I'm changing as I get older . I go to the range less now . There is only one gun out there that I want really bad . None of this new stuff interests me .I have a pistol up for sale and possibly another in the near future . I haven't fired my Garand in over a year and my AR has been even longer . My shooting buddy is a widower and he has a new girlfriend that is taking up all of his time . I guess I'm losing my motivation .
Losing interest in firearms?
- Thread starter nomas
- Start date
We all take a break, for sure. This year is probably the least I have been to the range since at least 2010. I just have too much going on. And the weather has been OK too. Mostly house projects and then when I do break free I take the wife somewhere..
Retired and more busy. Weird!
It is an age thing and the same happens with me. I still go shooting as it is almost the only thing that is still enough to get me out of the house. The Garand and AR will be there for you and they are really , really nice rifles. Most everyone wants a Garand and you have one. I have an 03 Springfield I haven't fired for 15 years! Some times it is just nice to handle them, then give them some lube and a wipe.
Funny, I am about 6 mos. into the same feeling towards my car fleet....have hardly driven them. Partly driven by me newly being with a start up and the requisite crazy hours, but I figured that more hours in the coal mine (figuratively) would have me longing to drive more, but that has not been the case. Forced myself to step back and go for a few Fall drives and got some motivation back. As folks have said, it is an age thing; I'm probably thinning the fleet soon.
That said, my pandemic project was getting my full auto license, so hoping to shoot more. This could be a short term, transient event; force yourself to go...
Oh, and don't sell the AR or Garand!
That said, my pandemic project was getting my full auto license, so hoping to shoot more. This could be a short term, transient event; force yourself to go...
Oh, and don't sell the AR or Garand!
Sometimes you need to find a new hobby.
I use to enjoy shooting a Savage 22 target rifle that had a peep site at different distances. I had sight settings for different distances for each common 22 amo we used. That gun was realy nice to shoot.
Then I got into RC airplanes and went through the challenging and difficult beginning years of occasionally destroying one because it was not good enough at it. Then after I became competent I flew those for many decades and still have one that has thousands of flights on it.
Then my interest changed again to another Hobby, this time music. I went to many live performances and bought many music CDs. Then one day I realized that the vast majority of the songs that I liked had acoustic guitar in them. So I decided that I would like to learn how to play the acoustic guitar. I borrowed a guitar from one of my brothers and learned how to play Just Enough so that I could tell the quality of a guitar in a music shop, so that I could choose what guitar I wanted to buy. I then traveled to every music shop within 15 miles and played every high-end acoustic guitar each of them had until I found the one that I wanted to buy. I took lessons and attended evening adult Community College courses for playing the guitar, Guitar 1, and Guitar 2. I joined a local organization that supports folk music and attended meetings where we would form a big circle and take turns going around the circle about who played the instrument that they brought. Mostly it was acoustic guitars, and there were others who would bring instruments such as mandolin, or violin, or banjo sometimes. And it was understood that if you knew how to accompany the person who was playing that you could join in and play along with them. I also bought many books about how to play the guitar and most of those books included a CD that played the songs that you were learning to play in those books. I still enjoy playing my acoustic guitar and have gotten fairly good at playing a couple of songs. And I've even written a few songs.
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Years ago, when I was working for a very small company to earn a little bit of money why I was in between major jobs the owner of that company had some serious mental problems. And he went to a psychiatrist. He told us that the psychiatrist ask him what his Hobbies were and he told the psychiatrist that his hobby was studying the Bible. And the psychiatrist told him that that is not a hobby. And again ask him if he had any hobbies and he said no. The psychiatrist told him to find a hobby that he enjoys doing and to get involved in that Hobby. If the hobby has local organizations of people that participate in the hobby to join one of those and participate in the hobby with other people. I remember that very well and think that that was very wise advice and realized that it is smart to turn a blind eye to the cost of any hobby you truly enjoy as long as it is not breaking the Bank of the family budget, or hurting anyone.
That was many years ago and since then there have been three times when someone has confided in me that they were having serious mental problems and each one of those times I asked that individual if they had any hobbies and each time they replied no. And each time I passed along to them that Wise information to find a hobby that they truly enjoy doing as long as it doesn't break the family budget, or hurt anyone. It doesn't matter what the hobby is. It can be anything such as bicycling or hiking or backpacking and camping or photography or fishing or anything else you can think of such as some sport or anything else as long as you truly enjoy doing it. You have to figure out what you truly enjoy doing and get involved in doing it. And also to join clubs that are involved in that Hobby. It makes life much more enjoyable and much more worth living.
