The National Shooting Sports Month kinda snuck up on us. We didn’t know about the NSSF’s campaign — including the semi-humorous video below — until it was underway. I guess that’s because the month was thrown together to combat the Trump slump. During a recent earnings call, Ruger’s CEO Christopher J. Killoy (not Killjoy) said . . .

“We just have to encourage our customer base to get back out to the range, and remember how much fun it is to start buying a few more guns for fun, not just because you think they might be banned in the future.” 

Anyway, August is prime shooting time for our readers, weather depending. (Texas heat might not cook-off your ammo, but it just might fry your brains.) And firearms are fun! 

What firearms-related activities have you done this month? What shooting do you plan to do before the kiddies go back to school? Bought any guns this month?

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74 COMMENTS

    • I just traded for one of the new Sport 2 ? M-lok ones. Put my See All sight on it 1/2 inch riser,using the mbus as back-up/ co-witness. Love it! prob put 500 thru it so far. Shooting 12 inch steel plate @ 100 bing, bing, bing standard CCI round nose ammo seems to be the most accurate so far. If you don’t have a 15-22 or a See All sight your missing out!

  2. Coyote hunting in SW Montana to stay sharp on the long gun and plenty of trap getting ready for waterfowl season.

  3. Just picked up a left-handed CZ 452 American for my southpaw son. We are planning on a little 50-yard target shooting next week.

  4. When you go to the range in Texas and realize that the reason your vision is a bit weird is because your eye pro is non-figuratively pooling sweat on the lenses. The only upside is that if it’s that hot you get the range to yourself.

    • Do you have a lot of problems through the scope at the longer ranges (200+) with the heat rising off the ground? Shot squirrels a couple of weeks ago in 95+ temps and it made for a heck of a time hitting the mark.

  6. I’ve helped 3 friends sight in new AR15 s, shot drills with my defensive shotgun and pistol and practiced 100 yard off hand shooting with my AR15. Hopefully I’ll be breaking in and sighting in my new AR 10 in 6.5 creedmoor soon,

    • Same up here in the north end of California’s Central Valley: the days under 100 are few and far between. Yesterday and today are under a hundred, but we will be right back over tomorrow and the rest of the week.

  8. …this month? How about the last six months?

    Nada, no-thing, no pew-pew purchases, no range time, no ammo buys…nuthin’

  9. None whatsoever. I’m closing on my first home on friday, and apparently now that I’m an “adult”, I’m supposed to “save money”, whatever the f*ck that means.

  11. Made a couple of range trips to wring out a new pistol and a new shotgun. I’m off from work on Thursday and was planning another range trip, but sad to say, a broken filling in #31 has changed my plans.

  12. Shot IDPA and USPSA this month (IDPA with my Sig P320 Full Size and, NO! I didn’t drop it…). Shot USPSA with my Sig P320 X-Five. I have yet to hear if the lighter, flat trigger of the X-Five is in question or, why Sig just won’t upgrade the stock P320’s to that (and all the internal do-dads and whatnot). I’d hate to send both of my Newest pistols back to Sig, but I’m guessing I will when the feedback begins to roll in on the upgrades. Stinks, I bought a cal-xchange kit to convert the Full Size P320 to a Sub-Compact to shoot BUG in IDPA as well. Still don’t know if that one will be in need of fix-a-facation…

  13. I’ve shot a couple of hundred 22lr through my Mk III and a couple of dozen through my RR revolver. Also, a mag or so through my S&W AR-15, a couple of hundred through my 1911, Taurus PT 111 and SD9VE as well as 18 380 through my TCP.

    It helps to be able to walk out the back door and shoot.

  14. Done:
    GSSF Indoor
    Skeet
    Sporting Clays
    Bowling Pin Match
    Sighted in some new pistol sights
    Played around with the pistol with new sights
    Verified zero on a couple of AR’s
    Played around with the AR’s after verifying zero

    To Do:
    More of the same

  15. Went plinking last weekend.
    Going to chrono my .300 WSM this weekend in prep for a new scope. I’m getting the new leupold vx-6 4-24 X 56 and having the custom turret made.

    • I keep looking for you and I guess I must have just missed you somehow this last weekend. I was there about 4 hours on Saturday. Found the load to use in my Mdl 94!

  17. Finally found a new place to shoot out on national forest land on Sunday, only a half hour away. Hadn’t done any shooting in over a year until then. Man, it felt good. Like coming up for air.

