How much do you shoot?

[contender]

I've been around shooting, hunting & such all my life. And after a lifetime of enjoying this,, I've discovered a sad, but startling fact.

Only around 15%-20% of gun owners are real, active shooters.

It's a well known fact that the police,, who for the most part, are required to carry a firearm,, in general,, are not "gun people" I've spoken with some experts in the field over the years & we agree that only about 15% of LEO's are active gun people, shoot a lot & often enough to be truly capable of the skills necessary for their job. This is proven by the "requirements" of qualification for most departments, AND how many LEO's fail & have to re-qual to keep their jobs.

This has led me to studying gun owners in general. Many own guns. Estimates put out say that approximately 80 million to 110 million Americans own guns. Yet,, again,, the percentage of real gun people & active shooters is more in the 15% range as it is for LEO's.

So,, how much do you shoot?

I'll shoot on average,, 300-500 rounds a month in general. Some months more, and some months less. And if I'm training for a big match, or hunting,, that number is up each month.

Let's see where this goes.

 

[Mobuck]

I shoot a fair amount before deer season and 'some' whenever I feel like it. Shoot handguns now and then but not a rigid schedule.
Fired two shots from the new 6.5 Creedmoor this morning. Sitting using crossed sticks at 350 yards -- two hits on the 9" steel swinger. A couple more days and I'm going to switch to the 6".
That's meat on the table most anywhere.

 

[gunzo]

Times in my life I shot a lot. 300 shotgun shells a week or a brick a week of 22LR. For a few years while shooting USPSA, I'd attend about 7 matches a month & I might shoot 3 classes while there, Limited, Unlimited, & Revolver. That, & a Sporting Clays addiction I had for a few years popped a lot of primers & kept me pretty busy considering a 40-60 Hr work week. Other than the rimfires, I bought no ammo. All came from my reloading room, another busy activity.

Now, @72, even with a simple range in my backyard I maybe don't shoot as much as i could. I have the guns, ammo & loading components, but energy is getting harder to find. But with that, I still shoot something most every week.

 

[TheTexasRAT]

I grew up with my dad taking us to shoot every now and then. Then once I turned 18 I started buying my own guns. Sad to say I used to shoot every weekend. Now adays not so much. Might have lite off 50 rounds this year. I will endeavor to do better this coming year though.() Hope to at least do a minimal of 100 a month.

 

[Bullthrower338]

I shoot 200 rounds minimum of shotgun per week and at least 100 or more center fire, mix between rifle and handgun

 

[jimbo1096]

Not as much as i used to. Health and energy levels have a major impact. If I make to the range twice a month I'm lucky. Seems I reload more than I shoot.

 

[Jeepnik]

I try for once a week. Usually at an indoor range. About once a month I try to get out with the long guns.

 

[jg123]

Retired for 2 years and reacquanted myself with shooting. I try to shoot once a week alternating between pistol and rifiles in 22lr, 9mm, and 556, 100-200 rounds each time or so, depending on what I'm doing.

 

[stonebuster]

Shoot various DA/SA revolvers at an indoor range. 100-200 rounds of my 38spl & 357 reloads per week.

 

[3manfan]

At least once a week without fail, twice if I can swing it. 150 to 250 rounds each time depending on the caliber. Handloading keeps me from going broke from buying factory ammo. About 95% of my shooting is with handguns, rifles every 2 or 3 months & a shotgun 2 or 3 times a year. I have many more handguns than long guns & keep the handguns in equal rotation. I hate the idea of leaving them sitting in the safes without them getting any work. I don't own any Safe Queens, I shoot every gun I have.

 

[gunman42782]

I shoot at least once a week, sometimes a lot more. Now, if it's pouring down rain, butt sweating hot, or colder than a well diggers rear I might not get out, but it has to be bad. Sometimes it's just a couple .22LRs, but I always make sure to shoot something. But, I have the advantage of being over to walk in my back yard and shoot.

 

[GasGuzzler]

98 rounds 12 gauge Saturday.
One .45 AUTO and five 5.56X45 from a pistol three years ago.
Can't remember before that.

