Henry Rifle Forums

As I sat waiting in the waiting room of our dentist office, today, while my husband was getting some dental work done, I got a little bored, so walked over to the magazine rack. Yes, I read couple of women's magazines, but then went back and grabbed half a dozen Outdoor Like and Field & Stream. Paged through them all, stopping now and then to do a quick read on an article.

The last time I read these outdoor magazines on a regular basis was back in the 80s when I was also still hunting on a regular basis. So what's changed over the years? Have to say, the articles were still pretty good. I enjoyed them. As I paged though all these issues, though, I noticed something missing. 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.

One article I did read provided some details on a trend I've known about for a long time, now. A little sad, really. The article claimed that the numbers of people hunting actually peaked in the early 80s and is now only half of that. Worse yet, the decline is now accelerating, because the largest age category in the hunting community is we baby boomers. With each passing year, more folks my age are calling it quits for hunting. Those who still hunt are now a single digit percent of the population. Although I no longer hunt, I think it's sad to see this way of life disappearing before my eyes.

Even target shooting has changed over the years. Back in the 80s, I was shooting silhouette, a shooting game based on hunting. Was also shooting a little bullseye. The action shooting sports had yet to take over and people carrying guns for self-defense was far less common. Silhouette and bullseye are now ghosts their former selves as far as interest and popularity. It's all action shooting sports, now.

Yup, I'm getting old.Things sure have changed over the years.

Your observations are spot on NCG and I could paraphrase dang near everything you stated as my own!
I'll go out on a limb however and can honestly say I saw the 'big' changes (with regard to attitudes about guns, greater emphasis on 'self defense' as opposed to hunting/sport shooting etc. and the transition of interest to 'black' guns) starting with the AWB of 1994. And thats all I have to say about that!

It's actually a part of a larger trend, IMHO.

Somewhere I thought I read where the average baseball fan was 60? NFL attendance is also down, and it's not all because of the kneeling.

Young people don't follow sports the way the older crowd does, and are getting their driver's licenses later. A cell phone is more important than wheels to a young guy/gal.

What we deemed cool doesn't seem to interest them. Part of Gibson Guitars going bankrupt (beside their crazy prices) was that young guys aren't buying guitars like they used to. Better to get a play station 4 and the new iPad.

Lets face it, men are getting less manly , and walking around with five days growth doesn't change a thing

Of course there are exceptions, and much of the attitude is regional (changes in latitudes/attitudes), but the trend is there. Twittering does not build grip strength.

If I sound like I'm down on the young, I'm not. I think this is just the normal progression that the human race is destined to go through, and the outcome is yet to be seen, good or bad.

Yup, The Times They Are A-Changin’
Reminders from Bob Dylan's pen.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’

Another issue with the 'modern' interest in guns is that it is being driven by things other than say, what a lot of 'US' grew up with. Interest today is being driven by social media, marketing, movies, fads - you name it - as opposed to maybe fathers & family who passed on knowledge of guns and hunting due to outdoors experience and traditions.
The 'most' some of us had was (as NGC mentioned) were the outdoor mags, maybe a few early outdoor TV shows and mostly the LGS where we would go and discuss guns, gear and hunting stories. Sorry to say but this is largely in part a thing of the past now.

You mean no one will take over the forum when Dave and I are gone?

Thanks, guys, all good points. Oh, yeah, I remember Bob Dylan. I have a ton of his stuff, but that's the problem, again. Ask most younger folks about Bob Dylan and they go, Bob who?

Mistered, you are so right about the big change in the early 90s, when the prime motivator for guns sales switched from hunting and target shooting to self-defense, action shooting, survivalist and so on. I knew more than one gun shop that folded in those days that stuck it out trying to sell only hunting only gear and guns, refusing to change with the market demand. The sales were no longer there, selling only to hunters. In fact, I knew of several gun shops back in the 70s and 80s that refused to deal in military style guns, other than military sporters. I distinctly remember instances where the owners of those shops told customers that their shop didn't deal in those kinds of guns, meaning military style guns. Those outfits changed their policy or went out of business. Different world, back then.

Still, not all the changes have been sad for me. A good example for those of us who love lever guns and SA revolvers is cowboy action shooting. Cowboy action shooting got organized in the late 80s after a slow start in the early 80s, then picked up steam in the 90s. Really was a shot in the arm for lever guns and SA revolvers and, of course, it continues to this day. That's one in the plus column for us.

Another by-product of action shooting sports the 90s was the resurgence of interest in the 1911. Back in the 70s, if you wanted a 1911, your choice was basically a Colt. Now look at all the 1911 choices. Another plus in my book.

Another plus is better optics technology. Love those old vintage scope from the 70s and 80s, but even a cheap scope, today, is better, optically, than some of the best in that era. Then, too, red dots were only rarely seen in the 70s and 80s, but really began to get popular in the 90s with improved designs. These old eyes are grateful for this one.

I love my vintage Weavers but they can’t stand up to a new scope.

Me, too, on the old steel Weavers. I'm old enough to remember them when they were new and seeing all those old magazine ads for them. How's that for old?

North Country Gal wrote:Me, too, on the old steel Weavers. I'm old enough to remember them when they were new and seeing all those old magazine ads for them. How's that for old?

I collect old Weaver ads.