Covid, life, gunpacolypse, firearms...

[Member 34319]

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

Im 90% recreational when it comes to firearms. I carry more regularly lately, but that's about it. I don't LARP or attend training regularly like I once did ten to fifteen years ago. I compete less and less since Covid, and I shoot less and less. I have no more interest in run and gun competitions like 3 gun or USPSA. Speed steel is my jam, with that said I haven't attended as regularly as I once did.

My go to is 22lr. As you can imagine, that's become increasingly difficult to shoot as much as I once liked to. My absolute favorite thing is plinking. Hitting steel at random, or a bunch of clays spread out everywhere, that's the best!

While I don't think I'll completely leave the realm of firearms, I've definitely been giving thoughts to getting out of a lot of the extra parts of the hobby. Like reloading, and offloading a massive amount of stuff I've accumulated. I've definitely, over the years, downsized. Then again, downsized means completely different things to different gun owners, in other words, I still have plenty to downsize. Ironically, the ARs are first on the chopping block. I just don't shoot them as much.

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?

I have been kind of losing it due to Covid restrictions and the lack of being able to do much. We as a family have really been thinking about buying our first trailer of some sort. Camping and the thoughts of camping bring me peace of mind more now than going to the range. In time, that may change, but the inability to acquire reasonable priced 22lr has really taken its toll this go around. This gunpacolypse may be the straw that breaks this camels back.

Anyways, thanks for reading through this crazy guys thread. If you feel the need to be negative in this thread, please look up to the left on your browser and immediately click the back button!

Reno

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[Andy54Hawken]

I like my guns..and I like to shoot 'em.
While the amount of what I shoot , has gone down, due to cost or availability ...
I will not stop enjoying my firearms.

Speaking for myself...
My firearms are very much a part of my life...they are more than just something to shoot or collect.
What they are , what they represent , has value to me , what I have put into my firearms has value to me...
And I am not willingly going to give that up.
Andy

 

[Nosferatu]

been there, done that. The stuff you own can end up owning you. Do whatever twists your nipples, life isn't permanent.

 

[kbf64]

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

Im 90% recreational when it comes to firearms. I carry more regularly lately, but that's about it. I don't LARP or attend training regularly like I once did ten to fifteen years ago. I compete less and less since Covid, and I shoot less and less. I have no more interest in run and gun competitions like 3 gun or USPSA. Speed steel is my jam, with that said I haven't attended as regularly as I once did.

My go to is 22lr. As you can imagine, that's become increasingly difficult to shoot as much as I once liked to. My absolute favorite thing is plinking. Hitting steel at random, or a bunch of clays spread out everywhere, that's the best!

While I don't think I'll completely leave the realm of firearms, I've definitely been giving thoughts to getting out of a lot of the extra parts of the hobby. Like reloading, and offloading a massive amount of stuff I've accumulated. I've definitely, over the years, downsized. Then again, downsized means completely different things to different gun owners, in other words, I still have plenty to downsize. Ironically, the ARs are first on the chopping block. I just don't shoot them as much.

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?

I have been kind of losing it due to Covid restrictions and the lack of being able to do much. We as a family have really been thinking about buying our first trailer of some sort. Camping and the thoughts of camping bring me peace of mind more now than going to the range. In time, that may change, but the inability to acquire reasonable priced 22lr has really taken its toll this go around. This gunpacolypse may be the straw that breaks this camels back.

Anyways, thanks for reading through this crazy guys thread. If you feel the need to be negative in this thread, please look up to the left on your browser and immediately click the back button!

Reno

I will take them, if you need to sell them at a steep discount!

 

[CountryGent]

The pandemic and current buying panic have had almost no impact on us with respect to firearms. Other factors have though. Those would be getting honest with myself about how much time I can devote to a given hobby, shifting priorities for preparedness, and a somewhat dramatically decreasing interest in the topic in general. The latter, candidly, I can't put my finger on. Just a general "meh". Though I still engage in projects, go on a theme/tangent and explore said, etc. The state of the collection has always been in flux, though I've noticed it has been more so in the last year or two. Rinse and repeat with no need to overthink it.

 

[msgriff]

10M air rifle will rise again. Or maybe it was .408 CheyTac, I can't remember.

 

[xtratoy]

I always thought I would sell off guns to supplement my retirement as I got older. Now with more restrictive laws on how you can sell your personal property and the additional fees that come along with them and finding someone actually wanting to buy a firearm they can't find or afford ammunition for make me wish I had bought into bitcoin instead. Now I just try to make sure I dont Pizz off any family members or neighbors and get red flagged by some azz hole.

