Range Time

If you’ve frequented this blog, specifically the “living” themed posts, you may have noticed my lamenting about how things have changed. I guess that’s just part of living and what we’re predisposed to do as we grow older! This week, I’ll lament about how times have changed regarding range time.

First, some background for context. I grew up around guns. Shooting and hunting have been a part of my life since I can pretty much remember. I took firearms and hunting safety courses when I was young. My parents strictly enforced the “10 commandments” of firearms safety. Early on I developed a healthy respect for firearms. I received my first firearm for Christmas when I was 13 (a shotgun) and expanded my collection through the years.

I own mostly hunting firearms with a few antique military collector pieces thrown in. Never have been a huge fan of the small, black rifles but do own one…mostly for nostalgia. Guess I got to handle those types of weapons enough while serving in the military! I’ve tried my best to raise my two sons to secure and handle firearms safely. Most importantly, they respect firearms as the weapons they are.

Which brings me to the whole “how times have changed” as it pertains to range time. Growing up, range time was plentiful. I grew up on a farm in a very rural area, so the “range” oftentimes was a few steps off the back porch or a short hike to the back forty! As a teenager my friends and family used to shoot skeet in the back yard, have shooting competitions and of course in the winter, hunted small game as often as possible.

My range experience certainly wasn’t anything fancy. Just a simple skeet machine, coke cans or makeshift target stands. So many great memories of blasting skeet, blowing up cans, bragging about a tight pattern or harvesting enough game for supper. There weren’t any smart phones to stare at, just the outdoors and a fun, safe pastime. It also helped that a box of .22 rounds was less than a buck back then!

Although I moved out at 18, my college town was less than an hour away. Birds of a feather flock together so many of my college friends were also hunting and shooting enthusiasts. Going to my home to hunt or target shoot was a frequent weekend escape. Ammo was cheap and plentiful. Small game gave way to deer and many Saturday mornings we would be in our stands as the sun rose over our farm. Great way for college kids to have a fun outing and escape the pitfalls that sometime lurk around campus.

During my military service, hunting and shooting wasn’t as easy as it was back home but still available. Obviously, during the eight years I was deployed or stationed overseas, hunting and shooting just didn’t happen. But back CONUS (within the Continental United States) most military posts have land that is accessible for hunting. Some installations even have very nice range complexes or skeet ranges for target shooting.

Which brings me to the present day. It just seems everything has changed. Ammo is crazy expensive, and that’s if you can find it on the shelves. I am fortunate to live near a state-run shooting range that is very nice and free. As to be expected, it is jam packed every weekend. There is also a lot of public land around for hunting which is surprisingly not very crowded. Seems like hunting on private game reserves is the in-thing to do around here.

But the biggest thing is just not enough time. Shooting safely is a deliberate process and takes time. Trips to the range should not be rushed. Weapons have to be cleaned before and after range time. Targets and stands must be prepared. Weapons must be transported per local regulations with safety measures in place. The bottom line, it takes a full day to go to the range. No more walking out to the back forty and plinking at a coke can.

This translates to range time only once a year nowadays. My shooting is more out of necessity rather than enjoyment. Before hunting season, it is the responsible thing to do to confirm the sights on hunting weapons. Within the next few weeks, I’ll get my target stands ready, perform before operation checks and pick a day to go shoot in anticipation of hunting season this fall.

Of course, when I do go on this annual trip to the range, I’ll bring a few extra guns and my kids if they are available. This week’s featured pic is from last year’s outing where my son was able to familiarize with a handgun. “Range time” is yet another thing that used to bring me great joy but has morphed into something completely different over the years. I realize there is probably no one to blame but myself.  At least for one day each year, I’m able to share some of the enjoyment range time brought to me in the past.

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