Retirement: Shooting more, less, or the same as pre-retirement?

[4570Tom]

A question for members who have retired. Do you find yourself shooting more than you did before you retired, about the same, or less. If shooting more, is it purely related to having more time or more access to range time, or something else? If shooting less, is it related to changes in finances, health issues, or just not having as much free time in retirement as you had envisioned? Or something else?

 

[STI]

Much more we shoot 1-2 days a week here all year long weather permitting (mud)

 

[1942bull]

When I retired in 2012 I had a lot more time because I used to average a 60 hour week when in business. I bought a annual range membership at my LGS, and I would shoot two or three days a week with no limit on range hours on weekdays. Now nine years later I only go to the range to keep my skills sharp. The reduction in range time was due to advancing arthritis in my hands.

 

[George Dickel]

When I worked I had no time to shoot much after yard work and other home projects. Now I shoot twice a week with a bullseye league, metallic silhouette 3 times a month, once a month shoot in a military rifle competition, a team bullseye group once a week, and 3 or 4 days a month just shooting for fun. This shortage of reloading components has got to get better because I'm running low on primers.

 

[Brubz]

Less because when I retired it was because of the pandemic so all of the gun ranges were shut down too. Now things are starting to open up and I'm going more but not as much as I did before the craziness. That may change because a friend is building his own outdoor range on his property but it's 65 miles away so we'll see

 

[Usonia3]

I shoot much more since retirement, no surprise, and i hunt more. Then there is my other 2 outdoor passions, mountain biking and and fishing.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I hope it will be a lot more for me when I retire (2nd time) soon.

 

[jar]

While I haven't fired a shot in over a year now, I was shooting more often after retirement than before retirement.

 

[whughett]

When I retired 23 years ago range time actually declined a bit as I took up other pursuits. But for the last 10 or so it’s gone up to one to two times a week depending on weather. In my working days I put a kit in the car and stop at my club at least once a week on the way home at 3:30. No one ever there.

 

[AK Hunter]

I shoot just a little more now than I did before I retired. But I'm having trouble finding reloading components so I'm cutting down on what I would like to be shooting.

 

[Dudedog]

I retired in June of last year and was planning on shooting more, but the component crunch has limited me to less than normal.
Yes I know stack high and deep but CA has limits on powder and primers, 20lb powder 10K primers.
Yes odds are no one would know if I had more, but it's not worth the risk of breaking the law (buried in the Health and Safety code) IMO.

Kind of frustrating because shooting more was on of my retirement plans.....
Other plan is getting out of CA but I have family here so it is hard to do.
Hopefully things will get better as far a supply goes, as far as CA goes no hope that I can see in the future.

 

[JFrank]

I m too busy being retired to keep track

 

[STI]

Not being negative, but after reading all this I cant help but wonder as a shooter why others when all this was so very plainly displayed early 2020 shooters did not stock up? Several of us that shoot together all discussed all this and knew well with the election what was coming and stocked up, our shooting has actually possibly increased here a little in our group in some areas, it will get much worse before any better I do feel, we have not bought anything at inflated pricing at all. Still it does not make any sense here as why others did not see this coming especially with the election year factored in.

 

[Ignition Override]

About the same.

Shooting about 2/3 as much ammo each week - despite plenty being stored the last few years - waiting to see replacement ammo costs eventually decrease.

We are a 12-min. drive from the best private club within about a 200-mile radius (select-fire, skeet, Cowboy Town, Action P etc ).

 

[Elkins45]

Actually, to my surprise a little bit less. That’s probably because the range where I shoot was only a few minutes from work. Since I’m not at work every day it’s more of a special trip to go to the range.

 

[Poper]

A question for members who have retired. Do you find yourself shooting more than you did before you retired, about the same, or less. If shooting more, is it purely related to having more time or more access to range time, or something else? If shooting less, is it related to changes in finances, health issues, or just not having as much free time in retirement as you had envisioned? Or something else?

Less.
Too many Honey Doos getting in the way.

 

[gyp_c2]

Well less actually.
I only retired 12-7-20...
I only retired 'cause my health took a turn south.
Go figger'...
I have high hopes that the weather improving will also improve everything else!

 

[theotherwaldo]

I don't think that I'll ever know - I'll probably get retired with a shovel.

 

[ducky123]

My retirement coincided with covid so I had more time and less I could do with that time. So I shoot A LOT MORE. I get down to the indoor range either 3 or 4 days a week when it opens at 10 am. I am the only one (or 3 maybe) shooting and I get in about 45 minutes and head home. I've posted some targets I was proud of and other people made fun of them. Oh well.....

 

[ms6852]

I shoot about the same before retirement. I go twice a week, the only difference now is that I don't have to rush after work and I don't have to go on my days off when everyone else has the same idea. Now I go all day take an ice box with water or colas, and some sandwiches and make it a shooting picnic event.

 

[RodII]

I have been retired one year, and I shoot a lot more than when I worked because of more free time. I joined a outdoor range with a yearly fee, I could shoot every day if I wanted. I try to go once a week, in the last year I have only missed 6 or 8 weeks when I have been to busy with yard work, grandkids, or bad weather.

 

[RETG]

Less but now I'm not paid to shoot and carry a weapon, and I have to purchase my ammo.

Another factor is, there is more to life in retirement than shooting. Camping, hiking, working on the house, etc. I shoot to stay trained, and once in a while, head out just to shoot.

 

[tark]

I can walk out my back door and shoot. My shooting habits have not changed at all, even with covid.

 

[Riomouse911]

I’m not retired but I do have Friday’s off and have seen many retirees coming to the indoor range when I go. I try to go every other week or so for a couple of hours to escape, especially since I have a bunch of telestudents and a teleteacher making me have to be extra quiet around the house during my day off.

The numbers of retiree-types I see are dwindling a bit lately, as the ammo and component crunch has probably bitten them as hard as everyone else. So far I’ve been lucky, even if I shoot up every centerfire round I have on hand until I retire I think I’ll still have enough .22 LR to shoot for two years after I’ve died.

Stay safe.

 

[Steve Milbocker]

Less. Even though I have a fair stockpile of ammunition and reloading supplies I’m afraid to burn it up for fear of needing it in the future. It’s so ironic. I was raised in a time where one didn’t waste ammo. Then reloading opened a whole new world for me. My philosophy was you had to shoot a lot to get better and I went through ammo like piss through a tin horn! Seems I’ve come full circle