I use to enjoy shooting a Savage 22 target rifle that had a peep site at different distances. I had sight settings for different distances for each common 22 amo we used. That gun was realy nice to shoot.
Then I got into RC airplanes and went through the challenging and difficult beginning years of occasionally destroying one because it was not good enough at it. Then after I became competent I flew those for many decades and still have one that has thousands of flights on it.
Then my interest changed again to another Hobby, this time music. I went to many live performances and bought many music CDs. Then one day I realized that the vast majority of the songs that I liked had acoustic guitar in them. So I decided that I would like to learn how to play the acoustic guitar. I borrowed a guitar from one of my brothers and learned how to play Just Enough so that I could tell the quality of a guitar in a music shop, so that I could choose what guitar I wanted to buy. I then traveled to every music shop within 15 miles and played every high-end acoustic guitar each of them had until I found the one that I wanted to buy. I took lessons and attended evening adult Community College courses for playing the guitar, Guitar 1, and Guitar 2. I joined a local organization that supports folk music and attended meetings where we would form a big circle and take turns going around the circle about who played the instrument that they brought. Mostly it was acoustic guitars, and there were others who would bring instruments such as mandolin, or violin, or banjo sometimes. And it was understood that if you knew how to accompany the person who was playing that you could join in and play along with them. I also bought many books about how to play the guitar and most of those books included a CD that played the songs that you were learning to play in those books. I still enjoy playing my acoustic guitar and have gotten fairly good at playing a couple of songs. And I've even written a few songs.
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Years ago, when I was working for a very small company to earn a little bit of money why I was in between major jobs the owner of that company had some serious mental problems. And he went to a psychiatrist. He told us that the psychiatrist ask him what his Hobbies were and he told the psychiatrist that his hobby was studying the Bible. And the psychiatrist told him that that is not a hobby. And again ask him if he had any hobbies and he said no. The psychiatrist told him to find a hobby that he enjoys doing and to get involved in that Hobby. If the hobby has local organizations of people that participate in the hobby to join one of those and participate in the hobby with other people. I remember that very well and think that that was very wise advice and realized that it is smart to turn a blind eye to the cost of any hobby you truly enjoy as long as it is not breaking the Bank of the family budget, or hurting anyone.
That was many years ago and since then there have been three times when someone has confided in me that they were having serious mental problems and each one of those times I asked that individual if they had any hobbies and each time they replied no. And each time I passed along to them that Wise information to find a hobby that they truly enjoy doing as long as it doesn't break the family budget, or hurt anyone. It doesn't matter what the hobby is. It can be anything such as bicycling or hiking or backpacking and camping or photography or fishing or anything else you can think of such as some sport or anything else as long as you truly enjoy doing it. You have to figure out what you truly enjoy doing and get involved in doing it. And also to join clubs that are involved in that Hobby. It makes life much more enjoyable and much more worth living.
I definitely get it. I rarely shoot any more and every once in a while find myself staring at tons of guns thinking "what do I have all this for". When my Grandad was alive I really enjoyed getting something new and working up a new handload for it. Now I just load a box of 50 and that will last me for a decade for most of my deer rifles.. That said I did just post about a cheap shotgun for sale and I do enjoy a new old rifle and picked up a Carcano this year haha.
I'm 67 and I know we slow down and do not have as much get-up-and-go as we use to as we get older. But what I an trying to get across is that sometimes intrest in a hobby fades, but that does not mean that there is not other hobbies to be enjoyed.
And if you can't think of something that you might find enjoyable ask other people what they think might be something that you would enjoy doing.
And if you can't think of something that you might find enjoyable ask other people what they think might be something that you would enjoy doing.
Btw, I owned a 18 ft Chrysler Buccaneer sailboat for about 30 years and spent many Summers where I would be sailing almost every weekend. But eventually I found myself using that boat less and less. And after it's sat for a few years not being used I realized that I might as well sell it. But now I have other Hobbies.
CleanSump
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Ditto guys. Not sure why. It set in when Covid was new and all. Shooting, working on cars, and riding motorcylces just doesn't motivate me these days. Not depressed, not in a bad place, just not motivated by these old interests as much as I was.