 

[blume357]

When I first got the bug, about 20 years ago, it was at least once a week and I was really into the 120/22 and so going through a hundred rounds was no big deal. Also sense I was fiddling with them ... target barrel... new trigger, different scopes and optics if was always something new... but I am easily bored also... I'd also shoot a P95 some but 9mm was more expensive... at least I thought so 20 years ago. Now, I probably get to my gun club every 2 months or so.... got too many other issues to deal with ... work and home.

As for Contender's estimate on the number of gun owners that actually shoot; I think he is way over in his estimate.... I'd say 5% or less.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

"As for Contender's estimate on the number of gun owners that actually shoot; I think he is way over in his estimate.... I'd say 5% or less."

I used to shoot a lot. Would have my gun buddies out to our place to shoot in the back yard very often. Reloaded all my ammo. Good times.

Now, most of my buddies are gone and those remaining don't want to make the effort to come out to our "home range". Tired of reloading.

Don't recall the last time I fired a gun.

But I still get 'em out and fondle 'em and clean 'em. Still read the gun mags and the online sites . . . and RugerForum, of course.

Old age is a bummer.

 

[BloodyThumb]

At least once, often twice a week. Year round. Sometimes for a half hour and one gun, sometimes all day with several.

I will even shoot in the rain or when REALLY cold…. NOT FOR LONG… but I do it. It helps to deal with it in practice in case you ever had to for real.

 

[Johnnu2]

I've been a gun guy all my life.... I guess Hoppy got me started. I get out to the range (only in perfect weather) once a week and fire a few rounds (20 - 50 satisfies the itch). I still enjoy looking and fondling (sometimes even my guns). Old age has changed my habits and limited my time, but has had no effect on my enjoyment of my accumulation of rifles and handguns (and one shotgun....I think).
J.

 

[Kevin]

I go through stages of shooting more and then not as often.

I will say going to Contender’s in NC was a great motivator to start shooting more.

I’ve made it to the range twice since then. With two fat dogs and our daughter in school, it’s hard to schedule.

But I shoot mostly .22, and go through 200-300 rounds per range session.

If I’m shooting 9mm probably 100 to 150 rounds at most.

If I’m shooing revolvers then a lot less, they shoot slower so probably 50 rounds.

I’m at the range for around 90 minutes. Any longer and it gets tiring and not boring, but I lose concentration and focus.

Edited to add: like Johnnu2 I’m only a fair weather shooter.

 

[vito]

I don't hunt or shoot competitively. I own the guns that I do as a means of self defense, both at home and when not at home. I also belong to an indoor pistol club. But I probably average shooting about once every 6 to 8 weeks. Being retired I have the time to go as often as I might choose to go, and I can use the ranges at my club 24/7, but the limited amount of shooting that I do is enough for me. When I do go to the range I rarely fire more than about 150 or so rounds, usually in 30 to 60 minutes, and then I am done.

Maybe I am wrong, but I expect that if I ever have to use a firearm for my own defense, or the defense of my home, it will be at very close range and the encounter will last a very short time. I feel confident of my ability to hit what I am aiming for at the distances that I might need to do so, that being 3 to about 10 feet. It doesn't take a lot of range time to feel okay with that type of preparation.

 

[gnappi]

I also try for once a week.

Since I can only shoot indoors or at county run outdoor facility in suburbia, my training time with automatics has gone down a LOT in the past several years due to my focusing more on revolvers. There are several reasons for focusing on wheel guns.

Getting pelted by ejected brass from shooters who couldn't empty their mags fast enough blasting their 9's and .380's. This made worse by range folks and shooters not sweeping the disposable brass up making a trip hazard.

Sorting my .38 super and .40 brass from 9's on the deck was a pain.

With my revolvers I do not have to grovel on the deck to retrieve brass.

As fringe benefits, revolvers save casting / reloading time and money due to my shooting less ammo. So, the only time I take an auto nowadays is if I can get to the range early to be able to recover my brass.

Gads, replying to this thread made me question my wisdom / judgement not moving to North Carolina in the 90's. A property I looked at was ideal for a shooter :-(

Even though it's one of the 7, I envy Contender.

 

[Toxophilus]

At least every weekend and many times during the week, I enjoy developing loads with the plethora of powders that I've collected for the various calibers that I handload for.

Lately it's been prepping boolits for powder coating which has been very successful; I haven't quite gotten the knack for HI-TEK coating so I put that aside for now.

I've also been teaching some of my Friends about handloading for their own tools!

