Henry Rifle Forums

As I sat waiting in the waiting room of our dentist office, today, while my husband was getting some dental work done, I got a little bored, so walked over to the magazine rack. Yes, I read couple of women's magazines, but then went back and grabbed half a dozen Outdoor Like and Field & Stream. Paged through them all, stopping now and then to do a quick read on an article.

The last time I read these outdoor magazines on a regular basis was back in the 80s when I was also still hunting on a regular basis. So what's changed over the years? Have to say, the articles were still pretty good. I enjoyed them. As I paged though all these issues, though, I noticed something missing. Darned if I could find a pic or review of a hunting rifle with a wooden stock in the hunting articles. Don't hunters use wooden stocks anymore? Also, saw some folks use AR platform guns, now, for hunting and even some range reports on them. Never saw that in the 80s in a hunting magazine. Not that I'm complaining, here. I can see some solid reasons for synthetic stock guns for hunting and I have no issue with folks using AR platform guns. Each to their own. Times sure have changed, though.

One article I did read provided some details on a trend I've known about for a long time, now. A little sad, really. The article claimed that the numbers of people hunting actually peaked in the early 80s and is now only half of that. Worse yet, the decline is now accelerating, because the largest age category in the hunting community is we baby boomers. With each passing year, more folks my age are calling it quits for hunting. Those who still hunt are now a single digit percent of the population. Although I no longer hunt, I think it's sad to see this way of life disappearing before my eyes.

Even target shooting has changed over the years. Back in the 80s, I was shooting silhouette, a shooting game based on hunting. Was also shooting a little bullseye. The action shooting sports had yet to take over and people carrying guns for self-defense was far less common. Silhouette and bullseye are now ghosts their former selves as far as interest and popularity. It's all action shooting sports, now.

Yup, I'm getting old.Things sure have changed over the years.

Your observations are spot on NCG and I could paraphrase dang near everything you stated as my own!
I'll go out on a limb however and can honestly say I saw the 'big' changes (with regard to attitudes about guns, greater emphasis on 'self defense' as opposed to hunting/sport shooting etc. and the transition of interest to 'black' guns) starting with the AWB of 1994. And thats all I have to say about that!

It's actually a part of a larger trend, IMHO.

Somewhere I thought I read where the average baseball fan was 60? NFL attendance is also down, and it's not all because of the kneeling.

Young people don't follow sports the way the older crowd does, and are getting their driver's licenses later. A cell phone is more important than wheels to a young guy/gal.

What we deemed cool doesn't seem to interest them. Part of Gibson Guitars going bankrupt (beside their crazy prices) was that young guys aren't buying guitars like they used to. Better to get a play station 4 and the new iPad.

Lets face it, men are getting less manly , and walking around with five days growth doesn't change a thing

Of course there are exceptions, and much of the attitude is regional (changes in latitudes/attitudes), but the trend is there. Twittering does not build grip strength.

If I sound like I'm down on the young, I'm not. I think this is just the normal progression that the human race is destined to go through, and the outcome is yet to be seen, good or bad.

Yup, The Times They Are A-Changin’
Reminders from Bob Dylan's pen.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’

Another issue with the 'modern' interest in guns is that it is being driven by things other than say, what a lot of 'US' grew up with. Interest today is being driven by social media, marketing, movies, fads - you name it - as opposed to maybe fathers & family who passed on knowledge of guns and hunting due to outdoors experience and traditions.
The 'most' some of us had was (as NGC mentioned) were the outdoor mags, maybe a few early outdoor TV shows and mostly the LGS where we would go and discuss guns, gear and hunting stories. Sorry to say but this is largely in part a thing of the past now.

You mean no one will take over the forum when Dave and I are gone?

Thanks, guys, all good points. Oh, yeah, I remember Bob Dylan. I have a ton of his stuff, but that's the problem, again. Ask most younger folks about Bob Dylan and they go, Bob who?

Mistered, you are so right about the big change in the early 90s, when the prime motivator for guns sales switched from hunting and target shooting to self-defense, action shooting, survivalist and so on. I knew more than one gun shop that folded in those days that stuck it out trying to sell only hunting only gear and guns, refusing to change with the market demand. The sales were no longer there, selling only to hunters. In fact, I knew of several gun shops back in the 70s and 80s that refused to deal in military style guns, other than military sporters. I distinctly remember instances where the owners of those shops told customers that their shop didn't deal in those kinds of guns, meaning military style guns. Those outfits changed their policy or went out of business. Different world, back then.

Still, not all the changes have been sad for me. A good example for those of us who love lever guns and SA revolvers is cowboy action shooting. Cowboy action shooting got organized in the late 80s after a slow start in the early 80s, then picked up steam in the 90s. Really was a shot in the arm for lever guns and SA revolvers and, of course, it continues to this day. That's one in the plus column for us.