    Sighted in the new AR-15, realized later that day that it would’ve gone a lot smoother if I hadn’t installed the Magpul flip-up sights backward like a stupid noob (which I am). Now I have to reinstall, try to duplicate the windage adjustment, and go do it all again. Oh, no, more range time! 🙂

    And man, do I suck now. You never forget how to use a gun — just like riding a bike — but your accuracy definitely deteriorates if you don’t practice. Strangely, I did better with my pistol, which I have less practice with, than I did with the rifles. Or maybe it’s just that my expectations were lower.

    • Ing,

      It is hard to say whether your bodily accuracy is slipping or if there is an equipment problem.

      Case in point: I went out for the first time in nine months to sight-in a new .44 Magnum break-action rifle which should be CRAZY accurate at 25 yards. But my groups were 1.5 inches which seemed impossible. I changed ammunition and proceeded to put all the bullets in the same hole. I reverted back to the original ammunition and those horrific 1.5 inch groups returned.

  18. Went to the range at least once a week. Requalified for my retired LEO carry permit and now having shoulder surgery on my strong side tomorrow, so no shooting for a while. I’m hoping by the end of the year I’ll be back in action and able to shoot more than 5 rounds from a rifle without extreme pain. :o)

  19. I just mailed off a check yesterday for my Daewoo K2. I fixed a jamming issue with my C308 and took it to the range last Friday. I’ll go to the range again probably once before my new rifle gets to me and once after.

  20. This month? It’s too friggin’ hot in central Florida for that. The sweat in my eyes obscures my sight picture.

    But I have built a new 308 on a billet receiver set.

  21. Did a round of sporting clays ranges @ Elm Fork the last few weekends, alternating between the Woods and Meadows ranges. First time I brought out some extras like the Scorpion EVO and some handguns, but this last time I didn’t bother, as everyone was cooked by the heat and humidity.

    Perhaps they should move the awareness month to something like October, and see a big uptick in participation by those of us in the south.

  22. Working my ladders twice a week 2 hours each. Soon I will actually be shooting for practice during those periods, I hope.

    • It would be 2.5 hours if shinny things on the ground didn’t send me scurrying about like Gollum.

  23. I have an introduction to 3 Gun Class at the end of the month. And last week I shot tested several different brands of shot gun slug ammo in my Mossberg 590. The public outdoor range at Golden Pond Ky is wonderful. I try to Dry Fire with my hand guns every week.

  24. So far this month: 22 steel match, 2 hog hunting trips, 1 range trip to sight in rifle from Gander Mountain fire sale. Cowboy action shooting match and more hog hunting scheduled by end of this week. Half a month still to go so check again at the of the month. No new guns this month. Maybe next month. Trying to decide which shotgun to buy for cowboy matches (using my grandfathers 1897 as a stop gap measure).

  25. sighted in rifle for hunting, shot a qualification with local law enforcement for fun, trained and shot with a new handgun owner, took my 5 year old out to shoot.

    Sighted in my bow and got my bow hunter education certificate.

  27. Did a lot in the last two months. Nothing this month. Thank’s for the reminder that I am slacking. Time to hit the range. 🙂

  28. Took the wife to the range last evening to sight in the new scope on her “deer slayer.” Ruger GP-100 .357 Mag w/ 6″ barrel. I was honestly impressed with the tight groups that gun can make at 50 yards.

    Yes, we hunt deer with scoped revolvers here in Illinois, because, you know, stupid Illinois laws.

    • Curtis in IL,

      I think of .357 Magnum revolvers being on the light side for white-tailed deer. What ammunition do you plan to use? What is the maximum range that you will expect to shoot? And how far can you track a wounded deer before it wanders onto a neighbor’s property that won’t let you track it?

      I am not being snarky. My concern with .357 Magnum revolver for deer, especially at longer ranges, is that they might go several hundred yards before succumbing to blood loss. That could be problematic for a lot of hunters.

      • Uncommon,

        We sighted the scope in for 50 yards. She’ll be shooting from a tree stand with the guard rail to rest the gun on. She hunts in a wooded area on a relative’s property, where 50 yards is probably further than she’ll realistically be able to shoot.

        Her brother has taken several deer with a similar setup, he hasn’t lost a deer yet. Good relationships with all the neighbors so tracking shouldn’t be an issue.

        I’ll be loading rounds using Hornady XTP 158 grain JHP bullets over a fairly stout pile of Winchester 296 powder and magnum primers. Honestly, I think any 158 grain defense round in .357 Magnum would work fine. Hit ’em in the vitals and they’ll be dead before they hit the ground.

        With sandbags, I made a 4 shot group about the size of a silver dollar from 50 yards. If she doesn’t get her deer, it won’t be the gun’s fault.

  29. Been to the range couple of times. Shot 22 9mm 556 308 and new 450 bushmaster. Can use straight walled cartridge rifles in Iowa now for them pesky deer.

