High cost of shooting, what are you doing?

[Hammer]

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To reduce the high cost of shooting...

I have gone to mostly shooting 16 gauge early American side-by-sides like Winchester Model 21s, Parkers, and L C Smiths.

Prefer the short chambered ones when I can find them.

Am avoiding British, German, and Italian guns when I can.


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[Hammer]

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But avoiding those European side-by-sides is difficult.


You ever tried to buy an American-made 32 gauge ?

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[Apache]

Lol!

[JCalhoun]

Hammer,

I waved as you flew over but you didn't wave back. How you gonna act?

[Hammer]

JCalhoun,

Does Alabama stand a chance against that powerhouse Chattanooga ?

Hammer

[Hammer]

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Y'all notice that WalMart ain't stocking the wide variety of 10 gauge quail loads any more ?

Don't seem to able to find the lightweight 1-7/8 ounce #3 load any more.


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[JCalhoun]

Hammer,

I think the Tide can take them if we get tough and don't let our guard down. Will be rough game though.

We went to buy some low brass 10ga dove loads and they didn't have any. They claimed some fella out west with a Tennessee accent was cornering the market.

[Hammer]

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Was looking through one of the walk-ins a few weeks ago.

Came across three 10 gauges I had forgot about.

One was a 34-inch side-by-side choked Full and Extra-Full. Had some European name on it.

One 32-inch pump with an Extra-Full choke.

And one 30-inch semi-auto.

Wish I knew where my long-barreled tight-choked ones were so I could shoot some barn pigeons.

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[Hammer]

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JCalhoun,

When Florida State plays the Tide in January...

Who is the safe one for you to root for ?

Oh, did Alabama beat Mississippi State ?


Hammer

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[Hammer]

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Have you filed a complaint with MEC that they don't offer their hydraulic progressive loaders in 10 gauge ?

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[JCalhoun]

Hammer,

January is a long ways off and still a few games to be played.

[davemuzz]

None of that matters……tomorrow is the opening day of Pa. Black Bear firearms season!!! Yipee!! OTOH, in the interest of full disclosure I will admit this is the first year I've bot a bear license and the first year I've gone bear hunting. But, OTOH, I have my cart to haul it down the Mt. should I shoot it, I know where to take it to get it processed, and I know what to do with the bear rug when I get it home!! :)

Dave

[Hammer]

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Good luck on your bear hunt.

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[J.Baker]

I have found that the rare and elusive 4-gauge is the best medicine to use against a herd of charging field mice, but it's not so good for pheasants.

[davemuzz]

Was Pa. Black Bear hunting until about 1:00 today. That's about all I can do. Saw no bear, no coyote, no deer….but there was a bunch of guys out there and there was a bunch of piles of bear poop…so we know there are bears out there. But….those bears are sneaky….and fast….very very fast!! When I left no one (at lest in the section of mountain I was hunting) downed one yet. But, in the PM, that can all change. (BTW, there were bear sightings…but no bullet\bear connections)

My 1st time bear hunting. Different type of hunt and I had a good time!!

Dave

PS….True Story: I have used, with 100% success, 44 magnum shotshells with #6 shot over a pretty substantial amount of VV-N-110. Now, this is a much more stout load than your off the shelf revolver shotshell. At 5' it will cut a mouse not only in half…but into bit's and pieces. I know this as I nick-named one of the "target mice" "Little Jimmy". So, my song goes…"Little Jimmy the mouse, He's a permanete part of the house!" (That's 'cause when I shot little jimmy, behind him was a 2x4 wall stud where pieces of little jimmy flew deep into. And no one will ever be able to remove those tiny pieces)

[teele1]

fgw_in_fl Manatee Gun Club is a 1000 range east of Bradenton, Fl http://www.manateegunclub.com/
great place to shoot and great folks there

jim

[lal357]

We have 1000y F-Class at Pascagoula, MS (Moss Point actually) but I'm usually at work on those days.

got my wife talked into dropping me off there when she goes to see her sister in gauiter, ms. so if you see a big guy walking to your gates with a rifle case,spotting scope,mat and ammo i'm not homeless just want to shoot bad. lol
as for bama the auburn/bama game should be a good one

[JCalhoun]

lal,

Drop this member a line, SWGC JBMIII , and ask about shooting with us. He's the F-Class match director.

