Shooting Rotation Of Your Gun Collection?

[boattail]

Unless you know something I don't there are no Prarie dogs in oregon. I think Colorado is the closest state and I've seen them first hand in South Dakota. Never had the chance to squeeze the trigger on one....yet

These are actually Beldings squirrels.

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

This week's rotation is hunting rifle tune up, so I do not have to be with the big crowd trying to get it done. This way I can take my time and get everything dialed in.

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

Unless you know something I don't there are no Prarie dogs in oregon. I think Colorado is the closest state and I've seen them first hand in South Dakota. Never had the chance to squeeze the trigger on one....yet

Heck yea tons on the plains we used to get after them with Mosin 91/30's when you could get them for $49 and about the same price for a can of ammo. Those cheap suckers are surprisingly accurate with irons !

 

[Tlock]

Oh ya sage rats! I've never shot those either....I get invites ever year but that's my busy time for work, bear season. Gotta keep the timber company's happy

 

[Old Dog]

What percentage of your firearm collection sees range time at least once a year?

If it's a low percentage, why?

Great question, and it made me realize I'm not observing "equity" in my collection (shame on me). I'm gonna go with 75 to 80 percent. And I have way too many firearms.

I try to have regular "range theme days" where, for example, one week I'll only take a few 1911s to the range, another day, only revolvers, the next time DA/SA autopistols, then maybe some striker-fired poly-framed pistols... If'n the weather cooperates, and I'm outdoors, maybe a weekend with only lever-action rifles, next time all ARs (uh, only got three), then some bolt-action game rifles.

Gotta say, I never do exclusively .22 LR at any session, but I usually end with some .22 'cause by the end of a couple hours of sustained shootin' the wrists are aching.

So I'd say that in a given year, I probably only shoot about 80% of my firearms. Which means that my accumulation (not really a collection, as I have no "theme" and am all over the map as far as what I own) is totally out of control.

Seems the guns I shoot most are those in my carry rotation (yeah, I'm one of those a$$hats), SIG P-series pistols and 1911s. Followed by my favorite CZ-75 variants, Berettas, S&W and Colt revolvers. Then on to the more obscure and less useful stuff (mouseguns, silly guns, useless calibers, long guns that I picked up only 'cause they seemed interesting at the time but have been superceded by technology),

 

[clanhanson]

Where in the hell are you shooting prairie dogs? They are on my bucket list

Go to ND and you'll have ranchers/farmers begging you to take care of their gophers!

 

[titsonritz]

I rotate my guns according to use.

 

[L84Cabo]

I love them all the same and shoot all of them equally!

*quietly tip toes over and closes the door so they can't hear...they're very sensitive*

I do have my favorites and they get shot more...cause ammo is expensive. And I tend to shoot my carry gun more because it's the one that matters the most. I'm really not shooting my SA/DA guns much these days. I wouldn't ever get rid of them. But strikers and 1911's just appeal to me more.

 

[arakboss]

Newbie still likes to shoot but is tapering off.

100% of collection (less some 70-80 year old inherited pieces) are shot annually.

I recently started a 3 ring binder to keep track of the dates I shoot each firearm, how I liked it, did it cycle? and accuracy.

More bing bangs on the way so I will have to stay active with it.

The binder is a good idea. I was thinking that I need to pull out every firearm I own and record it in a book or two. In case of theft or fire that info may come in handy.

 

[TTSX]

The binder is a good idea. I was thinking that I need to pull out every firearm I own and record it in a book or two. In case of theft or fire that info may come in handy.

I don't think that book is gonna help much of the guns are melted...

 

[arakboss]

I don't think that book is gonna help much of the guns are melted...

One book could be kept off site?

 

[gmerkt]

Sometimes I think I don't get to shoot as often as I'd like to. Weather has a lot to do with it. I like to shoot in nature and getting out into it is a bit of a drive for me. I don't like doing it in bad weather. I'm a life member at an outdoor range, but it's situated in a river flood plain and is seasonal, closed from about Nov. through April or so. On the other hand, when I am able to get in a number of shooting trips, I start to get tired of doing it. So it balances out over a year's time, I guess.