  32. *glances at whiteboard*

    Various. To be discussed later. “OpSec” and whatnot. Don’t need to be giving anyone else an idea of the competitive advantages we’re seeking for the Fink.

      • I’m running the Darin Fink Memorial SAC next month in Wyoming.

        Everywhere I go dealing with getting ready I’m told someone who’s also running the competition was just there 20 minutes to an hour before me. Just happened yet again yesterday at REI while I was getting some rope for new parts of the competition that were announced in the last few days.

        There are not a lot of people running this thing and based on my conversations with someone from [Redacted] I suspect I know who the person is. Either way, I ain’t discussing what we’re doing because I don’t need that guy (or guys) snagging any shooting spots or anything else that might lend us a competitive advantage in this race. Whoever the guy (or guys) is he seems to have a lot of the same ideas I do and I’m not interested in giving away one (or more) that he might not have thought of.

        http://competition-dynamics.com/sniper-adventure-challenge-2017/

  33. Shot my NEW to me M&P 15-22 Sport w/ M-Lok (traded an old SKS I had cluttering up my safe) Love it!! Great “training gun” your missing out if you don’t have one. Also shot my Mossberg Shockwave 12ga. The fun factor is 100% with Buckshot! Did my monthly test fire on my cc gun P3AT. Even shot some steel cased ammo thru it just to see. Bang, Bang, Bang! x10 (Extended mag) Fun, Fun, Fun.

  34. Shot my GP100 in two IDPA matches. Spent some time on the skeet range getting ready for dove season. Zeroed a new Vortex scope on my Savage model 16 in 7mm-08. Tested some handloads for the same rifle in preparation for a mule deer hunt in October.

  35. Only ten rounds through my brand new Shield .45 ACP. Found out that mine is affected by the issue of the trigger getting stuck behind the trigger stop and failing to reset. The trigger failed to reset on five of the ten rounds I fired. It is on the way back to S&W now for repairs.

    Apparently, the trigger bar is slipping of the rear stop under recoil, allowing the trigger to overtravel and catch on the trigger guard stop. This results in my having a round in the chamber and a trigger locked to the rear.

    Rather disappointed as I was looking forward to getting this gun broken in and added to my carry rotation. S&W is quoting a 4-6 week turnaround for the repair.

  36. Just a little plinking with the PPQ 45 while out huckleberry picking. When it cools off a little more, I’ll break out some of the other toys. Fall seems to be when I do 3/4 of my shooting.

  37. I have not been out to shoot for a long time, too long.

    The extent of my firearm activities this month was buying a bulk box of .22 LR ammunition, modifying/fixing a revolver holster, looking for bulk handgun/rifle ammunition deals, and looking for sweet firearm deals.

    That is pathetic, I know.

  38. Took the Springfield trapdoor out for a black powder cartridge match. Came in 2nd. Also shot my Yugoslav M57 for the first time. Zippy little round.

  39. Went to the range early just last Saturday. It was a relatively cool 85 degrees cloudy with some rain about. Most of the time here in Tucson it gets to hot to shoot by 9:00 but I had enough time to blast off a few 100 rounds from my beloved 10/22. It got to hot to pull the AR out of it’s case by 10:00 ;-)).

    • Yea, but it’s a dry heat.

      First time I went to Vegas it was about 107. I had 3 people tell me that before I got out of the airport. I replied “yea, dry like a f%&king oven”.

  40. I made it to the indoor range three weeks ago because momma was out of town and I’d just finished a major (5 month long) kitchen remodeling project. I hit the range early on a Saturday morning – its a metal building without air conditioning. I ran 250 rounds through my new Browning 1911/22 and found that it likes high velocity copper jacketed rounds best. I also plinked a bit with my Henry AR-7 to get the red dot sight dialed in. After about an hour of fun this old man was sweating so bad that my glasses were fogging up and I knew that my body was starting to run out of moisture. So I got back in my air conditioned car and headed home to clean my guns, jump in a cold shower, and have a cold one. I need to sight in my Mossberg MVP .308 before deer season (if the gods smile on me and I can make it to hunting camp this year), but I’ll wait for some cooler weather.

  41. Did my first action pistol competition this weekend. Kind of like Disneyland, with guns. Each stage was different, we moved from stage to stage, got to shoot lots of different situations. A little waiting around, then a short thrill run.

    All in all –
    Shooting – Good
    Moving – Good
    Reloading – Good
    Reloading while moving – OK
    Shooting while moving – not good.

