Are we having fun yet?

[Vana2]

In our martial arts classes the stretching exercises were brutal and my partner would often ask "are we having fun yet?"

Yeah, the pain was self inflicted but there was a benefit to the exercises.

Unfortunately, I'm seeing the same sort of thing with some of my shooting buddies. Instead of enjoying the shooting session they are getting frustrated and angry that the groups are not up to their expectations.

Fueled by pictures of (cherry-picked) groups and (heavily edited) videos of incredible shots, some my friends are stressing themselves (and their budgets) in pursuit of the magic airgun/scope/projectile/accessory that will make them happy.

What happened to shooting for the fun of it and doing the best we can with our current level of skill and the equipment we have?

Ok, full transparency here. I'm a perfectionist that enjoys good quality equipment. I'm at the "serious amateur" level, not a PRO.

That being said, it's mid-winter indoor shooting season and I'm totally enjoying shooting with my 10 meter pistol. The pistol is capable of .010 ctc, 5 shot, 10 meter groups. The hole in the factory test target measures .198".

My groups are laughable (move the decimal a couple of places to the right) but they are getting better and I'm having fun.

I'm constantly trying to improve my shooting skill and practicing is something I enjoy doing. If it's too easy I move the target back to increase the challenge. No big deal when my groups suck

I understand that professional competitive shooters need to go all out. Shooting is serious and there's money on the table. But what about the average, casual shooter?

So I'm curious, what is important to you?

Are you having fun yet?

Cheers!

 

[Avator]

Are my eyes open? Then I'm having fun... been that way since retirement.

 

[Matt247365]

This guy has fun.
Love the casual approach.
Just let it flow...

Turkish Pistol Shooter Casually Takes Silver at the Olympics and Becomes an Internet Legend

Competing against mostly younger shooters who were decked out in the latest and greatest shooting accessories, Yusuf Dikeç won a silver medal wearing a pair of normal eyeglasses. A photo that shows Dikeç shooting with one hand in his pocket has cemented his status as an internet legend.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[rcs9250]

I know exactly what you mean about group size frustration. I have had many trips to the range and leave dejected. Went through a load of upper tier airguns and still was disappointed. In zero wind they were fine and in the woods where wind wasn’t an issue the were spot on. I left them at factory tune as I didn’t want to get into tuning. I dumped everything airgun related and 100% enjoy my Tikka T1X and CZ457 22LR.
I am totally PB and am happy. I did save a Diana Bandit CO2 for the basement, but this winter I have gone to my gun club every week regardless of weather now that I have an all wheel drive car. I take a small heater to keep my hands warm while reloading magazines. All is good now.

 

[Vana2]

Are my eyes open? Then I'm having fun... been that way since retirement.

LOL!

Know what you mean - I'm retired as well!

 

[EPG]

I know exactly what you mean about group size frustration. I have had many trips to the range and leave dejected. Went through a load of upper tier airguns and still was disappointed. In zero wind they were fine and in the woods where wind wasn’t an issue the were spot on. I left them at factory tune as I didn’t want to get into tuning. I dumped everything airgun related and 100% enjoy my Tikka T1X and CZ457 22LR.
I am totally PB and am happy. I did save a Diana Bandit CO2 for the basement, but this winter I have gone to my gun club every week regardless of weather now that I have an all wheel drive car. I take a small heater to keep my hands warm while reloading magazines. All is good now.

Randy,

You need to get back into air rifles soon! You have great taste in airguns that you sell to me, lol.

-Ed

 

[Dairyboy]

This is why I don't shoot groups except to test the guns initially and just use them for pesting. I get way too caught up into it and just stop. I also have 1 gun that is just incredibly accurate and makes my other accurate guns not seem as accurate even though they are usually MOA or better.

I used to get that way with tuning also. Try to get the absolute best tune ever with smallest ES and SD but guess what? Never made a difference in shooting birds so I stopped that. If I'm under a 20fps ES for the whole strong I don't even worry at all. Much nicer. I just shoot my guns now and 99% of the time they perform how I need them to and the 1% I'll check on paper or the tune to see what's up. Usually just a barrel clean and all is well again.

 

[EPG]

I know exactly what you mean about group size frustration. I have had many trips to the range and leave dejected. Went through a load of upper tier airguns and still was disappointed. In zero wind they were fine and in the woods where wind wasn’t an issue the were spot on. I left them at factory tune as I didn’t want to get into tuning. I dumped everything airgun related and 100% enjoy my Tikka T1X and CZ457 22LR.
I am totally PB and am happy. I did save a Diana Bandit CO2 for the basement, but this winter I have gone to my gun club every week regardless of weather now that I have an all wheel drive car. I take a small heater to keep my hands warm while reloading magazines. All is good now.

One thing I enjoy about this hobby is tweaking and tuning air rifles. I haven’t found one yet that doesn’t benefit from some tweaking.

I just retired and we have a 3+ month cold weather season here, so now I’ve got time to really tear into some rifles and try different things. I’ll try to share some findings on AGN.

You have to have realistic expectations for a compressed air rifle. In the winter, I take my rifles outside from indoor temps of 68F to outdoor temps in the 20s and 30s. The cold temps impact velocity and so many things - even the scopes contract around their glass elements and may require a click or two adjustment.

I’ve learned from Ricky the Airgunnero on AGN - he is a competition shooter from the Philippines. Ricky tunes his rifles on location - on the days of the competition - as he informs that humidity, elevation, temperature and all sorts of things have an impact on the air rifles.

So, it seems compressed air rifles are temperamental beasts. A rifle may be perfectly consistent enough for hunting level accuracy, but if you want to have the rifle put every pellet through the same hole, consistently over time in various temps and weather conditions, then you likely will need to become familiar with how to adjust them.

