Things have changed, getting old.

[RanchRoper]

My rifle and pistol go with me to Boot Hill.

[clovishound]

Darned if I could find a pic or review of a hunting rifle with a wooden stock in the hunting articles. Don't hunters use wooden stocks anymore? Also, saw some folks use AR platform guns, now, for hunting and even some range reports on them. Never saw that in the 80s in a hunting magazine. Not that I'm complaining, here. I can see some solid reasons for synthetic stock guns for hunting and I have no issue with folks using AR platform guns. Each to their own. Times sure have changed, though.

I have to say that I love a nice wooden stock. Still, the synthetics are much superior in many ways. Lighter, uninfluenced by water or moisture, they can take a beating with little to no damage. The two major downsides are looks, and the extra weight of a wooden stock helps to dampen recoil.

When I took my Henry out hunting, I was always worried about damaging the wood. Ended up dinging it pretty good once anyway. The two synthetic stock guns I have, I don't give them a second thought.

[markiver54]

It's hard to wrap my head around how much has changed since I was a boy. ( everything NCG said ) and especially technology. Some is great and convenient, however I think technology is polluting our children and making people generally more lazy. Glad I don't think I'll be alive to see cars obsolete and the skies polluted with personal aircraft! Remember the " Jetsons "

[Pa. Woodsman]

Yes times sure have changed. I'm 64 and still hunt but I see a decline of hunters in the Pa. woods. The guys I see are young which is good but they all want the "kill" and are missing out on the memory of the hunt. I started out using an old Winchester 94. The guns I see in the woods these days look like SWAT team rifles. I'll stick with my iron sighted lever actions rifles. I recently watched a video of a young guy who for the first time shot an iron sighted lever action rifle and had no idea how to use the sights not to mention any knowledge of the rifles basic parts. Times have changed and I'm glad I had the good fortune of knowing how it used to be. I do like the younger people they have a lot of good knowledge and I have faith in them.

[Mistered]

Along with all the changes we have commented on is one that quite frankly burns my butt - anyone seen or heard the term 'Fudd' used ?
Well if not it is a term used to describe a person who is typically an 'older' traditional gun owner/user who believes the 'modern' sporting rifle (modern being the AR configuration) has no place in the world of 'traditional' hunting - with some not thinking it has no place at all.
This had led to 'head butting' between traditionalists and 'modern sporting rifle' enthusiasts who say the 'traditionalists' are not true supporters of the 2A because of their attitudes about 'modern sporting rifles'.
The proponents of 'Modern sporting rifles' argue the 'Traditionalists' need to come around to their way of thinking because of a variety of reasons and the 'Traditionalists' fight back with their opinions. If you have not ever heard the term 'Fudd' or seen it used consider yourself lucky and press on.
And that is all I have to say about this.

[Mags]

Also, 'modern sporting rifle' enthusiasts as a whole get a bad stereotype rap because of the few irresponsible haphazard 'spray' shooters among them. My oldest son hunts with an MSR as well as my shooting buddy. Both are responsible MSR shooters.

[North Country Gal]

I've lived long enough to weather a wide variety traditional versus technology debates when it comes to hunting. For sure, things can get pretty heated and nasty. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that it was all pretty pointless. The only thing that counts is how you use what you carry, not what you carry.

I started bowhunting as a youngster when the only bows were recurves, though a few folks still shot longbows. Compounds had yet to be invented. When compounds hit the scene, the uproar from the traditional crowd was deafening. Have to admit, in those early days, I was one of those traditionalists. I thought for sure that compound bows would make it too easy for hunters and we'd lose our special bowhunting season because too many deer would be killed.

Nope, no change at all in the harvest rates. Stayed the same, year after year.

Then along came crossbows. All the compound bow users were mortified. Same argument about it would make it too easy and more deer would be killed. The state went ahead and allowed crossbows, anyway.

Same result. No change in the harvest rates.

Saw the very same thing in special late blackpowder seasons. Yup, those high tech in-lines would make it way too easy. Too many deer would be shot. Nope, harvest rates stayed the same. Then the state allowed scopes on muzzleloaders. For sure, too many deer would be shot, many claimed. Nope, harvest rates stayed the same.

So if the youngsters want to carry and shoot black rifles, uh, er, modern sporting rifles, I say let them. I'm not too worried about any of them calling me a Fudd because I learned, long ago, not to judge anyone by what they shoot. Oh, I've had one or two frown and groan after I outshot them with a Contender pistol and made their high tech and custom built ARs look bad. Mostly, though, I've found that younger shooters respect skill when they see it, same as us oldsters. I'll even go as far as saying I enjoy talking to our younger shooters and have them tell me about their choice in guns and what they like to shoot.

[markiver54]

Thank you NCG for your observations and wisdom!

[North Country Gal]

You are very welcome, markiver54. Glad you enjoyed the post.

[220]

We have missed the whole AR hunting revolution here in Australia thanks to the gunlaws introduced in 1996 making it impossible to own one for hunting. We did see a big decline at the time with a lot of casual hunters deciding it was all to hard and walking away. Since then we have had a steady increase but that increase probably hasnt outstripped population growth by much.
Wood stocks are very much the exception now, the big change for us has probably been the increase in long range shooting. 30 or so years back when I was a similar age to my son I thought I was doing well shooting rabbits a 300y and hitting more often than not. Son routinely has just as much success at 500y with a similar rifle but the aid of a range finder and ballistic calculators.