Thinking About Taking A Year Off

[chp5]

Of course Cy, if things don't work out, you can always go back to being a cage fighter.

That hurts.

[Rising Sight]

I kinda took some time off this winter. A friend of mine and myself have been going to an indoor range once a week and focusing on shooting groups. This seems to be a nice change of pace. It really has me looking forward to this coming shooting season.

[shred]

I took a month off from shooting in early December a little after Area 4. The weather was great then. Now it's rained or froze out every match this year. It's turning into a 2-month break..

[Steve Moneypenny]

I've taken several breaks in my shooting carrer, everyone needs some time off. Just do what makes you happy. you don't want to practice, put your guns up, you don't want to shoot hte match.. no one says you can go hang out for an hour or so at lunch time.. RO a bit just give a littl eback tot he sport instead of thinking about your shooting. Or just take soem time away from it all together.

Make yourself happy. we'll miss you if you go, but we'll always welcome you back!

[Jake Di Vita]

I'll probably only be shooting one or two matches this year...but it's for financial reasons.

I know what you mean though...I'm really not feeling the fire right now.

[XRe]

Cy - I took 6-ish years off. Hindsight tells me that I just needed a break, and should've taken one a lot sooner than I did...

Erik's advice is spot on. I just took a break after the Open Nats - didn't shoot at all in November, didn't even dry fire. Started back in on dry fire in December, but the weather and some travel in December has prevented much in the way of matches - but the break did me good.

My advice - which is worth what you're paying for it - don't even think about guns or shooting for a while. You'll naturally come back to it at some point, if its something you enjoy. And, if you give yourself permission to take a break, you'll typically come back to it sooner than later, and you'll be reinvigorated when you do. But.... don't sell off all your stuff in the meantime (like I did...)

[Sam]

Cy, maybe you just need to take a break from competition?

Shooting, practicing, dry-firing is all very relaxing, if the activity is an end unto itself.

Relatively speaking, I don't get to shoot many matches at all. Time, distance, and money, of course.

So I just totally quit. Forever.

I quit practicing for matches. Now, I practice to discover. And I love shooting more than ever. I can't imagine ever tiring of it.

[Nemo]

CP,

ENJOY YOUR FAMILY! The shooting will be here when you decide to come back.

Now, it would all be different if your kid(s) started shooting with you. I was about to quit in 2003, then my boys started coming to the range with me. Nelson was 11 and Francisco was 9 (about the current age of one of yours, right?). The matches turned into GREAT QUALITY TIME with my sons. The competitive fire wasn't there as much, it was more important to enjoy my boys and see them do well.

Hell, I got so out of it that I started shooting revolver! Now that freakin' antique's got me hooked! IT'S FUN AGAIN!

Be well!