Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Will You Lose Your Shooting Skills?” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/defensive-shooting-skills-senior-citizens/.
Will You Lose Your Shooting Skills?
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Sld1959
Ronin
Nah, I carry them in a zipper pouch with my marbles so they cannot get lost easily.
So far I have been lucky and seems like my skills are staying relatively stable, but that could change any time I am well aware. The arthritis in my thumbs could be the wildcard, so far it's stable but I expect it will get worse.
So far I have been lucky and seems like my skills are staying relatively stable, but that could change any time I am well aware. The arthritis in my thumbs could be the wildcard, so far it's stable but I expect it will get worse.
Old_Me
SAINT
well in a way yes and maybe no.
at my last ccw qualification 4 years ago, i scored a 252
my recent test (back in February) i didn't score that high, but i still passed.
my eyes still check out good. as of my last check up.
a think a combo of inability to stand straight after all my back operations is one reason
and my arm feels heavy at times....sometimes feeling numb
shooting at the 25 yards is a chore (for the qualification test), where as shooting at 7 to 10 yards (my normal FBI recommended distance) is way easier. (as per thier published stats some time ago)
which is why i try to go shooting at least 2 times a week, but always once for sure.
at my last ccw qualification 4 years ago, i scored a 252
my recent test (back in February) i didn't score that high, but i still passed.
my eyes still check out good. as of my last check up.
a think a combo of inability to stand straight after all my back operations is one reason
and my arm feels heavy at times....sometimes feeling numb
shooting at the 25 yards is a chore (for the qualification test), where as shooting at 7 to 10 yards (my normal FBI recommended distance) is way easier. (as per thier published stats some time ago)
which is why i try to go shooting at least 2 times a week, but always once for sure.
Arthur Shelby
Elite
From someone who's never had good vision or the desire to fork over $3K for laser surgery I can honestly say it's the least of my worries. MEPS gave me a pair of BCGs and I spent the next five years pretending I could see. Still qualified Expert with pistol and Sharpshooter with rifle.
BassCliff
Professional
Hi,
Nice article for us "seasoned" shooters. I utilize several of the author's recommendations. For my vision "adjustments", the SSP Top Focal shooting glasses are a huge help. However, I do practice without them on occasion because I don't wear them all the time.
My mantra is "Use it or lose it. It's better to wear it out than to let it rot."
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
Nice article for us "seasoned" shooters. I utilize several of the author's recommendations. For my vision "adjustments", the SSP Top Focal shooting glasses are a huge help. However, I do practice without them on occasion because I don't wear them all the time.
My mantra is "Use it or lose it. It's better to wear it out than to let it rot."
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
Biggfoot44
Elite
It Depends
It Depends
It Depends
In one sense , your body will gradually decrease in. Physical capabilities. But more complex. Than that .
How good were you in your prime ? If you were a casual or non shooter in your prime, serious efforts and training in your Old Fart -hood , then your aged shooting skills will be better than when you were young .
Or - How do you consider if you're not as good as * you * once were , but you're still More than Plenty Good Enough for various intended purposes ?
It Depends
It Depends
In one sense , your body will gradually decrease in. Physical capabilities. But more complex. Than that .
How good were you in your prime ? If you were a casual or non shooter in your prime, serious efforts and training in your Old Fart -hood , then your aged shooting skills will be better than when you were young .
Or - How do you consider if you're not as good as * you * once were , but you're still More than Plenty Good Enough for various intended purposes ?
Author notices a decline when he turns 50…wait till he turns 80! For me, the problem is my wrists aching badly when firing my 10mm or 40. Not so much with lesser calibers. Takes a lot of the fun out of plinking. Should mention about “plinking”. I am on NextDoor, usually to stir up trouble. Someone had asked about where to shoot in the desert. As “shooting” is a Karen buzzword, I responded about where to go plinking. Someone asked what plinking is. I said it was roaming the desert shooting at tin cans, rocks and trash animals. Boy, did that set the Karen’s off…no suck thing as a trash animal…all are Gods children…you should go to Hell for your comment!