[bflee]

I guess I am lucky for an East coast shooter. I bought 31 acres 7 years ago and I have a 100 and 200 yard range about sixty feet from my back door. I also have a cousin three miles from my house who farms if I get the itch to shoot up to 550. That's the limit right now but I am sure some of the farmers around I grew up with would not have a problem with me shooting in some fields longer than that. I took it for granted until I realized some of the guys who come and shoot with me live on 1/2 acre lots or in town and cannot practice much. I am in Eastern NC and I am thankful I do have "free range".

[fgw_in_fla]

fgw_in_fl Manatee Gun Club is a 1000 range east of Bradenton, Fl http://www.manateegunclub.com/
great place to shoot and great folks there

jim

Belated thanks for the heads up. As of late, I use the Sebastian / Indian River Co. range for scope set up, rifle set up or if I just need a day of hanging out with other guys & shooting or talking guns. Sometimes we all stand in a half circle & solve world issues, too. For real applications and longer range shooting we've been going to our 400 acre swamp in Osceola Co. The power lines along the west prop line is where I made our 600yd shooting area. I'd like to cut in a longer section but I need to verify the prop line location first. I'm not 100% sure where ours ends & theirs begins.
Nice & quiet (until the shooting starts). No cell signal. Hogs running rampant.
It helps rejuvenate to soul.

[Rupe]

I reload and I have a 100, 200, and a 300 yard ranges just outside my front door and I.can aso shoot 1000 yards out my front door.as well.
But it is getting harder to shoot alot because the.gun.shops don't have.anything on their shelves. I was very lucky to snag 2 pounds of powder the other day, 1 of 4064 and 1 of 8208xbr. It was all they had. . I can't believe that the manufactures haven't been able to.catch up. It's been over a year esnse.the.great hoard of 2012/2013. Are people still hoarding? Ijust.can't figure out why we still can't buy anything off the shelf anymore??? And look at what a.brick of .22 LR's costs. Everyone is trying to make a fortune of of this. The prices are getting way high on everything when you can find it. Seems the gun stores are screwing the customers ( US ) over. I just don't get it. They will sale more reloading supplies if they put the prices back down to with in reason. $34.00 is what I paid for each pound of powder I bought the other day. Is it just me that thinks, things have gottin' out pf control? Please let me know if I'm wrong and that it's OK that $10.00 for a box of 50 remington Thunderbolts is right?
Sorry for the rant, but I am really getting sick of all this. We reload to save money but at the rate things are going maybe spending $30. for a box of .308 win. core lokes is cheaper then reloading. I haven't sat down and figured it out on paper. I just know I can't buy enough supplies to load very mean rounds and I have to drive 80 miles to my local gun shop to see what is on the shelf.
Oops ranting again. Sorry again,
Have a good day,
Rupe

[ShawneeB]

No it's not OK to pay $10 for a box of Thunderbolts. Boycott the people gouging other people and let them all sit on it, prices will come back down. Availability will rise in stores cause the gougers aren't camped at Wally world to clean out the 2X weekly delivery clerks let their buddies know about. Prices on Gunbroker are out of sight, ammo and guns. Used guns over MSRP taunting "with scope" that's not worth the screws or aluminum mounts it's stuck on with.

Just don't pay it. Shoot a muzzleloader, scrounge lead. 25# lots of Black Powder available many places and less than the fake stuff which is also available most anywhere. Shoot a flintlock and don't worry about caps although percussion caps and primers are coming back on shelves, some smokeless powders too.

Shoot a bow, a slingshot. Make an atlatl and darts, toss darts. Throw knives, hawks. It's all fun, can be friendly competition and saves some of your ammo. Make some of your stuff. I make bows, blowguns, atlatls, knives, slings, slingshots, tater cannae. That take more of your time, is fun too.

If you reload cast some boolits with gas checks and reduce your load.

