HOBBYIST or SPORTSMAN

[Jim Norman]

I will admit to voting "Other" I probably don't qualify as a "Sportsman" as I don't choose to practice daily (or even weekly) I am competative and I do work at improvement, but not at the level I would have to to really take the next step. I am not just a hobbyist as I do plan a lot of my life around matches and shooting. I enjoy the competition, I do work to a point on improvement. I find the biggest thing I need to do is treat matches as more than a social outing. I tend to have too much of a 'it really doesn't matter, I am here to have fun' attitude at times.

I think a lot of what changed me over time from tending more to Sportsman than hobbyist is the Range Lawyers and Whiners. Afterall, no matter how good most of us are, only a very very small percentage will ever make a living actually shooting. Teaching, Yes, Building Guns, Yes. But Acutally Shooting as a sponsored shooter, not likely. Even the top shooters all seem to have "Other Duties" besides shooting.

So put in the middle catagory, serious Hobbyist or fun-loving sportsman.

Jim

[dajarrel]

Shooting is my hobby but I don't apply myself enough to be considered a sportsman in our game.

When I started shooting I gave up golf, hunting and fishing. This year will be the first year I have hunted in 5 or 6 years.

I don't want my love for shooting to diminish, but I can remember how much I loved the other things as well.

FWIW

dj

[Ron Ankeny]

I voted other. I consider myself a worker, promoter, supporter, etc. of the shooting sports. So yes, there is another kind of shooter.

[zhunter]

Nemo

I would be classified as a hobbyist. Each spring my attention is on chasing Tarpon in the Keys with my fly rod. Summers are spent working. I shoot in the fall and winter. Every couple of years, I go on a hunting trip, which takes up a lot of time practicing with my bow.

I did the sportsman thing, it was GOLF. Dedicated my whole life to it, I am at a point now that I want to enjoy as much as possible. I gave up SO much to reach my goals in golf, I am ONLY now making up for the lost time.

I do have shooting goals, and making my "A" Card is one of them. With my work schedule, I don't see EVER being able to devote the time to reach "M".

Yeah, I am having fun, isn't that the point?

[XD Niner]

I cast my vote for the hobbyist category as well. I shoot primarily to relieve stress by having fun. I am not a great athlete and with being on an airplane about 80% of the time can't practice as much as I would like. I enjoy the competition, camaraderie and needling guys like Fireant. Sure I like to win but there is no way I'm going to do that consistently with this 55 year old body and other commitments.

[dcarter]

Sorry but I refuse to be labeled.

I love this sport and I do everything in my power to be as good at it as I possibly can be.

I go to the gym regularly to do strength and aerobic training.

At the age of 55 that is something I do for one reason only. Shooting.

I can't be competitive otherwise.

We all have constraints on our time, money, health (and in some cases, talent).

That reality will probably keep me from the highest levels of the sport, but it will never stop me from trying.

The world I live with may keep me a hobbyist, but in my heart I am a competitor.

I may never win that championship trophy, but I like to think that my best effort makes that trophy mean something.

Tony

+++++1. Very well said sir!

[1911nm]

I poked the hobbyist button, but like some others, that seems incomplete. What with family, work, etc., no, I will probably never compete at a sportsman/athelete level. However, I feel my approach to this time is more as a student. I never attend a match, enter a forum like this, or have a conversation with another shooter, that I do not feel I learn something. For me, I guess it's more process. Sure I want to shoot better next time, but by golly, did I have fun last time.

[tightloop]

Nemo

I would be classified as a hobbyist. Each spring my attention is on chasing Tarpon in the Keys with my fly rod. Summers are spent working. I shoot in the fall and winter. Every couple of years, I go on a hunting trip, which takes up a lot of time practicing with my bow.

I did the sportsman thing, it was GOLF. Dedicated my whole life to it, I am at a point now that I want to enjoy as much as possible. I gave up SO much to reach my goals in golf, I am ONLY now making up for the lost time.

