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How do you find time to shoot?


wrx04

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I understand everyone’s situation is different, but jeez.....do any of you have difficulty  finding time to shoot?  I may just be in a ‘bad’ spot in life as far as timing goes (married with two young kids), but I feel my schedule is jammed and my shooting time is severely limited.  Every week has something going on with work, family, kids activities, etc.....  All this, and I’m limited to the range times available near me.

 

Anybody else have this problem?  How did you fix it?  I know the young, single guys and older, retired guys probably have a more flexible schedule, but I’m sure there are a bunch in the same spot as I am.  I do have time to dry fire, but that isn’t nearly as fun.  Do most of you guys have private land to shoot/train on during the week?

Edited by wrx04
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This may not be the best answer. But they say if you are going to conquer your area match or nationals be prepared to sacrifice a lot of your personal time in favor of training. So for me, honestly define your goal first then decide based on it. Its very personal and subjective. What fits you may not be for me. 

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You have time for the things you want time for. Its a matter of priorities. I'm not trying to be an ass here, really.

 

If everything in your life is more important to you, then it is what it is. Not finding fault. However asking the internet why you have no time doesn't make sense.

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You don't find time to shoot, you make time to shoot.  When my daughter was born, guess what we did together, went shooting.  Work is not all important, when your daughter is grown her fond memories will not be of time Dad spent working.

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5 hours ago, uziforme said:

You don't find time to shoot, you make time to shoot.  When my daughter was born, guess what we did together, went shooting.  Work is not all important, when your daughter is grown her fond memories will not be of time Dad spent working.

This.

I shot archery with 1 son and pistols with the other. Found time every couple days. Also practiced baseball with them 6 days a week.

We find time to watch TV, go to church, teach Hunter Ed, go to ballgames (and coach little league!) and a myriad of other things. I sang with a quartet for 10 years.  Lots of running and time away. A day here, a weekend there, lots of hot dogs and Subway!

We say shooting doesn't take a lot of time... I had a range built on my property. Saves a bunch of time! I used to set aside an evening a week to shoot. Sometimes a free Saturday. You can shoot an hr a week and improve (slightly). If you find more time you can improve faster. But you won't improve (or, not much) without the work. Sad but true...

Just had a friend telling me (an hr ago LOL) that he can't afford a new gun because horseshoes, golf, and, of all things Bingo (!!!) take too much of his "gun fund". I gave him the "priorities" speech.

 

FWIW when I retired I shoot way more (every day) reload more (every day) and my performance has improved at about the same rate. Don't despair. It's all there waiting for you.

Good luck and happy shooting...

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I have noticed at the monthly matches we get two age groups: haven't had kids yet and kids are grown. I'm the latter. That being said, I'm missing two months of matches due to family events (grandkid birthdays, etc.). Some folks cure this conflict by getting the Mrs. into shooting but alas, so far mine is resistant...

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It is just like any interest or hobby. If it is important enough you will make time for it. Most of the skills can also be learned/reinforced through dry fire and I am sure there are enough times in the day to spare 15-30 minutes for that. Get up a bit earlier or go to bed a bit later, less TV etc.. 

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Sacrifices need to be made if you want to do anything, no matter what it is.  One's priorities are revealed by what one chooses to do.  Like most people, I've spent untold time on my butt watching TV or doing other completely useless things, but not so much since I started competing.  I don't have it as rough as some because my kids are grown and on their own, and all the pets are gone.  My daily round-trip commute is 100 miles, a relatively recent development, and I had to get used to that.  The weekend is filled with dry fire, reloading, gun cleaning, matches.  Same with most weekday evenings.  I wouldn't say "shooting is my life" but activities around shooting do consume a large chunk of my free time.  If we were still raising the kids, I'd have to manage my time differently.  I understand the challenges.

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Practice doesn't have to be a long drawn out process.  I made a commitment to dry fire a minimum of five days a week for 15-20 minutes a day.  You can surely find 15-20 minutes a day to practice.  Just get up 15 minutes earlier.

45 minutes ago, mccurdy53 said:

You will never "find" time to shoot, you must make the time to shoot.  If you wait till you find time you will be too old to shoot.  Ask me how I know.

Amen! well said

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17 hours ago, wrx04 said:

 I do have time to dry fire, but that isn’t nearly as fun.  Do most of you guys have private land to shoot/train on during the week?