Like others have stated, some guns sit for years without being fired. Others get frequent outings. I nearly always take an AR because I have scads of .223 ammo to use up before I die. I don't have any regular rotation.

My grandson Anthony likes to go on shooting trips, so he is sometimes inspiration for me to get going. One of my sons-in-law has shown an interest lately and asked me to take him out and "show him how to shoot." So I guess we'll be doing that in a couple of months or so.

 

[Ruger Rich]

For years there were good places, safe places to shoot up the Clackamas. Also a really neat place up the Molalla River road. All

gone now due to slides, road closures and fires. Those times were good for me. I shot a bunch of different guns and ammo was

available and affordable. I've got a pile of guns that must feel pretty lonesome nowadays. The last few years are finding me shooting

the rifles I hunt with and the pistols for home defense. That's about it. I have a few guns I've never shot. And yes, I really miss the

old times.

 

[washagonian]

Fun topic and post thread.

I cycle through all my firearms pretty regularly, and I have multiple dozens of them. (Mostly a handgun guy.) I hit the range at least once a week, and sometimes twice if I'm lucky. It seems that on almost every trip I've got 5 or 6 weapons to shoot.

Since about 2015 I've been culling duplicate form-factors of firearms and purchasing other form-factors that I didn't have, but which I wanted. E.g., got rid of a bunch of striker fire duplicates in 22, 40, 9, 45, etc. and purchased some older SA/DA pistols, which is a form-factor I love to shoot (cut my auto-pistol teeth on 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen S&W's). Also increased my collection of 1911's.

Since the pandemic I've been more focused on acquiring firearms that I know I want to shoot. So, they all actually get to the range quite often.

I recently started a 3 ring binder to keep track of the dates I shoot each firearm,

I have been doing something similar to @Jay Walk's shooting-log binder system since I retired and had the time to shoot A LOT MORE - but mine's an Excel spreadsheet.

I started doing this so I could track my round counts. Also, I didn't want to clean a firearm (especially handguns and pistol caliber carbines) every time I went to the range and shot 50 to 100 rounds, as they don't need to be cleaned that often.

So I track the round counts and when a weapon hits 500 rounds I do a thorough field strip and cleaning. I always run a bore snake through a firearm after a range trip, but I don't do a full field-strip and cleaning until the 500 round mark.

Rifles are a different matter, depending on caliber, form-factor, etc.

Reloading takes some of the financial sting out of the cost of shooting a lot and I am fortunate enough to have the time to reload every caliber I shoot.

Cheers.

 

[sikhed]

House full of kids and grandkids.
I work at a hospital long hours, sometimes on my day off.
Any chance to get away, and run to the BLM and do some shooting is a rare and blessed occasion

 

[xtratoy]

Have you ever decided to go shooting and look through your gun safes to decide what to take and just end up closing them because you couldn't decide? I used to take a several guns with me, but now limit it to maybe 3.

 

[orygun]

The safe is not large, but it's full. There have been instances where I didn't want to unload the whole safe to get to a gun to take shooting.

I can't remember when I took more than 3 or 4 out to shoot. Usually only that many when my grandson goes with.

 

[Aero Denezol]

I try to hit the range at least once a week. ARs and 9mm handguns get shot frequently, shotguns and 22s a few times a year, WWII stuff maybe once a year.

 

[CLT65]

I don't have any kind of rotation. I shoot just for fun, and take whatever strikes my fancy. My interests are eclectic and change over time.

I used to feel an obligation to shoot guns that hadn't been out in a while, then one day realized that was silly.

I have a number of hunting rifles but don't know why. I haven't hunted in 25 years, and am highly unlikely to ever hunt again. I never really cared for it, just not my thing, but I can't bring myself to get rid of them either.

 

[Kruel J]

@arakboss you might be better off skipping more guns and paying off your debt. You don't shoot most of them apparently so why keep buying on credit?