Another by-product of action shooting sports the 90s was the resurgence of interest in the 1911. Back in the 70s, if you wanted a 1911, your choice was basically a Colt. Now look at all the 1911 choices. Another plus in my book.

Another plus is better optics technology. Love those old vintage scope from the 70s and 80s, but even a cheap scope, today, is better, optically, than some of the best in that era. Then, too, red dots were only rarely seen in the 70s and 80s, but really began to get popular in the 90s with improved designs. These old eyes are grateful for this one.

I love my vintage Weavers but they can’t stand up to a new scope.

Me, too, on the old steel Weavers. I'm old enough to remember them when they were new and seeing all those old magazine ads for them. How's that for old?

North Country Gal wrote:Me, too, on the old steel Weavers. I'm old enough to remember them when they were new and seeing all those old magazine ads for them. How's that for old?

I collect old Weaver ads.

I have the Moody Blues albums. Even people my age never heard or don't remember them.

Anybody remember the Kingston Trio?

Had every album of the Moody Blues. One of my favorites. The Kingston Trio was a favorite of my older brother. He had all their 45s.

Another sign of change in the shooting world has been the market for vintage collectible guns. Definitely seeing signs of the market softening on some my favorites like vintage Smiths and other guns of our baby boomer generation. My friends that belong to some collector associations and attend collector shows tell me it's all us old folks, now. Younger shooters don't see what all the fuss is about. Might be time to liquidate some of our collectibles.

On a more positive note of change, I do think factory ammo is better than ever, now, thanks to new bullet technology and R&D in ammo loads. Lots more choices in factory ammo, these days.

Similar note: just read somewhere that antique furniture is losing value now because younger people don't care about it. Nobody wants it anymore.

RanchRoper wrote:Similar note: just read somewhere that antique furniture is losing value now because younger people don't care about it. Nobody wants it anymore.

That is true. Unless it is something special you can barely give it away.

Mags wrote:I have the Moody Blues albums. Even people my age never heard or don't remember them.

The Moody Blues did a concert in Toronto last year (July 2017) performing their album "Days of Future Past" accompanied by a full orchestra that was recorded and broadcast on the PBS series "Great Performances". I saved it to my DVR and will keep it there. It was -- no hype -- outstanding.

Trailer: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/moody-blu ... live/7735/

NCG all of your thoughts are spot on for me except for one. I've been thru pistol matches with autos and with TC Contenders. We shot steel plates with the 1911's and shot silly wets out to 100 yards with contenders. I've been to Long range BPCR matches with sharps rifles. I did that for about 8 years. While I was doing all this I also hunted big game with contenders. I have shot several deer with them. So I did hunt. But then one day I just quit hunting as other things in life just took me away from it. At the time I was shooting long range with sharps I was also shooting cowboy silly wet with leverguns. I have a few AR type guns. At the time I bought them it was just on a I think I need some type of deal. Now I wish I hadn't even bought them but I haven't taken the time to get rid of them nor do I know if I want to. The one sharps rifle I had now is just a lonesome gun in the safe. Just a few years ago I have a close friend who lost his son and then his wife shortly before she retired. He is an avid hunter and has many mounts around his house. So as a close friend I decided to go back to the woods with him and have done so the past few years. I have really enjoyed it and plan to continue. So I'm still hunting and enjoying going with a really close friend. I know he is to as he has said he looks very much forward to the next time.

That's great, Al. Hats off to you for getting together with a friend and resuming your hunting. Best of luck.

Your experience with Contenders sounds similar to mine, though I only shoot and collect them for fun, now. My competition and hunting days are over, but, of course, never say never. Who knows, right? Anyway, hunting or not, I do hope to keep shooting as long as the old body and eyes allow. To be sure, at some point, we'll need to deal with what to do with our collection before we go to that big shooting range in the sky. Our kids don't have an interest. The smart thing to do would be to sell off the guns at some point, but I'm nowhere near ready to do that.

Interestingly, I was thinking along those lines, today, and surprised myself as to which guns would be the hardest for me to let go. Surprisingly, it was our air guns. The regular guns, I could sell, though it would hurt, but I really don't want to let anyone have the air guns. Go figure.

I dont have any contenders left I sold all of them. I had barrels from Bullberry MGM, and I even had a couple of custom barrels one from JD Jones and from Mike Bellum. I think i had quite a few of the regular calibers off and on at one time. I shot some silly wet with 32-20 and 357. JD's barrel was a 6.5 JDJ and one of Mikes barrels was a 444 case necked down to 308. Of course to shoot the custom barrels reloading and fire forming was necessary. I also played a little bit with the 357 max which is a terror on silly wets.