 

OK you need to sign up for Steve Anderson's blog and listen to his rantings about practice and such. Also Stoeger's "practical pistol show" will tell you the same, practice is work. 

 

If you want to get good at anything it takes goal setting, focus and dedicated work, but of course you know that.

 

Ask any GM how much he or she dry fires a day, the ammo they shoot, and if they are "having fun" while doing it and I'm sure they will tell you fun isn't a major part of the quotient.

 

As Steve Anderson says, "Get to work!"

 

BTW, most people do not have private land to shoot or practice on. Find a range which will let you draw, shoot and reload as fast as you can or want to. You will have to prove you can do it safely in front of an RO. 

Edited by HesedTech
Private Land question
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19 minutes ago, HesedTech said:

 

 

 

Ask any GM how much he or she dry fires a day, the ammo they shoot, and if they are "having fun" while doing it and I'm sure they will tell you fun isn't a major part of the quotient.

 

 

Embrace the suck!  

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When I had a young family and lived in NJ, it was impossible to shoot - just no time.    :(

 

 

Moved to a farm in NY and family got more mature - used to shoot on my own farm   :) 

 

Now 73 year old empty nester and health matters are currently interfering  .....   :eatdrink:

 

Different life stages - different situations.

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Your priorities, are your priorities.   My son loves the range, now instead of riding shotgun , he also shoots.  My wife likes going to the level 2 & 3 matches as well as my daughter.    We try to get there a day early and let them see the area.  It gives us all a short weekend get away.  Locally we shoot 3 times a month.  Every now and then something comes up, but bottom line is, it all depends on how far up or down the list of priorities you getting to shoot is. 

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I think most have hit on the issue....I need to make time for it.  I can justify it as my main hobby and prioritize it above “everything else” except for family.  My family comes first always, but shooting can be second in line if everything else takes a back seat.  

 

I’ve tried to get my wife into it, but that’s a no-go.  My girls are far too young to even try at this point, but I’ll hold out hope when they are older.  I can shoot once/week with a local match once per month.  I may not make GM, but I do need to set a goal and stick to it.  I’m in between just wanting to have fun, and getting as good as I can.  I’ll have to work with what I’ve got for now and see where the road may lead.

 

 

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On 5/14/2018 at 2:11 PM, HesedTech said:

 

OK you need to sign up for Steve Anderson's blog and listen to his rantings about practice and such. Also Stoeger's "practical pistol show" will tell you the same, practice is work. 

 

If you want to get good at anything it takes goal setting, focus and dedicated work, but of course you know that.

 

Ask any GM how much he or she dry fires a day, the ammo they shoot, and if they are "having fun" while doing it and I'm sure they will tell you fun isn't a major part of the quotient.

 

As Steve Anderson says, "Get to work!"

 

BTW, most people do not have private land to shoot or practice on. Find a range which will let you draw, shoot and reload as fast as you can or want to. You will have to prove you can do it safely in front of an RO. 

Thanks.  I have each of their books, but will look for the podcast.

 

where can I find it?  YouTube?

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10 hours ago, wrx04 said:

...  I can shoot once/week with a local match once per month.  I may not make GM, but I do need to set a goal and stick to it.  I’m in between just wanting to have fun, and getting as good as I can.  I’ll have to work with what I’ve got for now and see where the road may lead.

 

 

 

I think if you dry fire daily, go to range once a week and a local match once a month as you say you will progress pretty fast. That schedule is more aggressive than a lot of shooters I know.

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58 minutes ago, tanks said:

 

I think if you dry fire daily, go to range once a week and a local match once a month as you say you will progress pretty fast. That schedule is more aggressive than a lot of shooters I know.

Agreed!

Plus, if you get on / stay on that schedule you will begin to "find" time to work on specialty stuff. An hr on transitions, time here for accuracy, time there for reloads, whatever. Time spent and the confidence which comes from time spent will make you want more! You should be proud of yourself and what you will become. You deserve it.

Let the fun begin.

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I feel the struggle of not being able to shoot enough when having a wife, kids, and a job. I was unable to shoot a whole season because of working 6 days a week and 70-80 hours every week. Only day I had off was Sunday and the last thing my wife wanted me to do was go shooting all day on the only day we could do family stuff. I changed jobs 7 months ago and now work across the street form a indoor range. The outdoor range I'm a member of is on my way home from work. And my new job is closed on weekends. So the wife doesn't care about me being one all day on Sundays to shoot local matches.

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