 

[Used To Hunt]

I have been contemplating purchasing another compound bow to tame my need to launch projectiles at objects. I am assuming that group of people didn't have members who intentionally bought up all of the supplies to inflate the value, so they could then turn around and sale it back at extreme markups and not pay taxes on the profit.... Wanna take a wild guess at who is butt hurt by the mentality of the shooting community?

 

[OldBroad44]

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

Im 90% recreational when it comes to firearms. I carry more regularly lately, but that's about it. I don't LARP or attend training regularly like I once did ten to fifteen years ago. I compete less and less since Covid, and I shoot less and less. I have no more interest in run and gun competitions like 3 gun or USPSA. Speed steel is my jam, with that said I haven't attended as regularly as I once did.

My go to is 22lr. As you can imagine, that's become increasingly difficult to shoot as much as I once liked to. My absolute favorite thing is plinking. Hitting steel at random, or a bunch of clays spread out everywhere, that's the best!

While I don't think I'll completely leave the realm of firearms, I've definitely been giving thoughts to getting out of a lot of the extra parts of the hobby. Like reloading, and offloading a massive amount of stuff I've accumulated. I've definitely, over the years, downsized. Then again, downsized means completely different things to different gun owners, in other words, I still have plenty to downsize. Ironically, the ARs are first on the chopping block. I just don't shoot them as much.

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?

I have been kind of losing it due to Covid restrictions and the lack of being able to do much. We as a family have really been thinking about buying our first trailer of some sort. Camping and the thoughts of camping bring me peace of mind more now than going to the range. In time, that may change, but the inability to acquire reasonable priced 22lr has really taken its toll this go around. This gunpacolypse may be the straw that breaks this camels back.

Anyways, thanks for reading through this crazy guys thread. If you feel the need to be negative in this thread, please look up to the left on your browser and immediately click the back button!

Reno

I'm 75, and I downsized and specialized many years ago. I used to be into .22 target pistols, and had long guns as well as several .357s and .44s. Even a Glock 23 .40 at one point. There was a stage of decades when I bought and tried various guns and figured out what I liked. I discovered I can't shoot light guns well. So that eliminated the Glock 23 and all the J frame Smiths. I found that whenever anyone sees me in the woods with a long gun, they assume I'm a poacher. Including game wardens and deputies. Uncomfortable. So I carried handguns and the long guns got sold. Little by little I realized that I really dislike loading magazines, too. So I focused on high quality revolvers.

I did most of my shooting while hiking or camping solo. And for SD I want something more than .22. So to practice with a .22 while hiking or camping I had to carry the .22 and a .357 or .44 too. Since it was heavy target .22s I liked, this was a lot of weight. I ultimately sold off the .22s except for the Colt Woodsman Target I inherited from my mother.

I also found that I didn't get instant kills with .22s on predators such as possums or coons that came after my ducks. So for reasons of wanting more humane kills on small predators, I went to .357 for duck flock protection. I also discovered that for hunting deer or rabbits I like revolvers. So I dropped .22 as a caliber I shoot, and consolidated to .357 and .44 revolvers.

One thing I enjoy is becoming very knowledgeable about the various kinds of ammo available in 'my' calibers. For that, it helps a lot that I shoot only two calibers. (Or four, counting 38sp and .44sp.)

I'm interested in other categories of guns. But my hiking and camping days have been replaced by gardening and plant breeding. If I manage to get a farm where I can hunt deer on my own land, I might get a muzzle loader. Some of those are gorgeous. And the idea appeals. And I might get into shotguns too. So I enjoy reading about these kinds of guns.

The plastic high capacity semi autos sometimes tempt me, especially with riots happening. But so far, there are still a couple more .44s I want more than any of the plastic wonders. And every time I hear someone arguing about the need for high capacity, the perverse streak in me acts up and starts demanding a muzzle loader.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

And every time I hear someone arguing about the need for high capacity, the perverse streak in me acts up and starts demanding a muzzle loader.

Well I too can shoot with a "High Capacity"...I just need my truck to carry 'em all....
Andy

 

[arakboss]

The covid has been bothering me too and it has little to do with it's impact on gun or ammo supplies. Many have been using this virus to move agendas, seize control over our lives and spend money we don't have. I could completely abandoned my gun hobby and it wouldn't make me feel one bit better about where we are headed as a nation and a world.

 

[Uberhoo]

no 'LARP' lol - it sounds like you should find a new 'hobby'.