I do have shooting goals, and making my "A" Card is one of them. With my work schedule, I don't see EVER being able to devote the time to reach "M".

Yeah, I am having fun, isn't that the point?

Indeed, there is a limited amount of time, energy and money that can be devoted to whatever we choose to pursue...I had a little success in pistol shooting, a fantastic amount of fun fishing all over the globe, hunting is great...we are never satisfied, wish I could standon stage and belt out great songs, play the piano, was super smart, was wealthy...lots of things, but we have to choose along the way and that limits us as to what we can be really good at...Just enjoy the fact tha t you have the health to do what you now do.,..enjoy eachday...

[A-shot]

I clicked other, damned gamers...

[Dan Sierpina]

Indeed, there is a limited amount of time, energy and money that can be devoted to whatever we choose to pursue...I had a little success in pistol shooting, a fantastic amount of fun fishing all over the globe, hunting is great...we are never satisfied, wish I could standon stage and belt out great songs, play the piano, was super smart, was wealthy...lots of things, but we have to choose along the way and that limits us as to what we can be really good at...Just enjoy the fact tha t you have the health to do what you now do.,..enjoy eachday...

Tightloop,

You hit that nail sqare on the head!

[TLD]

Indeed, there is a limited amount of time, energy and money that can be devoted to whatever we choose to pursue...I had a little success in pistol shooting, a fantastic amount of fun fishing all over the globe, hunting is great...we are never satisfied, wish I could standon stage and belt out great songs, play the piano, was super smart, was wealthy...lots of things, but we have to choose along the way and that limits us as to what we can be really good at...Just enjoy the fact tha t you have the health to do what you now do.,..enjoy eachday...

Tightloop,

You hit that nail sqare on the head!

I can't decide on a shooting sport so I find it difficult to concentrate. Like most of you, I've been involved in IPSC, bullseye, high power rifle, sporting clays, black powder, 3 gun, reloading. It usually depends on what is available where I live at the time. I just love to shoot and so does my daughter!

[hopalong]

I voted for "OTHER" as I am too competitive by nature for "Hobbiest" and after seeing what it really takes to just get "OK" I insist on not becoming a "Sportsmen" so it won't drive me away from it.

Hop

[zhunter]

Hopalong hit it right.

I am a happy "A" shooter, heck, if I venture near "M", so be it. And, if I feel the need for some REALLY tough competition, I can always shoot Limited, where I am still a "B Class" shooter!!!!! May as well be in the pool with the rest of the sandbaggers

[baa]

I chose sportsman. Wanted to chose other "as sportsman" does not quite cover how I view shooting. I work to shoot. I spend a lot of my free time working on getting better at shooting (dry fire and live fire.) I shoot around 12-14 local matches a month and as many majors as I can afford. I want to be the absolute best I can be at this sport and I am going to put as much effort as I can into achieving that goal.

[Blueridge]

I had to pick other, because I participate in several sports. My primary sport is olympic style fencing (Foil, Epee, and Saber), with the shooting sports coming after that (IDPA, USPSA, SASS, etc...). My focus is on fencing, which takes up the major portion of my free time. There are better shooters than me, and there are better fencers than me, but I have yet to meet someone that is better at both than me. The fact that I can do well in both the shooting and fencing is more important to me than being the best at any one style of either. I have qualified and competed in the last 8 US Fencing Summer Nationals in Foil, Epee, or both. That in my view makes me a sportsman in general, due to the effort envolved to do so. The fact that I do not focus all my efforts in one sport is likely to suggest to many that I am a hobbyist. My shooting performances will continue to improve, and so will my match finishes.

[Jay6]

I guess I would say I am a little of both. First a hobbyist because I love to hunt/ shoot just about anything and have for as long as I can remember. A sportsman because ever since shooting my first match 6 months ago it has completely taken over my life. I now find myself thinking about shooting or ways to improve my shooting 24-7. I have more IPSC targets put up around my house than pictures, ALL of my spare money goes torards ammo or reloading supplies, and my better half doesnt understand how I can lock myself away and dryfire just about every single night after work.

