Shoots for free

[86er]

Some of the other posts about the expense of shooting got me thinking about a guy I know. Danny is woefully underemployed. Yet, he shoots once a week on a range that charges a fee - $8 for a 3 hour session. Curious, I asked him how he does it. He was actually excited to tell me! First, he saves magazines (the reading kind) and flyers. He gets white, black and red spraypaint from the dollar store for - you guessed it - $1 each. Dan makes targets that are either black with a red cross or white with a red cross. He sells them at the range at 10 for $1.00. He said he can make about 25-30 targets for one can of white or black and the red lasts longer. He has made a wooden template for the red cross so it is neat and defined but the black or white background "doesnt have to be perfect" according to him. Next, he gets scrap wood when he is near Home Depot, etc and makes a dual target holder. The range he goes to has a single target holder set-up. He uses a 1X2 with two bulldog clips to hold paper targets and a ring of some sort that hooks it to the single holder already on the range. He sells those for $2 but will often trade for a handful of ammo. He also wear a cooler backback and brings water, and iced tea and lemonade powder. He sell the water for $1 and will make instant tea or lemondade on the spot at no extra charge. He brings an empty duffle bag and fills it with brass. He asks the guys shooting that seem to be leaving it if it is okay. The range doesnt want people cleaning up all the brass but you can pick up what you just fired. In this case, Danny is picking up at least the points next to and right near him. He told me he fills 5 gallon buckets with the brass. What he can sort and trade or sell he does. Everything else ends up at the scrapyard for cash. He told me one big thing is to be honest with the other shooters and tell them "hey I love to shoot but cant afford it so I'm doing this to cover my range cost and gas money". He says the shooters are happy to give me a dollar here and there for something useful and some guys even quit buying targets and just get them from Danny. Here's something I had no idea about. He goes for a walk every morning very early and he brings rubber gloves, a stick and a small knife. He actually cuts tails off of roadkill, particularly squirrels. Apparently he has place that buys them for fishing lure material. He said squirrel tails only bring about $1.50 per dozen but he stores them up in the freezer and he said last year he sent in 36 at once and another time the same year 12 more. He primarily shoots .22 for the cost but he has two centerfires, I don't know the caliber. He said last year he broke even on most of the range trips including gas, range fee and ammo cost for 250-300 rds of .22's per trip. He had enough extra that he purchased one full box each of factory ammo for each of his centerfires last year. Danny said he used 2 rounds from each box to check zero and will use whatever else he needs for hunting. Lucky for him his Dad has a few acres where a hog or a deer can be found (yet his Dad does not permit anyone to target shoot). Well, always the innovator, Danny said he sometimes can trade deer or hog meat for some ammo! Wow- this guy is a real example of "where there is a will there is a way". I gave him $5 and told him to bring me some targets next time. Sounds like recycling to me, so this is a good thing for everyone.

[Griff]

Wow- this guy is a real example of "where there is a will there is a way". I gave him $5 and told him to bring me some targets next time. Sounds like recycling to me, so this is a good thing for everyone.

+1.

[gamekeeper]

You've got to admire a guy that will do all that for his sport!...

[soon 2 retire]

He goes for a walk every morning very early and he brings rubber gloves, a stick and a small knife. He actually cuts tails off of roadkill, particularly squirrels. Apparently he has place that buys them for fishing lure material. He said squirrel tails only bring about $1.50 per dozen but he stores them up in the freezer and he said last year he sent in 36 at once and another time the same year 12 more.

I watched an episode of an outdoor program that was about a squirrel hunting club in Louisiana; the members sold all the tails from their years harvest to the tackle company Mepps.


