An informal inquiry...

[Dave McCracken]

Some of the stalwarts here and Your Humble Scrivener have been espousing the concept of expertise through practice.

Some folks don't agree, and seem to depend on technology more.

IMO, nothing beats practice and frequent use of a shotgun, IF we're not just practicing bad habits.

So, I'd like to ask a few questions, and hope all folks here respond and respond honestly.

First, how long have you been shotgunning?

Second, what do you think is your lifetime total number of shells fired?

Third, how much did you shoot in the last year?

Fourth, how many shotguns have you owned and how many do you own right now?

Thanks, and to get the ball rolling....

Since 1958 at least.

At least 50K.

Maybe 5K. I use up 1000 primers every 6 to 7 weeks right now.

Owned maybe 15 in my life, and had a few others on long term loan.

There's 7 here, but two are for the kids. The other 5 are all 12 gauge 870s.

This ought to generate some real world data and some discussion...

Thanks again...

 

[Darrin]

First fired a shotgun around 1983, got first shotgun in 2003.

Total shots: Approx. 3000

Shots this year: Approx. 2800

Shots to come: many

 

[M Jager]

Started when I was 8, am 20.5 now.
Total lifetime shell count, I don't know, don't want to know, but its alot.
Last year, maybe 3-4 K, but due to job constraints I didn't get to shoot at all over the summer.

 

[sm]

Born in '55

Started:

exposed to as a kid, dunno age, brat tho'. Always it seems. Shooting picked up in Jr. High, ball got rolling pretty good after HS graduation in '73, a few years later went nuts! I was doing upwards and I do remember records kept indicating 25 K rds a year in 12 ga alone for a few years. Discovered the sub gauges, got a 3 bbl set and competed for years. Brain fade, but seems like age 28 was a "revelation' in my life for a bunch of stuff, shotguns , competition, ranges...was a big big part of it.

Lifetime total: I have no idea..."bunch".

Last year:

I dunno 4 or 5 cases - maybe? See I quit competion to go back to school and a bunch of life changes a number years back. I was 'pulled' back from previous years from "retirement" to help teach students, and CCW...buddy of mine opened his big mouth and I helped with guard training more and, students...well some are/were gamers...I really wanted to focus on newbies, especially the ladies and kids. [ I really like the ladies and kids and that aspect of it] This has all ceased, with the private range closing ...I miss the kids , the ladies , newbies and all...

With schedule, I haven't reloaded in a bit, other than to set up a new reloader for a student/newbie. I've been using up "some stores". New ammo was bought either because donated, supplied...and against my ranting/arguements...payment because I wouldn't take any payments for anything I did. " To keep it-give it away"

Oh, new ammo hulls went to newbies and such, I really had no place to store per se', and it is better for the newbies to have a starting stash.

See many gave so I could learn in my younger days...just returning the same with a bit more interest- was my theory- I guess.

Gee Dave, I do sound like a curmudgeon, a relic and old fart...thanks a LOT !!

 

[TIMC]

I shot my first shotgun in 1967, parents gave me my first gun in 1969 (a .410 bolt action shotgun). I would not even try to guess how many shells I have emptied since then. I do get out to the range at least twice a month and average 150 rounds of 12 gauge each time. I would say my yearly average is between 3000 - 4000 rounds.

I also agree to be a good shot you need a little coaching and a lot of practice.

My current shoguns:

Browning Citori XS Sporting 12 gauge

Beretta AL391 28" syn. 12 gauge

Huglu SxS mod. 202A 12 gauge

 

[HSMITH]

I am a relative newbie to shotgunning. I started shooting shotguns in the service in 1990. I took it up "seriously" the year I got out, and went nuts with it for about 6 years of " hardcore" shooting and have slacked off since.

So my stats would read:

1) 13 years

2) Somewhere well above 200K but probably less than 300K

3) This one is embarrassing, less than 200

I would like to ask how many shotguns you have had and how many your currently inventory for question #4 if you don't mind Dave.