-Ed

 

[_CTAIRGUNNER_]

This is the world we live in now, it seems a lot of people cannot grasp what is realistic and what is not. Cherry picked moments on social media tell people they can quit their jobs and travel the world with no income, "influencers" showing 10 second snipits of the coolest event yet not showing the 100s of hours of frustration to get there.

I learned this very quickly in airguns, took me about 6 months to realize all the fluff out there , not that the expectations couldn't become reality but that it would take more than purchasing a rifle, putting a scope on it, slapping any ammo in it and just making it happen because I pulled the trigger.

I got out of airguns because of the pressure I was putting on myself for literally no reason, clear my head and come back when I was ready, now I am getting back into it because I miss all the quiet time I spent outside sitting with my dog just enjoying relaxing, punching paper.

 

[Lt.Dan]

I'm constantly trying to improve my shooting skill and practicing is something I enjoy doing. If it's too easy I move the target back to increase the challenge. No big deal when my groups suck

I understand that professional competitive shooters need to go all out. Shooting is serious and there's money on the table. But what about the average, casual shooter?

So I'm curious, what is important to you?

Are you having fun yet?

Cheers!

I'm also constantly trying to improve my shooting skill and practicing is something I enjoy doing as well.

 

[Vana2]

This is the world we live in now, it seems a lot of people cannot grasp what is realistic and what is not. Cherry picked moments on social media tell people they can quit their jobs and travel the world with no income, "influencers" showing 10 second snipits of the coolest event yet not showing the 100s of hours of frustration to get there.

I learned this very quickly in airguns, took me about 6 months to realize all the fluff out there , not that the expectations couldn't become reality but that it would take more than purchasing a rifle, putting a scope on it, slapping any ammo in it and just making it happen because I pulled the trigger.

I got out of airguns because of the pressure I was putting on myself for literally no reason, clear my head and come back when I was ready, now I am getting back into it because I miss all the quiet time I spent outside sitting with my dog just enjoying relaxing, punching paper.

Too many leave the hobby because of the self imposed stress, and I thought that we get into hobbies to relieve stress.

I shoot all kinds of weapons - homemade slingshots and bows, pistols and rifles with different degrees of proficiency - for fun, and as you point out, the quiet time, relaxing and shooting with companions.

Glad that you are back!

Cheers!

 

[tommyb]

Are my eyes open? Then I'm having fun... been that way since retirement.

Funny

 

[maxtrouble]

I shoot on the weekends to have fun. Shooting groups can lead to frustration. Reactive targets are much more fun. Too windy for the small spinners? Shoot the big spinners! Too windy for spinners? Shoot cans! Too windy for cans? Shoot targets closer to you!

Having fun is the most important aspect of my shooting on the weekends. Heck, I took my PB pistols to the range last weekend. Had fun banging steel plates in 25 mph winds.

Welcome to the Washtenaw Sportsman's Club

www.washtenawsportsmansclub.org

 

[ToddGeddes63]

I got into this hobby as a form of stress relief, and it's been great. The airguns of today are much more accurate than the red rider days of my youth. I would like to participate in a f/t match for the experience. I shot over 9000 pellets in 2024 that's 18 tins of 500 pellets! That might not be a lot to most here, but three shooting sessions a week on my f/t range is so relaxing and challenging. I think that the web is great for research and discussions, but it also gives a false representation of expectations thus causing stress when the results can't be matched. In short, if you compete or shoot and it stresses you out, it's you and not the sport doing it! chill out and laugh at the flyers and misses.

 

[Motorhead]

Generally the more one just relaxes and executes good technique the better they shoot.
Being tense & trying really hard are a non productive pairing .... Relaxed and chill doing the best you can is far more rewarding.

 

[Vana2]

I got into this hobby as a form of stress relief, and it's been great. The airguns of today are much more accurate than the red rider days of my youth. I would like to participate in a f/t match for the experience. I shot over 9000 pellets in 2024 that's 18 tins of 500 pellets! That might not be a lot to most here, but three shooting sessions a week on my f/t range is so relaxing and challenging. I think that the web is great for research and discussions, but it also gives a false representation of expectations thus causing stress when the results can't be matched. In short, if you compete or shoot and it stresses you out, it's you and not the sport doing it! chill out and laugh at the flyers and misses.

Shooting is indeed a good stress relief - used to do some everyday after work.

Airguns are great for that but IMHO, a wood bow is the best. Instinctive shooting take 100% focus, a couple of dozen shots with a heavy bow will clear the mind and leave a pleasant warmth in the muscles.

 

[Struckat]

It’s all fun. I can hit targets and such well enough to make me happy.
Most of my guns are better than I will ever be.

Now nice 10m pistol would make me happier…some day.

 

[Ranchibi]

I do have fun shooting but when I miss I KNOW IT'S ALL ON ME....

 

[tommyb]

I do have fun shooting but when I miss I KNOW IT'S ALL ON ME....

Me too!!

 

[ToddGeddes63]

Shooting is indeed a good stress relief - used to do some everyday after work.

Airguns are great for that but IMHO, a wood bow is the best. Instinctive shooting take 100% focus, a couple of dozen shots with a heavy bow will clear the mind and leave a pleasant warmth in the muscles.

I have not shot a bow since a boy, but I can see the attraction. I have a physical job as a carpenter, so for me, it's about the calming that I get from the release of each pellet. I've got it down to by the time I shoot my sighters and calm my breathing, I'm chilled out and ready to go to the f/t range. By the time I shoot my lanes, I'm feelin good! less fatigue, more centered, and very relaxed.