Shooting, or lack of it.

[Mike357]

I would consider whether you really want to shoot BP etc. Have a long hard think and decide what really interests you. What would you shoot every week if money/distance was no object? Focus on that and as you get older and earn more you can expand into other areas.

Have you looked at other clubs/facilities closer to you?

[Christel]

I have to add that I am very lucky in that I live with Ovenpaa who has the same shooting interests as I have so we talk for the world about shooting and reloading. On top of that we run our business so every day is taken up with shooting orders and dispatches. Imports and exports orders, we get to talk to loads of interesting people that way.

A trip to Bisley is some 4 hours return on the road for us, excluding queues, sometimes it has taken us 5 hours to get home!
We are both of the opinion that Bisley is a few times a year experience due to accessibility and time and the expense.

Our club shoots at Barton Road, Cambs, almost once a month, long range day, 1200 yards. Love it when I finally get to go. It is a 45 min drive the "right" way, easy traffic for us heading east. Thing is, I need to make sure I have reloaded, I shoot a wild cat so no buying ammo for me, that everything in the house with dogs and so on is ok for us both to leave the house for a whole day. Last shoot I did not go because I was out of powder so I could not reload, simply did not get to go somewhere to buy that magic powder in time. So I guess I go some 3-4 times a year which is not really enough but that is life. We normally go to DK and shoot for a week on top of that which we have not done this year and trust you me I can feel that. :lol:

I guess be diverse and get the interest covered with as many different aspects that you can get away with. It is not easy, I know.

[Burner]

Or are you all blattin’ off 2-300 round a week?

A Week? Thats during lunch mate.

[Christel]

Burner :lol: :lol:

[ovenpaa]

I Must admit I am struggling to get quality range time this year, I have still managed to shoot 1000/1200 most months this year so a few trips however finding the time is the real issue for both of us. I have only shot one 'proper' competition this year and that hurts as I should be out doing more and I know if I take a day out to reload followed by a day shooting I need to put some very long days in to catch the time up again. That applies to both of us.

[Sandgroper]

Shooting this year, for me, has been pretty poor and to be frank it hasn't been fun missing out on opportunities to go shooting. :cool2: However, I'll take any opportunity to go shooting I can. Anything from 25 - 600m, I don't care as long as shooting one (or all) of my rifles.

If I end up getting surgery on my legs (distinct possibly), I could be out of commission for up to 12 months for each leg! That's not including the possibility, that I'll could be trying to juggle getting surgery and going to uni over next few years. If the surgery goes 'pear shaped' and I can no longer shoot prone or get out in the field to knock over a few rabbits at least I'll be able to shoot at Milnain and shooting at 25m is better than not shooting at all.

Whatever happens over next few years I'll still be trying to fit some shooting in even if I have to use crutches to get to the firing point!

[dave_303]

I've had a bad time for the last 3 years,
Since being at uni I haven't had the time, especially since my Daughter was born. Back in the west country I used to shoot once or twice a week on a 25m indoor range, usually Sport Rifle and Gallery Rifle competitions, and then tried to do fullbore once a month on a 200m range which is perfect for my milsurps.

On the 25m range I could go through 300 rounds a week and the fullbore range maybe 100 round per shoot. Now though, I'm lucky if I can shoot once in every 3 months, and that's only .22, and around 50 rounds a night, and my semi-auto is broken and I haven't had the time or funds to fix it. I've now become involved with a shooting society at my university, been offered a committee position but turned it down (lack of time and fed up of committees after running the military history society for 2 years only to get stabbed in the back).

For me shooting has become very stale unless it's fullbore, however I do what I always did I stop for awhile and instruct, with the new Shooting Society I've been drafted in to give safety talks and instruction on how to shoot sport rifle and I've always enjoyed teaching

[Blackstuff]

I'm really lucky with my location as i have 3 indoor clubs within 25-30mins, a 100-300 and 100-600 outdoor range within 30mins, PSG grounds 15mins and 1hour away, at least 4 clay clubs within 10-40mins and a farm i can shoot vermin on 10 minutes away. The problem for me is time and money and lack there of. :roll:

As i've been competing more and more in PSG my rifle shooting has suffered and I usually dont get to my indoor club more than 2 times a month and outdoor is more like once every two months (although to be fair it only meets once a month). I haven't bought any .223/5.56mm at all this year and i think i've only bought 100rds of 308. However it comes down to what you enjoy most, and at the time being its PSG for me.

I'd also say i don't shoot my full-bore rifle calibre rifles competitively. Although i'm not a particularly competitive person being in competition with others does give me a buzz (especially when i win clapclap ) and it may be the lack of competition with the full-bore rifles that's keeping my interest in them lower than the other stuff.

Have a look to see if there are any mini-rifle comps within your club or nearby, it can breathe life into using a .22

[MartinS]

I shoot, just at a club at Bisley but can only really afford to shoot twice a month. Sometimes it just comes down to cost and its not the cheapest days fun! I feel your pain!!
My club seems just to shoot TR which is cool but I don't want to just shoot that all the time. Hopefully next season there be a bit more choice.
Maybe try something new to relight the spark!!

[techguy]

Martin, give PSG a try, there's a club about 30 minutes from you :)