4) I have owned over 25 for sure that I can count right now, and currently have 5 that "made the grade".

I have phases where certain disciplines and/or weapons are my focus. For the last year I have been shooting about 2500-3000 rounds per month of centerfire pistol ammo........

 

[45Badger]

1) First shotgun in 1990

2) Thousands, no real idea

3) 500 ? maybe more?

4) Current inventory-

12ga-
Rem 18" 870 for fun and HD
BPS

20ga-

Rem 1100
Rem 870
BPS


28ga-
BPS


May be another kicking around in there somewhere, but can't recall. Most guns have multiple barrels for birds, deer, etc.

It's fun, they go "bang!", and things break!

As for practice, if I have not been shooting for a few moths, I lose 5 birds on trap, and won't bother with skeet. Get's pretty ugly.

From 1992-1995 (before I had kids, and work didn't eat up so much time) I probably shot 100 rounds a day, at least 4 days a week from late spring thru early fall. I got prety good. Now I'm old and tired, or so my kids tell me.

 

[Edward429451]

1) I', not a shotgunner par se, but have been shooting them and been around them since maybe 1970 or so.

2) Hmm. 5 or 10K?

3) 300 to 500 rounds.

4) I've owned five (Win1200, Sears Single shot, StreetSweeper, Rem11/87, Rem870WM) own one and have three in the house which include 870WM 12, 870EY 20, Eastern Arms Single 20.

 

[mattjoe]

expertise cannot be purchased, however, some shortcomings can be made up for through technology. Nothing beats practice.
shotgunning since 1991
Lifetime total number of shells, 200/weekend x12yrs= 124,800, may as well round up to somewhere around 127,000 due to summer skeet leagues and 3gun matches.
shot in last year- approx 10,000
shotguns owned-4

 

[M Jager]

Forgot to answer on what shotguns I have had part:
Have shot about everything, owned 7.
Started out with dad's old Ithaca 37.
2nd was a Browning BPS which I later sold.
Got another Ithaca (an 87) to have one with a three inch chamber
Got a Citori that I ended up selling to purchase an Super X2 for a G.F.
Got a nova between the Citori and the X2, eventually bought a deer barrel for it.
Couldn't take the memories tied up in the X2 and traded it on a Beretta 390 Super Sporting. (best trade I have ever made)
Currently have the 2 Ithacas and 4 barrels that fit either, the nova and the 390, another Ithaca 37 that I am refinishing for a friend, and a model 12 that belongs to another friend.

 

[kudu]

Started shooting shotguns about 1982 while I was still in school. Probably put somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 to 300 thousand rounds down range since then. The last few years have been kinda slim in the shooting department but I think this last year I may have only shot about 2500 targets. Priorities, family first. As far as shotguns I think I have about twenty shotguns sitting around. Got to remember I also like rifles and handguns.

I also reload for everything I shoot except the 10 ga shotgun, this includes all the rifle and pistol calibers. Four MEC Grabbers and about 25 sets of dies for cartridges.

I am not as good as I was when I shot registered skeet in the early nineties but I stil can put the occassional 100 straight together in the skeet fields. About half of my shooting is just screwing around shooting skeet from the hip to let off a little tension. Trap shooting is OK and I usually average about a 23 from any yardage and sporting clays I almost always shoot in the mid 90s on an average field. So even with the limited amount of shooting I do I can still compete, but it was the few years that I shot 20 to 30 thousand rounds that really honed my skills.

 

[MagKnightX]

Vaguely since 2000, though I've only been twice, although that will be fixed very soon.

My precise total is 55 shells, though that will be fixed very soon.

Overall? Several thousand rounds, mostly 9mm parabellum and .22 LR. Shotgun? 50 rounds.

One shotgun, with another in the household. Both bought last sunday night.

... I'm new to the sport.

 

[Ala Dan]

Great post Dave!

