fun of shooting kind of got lost when my boy passed away a little over a year ago. Shooting was what we did together, one of the few physical activities we could participate together. That was right as Covid hit and a few weeks before lock downs happened and commie Kate put an end to wedding, funerals and dining out.
We were heading back from a tribute that an organization he was involved with put on for him. Stopped by Costco and that was when we knew, or thought, that the bubblegum was about to hit the fan. I had never seen lines like that and I have never heard people yelling for hand sanitizer and toilet paper. Bought more groceries in a few hours than we usually buy in a few months. Next day I hit BiMart and bought more ammo than I normally buy in a year. Grabbed a Mossberg 500 just in case too. That was the moment firearms went from just a hobby to becoming tools that might actually become essential to my families survival.
During the past year when I hit the range, it has been more about making sure scopes are dialed in, firearms and mags are working properly and we have enough ammo to last until the world loses its mind or this whole Covid thing is over with. The days of punching paper just for bubblegums and giggles are paused for now.
As I lay here on the couch, the wife and I both currently down and off work with Covid, I am making plans to reconfigure a few firearms and when feeling better I will take a couple of bolt actions out to dial them in with some more ammo I was able to score.
As I type this and think about how bleak the future looks for firearms, freedom and society I am also thinking about my youngest son. He is 11 and has been recently been bit by the shooting bug. We did burn up a few boxes of 22lr two weeks ago. His smile was priceless. Maybe that's what it is needed to keep the hope alive. Have to quit focusing on my own worries and realize there is a generation that has their whole lives ahead of them, lives they need to be able to live and enjoy. Hopefully one day we'll be able to breath again, take our guns out to the range and just have fun

Thank you for sharing this. It struck me.

My son is currently 3 and I am working with Tim aka Velzey to get a little rifle assembled for him. I hope I can start to share the recreation of plinking with him soon.

In some ways. I agree with the getting things ready. At the same time I feel like I got suckered again. I fall for the "the world is ending" gun marketing and hype each time a gunpacolypse occurs and go along with the group think that I need more. When in actuality, I really don't.

Hell, even in my moments of "what the hell am I doing" I still buy guns and ammo.

I definitely like to "put it to the man" aka the government by owning things they don't want me too. However, at times I cant help but feel I just joined the ranks of others that also just got caught up in the moment of panic and bought 5-6 extras that I really don't need, because panic/government bad.

 

[OrPackrat]

how much time involved in each visit?

I'm slow when it comes to donating, I fill the bottle in about 1hr... others can do it in 45 minutes.

There is the pre-screening, finger pick, weigh in, heart rate, blood pressure, and such checks..

If the line is long, could take an extra 45 minutes. I usually go when it's slow, so about 5-10 minutes before getting in for the machine hookup, that can take about 5 minutes. I plan a minimum of 1.5hrs... you sit in your chair, use your headphones, connect to the wifi if you want, and entertain yourself on your phone....

 

[RVTECH]

Point of this thread, is to ask those here where are you at? How has this one affected your outlook on firearms as a hobby? Have you completely lost interest in the hobby due to the length of this gunpacolypse? Downsized? Sold off? Moved on?

No affect on my outlook, as interested as I have always been, no downsizing or selling and no moving on.

Shooting for me has always been a sport/hobby/recreational etc. and really a part of my life and is often included in with other outdoor activities.

Because of the typical style of guns I prefer I have never been a 'high volume' shooter so I have not really reduced my 'round counts' when shooting.

Things such as 'speed steel' , 'run and gun' , 3-gun, LARP (I actually had to look that up) and all the other shooting games that seem to based on 'defensive shooting' are nothing I have ever been interested in so I continue to enjoy shooting as a relaxing undertaking without all the stress. I was shooting long before most of these 'games' came to be and if any or all of them disappear I most likely won't notice.

Been doing it this way for a LONG time and no plans on changing.

 

[41mag]

OP:
much of what you discuss is really just changing tastes & evolution of personal needs.

Your description of the symptoms are a clear sign of the introduction of the Road to Geezerhood. Not the actual event mind you, but the sign posts the entry point is coming in range.

As for camping gear, I've got over 50 years of experience from backpacking/car camping to B+ motor home. Discussion/opinions of various gear set ups can be arranged.

