People don't like target shooting?

K

Kazaam

New member
I've seen a few different people on various forums say that they don't like/got tired of shooting targets. Is this a common thing among "veteran" shooters? Getting ready to buy my first handgun and I certainly hope I don't get tired of it.

I don't think many ranges around here allow shooting any, uh, objects and I'm not too sure about steel.

SO...can/did you get tired of target shooting? :eek:
 
I once heard Hugh Hefner say he was tired of women. You can get bored with anything in excess.

I visit the range once or 2 times a month. Actually... owning firearms is becoming more important then actually shooting them... ugh...its a sickness.
 
I was getting a bit tired of it when I was stuck with an indoor range and the rules that went along with it. But that was more due to the limitation of pretty much only being able to practice bullseye style shooting.

Now that I shoot outside, and can do a full range of exercises and drills, I don't mind shooting paper. I do have bowling pins too though, variety is the spice of life. :D
 
Shooting paper can become boring and it isn't very forgiving. At my local outdoor range I like my swinging steel targets for 22LR. They move, they make noise. Need to save up some $$ and get one that can handle 9mm and 45acp.

However, that doesn't mean I'll quit shooting paper.
 
Shooting for score at paper and trying to beat the scores of others or your past scores keeps shooting interesting long after you get bored with making holes in tin cans or making steel go "clang", or so I find.
I'm still waiting to shoot my first 100 on a NRA B-8 target posted at 25 yards with a pistol.

Imagine how fast bowling or golf would get old if you just went through the motions of playing the game and didn't keep score.
 
I agree with B.L.E. when I started shooting matches and tracking performance, it revitalized my interest. Someone invited me out for my first 600yd f-class competition, and when I took him up on it, I realized that it's about as much fun as I can have with a gun. It's essentially "boring" paper punching, but the competitive aspect (mostly with my self and my own performance) is highly compelling. I assume it would be similar for other types of competition (e.g., Bullseye, IPSC, Cowboy Action, etc.).

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As they say, variety is the spice of life. Doing the same kind of shooting over and over can get boring and might result in your skills hitting a plateau. Varying your distance, speed, firearm and target types can all make shooting more enjoyable and lead to steady improvement. As others have mentioned, competition is what turns some people on.

I do more pistol shooting than anything else (Bullseye) but think I actually have more fun shooting skeet (maybe it's trap shooting?) because I don't get to do it very often and it involves beloved family members and me throwing targets for each other and offering congratulations and encouragement.
 
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You won't get tired of it, once you buy your first firearm and going to the range to try it out for the first time, all you will think about is the next time and the next time etc. If you feel like you're getting tired of it then just buy another type of firearm and do it all over again.:D
 
It may take a few years depending on how often you shoot, but shooting paper will probably get boring. Even shooting for accuracy gets boring for me. When I shoot for accuracy, I find myself feeling like its work. I'm much more focused and serious. There comes a time when I really want to just spray lead and have fun. Shooting reactive targets is much more enjoyable because I'm not worried about my groups. I'm just enjoying hitting the target and watching it react.
 
You get out of shooting what you put into shooting. IE if you personally find punching holes in a piece of paper to be boring after a while try a different style of shooting. There is a lot of different things you can do. A wide variety of bullseye match type shooting, cowboy action, long range pistol, steel plate, tin cans, a lot of different (for want of better phrase) action pistol shooting IPSC to USPSA tactical to practical run and gun shooting, heck you and tie string around golf balls hang them out a 50 yards and blast away if hitting the golf balls is to easy try shooting the string. It very unlikely you will not get tired of shooting.
 
I got bored with shooting paper and my range doesn't allow shooting things that make a mess like fruit or other trash. So I picked up a couple steel plates from www.shootsteel.com, prices are very reasonable and they have taken a beating and show no sign of damage. Best part is when shooting out to 50+ yards you actually know when you hit the target since you get that very satisfying 'ding', beats using binoculars or a spotter.
 
I'm like you in that I get bored with paper,,,

I'm like you in that I get bored with paper,,,
I mean paper is a great thing for checking your group sizes,,,
But after a while I want something that's more recreational for my range time.

Recently I filled some water bottles with cheap kitty litter,,,
Then I wrapped them in cheap orange duct tape,,,
I line a bunch of them up on a long board,,,
They're small enough to challenge me,,,
And make a nice satisfying "plop".

Shooting should be fun.

Aarond

.
 
There are may things you can shoot that are "paper", including playing cards. I like to set them up and try to pick off the ace or do a head shot on a jack. I also will set them up on edge and try and split the cards. Of course this comes in handy when shooting at a range that only allows paper targets, when shooting in my backyard I have some of those Do-All interactive metal targets as well as tin cans, shooting clays, plastic bottles full of water and plastic butter containers that I have filled with water and froze.
 
That is one of the up sides of my buying philosophy. While I do own what some would accept as "quality" firearms I don't limit myself to just them. Owning many of the less expensive guns like Taurus, Heritage Rough Rider, Hi-Point, a "pot metal" Walther P22, and many reasonably prices C&R milsurps allows me a great variety as to what I shoot on any given range trip.
As a side note, these supposedly inferior firearms have proven themselves time and again to be accurate, reliable, and a whole lot of fun to shoot.
Another thing as mentioned earlier is the use of "active" targets. spinning things, swinging things, gonging things, all make things more interesting.
 
I want this. Anyone care to make some donations to my "I want a high tech personal range" fund? :D

Although I am seriously considering just getting a couple of those targets without the fancy sensors and what not. Steel would be nice but a bit heavy for hauling around the desert by myself.
 
I don't care much for punching paper, shooting any type of competition or being "confined" to shooting ranges, but I really enjoy plinking and hunting. Been that way my whole life. Also, I flat out like guns just because they are guns.:D
 
You have to get creative ...to make your own fun.

I like shooting at indoor ranges / AC in summer - heated and dry in winter....
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There are a lot of "tactical drills" you can do ...if the range allows you to draw from holster....vary the size of the targets, etc.../ shoot weak hand only, reload drills, kneeling, one handed drills, etc....

You can get creative with targets / Tic-Tac-Toe grids .../ Connect 4 grids.../ even the old kids game of "Battleship" ...where you hide your ships on the back of the grid...and your buddy shoots them.

My indoor range is allowing a few 'deuling trees' - depending on how busy the range is ( we need to stay in the center lanes...or even have targets in 3 adjacent lanes ..at various distances away ...and fire from one lane, on all 3 targets.....
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go out and shoot some shotgun / clay target games...on other days....mix up your shooting a little - so you get some moving targets, etc....
 
"I can hit a beer can every shot at 1000 yards with my 9mm Klotz shooting one hand, but I can't do well on targets...."

Yep. A target with scoring rings and the signature of a range officer will show you and your buddies just how well (or badly) you really do shoot. It takes all the fun out of lying.

Jim
 
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