While I've been involved with guns for many, many years
I have not owned very many shotgun's. Most (maybe 4)
were variations of the excellent Remington 870 Wing-
master. I can recall an old single shot that I owned, a
12 gague made by F.I.E. (Laughing Really Loud). The
other was one of those import side-by side 12 gague
Browning's.

The one that I finally settled on will surprise you! I do
not hunt, so my one and only need for a good shotgun
would be for home D'. With that said, my choice is the
very user friendly Remington 870 Marine Magnum. And
the NIB price was right, $379.88 out-the door. I have
not, and will not wavier from this decision; as it has
performed flawlessly!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Zeke Menuar]

One Year
Two Shotguns. Western Field 550A and a Winchester M1897. Both rescues from gun cabinet purgatory.

I have a friend down the freeway that has his own thrower. I get down there to try to beat him whenever I can(not very often). I think I am getting my own thrower for Christmas but I am not sure about that.

I also spend a lot of time shooting slugs at pop-cans, paper plates and milk jugs filled with water. Pure unadulterated useless fun. There is something about lobbing a projectile 3/4" in diameter that is really cool.
The M1897 is really good at chasing cans across the gravel pits. Better than the Western Field. I can see why the CAS guys like the M97 so much.

No idea how many shells in the last year. 750-1000? I hit the gravel pits at least twice a month.
Lifetime. Don't know 1000+?

ZM

 

[Ringer]

I have had an interest for sometime but never got to shotgunning until earlier this year. Wanted a shotgun for Home Defensive purposes and I'll admit the super tactical looking ones caught my eye. I settled for a plain 26" barrel pump for my first and later bought a 18.5" for HD. Both mine are still pretty much as they came out of the box. I do have a Surefire forend coming for the HD gun. I have just recently decided that I am just about ready to start keeping one in HD ready fashion. Right now they both remain locked up in my gun closet. My primary means of live fire practice has been sporting clays.

I'd like to thank you "stalwarts" for promoting practice practice practice. While technology may enhance it down the road, it certainly is no replacement. I actually stumbled upon THR while searching for shotgun info, boy did I hit the motherload


First, how long have you been shotgunning?
About 9 months

Second, what do you think is your lifetime total number of shells fired?
1200-1500

Third, how much did you shoot in the last year?
1200-1500

Fourth, how many shotguns have you owned and how many do you own right now?
2

 

[sm]

Ala Dan
Hello my friend, don't see you in shotguns often -welcome sir. 870 Marine Mag...hey, you always show good taste, cool head, and if I know you, you can sure use that thing!

Ringer, and other new shooters...you guys are well on the right path. FWIW, you guys teach by asking questions...keep asking questions please. I still have a lot to learn...Thanks go to you persons just geting into/renewing interest in shotguns.

Steve

 

[P95Carry]

sm's distant but right hand (tho senior!!) curmudgeon here!!!

I cannot match most figures here ... seeing as shotgunning never numero uno.

First own shotgun tho ..... 1976 I think .. so 27 years ... that was (and still have it) a S/S 12G ''Sable'' .. Spanish non eject ... got purely for game shooting.

Lifetime shells? Oh hell ... so on and off. Maybe 20 -30k by now.

This year gone? very sporadic ..... until a local club doing trap in summer evenings . then doing 50 -100 per week. So maybe total a mere 1k.

Have 4 shotties at present ... the Sable I mentioned, an old beater ''Laurona'' O/U 12G, a Mossy 500 in 20G and a Baikal 12G .. my current trap gun. Sold my beloved Citori Hunter early this year ... had to go (sob!) ... one of them expedient things. Also way back had a (No-name) .410 single shot folder .. long gone. Think that's it.

One club I shot at quite a lot with my son - trap and skeet - had to go to steel ... still go there now and again but .. cos local club is OK for lead .. back to reloading. I think next year will see much more ''useage''.!

