What firearms-related hobbies do you enjoy?

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:01 pm

I was reloading some .38 Specials after work today - just taking a little breather - and thinking how I need to do this more often. I really enjoy reloading. Got me to thinking about my "hobbie".

I enjoy shooting. Plinking most of all - just for the fun of it. I collect - okay, I admit it - obsessively. I'm getting back into casting after a 20-year dry spell. I like to read about firearms. I collect cartridges for a cartridge display board. Haven't done much hunting - it was not my father's thing. However, my son is now of age, and has expressed interest in doing so, so it will become our thing. Oh, and needless to say, protecting our rights by remaining active in politics, especially around firearms issues.

I know many of you are avid hunters. Some are CAS competitors. What other firearms-related sports, hobbies and activities (and collections) do you enjoy?

LeverBob · Post by **LeverBob** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:26 pm

Howdy Kid! Hope you & yours are fairing well.

Along with the things you listed in your post, I got into registered skeet & trap in the late seventies. Initially it was to improve my deflection shooting skills...until I shot international skeet & ISU bunker trap. It was all over at that point. Did pretty well too.

Got into shotshell reloading & experimentation to feed the habit. (I'm such a crazy that I even enjoy trimming my brass cases). Learned how to load old timey loads for my Tula choked S&W 1000 Super Skeet 12 ga. using fiber wads & both star & roll crimps. Had a great time!

I could write you a book on some of the fun I had. Both of my .410 870's would feed, chamber & eject an empty .444 shell. Shot those in practice one time & blew my squadmates minds. Loaded the shells with a AA shotcup, 1/2 ounce #9 shot. Topped it off with a round ball & shot a 24 at skeet with them (dropped a low 6-the hardest shot for me). They even worked in my main gun: a Rem. 3200 one-of One-Thousand skeetgun using Kolar Comp 1 tubes. The boys went nuts thinking up all these crazy ideas using a brass .444 shell for .410. My current 870 express .410 will do it as well.

Had to sell those guns to make the move up to Nev. in 99'. It killed me to have to sell the 3200.

Try some clays sometime, you might like it!

LeverBob

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:28 pm

I like collecting in the sense of trying various guns, wringing them out and then trading them for the next. Few of the literally hundreds I have owned seem to meet my specs. I'm getting better at figuring out what I like as I get older.

I hunt, mostly with black powder. But I do enjoy small game hunting with the .22, varmits, deer, birds,

I plink and hunt with air rifles.

I have competed nationally with centerfire pistol, rimfire pistol, air pistol, centerfire rifle up to 1K yards.

I have shot on the Maryland state pistol silhouette team

love to shoot skeet and trap.

I reload and cast

I enjoy black powder get aways in national forests

I carry always.

shoot at ranges.

I have had an ffl and worked in a shop for 17 years off and on.

certified firearms instructor.

21 years of naval service, served as a weapons officer on ballistic missle submarines and as a combat swimmer, where I put in practice what I trained for in the desert sandbox and on the oil platforms of the gulf.

Active in the preservation of the 2nd amendment

jnyork · Post by **jnyork** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:29 pm

I shoot a lot of Lever Action Silhouette and am the Range Officer/Match Director for my club.

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:29 pm

Collecting,casting ,reloading and shooting. Working up the most accurate load/loads for a rifle and then starting on another!

TedH · Post by **TedH** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:31 pm

Mostly just shooting and fondling leverguns, bullet casting, reloading, and hunting.

piller · Post by **piller** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:55 pm

Kind of hard to pick which one. I like loading, shooting with my kids, shooting with my wife, making knives, talking guns with others who like guns, hunting. These are all great fun. I wouldn't want to try to pick just one.

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:39 pm

Informal shooting,long walks with the dog, she is a good listener, ( probably thinks I'm crazy ) bowfishing, making oddballs shoot, reloading.

handirifle · Post by **handirifle** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:50 pm

Lately I'm enjoying making and modifying bullets, for leverguns. I'm learning a LOT in this.

Jaguarundi · Post by **Jaguarundi** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:57 am

Collecting,Hunting(Deer,small game,turkey,varmint and wild boar)and Reloading.life is good

!

MtnGun · Post by **MtnGun** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 5:58 am

Back troubles have kept me from a lot of my shooting the last couple years. When I'm able, I shoot two trap leagues a year. I shoot a few local ATA tournaments. I love single shot rifles. I used to compete in Schuetzen, and hope to again some day. I hunt big game, varmints, and birds.

iceman · Post by **iceman** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 6:40 am

Deer hunt with my levers or black powder. Ruff grouse (partridge) with my favorite shotgun a Rem 870 20 ga 26"mod barrel. (was my Dads) Plinking with all my rifles. Ground hog hunting if the snow ever goes away with my BRNO 22 hornet. Reloading in my spare time.