Winchester67
Master Class
Shooting is a perishable skill. One could not walk away at the top of their game in their twenties and return in their 30's to the same skill level. So shoot as often as you can. The 44 Magnums get 44 Specials these days, but the .45 1911 is still ok. I always finish the session with at least one box of CCI Mini Mags 22 Long Rifle concentrating on trigger control and sight picture. The .22 takes recoil out of the equation, as well as cost, so I can concentrate guilt and pain free on the basics.
OldGrunt
Custom
NextDoor...that sure brought up a lot of memories! I was kicked off that years ago for upsetting all the Karens. lol I forgot it was still around.
FNFAN
Elite
My Father In-Law's only pistol was a BHP he'd picked up at the BX during his Air Force career. For whatever reason he didn't care for shooting it and asked me to find a quality revolver. I found a sweet little S&W M-15 that we took out on the range at the store we bought it from. He was in his early 70's and put 6 shots into the 10 ring at 7 yards with the first cylinder-full shooting at a steady pace double action. I think it just depends on the person.
"Karen" power is waning in society. Their mythical hold on everyone else is just that. They will try control you if you let them. Do not. I generally ignore them, which sets them off even more (always angry about something and looking for someone to dump on) but better than arguing with a fool.
Biggfoot44
Elite
You accidently divided the conversation into two different branches .
#1 : Maintaining Personal Peak performence levels after either aging , or gaps in your training routine .
#2 : Maintaining a level skill and competence more than sufficient for various purppses , for examples , self defense , or hunting at average distantces , after aging or long layoff .
Regarding #1 , it's inevitable and expected .. to a certain point .
Regarding #2 , for people who one had high level of skill , their baseline " basic remembering to ride a bicycle " residual skill is still plenty sufficent for most average shooter expectations .
FNFAN's FIL impressed him from the context of average shooters of combat tupperwear . For all we know , 25 yrs ago , he could shot that size group , at 20 yds , at double the speed .
FNFAN
Elite
Yes definitely two different aspects. Considering that at time he was 3 years recovered from having a heart attack & a stroke it was impressive as hell. He was a great man, flew rescue birds in Vietnam and in Greenland and after retiring from the Air Force, flew lead planes for the Forest Service directing the path of the slurry bombers fighting fires. Went on to be a Regional Director of Aviation for the FS and one of their aviation incident investigators.
Biggfoot44
Elite
My late FIL :
Hunting , and killing vermin on the farm growing up . Multiple gunfights as WWll era USMC MP . Bullseye competitor thru his 50's .
In his 70's end stage COPD , couldn't walk 3 steps without stopping to take a rest , and had the shakes . But could still head shoot a weasel at ( paced by me ) 37 yds with Revolver .
Hunting , and killing vermin on the farm growing up . Multiple gunfights as WWll era USMC MP . Bullseye competitor thru his 50's .
In his 70's end stage COPD , couldn't walk 3 steps without stopping to take a rest , and had the shakes . But could still head shoot a weasel at ( paced by me ) 37 yds with Revolver .
Lab4Us
Master Class
Well, I turned 67 today, but I really don’t feel more challenged at the range, with exceptions I’ll list at end of post.
1. I’ve worn trifocals, then progressives, since my 20s, so no real change there. Actually, the cataract surgery I had in 2023 probably made my vision better than it had been in decades.
2. I’ve had an astigmatism my entire life (the type where one of your eyes isn’t exactly round, but more oval). So I had it when I learned to shoot and I have it today. Guess I’ve kind of learned to work around it, though when I first started with optics that was quite the journey!