 

[blume357]

At least from my limited perspective I don't think the folks here are by any stretch of the imagination the average American gun owner. I'd say we probably represent way less than 1% of them. And I really mean the grand total of all 'enthusiast' that are on gun social media sites.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Before Wifie was diagnosed with dementia I was shooting 5-6 days a month at the local SASS clubs. That is 150-200 rounds of pistol and rifle along with 30-40 shotgun shells each day with main match and warm up. I also went to major matches in Texas and other states. One year I went to 10 state level matches in 5 states. Even though I spent a few $$$$$$ it was some of the best times of my life shooting and hanging out with GREAT Pards. I also had a range set up in the property next to me and I would practice a lot with both 22s and centerfire along with shotgun.



Making a little smoke.

It sure was fun times. Winning isn't everything but it does make fun times gooder

 

[captn-tin`]

I've been around shooting, hunting & such all my life. And after a lifetime of enjoying this,, I've discovered a sad, but startling fact.

Only around 15%-20% of gun owners are real, active shooters.

It's a well known fact that the police,, who for the most part, are required to carry a firearm,, in general,, are not "gun people" I've spoken with some experts in the field over the years & we agree that only about 15% of LEO's are active gun people, shoot a lot & often enough to be truly capable of the skills necessary for their job. This is proven by the "requirements" of qualification for most departments, AND how many LEO's fail & have to re-qual to keep their jobs.

This has led me to studying gun owners in general. Many own guns. Estimates put out say that approximately 80 million to 110 million Americans own guns. Yet,, again,, the percentage of real gun people & active shooters is more in the 15% range as it is for LEO's.

So,, how much do you shoot?

I'll shoot on average,, 300-500 rounds a month in general. Some months more, and some months less. And if I'm training for a big match, or hunting,, that number is up each month.

Let's see where this goes.

How much do I shoot? Not near as much as I reload. HA!

 

[kmoore]

A lot, I try to shoot some type of firearm weekly, but its ends up every 2-3 weeks is the norm. I am shooting rifles of many different types and go through the handguns yearly, SD handguns several times a year. A glass jar of mostly spend primers from shooting up handloaded ammo in about 4 years. in the last 15 years it has been filed and dumped 3 times.

 

[Fox Mike]

Since Linda's stroke I haven't been able to get to the range nearly as much as I used to. When I do go I try to go through a box or more of all I bring. If only a couple it's more per gun. I never go to the indoor range on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. That seems to be when all the "Rambozos" arrive . The RSO generally is honestly busy during that time.

 

[Laserbait]

During the Spring and summer I don't shoot that much as I am usually doing boating things.

In the Fall and Winter, I try and shoot about 2-3 times a month ~1000 rounds.

Before I got my boat though, I shot easily about 1500 rounds a month, more if I could find friends to go with.

 

[RoninPA]

I try to get out 2-3 times per month, a lot of times it's to check a firearm that was in for repair, but hey, that's still shooting. If it's me with my guns, I rotate through my "shooters" but I admit, that I have not gotten around to shooting my LC Carbine in .45ACP since I got it (in March 2025). Trying to figure out how I really want to configure it.

 

[warren5421]

I shoot once a week in good weather. Cold, rain, or snow keeps me in the house.

 

[DGW1949]

The last competitive shooting I did was with a CAS club outside of Tomball Texas. I participated monthly, but practiced twice weekly, which all together, burned up a lot of ammo. Before that it was NRA Service Rifle Matches which were being hosted by a club just south of Houston, and before that, informal police matches back when I was a Deputy Sheriff down in Liberty County....Nowdays, I'm just an old retired guy and most of the shooting I do is by myself on weekdays at a private range I belong to in Glen Mississippi. I give them $50 a year and they give me a gate key and unlimited admittance. The location is only 20 minutes from my front porch which usually works out to me being able to shoot once or twice a week. Maybe 40 or 50 rounds each trip, sometimes more, depending on what I'm doing at the time...I have been known to shoot over 100 just testing out new magazines, but that don't happen all that often.

DGW

 

[Rustynuts]

I shoot a few hundred rounds of a couple different calibers on every trip out to the range.
Many times, my trips are dependent on weather or what I have for reloaded ammo on hand. Used to shoot trap every Friday morning, but that ended when the owner of the closest trap/skeet range pulled the plug and closed down, early last year