Shooting all by one’s lonesome

[Shadowalker164]

Trapper Scott you’re a lucky man

 

[Trapper Scott]

Trapper Scott you’re a lucky man

I have to agree with you. I have decent neighbors that don't mind me shooting, but I always give them a heads-up so they don't think something bad is going on, plus it lets the local crack heads know we are still alive and well protected.

 

[user 53891]

I usually shoot alone unless my wife wants to join in on the fun. My range is my back yard.

Mine to.

 

[kh54]

Wow - I'm jealous of anyone who can go out the back door and start shooting. I could, but the neighbors might object.

I joined two clubs when I moved to my current location. One has a nice outdoor venue: three 30-yard ranges for pistols, a trap/skeet range, and a rifle range for ten or so shooters out to 400 yards. But in northwest Montana it's only snow-free and warm enough (at least for me) about five months of the year. Fortunately, I found and joined a nearby indoor range that has three underground tubes up to 100 yards, in addition to a pistol range, and they allow black powder. Weather problem solved!

I do find it more enjoyable to shoot with others. I also joined a local ML club, but everyone here is interested in mountain men and frontier period firearms. They don't like my revolvers and muskets, so I bought a Hawken-type rifle just to be able to join them and socialize. But once-per-month shooting just isn't enough, so I'm often alone at the range with my muzzleloaders among the black rifle and plastic pistol crowd.

 

[jackpine54]

I shoot several times a week, always by myself and in the back yard. My goats all watch from the other side of the fence so at least I have an audience.

 

[oldwood]

I had shot by myself at a small local range a number of times. The club had only a 100 yd. butt made of railroad ties. The beauty of the range , was the two bench totally covered firing line. I made up a 25 yd. , and 50 yd. target target holders out of card board, and abandoned election sign posters. I was happily sighting in a new .40 cal. longrifle , and a car pulls into the parking lot. Two guys hurriedly came over to where I was shooting , one with an extended mag. 9 mm pistol, and the other with a Mac 10. They said they needed to fire their guns to make sure they would work , but they had no targets. For me , red flags went off in my head , and I thought It might be good for me to let them use my 25 yd. target , so they would might leave as they had come. The thought , Drug Dealers , came into my head , and I closely watched them while they shot , and happily, they got back into their car and left. I've never gone back to that range again , by myself. The range is behind a sportsman's club about a mile from the main road. The thought came to me , I that have to be smarter about what I do. Situational awareness , has saved me more than a couple times...............oldwood

 

[TreeMan]

I have a shooting bench on my front porch. Living in the boonies is fantastic and shooting alone is calming to the nerves. Gives me the chance to practice for my muzzleloading club matches with my buddies.

 

[Walkingeagle]

For most of my traditional ml shooting life I shot alone. Hard to get peoples interest where there is no special hunting season set aside. Our neighbours to the West used to have a special season, then it was canceled and a bunch of guns hit the market. I bought a mint TC Hawken fully complete with everything needed plus stuff not needed for under $400. Unbelievable!!
About 4 years ago my shooting buddy entered my life, and my girlfriend also started to show interest. My sons girlfriend has also started shooting and seems to really enjoy (my son, not so much). So now I got a few people to shoot with.
Walk

 

[Hylander]

Yep, I shoot alone 99% of the time. I have one friend that shoots ML, but not much.
There is a club near but they shoot on the days I have to work.

 

[sheriff john]

Enjoy shooting with friends while you can. Mine are all dead and where I now live, haven't found a group within 100 miles. Shooting alone is, to me, pretty lame compared to the weekly shoots at our old club and hunting with friends.

Went to Friendship once - 40 plus years ago. Out of my league and way too far to travel alone. So ..yes, I shoot alone (except for the dog). Mostly memories and forums keep my interest alive. Two electric traps, range with steel targets out to 380 yards, and 209 acres full of game - it's not the same without friends. Black plastic and black powder just don't go together. The very few guys I know who even own a muzzle loader only bought them when "Muzzle loading season" really existed. Times change. I have not.

 

[Polecat_Tom]

I joined a shooting range about 1/2 hour drive from my home. I have seen one other black powder shooter there the rest have been center fire. Much in the past, I belonged to several muzzleloading clubs when I lived in Colorado. I really enjoyed those shoots as every match was different and the friendship that were grown. But now shooting is mostly alone.

 

[Louisk]

This was my most eager and willing shooting companion until she passed away about a year ago. I did a little shooting with the Midnight Sun Muzzleloaders here in Fairbanks. They were a friendly and encouraging group. Inactive now, to the best of my knowledge.

 

[oldwood]

Louisk........Your shooting buddy looks wonderful. Too bad they don't live longer. I've had five German Shorthair Pointers , plus the one with me now , that makes six , over the last 50+ years. For me ,life would have been shallow w/o them. .....oldwood

 

[Rawhide67]

Unless it's one of the 2 guys I shoot with occasionally, I shoot alone. Can't remember the last time I saw a traditional muzzleloader at the range, other than mine. All I see are inlines, or modern (loud) guns.

 

[manbat]

I shoot alone for two reasons. First, I don't have any friends that shoot regularly and none of them shoot BP. Second, I've found the BP guys at my range are too much of a clique with too much attitude - one of those groups who offer a facade of interest in having new members but that you never feel part of when you are with them. I'm there to shoot and enjoy the afternoon and I don't care who shoots better, who has better stuff, who pours a more perfect round ball, who knows more, who's more devoted to holy black, who's owned more in their lifetime, who's spent more, what their group hierarchy is or who sits on a pedestal in the group, or who's been shooting BP since 100 BC. I don't generate my self-worth by proving to others what I know, exaggerating about what I have, or demeaning what others know or have.

 

[Sean E Bug]

I shoot alone. the range I go to can really only have two shooters at the same time if you are shooting at the same distance. so I go early in the morning before other people wait in line as i like to not be rushed when shooting muzzleloaders. I always make the offer to let anybody else take a shot or two as most people enjoy making big smoke clouds. I went to my first rondevous this year to shoot and it was fun.

 

[FishDFly]

I am new to muzzleloading, and enjoying it very much! And like the newbie I am, I walked into an indoor range with my smoke pole. Big mistake! They looked at me like I was nuts, and promptly showed me the door. I located one of only two outdoor ranges, and taught myself how to charge and discharge my weapon. I was the only guy with a muzzleloader. I have been back several times, everybody was and is very cool, but I appear to be the only guy sporting a front stuffer. The club had one morning a month set aside for a bragging rights only muzzleloading match. But not anymore. It would be more fun to shoot with other black powder guys, but I take what I can get.

Question: short of a rendezvous, do most of you guys shoot alone?
Shadowalker

There are 13 ML clubs in Florida and a very large gathering in January, should not be hard to find a group to shoot with.

 

[Whughett]

While a snowbird in SW Florida for 19 years I shot at the Sarasota Counties Knights Trail range once or twice a week. A public range so never alone but usually the only black powder shooter.
Now full year round in my home state I shoot twice a week with a friend. We are generally the only ones there and he shoots rifle/pistol rim or center fire me percussion revolvers.
In Florida I’d get curious shooters asking questions frequently. You will, as you learned, stand out in a crowd of fixed ammo shooters.

 

[1BadDart]

I shoot alone in my back yard.

 

[gvandersluis]

I guess I’m lucky, my club puts on a BP match indoors twice a month, once for single shot ml rifle and pistol and once for Cap and ball revolvers