    It’s amazing how far the point of impact can get from the sight picture you had when you thought “fire” – while you are moving. I’m thinking the moment I thought ‘fire’ pulled the trigger, but my eyes must have already moved to the next spot I was moving to, and so did my aim. Too much static practice from a range line.

    Don’t even get me started on those damn poppers. The full size ones. Didn’t realize that since they are falling toward you, even if you hit one, it doesn’t look like it’s moving – for just bit. The first one I shot didn’t move, so I shot it again, still didn’t move ( I thought) so I shot it again . . . and again . . . and again . . . turns out I kept popping it back upright. I think I hit it 6 times. I was ready to start throwing rocks at it by then.

    All in all – lots of fun. Will absolutely do more.

  43. I shoot my carry pistol every two weeks, and run 100 rounds through it. I also bring something else from my collection, and get 100 through that.

    I do get to practice drawing and firing at this range—if I’m lucky enough to be the only one there(indoor range).

    I practice dry firing a couple nights a week. Dryfire mag seemed like a foolish purchase, but it’s been helpful.

  44. None. It’s been back-to-back audit engagements for the past few weeks. Hoping to get back out to the range soon but I’m not holding my breath.

  45. Put about 60 rounds through my Ruger American Ranch (5.56 & .223), polished off the afternoon with 100 through my Browning High Power.

    Going up to Portland in a couple of weeks to go shooting with a buddy at his gun club.

  46. I tested out my new 9mm pistol and did some practice for steel challenge later in the month.

  47. Won a Bronze Medal in an indoor 22 match… woo woo…! ;-> (well, it’s the first thing I’ve won in a long time)

  48. Let’s see: Today shot my Les Baer NRA 223 practice for this weekend’s matches on Saturday and Sunday (x-course) and shot my Colt SP1 AR-15 for fun; every Tuesday and Wednesday bullseye competition; last Saturday 1000 yard competition with 6.5 Creedmoor; last Sunday x-course with the Les Baer, week before that x-course with Springfield M1A NM; also shot Savage 22 Mag at 40,50,75, 100 competition, and same with Savage 22 lr; just came back from NRA Cowboy Lever Action Nationals in Raton in July; on off Sundays shoot 200 yard silhouette with lever action 30/30 or my single shot 308; plus trips to the local indoor 25 yard range for practice with SS P320 (no drops), Wilson 1911 45, and Ruger 45, and daily reloading and stuff. Everyday is a shooting day here.

  49. Finally got m savage model 10 sighted in.
    Got the ar out for the first time in a while.
    Did some handgun as well. Model 19, xdm, and 1911.

  50. Just got home from the range half an hour ago. 150 rounds through my Glock 43, 100 through my 42, trying out new ETS magazines. No failures of any kind. 40 rounds through a friends AK. 200 rounds through new Shield .40 last week. It’s been a pretty good month so far.

  51. Just took the 10 year old boy out to my cop-buddy’s house for some .22LR marksmanship training…..aint gonna lie, I prolly had at least as much fun as the kids. I sighted my Savage MK2 along side the 10 years olds! I Aint shamed!!!

  52. I make 2 range trips per week. One of the best things about being retired. So far this month 1874 Shiloh Sharps, RRA AR-15, Kelbly Panda 6PPC, CG63 and 1903 Springfield A4. It’s hot and humid, but gotta go anyway.

  53. Last weekend of July, Squirrel! hunting (that’s close enough to the August, right?). Then the last two weekends I’ve got to go to the range, one in Springfield with my daughter and then my home range the next. Need to make it one more time for the month I guess!

  54. I’d be willing to bet if you showed this video to a coastal California or NYC politician, they’d probably actually believe that ammo expires and begins to smell bad.

  55. It has been so smoky here as to be an actual health hazard to venture outside for too long since before the start of the month, up until last weekend. It is fortunate that the smoke let up then, since my buddy had some peeps come out to visit (and go shooting). Two (both gals) of the 3 were from NYC; one had never even held a firearm. So, they got to shoot a revolver (.357 snubbie), a semi-auto pistol (9mm, metal frame), a 10/22 (loads of fun there), a pink AR-15 (a hit with the ladies), an SKS (with bayonet), a AR-308 (or whatever you like to call generic DPMS form factor AR-10s), a PTR-91, and a semi-auto shotgun (at clays). Loads of fun, even if the heat did me in pretty good.

  56. Shot out to 300 yards with my Longbranch No4. Mk1. I did a shoot house with my new CZ P-10C. I zeroed my 300blk rifle and attempted to troubleshoot an AR I’ve had nothing but problems with. That was all on Sunday.

  57. Nada. To busy working and it’s to easy to start a fire in SE OR right now. Did buy 1k of Wolf Gold and a Howa 25-06.

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