 

[Flymph]

The thought has crossed my mind and I have definitely spent a lot more time fishing recently. As much as I say I might move away, somehow I still keep finding time to shoot and still have plenty of ammo. My pops went the other direction and set up his reloading stuff for the first time in 20 some odd years. He's just trying to get it rolling to pump out some 9mm, but he also has the pressing concern that with a few of his guns one cannot simply find ammo for, and if you can, it's usually antique and collectible. Guns are also 90% hobby for me as well, so some of the projects I was planning to do have been delayed due to "all of this"... I will also admit that I get a wild hair for something and get a little obsessive with different hobbies for a while, the past year has been jetty fishing. I call it the "two year rut", it's how I've phased through diferent types of fishing and firearms. I imagine I will get more involved again once the world screws it's head back on.

 

[SCARed]

I went the other way. There are a couple calibers that ammo prices haven't really changed since before the pandemic. I bought one or two of those. Not that it's any cheaper, but I'm not feeling the need to go shoot my "common caliber" guns right now.

 

[OldBroad44]

I have to admit that my shooting has always been more recreational than strictly necessary. But I'm strongly motivated by the practical. Self defense against predators I'm likely to run in to-- bad humans, black bears, cougars, and feral or vicious dogs. (Not grizzlies or poisonous snakes, which we don't have.) Handgun hunting deer or rabbits. Protecting a duck flock against small predators-- possums, coons, skunks, and foxes + one black bear. And protecting precious garden vegetables against rabbits and gophers. So my practice focuses on guns useful to carry or use for those purposes.

But I have spent way more time learning about and practicing with guns than really necessary to fill my practical needs. Fact is, I have a strong drive to aim and throw things. When I was a kid it was mostly baseballs, basketballs, snowballs. As an adult , during periods when shooting wasn't available, I've even tried knife throwing, sling shots, and throwing thousands of marbles into buckets. But nothing satisfies like shooting guns. I speculate we humans, after millions of years of protecting and feeding ourselves with thrown weapons, now have a drive to aim and throw built into our very DNA. Its presumably usually stronger, on average, in males than females. But its pretty strong in some females too.

The indoor aiming/throwing game that really works for me is laser cartridges in my revolvers.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

My favorite kind of shooting is when my friend Dave would ask :

See that odd colored leaf / rock or stray expended shotgun cartridge / clay bird bit...See if you can hit that.
Easy and low key , but fun and challenging ...to try a hit a small object with one shot off hand ...

My friend Dave has since passed.....but the memories remain...as well as other friends who do this with me.
Memories like this , are a large part of why I won't give up my firearms.
Andy

 

[OrPackrat]

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.

 

[rick benjamin]

Wish I could be as organized in hobbies as I think I am in my mind. When the shelves emptied, I quit shooting, inventoried my stuff. All last year I watched the zombies burn down Portland, Seattle, etc. Glad I'm retired, don't have to go to work, drive around socially blocked freeways, etc. Free to wander Bimart and pretend to be witty. I did buy a Pat Marlin gas checker tool for .45. Managed to hit Bimart the same time as an ammo shipment, a brick of .22 and 9mm but no primers. My peers make fun of the White House residents. Feel concern about what 2021 and onward brings. Like the other times, time to hunker down, refresh camouflage, maintain a diminished low profile.

 

[308]

Just stay safe and you'll be safe....this man bellied up to the counter today being really safe and thanks to him, none of us died

 

[OldBroad44]

My favorite kind of shooting is when my friend Dave would ask :

See that odd colored leaf / rock or stray expended shotgun cartridge / clay bird bit...See if you can hit that.
Easy and low key , but fun and challenging ...to try a hit a small object with one shot off hand ...

My friend Dave has since passed.....but the memories remain...as well as other friends who do this with me.
Memories like this , are a large part of why I won't give up my firearms.
Andy

I would never give up my firearms because I've used them to save my bacon or that of an innocent stranger four times-- two home invasions and one accidental interruption of a burglar who charged me and skid to a halt screaming Lady, be cool with that gun! when a .44sp Charter Arms Bulldog instantly appeared in my hands. And I also once drove off a would-be rapist who attacked a woman in the parking lot behind a building where I had an apartment. no shots fired in any of these events. Only two even reported.

The second reason I would never give up my firearms is because of things that go bump in the night. Suspicious noises that turn out to be a rat trapped in a bucket. A bat in the house. Something real that is no threat. Without a gun, I'd be fearful checking out such stray noises. I'd feel helpless. I don't like feeling helpless. With a gun there's no fear. simply a routine cautious investigation. And there are way more things that go bump in the night than actual threats inside the home. So I "use" a gun to protect myself from being fearful and feeling helpless at least two or more times per year, even though at this point I live in a relatively safe neighborhood, and have not had to protect myself by drawing a gun against an actual threat in about three decades.