How many rounds during a range session?

[FL-NC]

Every round I fire is in the course of a planned realistic scenario. I will typically fire about 100 rounds of 22 LR from my M&P 22, followed by 36 rounds of 9mm Glock from the holster in various drills, and sometimes another 24 rounds from my shield 9- all done under the scrutiny of a pro timer, using steel targets- the pro timer and steel provide instant feedback and "keep me honest". I do this 2x a month. I also do dry fire practice and presentations before I go to the range as well as range side prior to going live. Good planning can accomplish training objectives while expending minimal resources.

 

[DesertFox]

Try to limit to just a couple but recently that means around 5. Load up all mags for those, go to range, blast, leave when mags are empty. Next trip will be 4 x 17 round for the P365 xmacro and 110 rounds loaded up for P322. So generally around 100 per rimfire and 50 to 100 per centerfire. My taste for paper has waned a bit, replaced with steel so setup and teardown is quick.

And limiting brass policing/scrounging gets me home before the dinner bell...

 

[AJC1]

I no longer have access to an indoor range, but I used to shoot about a box of pistol. I would run 12 warm up rounds before I began testing. The rest of the 50 was testing charges or new bullet combinations.
Now it's almost all junior practicing or shooting a match. 40 rounds a match plus 10 sighters. He Normally shoots two or three matches.

 

[ms6852]

I go to the range twice a week. I always warm up with 22 lr. I shoot about 400 rounds of rimfire. Practice weak and strong hand shooting. Since I carry 686 I'll shoot 200 rounds in double action only with my 617, than I switch over to a semi auto either a model 41 S&W or Browning Buckmark and practice weak and strong hand shooting another 200 rounds. To finish off my range session for the day I will shoot a box of what I carry which is .357 and a box of .45 acp which I used to carry a 1911.

If shooting rifles I'll shoot less. I'll shoot 100 rounds of 22lr with my Remington 513T off hand at 200 yards than shoot 5 rounds of 30-06. I normally begin to concentrate my off hand shooting about 4 months prior to deer season since I don't use sticks or go prone but will shoot kneeling and standing.

 

[Charlie Martinez]

On the pistol range I try to shoot at least one bullseye round starting with a 22 pistol then 45 ACP and/or 38 Special so 90 rounds minimum per week was the norm. However lately I seem to tire a bit sooner and after 60 rounds or so my performance begins to drop. When my groups start going south I quit so I don't shoot as many pistol rounds as I once did.

At the rifle range I may shoot 20 or 30 rounds of center fire then switch to my my bolt action 22 RF and shoot as many as 100 rounds at 50, 75 and 100 yards both offhand and from the bench.

 

[25-5]

200 seems to be what I get in the hour allotted.
Back when I was young and competed in IPSC it was 600 .45 ACP per week. For a big competition I would do 2500 per week.
That's why I started reloading.

 

[IWAC]

How many handgun rounds do you typically fire at the gun range?

Is it ammunition availability, cost, time constraints, hand discomfort, or something else that limits how many rounds you fire?
To be honest, shooting that first 50 rounds was plenty. Not wanting screw up and accidentally shoot anyone and getting used to the pressure waves from other shooters blasting me in the face and body was a bit stressful.
Now I probably average about 150 rounds per range session limited by the cost and the availability of what I want to shoot.

It depends on what I am shooting, the circumstances, etc. Co$t is definitely a factor! I have a hereditary condition that makes me extremely sensitive to loud, sharp noises! A terrible condition for someone who loves shooting. As mentioned, the pressure and noise from other shooters is stressful. Good ear protection helps! In addition, one day, a fellow's brass was hitting my body. I loaded up my 357 Magnum, and after a cylinderfull, he got the message, and left. That sort of situation will cut my range session short. One day, I was concentrating so extremely, I had double vision, driving home. After that, I decided "Hey, this ain't FUN any more!" and modified my range visits. Now, I may do 100 rimfires, and maybe 50-75 revolver. And/or maybe take a break between. Much better!

 

[orionengnr]

Usually 100-150 rounds, about half of which will be .22LR.
Mostly a matter of time available, plus after too much shooting my concentration will tail off, and it will cease to be fun.
Best to cut it short and come back another day.

