When I was a younger man, I couldn't wait for hunting season to begin. I would be in the woods before sun-up and not come out until sundown. I worked up some loads for my rifles, but, for the most part, spare time was spent scouting. One year, I even used factory loaded ammo because I just never got around to loading up a batch.
I consider this my 'hunter who shoots' phase of life.

In the last ten years or so, I find that I spend much more time at the loading bench and the range, trying to find that elusive perfect combo. I wouldn't conider going out without a personally loaded round of ammo in the rifle. Hunting season does not bring the same excitement as it once did, although I certainly still enjoy it. Most mornings the sun is actually shining as I head out for the hunt, and occasionally I'm back inside while it's still light.
I'll call this the 'shooter who hunts' phase.

Just curious if any of you have noticed the same thing.

R-WEST

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"it is up to God to judge these terrorists; it is up to us to arrange their meeting" Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf

[This message has been edited by R-WEST (edited 01-24-2002).]

R-WEST,

I shoot with hunting purpose in my mind. I need to have a hunting license before hunting and for that you need to shoot. You follow me, or you're lost.

In my coutry (good or bad) with the new law it'll be impossible to be a hunter who shoots. You must be listed in a rifle/handguns shooting range before own one firearm. It is strange but it'll be the bloody law .

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BER007
Keep the faith in any circumstances
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BBER007@HOTMAIL.COM

R-WEST, you and I seem to have gone through the same phases. I am definitely now a shooter who hunts. I certainly enjoy hunting but I don't bring the passion to it I once did. In many ways I enjoy the entire process more now though. A few roasts and steaks are thoroughly satisfying. If those steaks and roasts are attached to a set of trophy antlers or horns fine, if not that's fine too. I get tremendous satisfaction in developing a load to make a fine rifle shoot well. It is all part of the whole for me. Reloading, shooting, hunting, have taken me places and allowed me to meet good people I would never have experienced otherwise.

Iam 43, and I have been hunting since I can remember. I definately spend more time at the range than hunting, but I consider myself a hunter first. I still get excited about opening day, wether it be deer, elk , pheasant, or whatever. Hunting is the culmination of all the other, "work". In my circle of close friends, hunting is always a topic of discussion, even in the middle of summer. So I guess I'm a hunter who shoots.

I've gone through both phases. Now I'm back to being a hunter. I only became a shooter that hunts while I didn't have a lot of time to hunt.

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JD

Yes...........

Well,can I cheat and say both?

I spend nine months out of the year preparing for the next three month hunting season.Lots of guns bought,loads worked up,ect.,JUST for hunting.Out of my extensive collection of guns,not one is not intended for a hunting purpose.So I don't think I could make the call on this.

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I'm out to wrong rights,depress the opressed,and generaly make an ass of myself!

Depends if the season is open, or closed...... Dutch.

I think I am a shooter that Hunts, and spend 11 months a year getting guns and ammo ready for the next hunt.

I would rather shoot than hunt.

BER007 -
I'm glad I don't live there!!!

R-WEST

I'll be 52 about time Spring Bear get out and about. I'm fortunate in that I can pretty much spend all the time the seasons allow in the bush. I think, as you get older, you don't have a tendency to go charging off on tangents really missing all of the other pleasures related to the hunt such as working up a load, getting gear together, trying out new gear, getting to the range. This time of year, due to where I live, there are large number of moose around the house and along the river bottoms. I walk every morning that the weather is not extreme and will try to get close to a feeding cow, watching the wind, etc., although nine times out of ten a formerly unseen moose will give me up. This morning I saw the biggest cow I think I've ever seen, would've bet it was a bull. Enjoy it all, but always be the hunter first.

R-WEST,

I agree with a hunter point of view. But the good thing here, is nearly no death by firearms in my country. Think about it.

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BER007
Keep the faith in any circumstances
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BBER007@HOTMAIL.COM

BER007:

how many hunting rifles are you alowed to have? here in sweden, we can have six, but we need to speccify why we need the two last of them. to have more than 6rifles you have to be a PH or someting. to be alowed to have hunting guns you have to do some cuestions and "shoot up".