3. I’ve been living where I’m at 40 years and have yet to find a true self defense course in my city. Closest I’ve come is older military qualification drills where we had to run in place to simulate stress, wear gas masks, use barricades, etc., but it was still just shooting at a paper target using a timer. If, or when, I do find one, I feel I’m in sufficient health to successfully participate … but I do make an effort to stay pretty active, a recommendation from my cardiologist.
4. While using guns in the military pretty regularly late 70s and 80s, I didn’t start seriously buying and shooting until 2015 or so, already at the age of 57, so I guess I’d already lost mad skills! Actually though, I think I have way better control of fundamentals than I ever did in those military days. I know I’ve live fired 10s of thousands more rounds as a civilian than I ever did in the military.
Okay, some exceptions/admissions.
1. It is a lot harder to get that brass cleaned up than it used to be after and during standing and shooting an hour or two. I used to try and bend over to pick up brass every few magazines. Now I wait until the end and use a broom and dustpan. Even better, using revolvers means zero bending! Even with regular walking and stretching, knees always remind me I’m not 18 anymore.
2. IF, big IF, I decide to send some .357 downrange these days, it’s 6 or 12, not 50 or 100. Don’t miss it. Just shoot enough to remember how it feels and know I can hit what I’m shooting at if I decide to carry it. My strong hand joints hurt for days afterward, especially thumb.
3. I’ve never tried to be a marksman. I love the big raggedly holes and tight groups like everyone else. But in the end, my shooting goals are met if I feel confident I can competently hit and stop a threat towards me and/or my family. And in the unlikely event that becomes necessary, raggedly holes and tight groups will be the least of my worries.
In the end, my perspective is that you’ll likely lose more shooting skills (whatever they may be) by not regularly shooting than you will getting older, unless you have the misfortune of experiencing various health crises that make shooting impossible or completely unsafe.
1. I’ve worn trifocals, then progressives, since my 20s, so no real change there. Actually, the cataract surgery I had in 2023 probably made my vision better than it had been in decades.
2. I’ve had an astigmatism my entire life (the type where one of your eyes isn’t exactly round, but more oval). So I had it when I learned to shoot and I have it today. Guess I’ve kind of learned to work around it, though when I first started with optics that was quite the journey!
3. I’ve been living where I’m at 40 years and have yet to find a true self defense course in my city. Closest I’ve come is older military qualification drills where we had to run in place to simulate stress, wear gas masks, use barricades, etc., but it was still just shooting at a paper target using a timer. If, or when, I do find one, I feel I’m in sufficient health to successfully participate … but I do make an effort to stay pretty active, a recommendation from my cardiologist.
4. While using guns in the military pretty regularly late 70s and 80s, I didn’t start seriously buying and shooting until 2015 or so, already at the age of 57, so I guess I’d already lost mad skills! Actually though, I think I have way better control of fundamentals than I ever did in those military days. I know I’ve live fired 10s of thousands more rounds as a civilian than I ever did in the military.
Okay, some exceptions/admissions.
1. It is a lot harder to get that brass cleaned up than it used to be after and during standing and shooting an hour or two. I used to try and bend over to pick up brass every few magazines. Now I wait until the end and use a broom and dustpan. Even better, using revolvers means zero bending! Even with regular walking and stretching, knees always remind me I’m not 18 anymore.
2. IF, big IF, I decide to send some .357 downrange these days, it’s 6 or 12, not 50 or 100. Don’t miss it. Just shoot enough to remember how it feels and know I can hit what I’m shooting at if I decide to carry it. My strong hand joints hurt for days afterward, especially thumb.
3. I’ve never tried to be a marksman. I love the big raggedly holes and tight groups like everyone else. But in the end, my shooting goals are met if I feel confident I can competently hit and stop a threat towards me and/or my family. And in the unlikely event that becomes necessary, raggedly holes and tight groups will be the least of my worries.
In the end, my perspective is that you’ll likely lose more shooting skills (whatever they may be) by not regularly shooting than you will getting older, unless you have the misfortune of experiencing various health crises that make shooting impossible or completely unsafe.