I played division II baseball in college and upon graduation I soon realized that I missed that level of competition in my life. Sure, beer league softball teams are fun but it is not the same "feeling" as I had when I was playing competetively. I beleive I have found that same "feeling" in this sport which I think is one reason why I have thrown myself into it head first!

[sargenv]

I say Sportmen.. since I pretty much just about live and breathe this stuff. I've gone through phases.. I have a few things I used to shoot and the Pistol game is the latest dedication. I used to shoot Skeet, Trap, Sporting clays, Handgun Sillouette, Bullseye, and dabbled some in 3-gun. I want to get back into 3-gun but my Mini 14 is currently not working. So to supplement that I've swapped to my bolt gun and shoot in the "sporting rifle" category. Not the best firearms to shoot in the 3 gunning sport, but I usually use my 610, an 870 20 gauge, and my Model 700.. and after being at that much of a disadvantage, I still don't finish last.. though I'm definitely in the bottom 10!

My wife hates that she has to plan that I'm gone on most sundays of the year at the range doing something, occasionally I go to matches far away and she has no interest in going. She even hit me with the "we need to plan some weekends to do something other than you going to the range" NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! lol.

I did skip last week's match, but I got a new office suite out of the deal.. and we're still building stuff and moving all the old junk back in..

This stuff is in my blood, I'm not sure what I'd do (besides gain weight not doing anything and the house would probably look decent) if I couldn't do it.. I see the sport as my own brand of therapy..

[Johann the Horrible]

The only reason I work and have married is to support my shooting, hunting and fishing. As you probably gathered, my wife has a good job. Shooting is not something you do, it is a lifestyle. If Christmas falls on a Saturday and we do not shoot at the club, I get withdraw symptoms. Shaking, aggressiveness visual distortions et al. I shoot about 48 matches(Level 1`s) and 12 Level 2`s as well as 3-4 Level3`s per year. My wife will need to work harder so that I can have my butt kicked at Level 4 and 5`s.

[boz1911]

I do have the heart and burn of the "Sportsman". Age, eyesight, physical ability will likely keep me looking like a hobbyist. I go through streaks of dryfire/livefire practice and post some decent resuilts at times. Then there are the days I don't really care to practice or even shoot. I will do or buy anything I think will help my game. For example, I recently bought some new jeans that are looser from the thighs down, and believe it or not I "feel" faster, so naturally I bought several more.

I love this sport, but the friends I have made, mean more to me than the shooting does, so I guess I'll

resign myself to "hobbyist"

[pskys2]

Sportsman.

When I lose the desire to experiment and practice is no longer enjoyable I walk away. Did it in the mid '90's for about 5 years, and actually learned to enjoy life without constant competition.

But it found a way to drag me back in.

I just want to be the best I can without being miserable. Being a Pro (luckily I'll never be that good) would ruin it, knowing you have to do it to make a living, rather than wanting to do it for pleasure would be too much like a 4 letter word.

Finding your center, that spot where you enjoy it and don't feel embarrassed is priceless.

In Dirty Harry's words, "a man's got to know his limitations".

[Jman]

According to:

Merriam-Webster:

Sportsman

1 : a person who engages in sports (as hunting or fishing)

2 : a person who shows sportsmanship

— sports·man·like-adjective

— sports·man·ly-adjective

Hobbyist

: a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation

— hob·by·ist- noun

I believe were both

Jim M

[Stonyman65]

As of now I am a hobbyist. but, I am becoming more and more of a sportsman every time I shoot. I have a long way to go before I do that, but for now I'm okay with the Hobbyist category.

[duncan]

I consider myself (other ). The time I actually feel like training is becoming harder to get in the right mindset for. A few years ago I went to every match within a 150 mile radius. 7 out of state matches. Trained alot (for me). I got burned out that year. The next year (last year) I was still in an ehh mood. This year is better but still not good. I think everyone has their down times when they are neither hobbyist or sportsman.