I also started as a hunter,used a rifle as a tool without giving it much thought.Then I slowly learned about "accuracy" and tried to achieve that thru reloading.By now I feel cheated if I had to use factory ammo.A great part of the satisfaction comes from having it done "yourself" - still dont build rifles though.That invites another big question,one that I truly cannot answer even for myself:why do I hunt?I love nature and hate to kill animals - unless one hunts.I believe hunting is overcoming obstacles and bringing home the trophy to prove it?Not talking about meat hunting here which I respect also.

sheephunter

I'd have to say I'm in between phases at the moment...Hunting season is when I thrive, however, when I shoulder my rifles, no matter what season it is, I get great satisfaction. I simply love shooting, whether it be for hunting, or finding the right load for my gun...going out in the field w/out personally handloaded rounds isn't out of the question for me. While I love to reload and have the confidence in the rounds I create, not having any reloads won't stop me from buying the next best thing and hitting the hills w/ it. In fact, that same scenario played itself out this last season, I didn't have a load worked up for my .338 Ulra Mag, so I took my 30'06 out w/ me and used Federal factory loads...killed the antelope just as dead as he would've been from a .338 210gr BarnesX personally loaded to 3400fps. I guess I'm a "fence straddler" as far as the two phases in question go.

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God Bless and Shoot Straight

LiMe,
With the new law you can own 10 firearms maximum (rifles, handguns). Before this forthcoming law (not yet voted) rifles (all calibers except handgun calibers) can be sold to all people over 18 years, no numbers restricted you can have 100 rifles if you want (just to proove to the police that you have enough safes to protect your rifles).

Regarding handguns you can have 10 maximum with police paper for each of them
(all calibers). If you want more than 10 you must fill in special police paper which allowed you to own five more handguns, this is the same procedure for 5 others handguns,.....

I have nearly 10 handguns and 5 rifles and that's enough for me. I can hunt all animals on this earth.

Special paper for Nato calibers (.308,...) but you can own it.

Forbiden automatic firearms, and pump shotgun.

But the trend is to reduce firearms owned by citizens.

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BER007
Keep the faith in any circumstances
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BBER007@HOTMAIL.COM

I am a hunter who shoots. I enjoy shooting but if they took my guns then I would hunt with a sharp stick or a club.

Daryl

BER007 -

quote:

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But the trend is to reduce firearms owned by citizens.

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Sounds like gun control to me. This will probably get us going off on another tangent.

R-WEST

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"it is up to God to judge these terrorists; it is up to us to arrange their meeting" Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf

BER007 I haven't only owned ten firearms in 30 years. I guess if you don't mind being a subject instead of a Citizen. The few firearms deaths are worth it. Those who well have security over freedom are doomed to be slaves.

BEROO7:

Perhaps a better objective would be to reduce the number of criminals available to cause crime rather than regulate the number of firearms a citizen can own.

I would guess that the "shooter that hunts" phase owns more guns. Those that go to the range alot just need more guns to keep it from getting boring.

It depends. What am I carrying at the time? If it's a bow or a shotgun then I'm a hunter who shoots. And if I can bag a good story then I've gained another wonderful trophy. If there's a rifle in my hands, then it's all about business! I'm not sure why it's that way, maybe it's just easier to forgive myself after an arrow goes astray or I empty my scatter gun without touching that rooster. Maybe I take my rifle shooting way too seriously..... who knows? And who cares!

>>>>---------------------------->
Toxophilie and carry a bent stick
<---------------------------<<<<<

R-West; To answer your last question, yes I have noticed the shift to more sedentary and less physically active pursuits. I do believe it is an ugly process called getting old.

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If Elmer didn't say it, it probably ain't true.

I used to be a "balls to the wall", blood-thirsty SOB that would hunt from dawn to dark in an effort to "limit out"...pheasants, ducks, a deer every year etc. but now I am more of a shooter than hunter....I live in a city...the skills erode and I become more contemplative.

R-WEST,
Sounds like gun control to me. This will probably get us going off on another tangent.

cwilson,
Perhaps a better objective would be to reduce the number of criminals available to cause crime rather than regulate the number of firearms a citizen can own.

p dog shooter,
I haven't only owned ten firearms in 30 years. I guess if you don't mind being a subject instead of a Citizen. The few firearms deaths are worth it. Those who well have security over freedom are doomed to be slaves.