Last, have faith it will get better and don't give up. Some things are made in big runs not constantly. They will come back:)

I'm a dealer and I refuse to gouge. I have some 22 stock I bought before the hoard and make 10%. I don't flash it, advertise it or sell it on GB. Locals know me and they know where to get it. If they buy a 22 at Wallys because they asked me and my price is $10 more ( I can't get wallys wholesale prices),,, then come back asking to buy 22 ammo from me?? Guess what.

[Rupe]

I do finish work on longbows and I hunt deer with one as well. I was lucky and got a lot of bullets, primers as well as a lot of reloading stuff at an estate auction 1 1/2 years ago so the o.ly thing I am short on is anything .270 win. and powder. I refuse to buy .22lr for such a price. I just am tired of this stuff. Glad to hear you are not scalping customers and I agree not selling to those that go to Wally's then want you to do them a favor. Kick them to the curb!
I thought we would be back to normal by now, but in my area it just isn't.happening. I like going to my local gunshop which the closest one is 80 miles away. I want them to get the money but they aren't getting products in and are having to do the samething your doing and only putting outso much a day so others will have a.chance at getting something too. Some places have gone to limiting.what tou can buy. That is great in my book! Until this is over stop letting the few rich get all the goods!
Any way I won't give up, I like our sport to much to do that, but no one needs 20,000 rounds of ammo for each gun they have.
Thank you for the encouragement!
Rupe

[ShawneeB]

Rupe. You're welcome and encouragement goes both ways, thanks On keeping the faith I did deal with one person on GB refused to gouge on powder and picked up a few pounds various shotgun and pistol powder (avg $20#) last year when it was even worse. He was pleased when I said "one of each, leave some for someone else".

I'm seeing the powder get a bit better, primers too. Limits to 1 or 2# sometimes on rifle powder online but least it's not "out of stock, no backorders". 22lr, darn near impossible local or wholesalers, 22 wmr is just as bad and none around here. May find a box of 06 or 223 but anything else, forget it. I have had 22 ammo on backorder at Zanders for a year and that was the one or 2 brands they said are replenishing the fastest (aguila was one)

Nah, never been one to gouge, even since a kid. Just not right. I got a bug about all the wally shoppers, yea OK save a buck economys hard. But then the same smart shoppers shouldn't complain all the small gunshops have disappeared, can't find a local gunsmith on and on. Get a good cup of coffee and sensible firearms related conversation at wallys counter?

Yea they were rationing 22 at one gunshop. I had to laugh, boxes of 50 split up into multiple little ziplocs, 2 per customer!

[Rupe]

I miss the local gunshops and gunsmiths. There all most all gone anymore. Trying to find the old guys that ran small shops out of their houses and were good funsmiths to boot is ery rare. I live outside a small community and there isn't anyone around.that I know of that is a true smith. The closest smith I know of is 2 hours away. The Wally type stores and the.batf have run them out of business. They just can't make enough to support them selves trying to compete with gun sales from.a.chain.store. Heck there's no way a.small shop.can.sell guns as.cheap.as.a.Wally's, like you said you can't get the discounts due to volume wholesale buys like.the Wallys.can get. If the.wholesalers would.givee.the little guys.the same price they could keep the doors open and then I would.have a place to go and drink coffee and.talk.guns het GOOD advise etc. it just isn't the same anymore. That "Ol' might dollar" is to important to the manufactor and the wholesalers. But.as.thwy say.the world is a changing! Not much we can do about it but try to keep the little guys open by spending just a little more and support them. You can get it.back in good deals and free.coffee and free advise and sometimes.even a little free labor. I am afraid I don't trust rhe guy behind the counter at wallys . No doubt I would end up with a broken gun or a trip to.the.ER room.
Sort of got of track, but I guess it's all related short supply, the.big buyers get the first filled orders and.the.little guy gets kust enough to keep them appeased. Maybe? It's just a bummer that we can't all work together. The customers, the small and large stores, wholesellers and of courae.the manufacters when panic hits. Just everyone stop and take a breath and see what we can all do to help our sport and keep everyone going and happy. Oops! Just slipped into a day dream! LOL
I just hope that the selves will be full again soon. I'm going to need more then just powder here pretty quick. And I am trying to not have to pay hazmat fees and to keep my cash in my own community. I don't care for buy on line all that much, NO FREE COFFEE online! LOL
Rupe
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