AndyM · Post by **AndyM** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 6:41 am

I have just - slowly - been introducing my children to shooting and reloading - my 3 year old twins (boy/girl) are showing interest in my hobbies. My son has helped me resize some 45 Colts in the reloading room already - I would say this my calling the next 16 years or so - teaching them the fundimentals and introducnig them to the outdoors - all aspects - but centering around hunting, shooting, wildlife, and fishing...

As for me - I really enjoy reading about shooting and guns in general. Old books, new books, magazines, internet forums, etc... I follow leverguns and general old western type of firearms first, followed by handguns and conceal carry / combat type of guns, to muzzleloaders, to sporting shotguns for trap and sporting clays. I love archery and especially traditional archery - I try to get out bowfishing a few times each year and sit in my treesand during October with my bow.

I really enjoy flyfishing - although I can not tie a fly to save my life. I enjoy the whole process - it kind of reminds me of traditional archery. Wathching insects hatch from class A mountian trout streams is very cool to me. Think Penn's Creek for you northeastern guys.

My wife says I have too many hobbies and I beleive she is generally correct.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:06 am

Casting, reloading both metallic cartridges & shotshells. First formal training w/firearms came in bootcamp. Shot with our ship's "pistol team", which meant volunteering for the ship's security & scuttle team. Training for that was way fun, I mean, really; shooting all manners of combat arms an' blowing things up!

Have shot Bullseye, IPSC, Speed Plates, PPC, ASC, BPCR Silhouette, skeet & trap, but I wouldn't call it competing. Used to be competitive in CAS, but now, just for fun. Also competed in Cowboy Mounted Shooting. Would still be doing that, but just don't have the time to keep a horse tuned-up!

Love working on Winchester 94s, hence the 6 projects.

Edit: Oppps, how could I forget deer & coyote hunting?

505stevec · Post by **505stevec** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:25 am

When I first got married 22 years ago I had one gun (Mod 19 .357 mag.) Since then I have gotten into guns in a big way. I love collecting them and saving them for my boys later. How much is enough someone asked my. Not nearly what I have. I say. I love shooting, hunting and teaching it. I am the Range Master for my department. As fun as this sounds I actually get little range time to shoot unless I am off duty.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:11 am

Smelting, Casting, Reloading, Hunting, "silly-wet" whenever possible...

Not much into CAS... be too expensive to do it the way I'd like... Ditto IDPA, though I try to shoot that every few months just to keep up in the "Move & Shoot" training.

Some wildcat development... but mostly right now I'm working on the best, least smelly .38 catsneeze to shoot in my 20' basement range.

Edit: Oh, and annoying the Traditionalists with my Stainless Steel Flintlock.

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:25 am

Gunsmithing!!! I enjoy tinkering with my guns and doing as many of my own modifications and repairs as I can. I'm not a professional by any means but I haven't had one of my guns in a shop for repair/stocking/refinishing/etc. for years.

I reload but I don't really enjoy it. I only started reloading when the cost of commercial ammunition started going up and up and the primary round that I reload is .444 Marlin.

Post by **Hobie** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:37 am

I used to shoot US skeet and trap, shot air pistol and rifle bullseye, did a little of the Army combat pistol and rifle competitions, read, collect/accumulate, plink, do this thing called the forum. When I was in the Army I would scam my way into pulling triggers on anything that came our way. Fired some neat stuff but much of that was just trigger pulling, no way was I a Master Gunner on an M60! (Got to "drive" some neat things, too! It helped to be the senior specialist in the main clearing house for the equipment coming into the Combat Experimentation Command at Fort Hunter Liggett, CA in the late 1970s.)

I really got into guns because history pretty much revolves around weapons and I was fascinated by history. But I'm really not interested in games and while living history interests me it hasn't done so to the point that I've actually invested the time. That cuts out a lot of what is shooting sports today. I like hunting now because it is an opportunity to separate myself from everyone else.

Noah Zark · Post by **Noah Zark** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:42 am

I love guns and love to read, and my firearms library is my weakness. I have four 5' tall lawyer bookcases filled with hardcover and softcover firearms books. I've got most of the Greenberg Publishing firearms books, and I have copies of all 47 titles of the Small Arms Technical Publishing Co. books published by Thomas G Samworth. There are many newer references like those from Collector Grade Publications on the FAL, Guns of Dagenham (Lanchester and Sterling), Sten, Browning High Power, Swedish Mausers, K98k, and more. Truly too numerous to mention. Suffice to say that I enjoy the history of firearms, and like to understand the the details of their respective designs and functioning.