 

[sm]

grumble grumble, " stalwart", " curmudgeon"," plankowner", " pain in the ...err neck"...just a few names I'm referred to --Art's Grammaw won't allow for the others...mumble grumble....

 

[romulus]

Sigh....

In the past year I've de-tacticalized all my firearms, for the reason Dave touched on...this false sense of security imparted by technology, or more accurately the trappings of technology. Black plastic furniture, gloworm sights, extended mags, sidesaddles, etc...

The only thing I have now is a factory original mag-extension on ONE of my 870's. Wood furniture is back on. My Police model dropped the Choate extension and is now as shipped from Ilion. I figured without the psychological crutch of tactical addenda I would get serious about shotgunning.

Alas....

 

[blades67]

I started shooting short barreled shotguns with friends when I was 16, so I have 20 years past and many more to come.

Lifetime total around 4000 rounds.

About 1000 this year.

I own two at this time, a Winchester 1300 Defender (acounting for roughly two thirds of my lifetime total) and Stoeger 2000 (new and going to the range on Monday).

I have had the use of many different shotguns, owned by friends, that were in my care long enough it was as though I owned them!

 

[TrapperReady]

I've been shooting shotguns seriously for about five years, although I had done some very informal clay shooting one summer ten years before that.

I probably go through an average of 5000 shells per year.

This past year was a little light, so I doubt I got much over 3000.

As far as shotguns go, I've got a collection of 8 and it is pretty varied by type and gauge. For clay games, I tend to use only two guns. The rest get used for different types of hunting or are lightly used collector pieces (which I'm hoping will turn into well-worn field pieces when my boys get a little older).

 

[PJR]

Fired my first shotgun over 30 years ago and was an active hunter as a young adult until I moved to the big city where shooting opportunities were few.

Picked up clay target shooting with enthusiasm when I moved to the country 12 years ago.

I have owned 18 shotguns in total. Until recently I had 9 guns but have thinned the herd down to 6 -- 3 o/us, 1 sxs, and 2 pump guns. There are 4 in 12 gauge and a 20 and a 28.

Annual average depends on where you start. Since I picked the game back up again I am averaging 10k per year. Lifetime total is probably around 125 thousand. 2003 is going to be a record breaker for shots fired. By the time I'm done I expect a total of at least 15 thousand.

Paul

 

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks for the responses. While I'm probably the one who has shotgunned the longest, I'm certainly not the one who has done it the most. How many folks here have over 6 figures of ammo in their personal history?

There's another point I'd like to make, but I'm going to hold off a bit and see what further responses come in.

 

[Kingcreek]

Been shooting since about 1965
total rounds? Probably less than 40K
This year I've popped off 10 cases mostly at the skeet range (2x/month) and a some sporting clays.
Never been interested in competing but I live to hunt and I practice so I hunt better. So alot of the practice is pretty informal. I've always had a very instinctive shooting style and please don't take this as bragging but I don't miss much.
Currently own about 12 shotguns. Have sold or gifted away another 8 or 10.
Started with my Dad's first shotgun, an old single shot .410 and then got a shiney new Ithica mod 37 under the tree the next year. I still have both but the 37 is even shinier now with all that bluing worn off.
other favorites include the 870 for HD and deer season, the Browning BSS which has killed more than it's share of game birds, a winchester SX2 which is the dedicated waterfowl piece, a Beretta 390, and a Browning "sweet 16" because it was Dad's favorite.

 

[Fastlane]

Except for military Service "Army" very new to any type of firearm.

53 years old.

first shotgun 1942 Springfield given to me by my Father-in-Law, after the marrige ceremony. It had a broken fireing pin. It would have been nice to know that back then.

Rounds fired, in Basic Training they said we fired 1800 rounds 'M-16" that plus the 600 rounds shot in my 870P brings the grand total of life time rounds fired to 2400.

Now you know why I have so many questions. I plan on BA/UU/R. Then maybe I can contribute to the forum instead of just asking questions.