 

[Member 34319]

OP:
much of what you discuss is really just changing tastes & evolution of personal needs.

Your description of the symptoms are a clear sign of the introduction of the Road to Geezerhood. Not the actual event mind you, but the sign posts the entry point is coming in range.

As for camping gear, I've got over 50 years of experience from backpacking/car camping to B+ motor home. Discussion/opinions of various gear set ups can be arranged.

Geezerhood. I like it!

Talking with my parents the other day, they laughed at the idea of their kids rounding towards 40.

 

[zenmariner]

I'm tired of the crap but no way in hell am I giving it up...

• This is part of their goal and what they want...to force people out. No way am I letting these A-Holes win.
• People standing up for their 2a rights are needed now more than ever with all the lunacy the anti-gunners are up to
• Never in my life have I felt more of a need to be armed when I go out and be well armed in general for what might be ahead of us
• The political situation aside, I still love shooting

I ain't going anywhere.

Murrica!

WOLVERINES!

I agree but after 1 year of wear a mask to slow the spread I stopped wearing the diaper. I have not let this crap get me down but I do spend more time at home with the family. If anything this has made me more pro 2A. And I can niether confirm or deny if I own guns or ammo. But I do shoot more at my own range

 

[Koda]

Anyone else getting tired of this crap and contemplating moving on to a completely different hobby?

Target shooting has always been a secondary hobby for me, but I would maintain my marksmanship skills and the current ammo crunch has made me jaded. After the last Obama ammo crunch event I stocked up with what I would shoot in a years time, but see now that future ammo crunches are only going to get longer. Target shooting is on hold for those reasons I would have none now if I practiced. Definitely I'm burnt out on the crunch, and the gun control politics (I still write my senators and vote of course) but right now my energies are focused on my other outdoor hobbies like backpacking, off trail fishing, and mostly the past couple years hunting which has fit the covid restrictions quite well as hunting partners are hard to find Ive become more of a solo hunter (and finding more game as a result...).

 

[Flymph]

Target shooting has always been a secondary hobby for me, but I would maintain my marksmanship skills and the current ammo crunch has made me jaded. After the last Obama ammo crunch event I stocked up with what I would shoot in a years time, but see now that future ammo crunches are only going to get longer. Target shooting is on hold for those reasons I would have none now if I practiced. Definitely I'm burnt out on the crunch, and the gun control politics (I still write my senators and vote of course) but right now my energies are focused on my other outdoor hobbies like backpacking, off trail fishing, and mostly the past couple years hunting which has fit the covid restrictions quite well as hunting partners are hard to find Ive become more of a solo hunter (and finding more game as a result...).

Definitely thinking about doing some fishing in "uncommon waters" this year. Been talking about it for years, I think it might be time.

 

[SUPER X]

I Hate needles, yet a prescription I have, I have to give myself weekly intramuscular injections. Been doing it for 18yrs, still hate needles...

Most you can do it is twice a week, figure 4 weeks a month, $47 per donation. You do not need to be vaccinated. The place I go is CSL Plasma, I could even send you a referral link if you like. There was a promotion I was in a bit ago, gave me an extra $780 over 12 donations.

I alternate arms since I have the veins for it and give time for them to heal up.

Your not giving up blood, just the Plasma in the blood. The process is rather safe, no chance of getting blood from another person at all for how it all works.

Do they check for lead

 

[OrPackrat]

Do they check for lead

Not that I'm aware of.

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www.cslplasma.com

 

[ZigZagZeke]

I keep my guns for 3 reasons:

1. I love to hunt...everything from doves to ducks to deer.
2. Half of my guns were owned by family members who are long gone. The memories come back to me every time I pick one of them up.
3. I never want to feel helpless and have to depend on the police who are at least 30 minutes away.

My ARs are in a gun trust with my 5 year old as the beneficiary. This is to negate any future law that requires turn in and destruction of any grandfathered "assault rifles" upon the owner's death. Just planning ahead. I can add any NFA weapons to it if I am forced to acquire some.

I consider my hunting weapons works of art, like an oil painting or a sculpture.

My oldest firearm was bought new by an ancestor who was born in 1825. One was my mother's "pillow gun". Another was my dad's favorite shotgun.

I'll keep them all no matter what some politician does or says.

 

[Catfishmoon]

The point you make about "gun trusts" is interesting... I have to do some research.