I do some light gunsmithing, a throwback from my days as a 2111, Small Arms Repairman, in the USMC and USMCR. Mostly polishing, tuning, parts fitting. Sometimes the local gunshops will have me look at something for them, which I do on their premises for no compensation so as to avoid problems. They remember me come new gun time.

I also reload for a host of cartridges using either 310 tools or an old Rockchucker, and have a couple Dillon SDBs set up in 9mm and 45ACP that keep my subguns fed. I have 310 dies and handles for nearly every cartridge for which I have standard 7/8" dies. Some, like the 45-70 and 375 Win, I use the 310 tool almost exclusively.

I was into CAS for a time, but the (IMO) silly obsession with rules got in the way of a great pastime and I lost interest in it. Lack of time contributed; maybe I was looking for an excuse to get out of CAS because of time demands elsewhere.

Noah

Lastmohecken · Post by **Lastmohecken** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 10:10 am

I grew up on a farm, and hunting, fishing, and shooting was about the only pasttimes I had, at least until I started chasing girls. But overall, I have always been into guns, and hunting, spent my twenties and some of my thirtys shooting NRA Hunter Silhouette, IPSC, Bullseye, and later IDPA, and a little CAS.

Now days, I just mostly like to collect and shoot leveractions and fine side by side shotguns, and hunt deer and pheasant, and ride my Harleys. But I still have to work for a living. so I don't have much time for anything else. I used to Bowhunt quite a bit, and still do, at times.

I handloaded about all of my ammo when I shot competition, and some for hunting, espacally if I was shooting odd calibers, but for lack of time, and disire, because I reloaded so much in the past, I often use factory ammo for my more common calibers, these days. However, as expensive as ammo is getting, I am looking foward to doing more handloading then I have been doing in recent years.

I wish I had more time and money to do more out of state hunting for other game then what we have locally to hunt.

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:06 pm

I like to take old guns that are marginal and give them a little TLC: strip off old vanish, rust, fix cracks and if necessary have a gunsmith tighten them up. Nothing wrong with character but like to get them where they aren't rapidly decomposing at least. Here is a couple:

My brother's little 20 Gauge Folding Shotgun after some clean up and tru oil. I think it is from the 20's and came out of Arizona:

Then my Grandfather's old Mod 37. Them Texans liked a long barreled shotgun! I stripped off varnish, removed rust, fixed big crack in the wrist of the stock by drilling a hole and inserting and epoxy coated dowel rod, glued and c-clamp to tighten crack, Tru-oiled and had the lug built back up to tighten the action and straighten out how barrel sat in reciever.

I've got 3 more projects ongoing at various stages. Lots of fun to bring an old gun some new life.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 2:36 pm

Is hidin 'em from the wife considered a hobby?

Rimfire McNutjob · Post by **Rimfire McNutjob** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 2:47 pm

My favorite hobby is coming onto the board here and gettin' all OT and bent out of shape and all.

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 3:07 pm

Rusty wrote:Is hidin 'em from the wife considered a hobby?

No Sir, that is apart of the SOP for all married gun owners.

Jarhead · Post by **Jarhead** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 6:47 pm

I started shooting&hunting with my Dad when I was 4 years old. Was around the entire shooting sport to including reloading all of my youth. I joined the Marines when I was 17 and my Job in The Corps was as a Rifleman/Infantryman.
I am an avid Big Game Hunter and love to reload, shoot, and hunt with my own loads.
I collect some, like 71's, but overall, I like to hunt with my Rifles....have a couple of pistols as well.

Have taken Elk, Mule Deer, Moose, Dall Sheep, Grizzly Bear, Caribou, and Bob Cat....would like to get a Mountain Lion and Black Bear next.

Perhaps Africa someday...

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 10:34 pm

C. Cash wrote:
Rusty wrote:Is hidin 'em from the wife considered a hobby?
No Sir, that is apart of the SOP for all married gun owners.

I have sooo many brothers here on the forum!

Longfin · Post by **Longfin** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 5:05 am

I enjoy reloading and load development. The hunt for the best and most accurate load for a given caliber and gun is very interesting to me. Usually after I settle on a load, I'm looking for another firearm/caliber to experiment with. Have been away from casting for several years, but will probably return to that at some point. I have a modest collection of military firearms that started with the P-08 Luger that my dad got during WWII. As others have indicated, I like history and have firearms related to different time periods. Nothing better than taking deer with a flintlock. Current project is the 30-30 to 38-55 project. I enjoy hunting, but not to the degree I once did. Watching my daughters become successful hunters had been one of the joys in my life. Hope I'm around long enough to get the gandson started down the right trail.

