Does anyone actually shoot anymore???

[nolaradio]

I'm a member of a few guns & ammo groups on Facebook. I've noticed on there, and also in the classifieds here, that the majority of firearms up for sale have not been shot much, if at all? I can understand a firearm not being shot at all, especially recently. How many people went out when this panic buying started and bought up any gun they could get their hands on hoping to flip it for a profit? It make sense that a lot of those guns haven't even seen the light of day. But what I don't understand is why a person would list a gun for sale and state that only "13 rounds down the barrel". Saw this listed for a "pristine" Ruger 10/22. Think about it. The factory magazine holds ten rounds. So someone shot one magazine and then only reloaded three more rounds in it? Maybe I'm the only one who finds that weird.

I've seen other firearms for sale where the seller states that only 6, 12, or something weird like 28 rounds shot through the barrel. Why wouldn't you just shoot a whole box of ammo? I mean if you're going to make a trip to the range, why not get your money's worth and spend enough time there to shoot a whole box of ammo?

I'll admit that I am a recent gun owner. I've been fascinated with guns my whole life but never took to plunge and purchased my own. Always shot guns that belonged to relatives or friends. The political climate in February pushed me to finally purchase my own. My son and I have shot over 2,000 rounds of .22, 1,000 rounds of 9mm, 600 rounds of 12 gauge and 500 rounds of .45. I just don't get it.

There's got to be some of these sellers that are truly not happy with their gun purchase for whatever reason and that is why they are selling it. But can you really say after only one or two magazines of ammo you don't like the gun? Maybe I'm missing something but I just don't get it. Or maybe it's just as simple as all these guns were bought with the intent of reselling them at a profit.

Okay, rant over.

 

[Gator 45/70]

Rule #1,People will lie about gun's, car's, truck's, and how much wang they have been slinging around town.

 

[LACamper]

Meh... people lie about everything...

I know I haven't been shooting much lately. Ammo is too scarce and expensive to go waste right now.

 

[headspace]

Rule #1,People will lie about gun's, car's, truck's, and how much wang they have been slinging around town.

Haha! You right Gator. But like the OP figures, cost and availability of ammo, people buying guns that ain't had no bidness buying guns... They play a part too I'm certain. As for me, I try to shoot like ammo grows on trees, but I been stocking up for years. And I don't feel like I get enough time to shoot like I want. I have a few guns that I absolutely don't shoot, which is prolly a sin, but I'm a sinner.
I've never shot this one

Or this one

And a few more, so if I ever get ready to sell them I can honestly say that often repeated phrase, "never been fired"
With a clear conscience.....but then again

 

[Gator 45/70]

Man, Those are some NICE lever gun's you have there !

Haha! You right Gator. But like the OP figures, cost and availability of ammo, people buying guns that ain't had no bidness buying guns... They play a part too I'm certain. As for me, I try to shoot like ammo grows on trees, but I been stocking up for years. And I don't feel like I get enough time to shoot like I want. I have a few guns that I absolutely don't shoot, which is prolly a sin, but I'm a sinner.
I've never shot this one

Or this one

And a few more, so if I ever get ready to sell them I can honestly say that often repeated phrase, "never been fired"
With a clear conscience.....but then again

 

[Jack]

I shoot, its more of a matter of time than ammo though.

 

[nolaradio]

Meh... people lie about everything...

I was actually thinking of that point but forgot to bring it up in my post.

 

[nolaradio]

I shoot, its more of a matter of time than ammo though.

My time is scarce too. I try to make every trip to the range count. I prefer the Honey Island range. So for me to drive from Mandeville to the range I plan to shoot a few hundred rounds.

 

[sandman7925]

Haha! You right Gator. But like the OP figures, cost and availability of ammo, people buying guns that ain't had no bidness buying guns... They play a part too I'm certain. As for me, I try to shoot like ammo grows on trees, but I been stocking up for years. And I don't feel like I get enough time to shoot like I want. I have a few guns that I absolutely don't shoot, which is prolly a sin, but I'm a sinner.
I've never shot this one

Or this one

And a few more, so if I ever get ready to sell them I can honestly say that often repeated phrase, "never been fired"
With a clear conscience.....but then again

Well, what's you're asking price?

Nice rifles

 

[Jack]

Well, what's you're asking price?

Nice rifles

Don't hold your breath waiting on a response.

 

[JNieman]

I've gotten rifles before with big plans and dreams for what to do with them. Only to discover I don't have the time or energy to do what I planned, or things changed. I bought a 338 Federal bolt gun a couple years ago. I've only shot enough to zero one scope, put a new scope on and zero it, and then shoot a few rounds of a different bullet weight to how they did. Probably 3 boxes through it, partial box on the last one. I bought it used so no telling what was in it before, other than a pristine bore. Just... **** changes. I've a trade pending on the bolt gun after I decided it collected enough dust. I use other guns for what I wanted it for, now.

 

[flamatrix99]

I try to shoot on Weds nights at Baker and go to the matches but lately other things in life have gotten my attention. Ammo has not been an issue for myself. I have been able to locate reloading components or I have horded enough factory ammo.

 

[1911Dave]

Time and moving to a new house has been my only constraint lately. Living close to Nicks was the only good thing about living in Laplace when I was there. Ammo isn't an issue. I have more than enough reloading components and have tons or .22 , .223, and 7.62x39.

 

[Ellis1958]

There are gun owners and there are shooters. The vast majority are in the former, I'm in the latter.

