[Edm1]

I’m 48. I shoot as much as I can. I’m a Scout leader and just finished the NRA RSO course so we can take the kids shooting more. From what I see, not that many kids are as into shooting as we were growing up. When I was a scout we shot all we could. Now some do while the others want to play cards or football. It’s sad and someday they will realize that they had opportunities to shoot a lot… and ammo was free..

so I spend time shooting and teaching the kids that want to. And they get all the ammo.

 

[Kevin22]

The average age here isnt surprising, I bet if you ask most people under 40 they wont even be able to tell you what a forum is let alone have interest in joining one. Do the same poll on facebook, twitter, IG, and others and you will see a vast difference (probably the exact opposite, most over 50 have no interest in social media)

But the age range at shooting clubs is worrying. Its also mostly 60+. It wasnt 5 years ago (and no it wasnt 55+ then lol), and I am contributing that to inflation and cost of living being up. Its hard to afford $9.50 rounds of skeet with $12 box of AAs anymore, unless you are retired and have no other hobbies to spend your extra cash on. Hard enough to just go out for dinner and not spend $50. Reloading is the same way, if you want to buy enough bulk to make reloading worth it you better be ready to spend a grand in components plus equipment up front. Working class young people usually do not have that sort of money. If you make $22.50 an hour, you get what about $17 after taxes? Not enough to afford it. 5 years ago it was $6 a round and aa shells were $8 a box (Walmart shells 19.97 for 100), and eggs were not $6.75 a dozen....

Thats my opinions at least. And no its not political, i dont care what caused all this.... But we have to live with it.

 

[drew_steelclay]

27 here

 

[James Dent]

I am 35. Wish I had gotten started sooner. I’ve been shooting dedicated shotgun sports (mostly skeet) for 2 years now. I reload 12 and 20. I enjoy the challenge, comradery, and history. Seeing all the guns, gauges, set ups, etc. I enjoy it all from the cheapest guns to the most expensive even though I limit my budget to the m2-silver pigeon range hahah. The hardest challenge I have is being a lefty and finding good options. So far I really enjoy the browning cynergy (it’s neutral), older Weatherby Orion (also neutral) and the m2 20 gauge in left hand is amazing.

 

[Countrygent]

I’m 84 and still try to shoot a round of sporting clays every week. Guns seem heavier these days and scores are definitely getting lower but I still love the heck out of it!

 

[joe kuhn]

I wonder if the curve will look the same in 10 years. I'd bet on it.

 

[Scatergun71]

Well, I'm 39 going on 80 in March.
Mike

 

[derbyacresbob]

STILL - going as hard as I can for as long as I can. 😁

Me too, but not very hard, not very long and not as often as I use to.

 

[driller]

82 here ! still shooting---just not as well !!!!! LOL!

 

[LSL-57]

38 here. I was on the HS trap team and reloaded then, got an old Pacific from one of the club regulars. After HS college and work got in the way and I put it all away. Traded the Pacific to a co-worker for a different hobby.
Only recently got back into it in the last year after picking up a thrower to throw in my field. Then found a Hornady 366 version of my old Pacific on AR15 to get me going again. Just now finding supplies to feed it!

 

[Justin L.]

i remember 36.
i was shooting ATA every weekend, traveling down south in the winter up to that point.
realized one day i was putting a 10-K shotgun in a 400$ pickup truck....

took me 20 years to shoot another ATA event, only now with a 500$ shotgun in a 10-K pickup.

I had the trap bug for 20-years, it is really addictive! Some years I shot 20-25,000 targets between registered, leagues, practice and fun shoots/calcuttas. I got that out of my system, started shooting sporting and told myself I was just going to do it for fun. A little over a year later I had a Krieghoff and shot almost 7,000 registered birds that year. Oh well, I’m fortunate to be able to enjoy this great sport as much as I have been able to!

 

[joe kuhn]

Check out this age poll from 19 years ago. Looks like the curve is changing. We're getting older here.

Shotgunworld Members age poll

Age of all Shotgunworld membersunder 181112.64%18-2566.90%25-351517.24%35-502933.33%50-652022.99%over 6522.30%None of your damn business11.15%I forgot to count after 2533.45%

www.shotgunworld.com

 

[IanC007]

56 here. Interesting, as I'm probably one of the youngest at my club...

 

[DougMO]

Part of the poll 19 years ago was the over 65 wasn’t computer savvy. Or even wanted to be. A lot refused to be. The disturbing trend is the low numbers under 30 that has gotten much worse

 

[ilndrox]

I have my red, white, and blue MEDICARE card and arthritis to go along with it...🥴

 

[DKG_PB]

26 and still referred to as the "youngin" at the trap shoots. The local high school has a team now and it is getting more younger shooters interested but the majority at the shoots are still 50+.

 

[davesy]

Sad truth of age. Looking back on my near-by club. At one time was around 10 squads lined up to shoot trap. Now maybe 3 with 1/8 of the shooters.
Had two skeet fields full of shooters, now one hardly is one going..
My other club is a sporting clay club with 5 stand. Growing, but age is in there also, but picking up more new shooters..
Age is dieing out without few replacements. Looking back many are passing away in their 70"S. Others with heath restrictions, and some plain giving it up.
I'm 80 and looking back, still shooting approx 8000 a year with around 1500 registered. I'm fortunate, and don't take it for granted. Have a great day....

I believe the availability of new ammo and reloading components as well as price has reduced the number of shooters also.

 

[davesy]

I have always said, and still do, that as long as I still enjoy trap shooting, can still afford it, and my health holds out, I will continue to shoot. I like the great friends I have made, the Camaraderie, and especially the young kids coming into the sport and watching them improve. So far so good; I am almost 82. 👍🤣

 

[Scatergun71]

i remember 36.
i was shooting ATA every weekend, traveling down south in the winter up to that point.
realized one day i was putting a 10-K shotgun in a 400$ pickup truck....

took me 20 years to shoot another ATA event, only now with a 500$ shotgun in a 10-K pickup.

This only means you have finally reached maturity.
Mike

 

[richg99]

83.. shoot two or three times a week all year around. Started shooting at age 80. Love it. Funny, I was talking to one of the guys in my Friday group. He said something about being 66. I said I've got 17 years on him. That was a bit of a wakeup for both of us. Ha Ha R.