 

[bbqncigars]

I usually have a .22 pistol in the range bag and at least 500 rounds for it. Centerfire pistol ammo is usually <=100 rounds. Rifle ammo can vary from fifty to twenty depending on which gun(s) are with me. The larger rifle ammo is mostly limited due to weight, except for .50BMG, which is limited by size.

 

[Rexster]

It depends. I minimize how many centerfire cartridges I shoot, because, well, age, and the general effects of wear and tear, especially with my right hand. I shoot more now, with my left hand, but i am in no hurry to wreck my left hand. Ammo cost is a factor. I have plenty of some cartridges, and too few of others. If I am function-testing a weapon that I have yet to finish vetting, that is a reason to shoot more rounds.

Independent of the above factors, if shooting a centerfire pistol, there will be a point at which I am just making noise, rather than training. That is time to take a break, and, evaluate whether to call it a day.

If the range environment, is enjoyable, I will stay longer, and shoot more, especially if I brought a .22 LR revolver with me, and the range has .22 LR in stock. I can shoot rimfire all day.

 

[InTheSwamp]

80-100.

 

[Col. Harrumph]

18 .22's with the Sentinel, then one cylinder-full with the 64. I'd shoot more but I've found that subsequent groups are always discouraging, and my ego is fragile (see avatar). Also, ammo is no longer free.

 

[Mac Attack]

My range session is normally a 100 rounds of 9mm to practice with my EDC and 100 rounds of .22 LR for fun.

 

[Thomasss]

To be honest, shooting that first 50 rounds was plenty.

Yes!

 

[.45Coltguy]

I usually avoid indoor ranges, but, understand some may not have a choice. Hence, I head to the nearby desert. Usually about 5-6 cylindrs of .45 Colt, then a few tubes of .357 and .45 Colt thru the Henry lever guns, then break time. Finish the morning with about 100 .22lr thru the 39A and head home. somewhere around 130-150 rounds, mostly .22 for the easy factor.

 

[JKP]

I usually shoot 300 to 350 every week. 300 9mm, then if I bring along my 66 no dash or 1911 Colt 45acp, I will shoot another 50.

 

[fastbolt]

How many handgun rounds do you typically fire at the gun range?...

Nowadays, now that I'm no longer teaching and working a range a few times a month?

Typically, approx 30-50rds per handgun. I usually take 2-5 handguns to a range session. Depends if I'm checking a gun after maintenance, wanting to mix in more than 1 or 2 different calibers, etc. My range sessions in recent years are basically planned around the need to do any qualifying (for retirement ID and LEOSA), and to check to see if the rust is forming over my skills too quickly. Sometimes I'll schedule in a range session so I can visit an old friend and enjoy a cigar.

When I was serving as an instructor/armorer, I'd try to slip in 200-400rds per range session. Sometimes more, if there was a lot of time between groups of shooters. I think the most I can remember shooting in the course of one afternoon was a little over 700rds when I had more time on my hands than expected (and we had a healthy inventory of range ammo). Every once in a while, if we were too slammed and busy on the range, I'd try to slip in 2-3 magazine loads, or 2-3 cylinder loads (meaning with my snubs), just to do some 'cold' drills/assessments.

 

[Hangingrock]

I have a handgun range on the property. With that said I'm past the mid point of my seventh decade. So far this year I haven't utilized the range at all. Its not a matter logistics. I have more than enough ammunition Yes I need to start shooting again but the desire to shoot is lacking at this point.

 

[fastbolt]

... Yes I need to start shooting again but the desire to shoot is lacking at this point.

This is something that happens. Shooting was a passion as a young man, but it began to pall when I was reaching middle age. It was a work skill. Then, after enough years of training and having to train others, it became more a lot more work than fun. Once I'd added a growing list of armorer classes and had to service/repair guns others had abused and neglected, and had to test-fire them, it became even less fun.

Nowadays it's only done to occasionally assess and confirm the level of my skillset, and to keep the rust & dust from accumulating too quickly.