Take the hunter who picks up a 20 round box of 30-30. Goes to the range and fires 3 shots to verify the zero of the scope. Heads afield and with 5 more shots on a bad season takes his deer. Seasons over he cleans his rifle and puts the 12 rounds away for next season. Happens more often than you think.

Take the guy who bought a Glock for 'self defense'. Put maybe 100 rounds through it. Figures out that handgun shooting isn't as easy as it looks. Due to his priorities he doesn't make an effort to go to the range on a regular basis to improve his skills. For this guy 100 rounds is a stockpile. Tens of thousands in this group. Or the CCW holder who hasn't shot since they qualified 4 years ago. Really. Saw that in one of my requal classes.

Then there are those like me. I got beyond the shoot-to-make-noise phase a very long time ago. Now I'm very much into marksmanship. Did Trap shooting for a while. Made it to middle C class. Try to shoot USPSA when I can. Did an Appleseed workshop and fine tuned my rifle skills and now practicing for my first High Power match. Shooting is a perishable skill and you have to practice it to at least maintain the skill level. For me shooting answers my inner competitor. I'm always looking for that tighter group, 25 straight, and faster splits.

My opinion is that to bring people to the range they have to have a purpose. Just going and sending rounds more or less downrange gets boring very quickly. A great way to shoot and measure your skill against a standard is the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program. Been doing this for years. Besides practice for formal competition I've used the courses of fire to test my skill against a standard. For example the Handgun Qualification is not that hard in .22LR at 30ft on a D1 target but try it with a .38spl revolver at 15ft on a D2 target. That D2 target is small and has no black bullseye. Keep track of your scores and mark your progress.

Of course there's formal competition. Whether it's the clay targets games, run and gun pistol, or rifle courses of fire there is always something for you to practice on. Or another way to look at it. You suck at something so go out, work on it, and suck less at it.

To the guns themselves, I always look at round count with a skeptical eye. Yeah I've seen those guns with odd low round counts and say to myself 'OK it's probably less than 500 so the gun isn't broken in yet' and buy accordingly.

Even myself had a safe queen. Bought an AR-10 platform rifle 4 years ago when BHO got elected. Sat in the safe for 4 years without a single round going through it. When BHO got elected the second time I drug it out and broke it in. Found out it's a 3/4" at 100yd gun. Now working up loads for it.

 

[andimthejr]

I'm more of a shooter/collector/precise noise maker kinda guy I don't really hunt but occasionally I'm invited and accept so while I do have guns that never leave the safe except maybe yearly and to be cleaned I try and that's what counts right?

 

[JadeRaven]

I haven't shot in months.

I actually have been to the range twice without shooting as the range was slam packed both times. Once I just walked out. The other time I gave my spot in line to my friend who just bought his wife a gun and was teaching her how to shoot. Right now I don't have the time, and really now is a good time to not shoot much with ammo unavailable and prices through the roof. I only paid .10/rd or .20/rd for my ammo but I know replacing it would cost double or triple that.

As far as near-new guns being shot, many people buy a gun on a whim and later decide they'd rather have the money. For a lot of people, $500, $600, $1,000 is a ton of money to have parked in a gun, and many gun owners have less than that in their checking and savings account. Selling a gun they bought a few months ago or a year ago gives them another half a paycheck of tax-free "income" whether or not they had a profit or loss. Then there are some folks who just habitually buy and sell guns all the time. Some make money and some don't but once you subtract the cost of your time you rarely make any money as a non-FFL.

And finally many people buy guns just because they like to have a gun. Shooting it is unimportant to them. Personally I enjoy shooting but I don't believe I require weekly or monthly range trips to remain proficient with a rifle or a pistol for my purposes, as I am not in the military nor am I trying to be some super trooper. Shooting is realistically for me a recreational activity.

 

[andimthejr]

Also where I live the closest range is indoors and I feel like I'm breathing lead the whole time I'm there but every chance we go visit family in Mississippi I bring a few out to shoot watermelons, coins, and other "targets"

 

[SGT_Kramer]

I know I'm a bad impulse buyer at times and have taken guns home only to say ... Why the hell did I buy that. I've also bought guns off people that bought them without being able to afford it after the fact. I in turn sold them unfired as I had no personal interest in the gun but I know a good deal when I see one and could always use extra buck or 2. I often see people buy something they can't afford and not realize it until wife ask for the bill money few days afterwards... Happens a lot. That's how I figure pawn shops stay in business.

 

[bayougump]

Haha! You right Gator. But like the OP figures, cost and availability of ammo, people buying guns that ain't had no bidness buying guns... They play a part too I'm certain. As for me, I try to shoot like ammo grows on trees, but I been stocking up for years. And I don't feel like I get enough time to shoot like I want. I have a few guns that I absolutely don't shoot, which is prolly a sin, but I'm a sinner.
I've never shot this one

Or this one

And a few more, so if I ever get ready to sell them I can honestly say that often repeated phrase, "never been fired"
With a clear conscience.....but then again

That's a purty gun;-)

 

[Coonie]

That bottom one looks like the first version of the John Wayne commemorative chambered in 32-40win. Did you get the leather scabbard with that wall mount?

Haha! You right Gator. But like the OP figures, cost and availability of ammo, people buying guns that ain't had no bidness buying guns... They play a part too I'm certain. As for me, I try to shoot like ammo grows on trees, but I been stocking up for years. And I don't feel like I get enough time to shoot like I want. I have a few guns that I absolutely don't shoot, which is prolly a sin, but I'm a sinner.
I've never shot this one

Or this one

And a few more, so if I ever get ready to sell them I can honestly say that often repeated phrase, "never been fired"
With a clear conscience.....but then again