I agree with all you. I'm no for this bloody forthcoming law. But it is on paper. If I can purchase so many firearms is because I have very good relationship with police and governor. Unfortunately for shooter and hunters in Belgium, the number of 10 firearms won't be reach only by a few persons. Those who have good relationships with police and governor, or those who are law enforcement officers,....

The problem with this law according to me, common people will have very difficult to purchase a firearms BUT CRIMINALS NOT AT ALL.

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BER007
Keep the faith in any circumstances
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BBER007@HOTMAIL.COM

Yes I am!!!!

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Shoot well, and hit hard.

Arild.

My two favorite things, if I had to give one up though it would be shooting for pleasure allthough I would still have to work up loads for hunting and who knows how long that would take.

I've always been a serious shooter who puts in a lot of practice time at the range.

But by a country mile, I'm a hunter first and a shooter second. For me the entire purpose of rifle shooting at the range is to be able to hit better when I hunt.

As time has gone on, I've grown more disdainful of paper punchers who have big opinions on rifles and calibers, but don't hunt much, and this includes quite a few well know gunwriters.

If anything, I've learned this: No amount of gun collecting, equipment collecting, or range time will teach you as much about the art and science of hunting rifles as will actual hunting.

AD

I really enjoy shooting but mostly it is an activity I engage in as part of preparations to hunt.

Jeff

I've gone through a similar evolution myself. I still enjoy hunting but the preparation, anticipation and camaraderie is more important now. But I enjoy gun collecting, custom gun making, reloading, reading about guns and informal shooting more than ever.

Hunting is my greatest passion. I enjoy many other pastimes on their own merit and spend a great deal of my time and disposable income on them, but they are all in someway related back to hunting (reloading, shooting, archery, backpacking, hiking, etc, etc).

If I was to pick my own label, it would be just "Hunter".

Canuck

I am a hunter that shoots.

Boy thats a hard one.
I'm a shooter that hunts, because I'm a hunter that loves to shoot. I relaod because I love the activity in the winter. I hunt because it's in my blood.
Life is good I can do both!
X-Ring AKA Scooter

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Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition!

If your living like there is no HELL, you better be right!

I've got to go with the "hunter who shoots" croud. I do spend many hours at the reloading bench and put in plenty of time at the range; however, I tailor all of my loads with a specific game animal in mind. I consider these activities as an enjoyable precursor, yet active part of the hunt.
best!
bhtr

Guess I have turned in to shooter who hunts.
The killer in me has gone, but still like chase game around with the guys.

I'm a shooter who hunts.

I was learning to shoot many years before I learning to hunt.

I'm still prefecting my shooting skills as well as my hunting skills.

Someday I'll be done with the learning process, you'll know when by reading the obituaries.

I used to hunt all the time, but that shifted some 30 years ago to being a shooter who hunts. I love the technical challenges, but like to relate them to practical field use rather than target competition.

Hunting has become an obligation: doing it celebrates our heritage and keeps it alive. But, having said that, the success of the last several deer brought to the family has added to the obligation to be more active in the field. So be it.

My sadness cannot be expressed when I read of the restrictions imposed on our European cousins. Here, no one officially cares whether we have three rifles or literally, 300, as long as we do nothing criminal with them. It is the same with handguns, shotguns, etc. Our wives probably have more influence with these numbers than the bureaucrats! Of course, if a serious criminal act is done, the seizure of ALL of a man's firearms virtually is 100% certain, and recovery of them is complex and difficult.

A shooter who hunts I guess. Must be an age thing. - Dan

I'm a hunter trhat shoots...I love handloading, and I haven't killed anything in the last few years with a factory load (baring shotguns for grouse- I only reload mettalic)

I like to muck around with guns and shoot them, but if neccesary I would grab a .300 MAG, A .22 and a shotgun, and go at it...

Like most of you, I play around with loads and triggers, looking for that .5 inch group in my hunting rifles, but the deer and bear don't really care..

I probably spend more time and money on this stuff than if I was to grab a box of factory loads, sight them in, and go hunting, but it's better than golf

When Im at the range my focus is on preparing for hunting and so there Im a hunter who shoots, in the field I try to remain calm and shoot straight and so there I guess Im a shooter who hunts.. All of my guns are primarily hunting rifles, the closest thing to a "pleasure gun" is the old Mauser Sporter and when hunting season comes around Im still geeked about it so definatly hunter first for me.