Bob in Friday Harbor

[DixieBoy]

Joe, this is good stuff. Sounds like this guy is resourceful, and like someone else said, he's really determined to shoot despite being underemployed. Where there is a will there IS a way. - DixieBoy

[RIHMFIRE]

Danny is the kinda guy i like to hang out with...
very resourcefull

[Chuck 100 yd]

[rjohns94]

Great story of perseverance. It's all about desire. Oh and I too sell all my squirrel tails to rmepps, been doing so since I was 13. I use to run a trapline in conjunction with a paper route. Gave up the paper route to start a lawn cutting business. Kept the trapline through high school. The road kill squirrels in my neighborhood got the same treatment, bobbed tails. When I got a few dozen of them, sent them off with an invoice in a yellow envelope. I also have sold grouse and pheasant and buck tails to lure companies. Good on this guy. I remember when I was in Ct. I use to run on the local golf course and collect the cans and sold them for a nickel a piece. As a young kid, use to collect bottles for a few cents each too. Lots of ways to earn funds with just a little energy. At the ocean, I use to fillet fish for the sport fisherman coming in from their fishing trips. While waiting for them, I would use a cast net to catch live minnows and shinners from the docks and sell them to the flounder fisherman. Would fillet their catch too. Used the same cast net to catch shrimp for food and to sell to others Use to dive for golf balls and sell them to passing golfers on a community golf course. Used to get bicycle parts from the local dump and put bikes together and sell them on a corner off Ritchie highway south of Baltimore. was always working a way to generate money doing things I loved. Made and sold surf fishing gear in OC Md. There is always a way and I so appreciate stories like this. This spirit is probably why I am so involved in business as missions around the world. Helping people getting a business going to earn a living doing what they love so they can care for those they love. Thanks for the story Joe

[Blaine]

Shows to go ya that a fella with gumption can write his own ticket, might not be first class, but he gets there.

[Griff]

Shows to go ya that a fella with gumption can write his own ticket, might not be first class, but he gets there.

What a fabulous quote Blaine! Thanks, I'm stealin' it.

[Gobblerforge]

Shows to go ya that a fella with gumption can write his own ticket, might not be first class, but he gets there.

I've been that way most of my life. I may not have the nicest of anything but almost everything I have , I made.
Gobbler

[.45colt]

Where there is a Will there is a way. Good for Him.

[Ysabel Kid]

Or, you can be Y2K and have your Dad pay for your ammo...

[1894c]

liked the story allot...thanks for sharing... :)

[MrMurphy]

Guy does sound like he's creative.

For me, shooting is all inclusive. Studying, collecting, talking about, not just trigger time.

That part is indeed fun, but I primarily shoot for training (defense), even in competition (which helps practice for training) I rarely just go blast rounds off anymore. .22 LR being an exception, but .22s can be handy for training drills. One day two friends and I were doing rifle/pistol transitions, and showing the other guy the basics of shooting from cover (left/right/under, the variety of unconventional prone positions, how to shoot to and from cover on the move) and total ammo expended in four hours was a box of 9mm and about $5 in .22 LR. With a 10/22 and a M&P-15, we got a lot of serious training done, had fun, got a workout and didn't waste a lot of cash.

[SteveR]

Great story Joe.

I have a question about the squirrel tails, do you guys take out the tail bone or just cut it off with the tail and sell it like that?

Steve

[Hobie]

It seems to me, although it was over 30 years ago now (ahem...) that I did both, with and without tailbone.

[rjohns94]

I used to do both but now I take the tail bone out.

[Old No7]

"He actually cuts tails off of roadkill, particularly squirrels. Apparently he has place that buys them for fishing lure material. He said squirrel tails only bring about $1.50 per dozen but he stores them up in the freezer..."

So here I am, thinking that if Pitchy ever did that...

...he'd make a winter-weather fur-lined parka out of 'em...

And we'd ALL want one!

Old No7

[flyfisher66048]

Heck, that guy should use that gumption to find a better job, or start a business that pay for more than just shooting.

[SteveR]

Thanks,


When I was younger and used to run a small trapline for some extra money, some places wanted the bone left in the fox and coon tails. Others wanted the bone taken out.


Steve

[WCF3030]

Cool story!!
Thanks!