You may want to keep your guns. Maybe you don't go out as often, but enjoy that the USA still has a second amendment. I moved into another home 7 years ago and still haven't unpacked the firearms. Lots of other hobbies. It's time for me to get out the firearms and clean them up and do some shooting. One can put some hobbies aside for a while and then enjoy them later.
Shooting reminds me of the quality time that I have spent with friends and family. Those friends and family have passed on. I need to find new friends to shoot with..
Shooting reminds me of the quality time that I have spent with friends and family. Those friends and family have passed on. I need to find new friends to shoot with..
Same here. When I got my first firearm, a HK pistol, I shot about 3K rounds in less than 5 months. Then for whatever reason, it stopped being fun after my closest national forest range shut down. That was because an idiot fired into the air and it struck a hiker a ways away.
Anyway.
I thought the lost of interest was temporary so after awhile, I bought the newest hotness at the time, a Walther PPQ. It has now been ten+ years and it's still unfired. I found new hobbies though and I don't miss shooting at all. I'm just a bit surprised at how much I went to the range in the beginning and how fast I lost interest. Things change. Life too. But I hope you have something else to enjoy or look forward to on the weekends.
Anyway.
I thought the lost of interest was temporary so after awhile, I bought the newest hotness at the time, a Walther PPQ. It has now been ten+ years and it's still unfired. I found new hobbies though and I don't miss shooting at all. I'm just a bit surprised at how much I went to the range in the beginning and how fast I lost interest. Things change. Life too. But I hope you have something else to enjoy or look forward to on the weekends.
Interesting read. Love the diversity of topics on this forum. Some I warm to, and others I move on from. Am asking many of the same questions in this series of posts. As far as hobbies goes, I have played a lot in many areas. Always enjoyed them. In my case I would say I wind down from one as a new experience or opportunity takes up more of my time, but there is always a strong connection with the previous. Have also had tremendous enjoyment from introducing and teaching others. Seeing reactions go from somewhat fearful, to "WOW, that was fantastic". (Resisted the overused "Awesome!")
Anyway, I still find it hard to advise others when asked what they should do in their career or life. Many lost or unfulfilled people about. Really need to know yourself and recognize the changes. Talking to others, maybe professionals can help.
Other thing is to recognize the importance of positive human interactions. It is not always what you are doing or accomplishing, but the joy of the journey in getting there. Goal orientated activities don't always result in a fulfilling time/enjoyment. The people you interact often enhance the experience. Trying new things, meeting new people, listening and hearing as well as leading helps with continuous growth.
Anyway, I still find it hard to advise others when asked what they should do in their career or life. Many lost or unfulfilled people about. Really need to know yourself and recognize the changes. Talking to others, maybe professionals can help.
Other thing is to recognize the importance of positive human interactions. It is not always what you are doing or accomplishing, but the joy of the journey in getting there. Goal orientated activities don't always result in a fulfilling time/enjoyment. The people you interact often enhance the experience. Trying new things, meeting new people, listening and hearing as well as leading helps with continuous growth.
TMI
I have loved my wife since they day I met her on October 31, 1971, while on a hike in the Columbia River Gorge. I am excited to hike with her, camp with her, dine out with her, shop with her, live with her and to have had nine children with her. What part of that was too much information?
i gravitated to mostly shooting 22lr handguns during the past few years: physically and financially easier, keeps my meager skills honed, helps in a small way to keep our precious 2a alive.
while getting more into rimfire plinking i concurrently sold off a bunch of nice (to me) firearms. they are now in the hands of other folks who will enjoy them and i funded my rimfire addiction.
eventually we will leave all our stuff behind. perhaps it’s better now to sell off or give away some, by our own decisions and to our own benefit, instead of having it done by others after we depart this earthly abode.
back to the specific topic: why not get a ruger sr22 pistol or henry lever-action rifle and rediscover the fun of rimfire plinking?
while getting more into rimfire plinking i concurrently sold off a bunch of nice (to me) firearms. they are now in the hands of other folks who will enjoy them and i funded my rimfire addiction.
eventually we will leave all our stuff behind. perhaps it’s better now to sell off or give away some, by our own decisions and to our own benefit, instead of having it done by others after we depart this earthly abode.
back to the specific topic: why not get a ruger sr22 pistol or henry lever-action rifle and rediscover the fun of rimfire plinking?
