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How much shooting does it take to be really good?

RembrandtRembrandt Member Posts: 4,486 ✭✭
edited July 2002 in General Discussion
A friend of mine just won $9,000 in prize money shooting trap...he averages about 60,000 rounds each year. A good friends daughter is going to be shooting trap in the next Olympics...she averages 500 rounds per day to stay competitive....as long as she keeps placing in competitions around the world, the ammo companies send her complimentary ammo....if she loses, her dad has to foot the bill.

Read once where Rob Latham use to shoot over 100,000 rounds just to stay competitive.

How much ammo does it take to keep your shots in the black?

Comments

  • RosieRosie Member Posts: 14,525 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Rem
    Had a big time shooter in trap tell me it takes 50 to 60 thousand targets a year to stay on top. The most I ever shot was a little over 26000 in one year. Are you sure of that 500 a day? Just asking if it may be a misprint. I have tried a 500 bird marathon twice and was sick at my stomach for three days each time. Had quite a few other people tell me the same thing. Of course we are not twenty years old either!! BTW as I'm sure you know a person can bring home a lot more than $9000 bucks if they are good enough! That amount won't buy most of them a good trap gun! Just joking of course but I have seen an awful lot of 8 to $15000 guns out there. Do you shoot the grand?
  • jkksjkks Member Posts: 265 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I once guided in a celeberty hunt ,was young lady there by name of
    Lilly Sue She was the World the champion Sporting clays Champion.
    She Said she shot 3-4 times a week 150-200 rounds each time.
  • Gordian BladeGordian Blade Member Posts: 1,202 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Go shooting 3 or 4 times a week?!? Heck, I don't have time to ... Never mind.
  • leeblackmanleeblackman Member Posts: 5,303 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The biggest thing is above all you have to enjoy it. Otherwise you'll burn out, and start getting worse the more you shoot.

    I also know that if you don't keep up in practice, you lose your talents. Or at least thats how its been with me.

    If I'm wrong please correct me, I won't be offended.

    The sound of a 12 gauge pump clears a house fatser than Rosie O eats a Big Mac !
  • RembrandtRembrandt Member Posts: 4,486 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Rosie,
    Keep an eye out for this little lady..."Haley Dunn", she's 17 years old, graduated from high school a year early so she could shoot competitively. I'm pretty sure the 500 per day was what I heard, I'll check with Idsman...he was with me when she was describing her practice schedule....She's been doing real well on the world circuit. Expenses for travel, shells, and targets have really been a hardship on her folks, who are some of the nicest people you've ever met....she may very well be the next Kim Rhode. She's having a new Beretta built that should be ready shortly....think it was in the 12-15K range.

    I've never shot the grand, but have known a number of shooters that have. If I get out your way sometime, maybe I'll bring a shotgun along and we'll go shoot a couple of rounds, supper is on me. Are you in the Fort Wayne area?
  • RembrandtRembrandt Member Posts: 4,486 ✭✭
    edited November -1
  • daddodaddo Member Posts: 3,408
    edited November -1
    Face it- this topic is dead.
    "as many as it takes"!
  • RosieRosie Member Posts: 14,525 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Rembrandt
    Had a triple bypass two and a half years ago and after that for some reason the more I would shoot the less I enjoyed it. This year I shot fifty targets. Still don't understand it. It didn't hurt to shoot and before I really loved to shoot. Year before my bypass I bought three shotguns. A BT99 plus ss for $1.200.00-- A BT100 ss for $2.200.00 and believe it or not a nib Remington 3200 for 1.800.00
    I have sold them all. I hope to start again if I can ever get motivated.
  • RembrandtRembrandt Member Posts: 4,486 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    ...wasn't trying to beat a dead horse, thought Rosie might be lurking around, wondered what part of the state he was in....
  • Shootist3006Shootist3006 Member Posts: 4,171
    edited November -1
    Tell me about it Rosie. Since my bypass I can only shoot about 100 to 125 rounds (shotgun) and I am beat. That ain't to bad but I can't complete a full high power course of fire - hurts too much. Pistols don't seem to be a problem but I'm going out tomorrow to try some new and improved loads in the .41 Mag. I'm NOT looking forward to it.

    Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem.Semper Fidelis
  • Harleeman1030Harleeman1030 Member Posts: 1,505 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I shot clays at my gun club for the first time last weekend..2 rounds 25 targets each..scoreed a 13 and then a 19..Will continue to shoot and enjoy i was using my browning gold hunter (2 3/4 )shells... not a trap gun and my sholder was kinda stiff the next day...so to shoot 500 in a day dam..(i shot 54 shots)
  • AlpineAlpine Member Posts: 15,092 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I shoot trap twice a week, a little over 100 rounds each time. After 100 my scores start going down. But my new used trap gun has recoil reducer and just got my first 50 yesterday. I have been shooting trap for about 2 years, but have started to be more serious about it lately.

