How old were you?

[hodgehodge]

Just was a little curious to know how old most of you were when you started into "long range hunting" or even hand loading your own stuff ?

The reason i ask is most people i talk to about this or in there 30s or older and i just wanted to know if you guys were doing this stuff at my age of 17.

Not a serious matter , just curious.

 

[royinidaho]

For LRH multiply your age by 3.58823529

For shooting in general and reloading subtract 2 from your age.

 

[James Jones]

I was 9 when I started my "long range" endevor shooting ground squirrels with a 22 K-Hornet out to 400yds , I was 11 when I got a contender 223 carbine that extended my range to 500yds but the hit ration was still low. 11 was also the age that I started reloading due to later that year getting a little 17 cal wild cat and its grown from their.

 

[Tyler Kemp]

I started reloading at 15, I'm almost 17 now. I've always been semi-interested in long range, now that I reload, much more so. I shoot some big bores as well, like a 45-120 "Nitro".

338 Lapua (Improved?) to come soon...

 

[pinshootr]

got onto shooting serious when I joined the army long range stuff mid 30's Actually shooting what is considered long range in the last two years.

 

[trebark]

I didn't start shooting until late...20. Nobody in my immediate family did any hunting or shooting. Long range....not long after that. I started hunting with a 44mag revolver. Practiced with it at 100 yards. That's fairly far for a revolver.

Truly long range, with a rifle...only really started that recently at 40. Just thinking about it though makes me smile like a little kid on Christmas.

 

[ss7mm]

Got a late start at hunting and didn't get into it until 12. Had a full handloading setup for multiple cartridges by 15. I think, if I remember right, I had 4 or 5 guns at 15, but that was a long time ago.

My son was shooting at 6 and helping me with reloading at 8.

At one point in my hunting career my long range rig was a sporter made by a fella named Al Biesen. It wasn't exactly a dedicated long range rig, but it shot pretty good and looked and handled fantastic. Alas, one of my more stupid acts in life, I sold it and went in a different "gun" direction.

Start as early as possibly and shoot until you can't do it anymore. Can't get any better than that.

 

[ATH]

I could not remotely afford this hobby at your age. I bought a $105 muzzleloader and took 50+ deer with it over the years. 180 yards with open sights on a ML could be considered long range though.

 

[RT2506]

I started my long range shooting with a Daisy BB gun at about 6 or 7 years old. Long range was a cherry stealing bird out of the top of a black heart cherry tree. I got my first high power rifle when I was 13 years old by earning the money mowing yards all summer. It was a 1903A3 Springfield. I had a relative that was in the national guard and he would bring me a 250 round can of ammo every time he went to guard so I did not need to start reloading that early. I learned to shoot and judge distance with that old rifle. I could kill a groundhog or rabbit as far away as I could see it with those open sights. With the black tip ammo that rifle was very accurate. I started reloading at age 22 when I got my first scoped high power rifle. A Mark X Mauser in 30-06.

 

[AJ Peacock]

When I was 13, Santa brought me a complete RCBS Rockchucker kit + (dies, powder, primers and bullets) for 30-30 and 7mm Rem Mag. I've been shooting reloads ever since (32 years ago this Christmas).

AJ

 

[Fiftydriver]

I was in my mid 20s when I started long range hunting. At that time, 600 yards was a long ways but I still consider that long range hunting.

I was 12 years old when I loaded my first batch of ammo for my first big game rifle, a Savage M110 in 243 Win.

 

[Ridge Runner]

1981 I started reloading (at the age of 21) that was also the year I put the "thick part" of a 4x redfields crosshairs on a buck and watched him drop like he was poleaxed, I decided right then that I HAD to learn how to do that on purpose, sent me down a long, winding road (expensive too) finaly in 1998 I found LRH and actualy learned something. Up until then I had to learn what little I knew on my own, or else listen to the guys at the local sporting goods store (you know how that goes)still not into long range yet but I'm gettin there!
RR

 

[uncleB]

I started shooting when I was 7 or 8 years old, I used my Dad's Hi-Standard 22lr pistol to do Quick Draw Mcgraw after I lodged a bullet in the side of my right foot my career was on hold until I was 12.
When I was 12 me and my Dad went deer hunting. On opening morning we hiked to the top of a steep ridge in the dark and found a good place to watch a big saddle, after glassing the area for a few moments my Dad yawned and said he needed a short nap. I used his crappy 7x50 Bushnell bino's to check out everything, 30 minute's later I spotted the biggest buck I had ever seen (a two point that extended a full inch above his ears). I grabbed my dad's custom 7mmRM built on a Sako action. as I pulled the trigger I watched my Dad raise off the ground as quickly as the deer hit the ground. eventhough I was in trouble again I was really hooked after this.
I was an avid hunter and reloader for years but never got interested in the longrange stuff until I started taking my nephew (goodgrouper) with me. he was in his early 20's and I was in my early 40's(I think too old to remember).
We enjoyed going farther back and shooting everytime we went out, buying new gear and faster twist barrel's.
We both achieved the goal of taking an animal past 2000 yds.
Lately though the train got de-railed, I have been bogged down at work and goodgrouper has transformed into a benchrest GuRu.
We are going to make a come back this fall and have the MOAG and the Thunder do several 1000yd + hits on antelope,deer and elk.
you are never too old if you have the desire.
UB

 

[britz]

13

I don't even know when I started shooting - around 6 or so w/ a Crossman air rifle and I killed my first woodchuck w/ it at about 9. As soon as I was allowed to shoot the 22 I had to shoot at crows in plowed fields a quarter mile away (never hit one) I got my first Lee Annaversary special loading kit when I was 13. I'm 28 now. I started building up for the long range hunt when I was about 16 but sad to admit that I have yet to make any cool long range shots. At least I think I know my limits.