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.

[North Country Gal]

Now that is what I call long range shooting. Wow! The only way we can shoot at such distances up here in the north woods is to find a big lake and shoot across it.

[Henry88]

Wow 220, rabbits at 500 yards

The only other person to do that was............

granny.jpg

But to be fair, can a bullet hit the ground in Australia without striking a rabbit?

[220]

Really has got a lot simpler with modern equipment. Range finders are accurate to with a yard or two, the best even compensate for any angle up or down. A ballistic app will give you the amount of drop so really you only need a accurate rifle, to hold it steady and release the shot. Shooting prone off a bipod with a rear bag it actually sounds a lot more impressive than it is.
Wind is the hardest to deal with but there are even hand held meters and calculators to take most of the guess work out of it although we havent gone down that road yet.
To give you an idea of just how simple it can be son grabbed my 240wby took a guess at the BC of the factory ammo I was using, we knew the velocity as I had run it over the crohny, Printed off a drop chart to 800y in 25y increasements set a 6" gong at 550y. Fired 1 shot at 100y to check the zero then put 3 shots on the gong under 2" without even making any adjustments to the scope. It runs a 4-12 sightron with the hunter holdover reticle the second hold over mark worked out to be right for a touch past 500y so he simple used it and aimed at the top of the gong.

Waiting for paperwork to turn up so we can pick up a rifle he has sitting at the dealers. He wants to have a go at some serious long rang shooting.
26" heavy barrelled 6.5CM 4-20 scope and a reticle with more lines than my old truck has scatches, 20moa rail that should get us out to a mile. Hopefully the paperwork arrives this week and we can set it up and have a play over the christmass break. My old range finder is only good for 5-600y so I can see lots of guess work on range which will probably be lots of misses. We can get to around 1800y at the farm.

[octogon3030]

To me, its the decline of the grandparents/parents to take and teach the young about hunting, fishing and firearms. It seems its easier to provide the phone and/or playstation than taking them outside and teaching them about the land. I myself was guilty of not MAKING the time for my oldest boy who is now a Marine. So now I am much more involved with my younger 2 boys. Raising a family in todays world is tough and expensive. A lot of todays youth have never been camping or fishing. Sad.

[Henry88]

A lot of todays youth have never been camping or fishing. Sad.

And you're not talking about some under privileged inner city kids. I mean normal suburban type kids. Remember a lot of the baby boomers didn't do sports, and now their grand kids are 2nd/3rd generation of metro city dwellers.

[PT7]

220 --- During December I was pretty much off the HRF during my move from my apt to a house. Just came across your post about your son wanting "to have a go at some serious long rang shooting." Just curious...has he got into PRS or PRC to a larger extent by now?

For several years I've been watching my son-in-law prep and compete in PRC. He is quite good at it. I really like watching some of his practice sessions on his own range, and from our chats, have learned a lot about this shooting sport. I'm not a long-distance shooter; stay mostly with Cowboy action revolvers. But the various shooting sports out there are cool.

Found a basic "101 guide" for new beginners in this sport. Published by Pew Pew Tactical" https://www.pewpewtactical.com/precisio ... ners/#toc1 Your son probably already knows much of this stuff; found it interesting. The best part is to see you and him going after this together. Hope it's going well.

PT7

Really has got a lot simpler with modern equipment. Range finders are accurate to with a yard or two, the best even compensate for any angle up or down. A ballistic app will give you the amount of drop so really you only need a accurate rifle, to hold it steady and release the shot. Shooting prone off a bipod with a rear bag it actually sounds a lot more impressive than it is.
Wind is the hardest to deal with but there are even hand held meters and calculators to take most of the guess work out of it although we havent gone down that road yet.
To give you an idea of just how simple it can be son grabbed my 240wby took a guess at the BC of the factory ammo I was using, we knew the velocity as I had run it over the crohny, Printed off a drop chart to 800y in 25y increasements set a 6" gong at 550y. Fired 1 shot at 100y to check the zero then put 3 shots on the gong under 2" without even making any adjustments to the scope. It runs a 4-12 sightron with the hunter holdover reticle the second hold over mark worked out to be right for a touch past 500y so he simple used it and aimed at the top of the gong.

Waiting for paperwork to turn up so we can pick up a rifle he has sitting at the dealers. He wants to have a go at some serious long rang shooting.
26" heavy barrelled 6.5CM 4-20 scope and a reticle with more lines than my old truck has scatches, 20moa rail that should get us out to a mile. Hopefully the paperwork arrives this week and we can set it up and have a play over the christmass break. My old range finder is only good for 5-600y so I can see lots of guess work on range which will probably be lots of misses. We can get to around 1800y at the farm.