    "If you ain't got pictures, I wasn't there."

    Edited by - Alpine on 07/13/2002 11:04:11
    ?The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.?
    Margaret Thatcher

    "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
    Mark Twain
  • RosieRosie Member Posts: 14,525 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    3006
    It don't hurt or make me tired to shoot It's just not any fun any more. As a matter of fact guns in general don't interest me like they used to even though I keep buying them. Rembrandt, I'm up in the northeast corner.
  • RembrandtRembrandt Member Posts: 4,486 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dang!, I am proud of this little girl (Haley Dunn).....here is a web site link to her shooting page...enjoy.


    Hometown: Eddyville, IA
    Birthdate: February 26, 1985
    Birthplace: Otumwa, IA
    Years on National Team: 3
    Military Affiliation:
    Recent Highlights: Member of 2002 junior World Championship team. 2002 Junior Skeet National Champion. 2001 World Clay Target Championships gold medalist. 2001 junior gold medalist at National Championships. Silver at 2001 World Cup Brazil. Silver at 2001 Championship of the Americans. 2001 Junior World Champion. 2000 Silver medalist at Junior Olympic Championships.

    Personal: Haley is an energetic high school student who is involved in 4-H, student council, church classes, track, softball, and cross-country, in which she has lettered two years. She is also an avid hunter, and serves as a trapper and guide at the Steel Clay Shooting Sports. Haley has been shooting with her father and sister since she was eight

    Email Address: Dunner623@hotmail.com


    If you have any questions, comments, or would like to update information on this site please contact USA Shooting at 719-866-4896 or send us an email -- Contact USA Shooting


    http://www.usashooting.com/bios/biosearch3.cfm?

    Edited by - Rembrandt on 07/13/2002 12:39:33
  • Shootist3006Shootist3006 Member Posts: 4,171
    edited November -1
    Rosie, I am truly sorry to hear that the fun has gone out of shooting for you. With me it (the fun or desire to shoot) hasn't changed but I do get very tired after just a few hours of sporting clays and trying to get into a decent sitting position is impossible - dang breastbone just don't like it, 'specially with a tight sling.

    Had a different problem with the pistol today. Trying to evolve a new hunting load and the recoil sort of causes my hand to go numb. Took about 2 hours before my fingers stopped tingling today, (might explain all these typo's) I only got half way through the testing today, after 25 rounds I called it quits. I will go back someday next week and finish up the 1st phase. (Thus far a HOT load looks most promising, 2 inch groups at 50 yards - but there are still 2 more loads not even touched).


    Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem.Semper Fidelis
  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm laughing because years ago I read somewhere that it took 200 rounds to break in a new handgun for reliability (any semi-auto, supposedly), so I'd buy a new gun, take it to the range, and ask the kid for 200 rounds, and watch his jaw hit the floor. I guess there aren't a lot of guys who need to shoot that much in one session, at least at the range I was going to at the time.

    The mind boggles at 50,000 to 60,000 rounds a year of anything, because I can't think of much (other than .22 LR) where you could do that for under about $70-100 a thousand without reloading too (another time-consuming hobby, IMHO). That's a lot of dough into shooting. No wonder some shooters like .22 conversion kits.

    I know it doesn't take me nearly that much shooting to feel comfortable with a new handgun, to be able to put a group into the ring at self defense distances, but if your talking competition, or Olympics, obviously the whole drill is going to be different.

    I play piano, and I know the more practice at anything, the more of a virtuoso you can (theoretically) become, within your physical and mental limits, whether it's disciplined (classical) or off-hand creative (jazz). I can see where if one had the luxury of time and money, it would be a lot of fun to be able to shoot that much every year. One would certainly develop the fine motor skills down pat, second nature. Like a black belt, action without thought. You could also plan on going through guns instead of buying one of each to last a lifetime....

    - Life NRA Member
    "If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sorry to double post, but this loss of interest thing is something I've gone through too -- it passes. This has happened to me with piano, and it has happened to me with guns and several other "hobbies." I can tell you, 9/11 completely revitalized my interest in guns and shooting. I think there's something in my blood.

    I'm too old now for the service (the "organized militia") but by God there's something patriotic about keeping your skills up. I suggest for those of you who find it starting to hurt, to seriously consider the .22 conversion idea. I assure you that if the balloon ever goes up, you won't hurt a bit during the full-bore action. Meanwhile, practice should be fun, and if recoil becomes a problem, choose a round that doesn't have much recoil. You may laugh, but I would go to a good AirSoft gun lookalike, practice with pellets, and keep my real one in a handy drawer before I would quit practicing altogether. Don't worry about a wimpy self image. As a wise man once wrote, "an image of myself adds nothing to my life."

    - Life NRA Member
    "If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
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