RIHMFIRE · Post by **RIHMFIRE** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:40 am

Hunting, fishing, camping, Skeet, Trap, Sporting Clays,
and now...I am gonna try to get invovled with
Cowboy Action Shooting....
Yard work.......

jschance · Post by **jschance** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:33 am

I have been involved in firearm related hobbies for most of my life. My grandfather gave me my first .22 when I was 5 years old, and Iâ€™ve never grown tired of them. I used to spend a week each summer at my grandparents farm, and he used to give me a bounty for each sparrow, starling, pigeon and crow I could shoot. As I got older, I started to varmint hunt, and went through a series of firearms in the pursuit of groundhogs from rimfire rifles, to centerfire rifles, to centerfire handguns (My first contender was a .222, then a .22 Hornet). I gave up varmint hunting when I discovered Bowling Pin matches. I shot those for years, going up to Second Chance was an annual pilgrimage every June. Started shooting USPSA and then got into IDPA, Sportsman Team Challenges, Skeet and a little bit of trap. I discovered Cowboy Action Shooting in 1997 and since that time, Iâ€™ve pretty much gotten away from all the other disciplines and CAS is about the only competitive shooting I do. I still hunt, now itâ€™s for deer and this year I got to use my lever gun for that. Other than that, I cast, reload and shoot (although nowhere near as much as Iâ€™d like). Otherwise Iâ€™m spending time with my two kids, boy and girl, 8 and 5 years old.

brucew44guns · Post by **brucew44guns** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:07 am

All of my adult working life has been spent driving a gasoline transport. 42 years of it. No one drives one of those just 8 hours a day. The nature of the work and the companies who own the trucks pretty much demand many hours a week from you, the driver. I've worked for many "KILLER" companies, that sucked the life out of you with excess hours.
Now I'm retired, and I have a new house setting on 160 acres in the boon docks of Kansas. Someone on here has a by-line, "nothing better than leaving a piece of land better than he found it" ( or something close to that). I agree totally. My place here is beautiful, but rough in places, 50 acres of it is not farm ground, but rather rough pasture land that needs a lot of TLC. I have a large pond in the middle of that 50 acres. I enjoy getting a 30-30, putting it on my John Deere Gator, getting out on the land and planting trees I get from the state, trimming trees and clearing some of the brush, watering trees in the summer with a thousand gallon water tanker I built up to pull behind the tractor, growing tomatoes and jalapenos. That 30-30 is a reminder constantly that I can dispatch any mean critter that comes along, but I havn't had to yet. I love lever guns, hoarding ammo, and am getting started now into re-loading. Life is good. Bruce

dkmlever · Post by **dkmlever** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:23 am

Shooting, hunting (lots of it) and reloading to devlope an accurate load to hunt with.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:27 pm

Ysabel Kid wrote:
C. Cash wrote:
Rusty wrote:Is hidin 'em from the wife considered a hobby?
No Sir, that is apart of the SOP for all married gun owners.
I have sooo many brothers here on the forum!

The Primary reason for owning a Gun Safe is not to protect your guns from Theives, but to keep the Wife from being able to Count them....

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:32 pm

Old Ironsights wrote:
Ysabel Kid wrote:
C. Cash wrote:
Rusty wrote:Is hidin 'em from the wife considered a hobby?
No Sir, that is apart of the SOP for all married gun owners.
I have sooo many brothers here on the forum!
The Primary reason for owning a Gun Safe is not to protect your guns from Theives, but to keep the Wife from being able to Count them....

+1,000!!!

Well, maybe not that many yet, but one has to have a goal!

Boomer45 · Post by **Boomer45** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:47 pm

Growing up in Baltimore, MD I did not come from a family that owned guns or hunted. That Changed after I joined the Air Force in 68. Bought a Ruger 357 Blackhawk and a Remington 870 while at a remote site in Alaska. Won a Remington BDL in 30-06 while I was there too. That was the start of a lifelong relationship with guns. Love to hunt squirrels and rabbits with my 39M. Really enjot deer hunting, turkey hunting and bird hunting. Reloading for everything that I shoot including the shotguns. Shot trap for a number of years but lost interest when my wifes arthritis keep her from shooting with me. So now it is buying, reloading for and shooting leverguns, single and double action revolvers and Musky Fishing.
I have a love for the orphaned cartridges such as the 32 Special, 35 Remington, 444 Marlin, 300 Savage, etc!!!!!