A close friend of mine is closer to 80 than 70, and owns acreage in the mountains on which he's built a range. He somehow manages to keep his passion for shooting strong, and shoots damned near every day on his property. I suspect it may have something to do with how his lifelong passion for motorcycle riding and martial arts training, combined with a lifetime of injuries and maladies and the ravages of aging, is more demanding and difficult than shooting.

It's not like anything becomes easier with aging, huh?

 

[Col. Harrumph]

It's not like anything becomes easier with aging, huh?

Oh I don't know. I'm getting better at napping.

 

[golden]

I think 50 is a good number. Some for slow accuracy and some for speed. If you find other shooters distract you I would use double hearing protection, plugs + muffs, especially indoors. Shooting next to someone indoors who has full power mag loads like a .357 can be very challenging. I'm not sure of your experience but in general I think most newer shooters flinch as much from the report/noise as they do from the recoil. I would much prefer more frequent/less round count trips to the range if the goal is to improve and not just shooting for fun, which is ok too. If you are practicing for self defense I would concentrate on the first 3 rounds of the session to access your improvement on both speed and accuracy.

Nuke,
I wish they were shooting .357 magnums next to me. When I go to the range, I try to pick my booth by checking what the other guys are shooting. One day it was a S&W .460 magnum. I literally had to stop and step back tilll he finished. He offered me a shot, but I declined.
Other times, it is someone with a short barreled AR or AK and you know at least half of them are shooting at 10 yarks and getting worse groups than I am with a BERETTA 92!

I have nothing against these sawed-off rifles, unless they are right next to me.

Jim

 

[Old Dog]

I never responded in this thread as I didn't want to make any members jealous. But the older I get, the more I feel like shooting is a perishable skill, so I kinda tend to expend a lotta rounds on occasion.

Alas, as I'm now retired and don't get free ammo anymore, I'm reduced to shooting up my hoarded stockpile, so my typical range sessions (handguns only) are limited to about 2 or 3 hundred rounds (usually every other week or so). Rifles, monthly, if no ARs are getting out, just a couple hundred, though one or two ARs changes the dynamic by about 500 additional rounds per session.

I do recognize that I am blessed, and will probably have enough ammo to see the family through another couple of decades of shooting without having to buy (or reload) more. I do get that there are a lot of gun-owners and shooters far less fortunate than we, so I donate when I can, especially if it helps bring new shooters into our community.

 

[golden]

I usually go to the range near my house and shoot just 1 gun at a time. I can get to the range 2 days a week, most of the time and shoot mostly .38 Special or 9m.m. Last week, it was a .40 caliber STOEGER 8040 with 55 rounds that I had handy.
I usually shoot about 1 box of 50 rounds now. I used to shoot 2 or more pistols and go through 90 to 150 rounds, but that is more work than I want to do now. So I just enjoy it.

Jim

 

[DustyGmt]

50-100 9mm FMJ's for a quick spur of the moment jaunt/ride without loading up supplies and hauling out the range bag, etc... I'll usually load up 5-10 magazines with 10rds in each, grab a steel target or piece of cardboard just to get a few quick reps in to not get rusty but don't have the time to make it a range day.

If I'm making it a range day or spend the afternoon I usually bring more stuff than I need and unless I get a wild hair to shoot a bunch of different things, I'll usually bring a shotgun with an assortment of shotshell types, I'll go through 200-300 rds of 9mm and download my magazines to really spread the ammo out and work on developing my draw, presentation, grip, trigger press, sight alignment, speed, etc...

Same goes for whatever AR I grab, 200-300rds for that, basically mirror the same drills and skill building as I do with my carry handgun/s.

Gone are the days where I would take a pile of ammo for each gun I brought to shoot, load every magazine I had to full capacity and just burn through it shooting from a single position at a single target at a single distance. I get alot more fulfillment out of pacing it out and being efficient, trying to build good reflexes when it comes to reloads, moving around and all that.

There is alot of cool 3gun videos and training material online that show you cool drills, it turns out you really don't need to burn through a ton of ammo to develop good skills and maneuvering.

 

[BRatigan]

Between 20-50 rounds per session. All sessions are testing sessions. Always working on load development and lately cast bullet load development. Maybe 75 sessions a year all outdoors. I have not purchased and shot factory rounds in many years. Everything is hand loaded except of course rimfire.