It's sad seeing the generational explanation for the low turn out at the nationals, but only because I know it to be so true. It's my generation that has their heads in the sand. I don't get it but it's true. Most of my friends are gun owners, some are even "enthusiasts", but none have the drive, passion, or respect for precision shooting in any capacity. Its not just that, they lack the patience, and motivation to strive for their best. Doing it the "right way" doesn't matter anymore. No one cares about history so they never read about all of the greatest shooters, shots made, and rifles built. They aren't inspired. The gratification of doing something by hand doesn't mean as much anymore. I hear a lot of "I don't have the time" or "I wish I had the time" or "wish I had the money". Its nonsense. If you had the passion, you'd find the time, and the money. I don't even know if they can see that its their priorities in the way, not time and money, and I think they actually believe it.
I'm saying this as a 29yr old guy, 30 next month, and it's amazing how much time and money I seem to find to devote to the things I WANT to do. Maybe I just have more time in my day than the rest of my generation. Its these observations that have served as the driving force behind my passion for things that I see slipping away, not being passed down, and not being sought after. It's because of this that I have kind of made it my personal goal to not only learn some of these lost trades, and techniques, but to also pass them down. The only problem is...I can't seem to find anyone who cares. No kids myself, but from what I see, unless it has a big screen that beeps and rings it would be hard to steal their attention. I guess my girlfriends 7 yr old daughter does like to help me clean cases, but the 13 yr old...forget it.
So this is actually one of the reasons why I reload, have a passion for precision rifles and personal excellence, and get out there as much as I possibly can. Crack jokes all you want but I do all of my reloading with hand tools, however I do use a digital scale. My brass holder is chucked up in my Miller Falls 1900's hand drill that I restored, and I use it for all length trimming, chamfering, and deburring. Think that's bad? I also do a lot of woodworking but again, only use hand tools. All saws that I use are traditional Japanese hand saws, hand planes, etc. No nails, or screws, all joinery. Dovetails, finger joints, tennons, all cut by hand. Its hard, but rewarding.
My last middle finger to todays ways is music. I grew up playing guitar. Clapton, Stevie Ray, zeppelin, the electric guitar classics. I saw the trend early on with Nirvana and the 90's. They weren't even trying to be good, or get better. It defied all that being a guitar player was all about but that's the way it was going. So I dove in deep and started playing the hardest thing I could all the time. Clapton led to Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai, and they led me to the classical guitar. I set out for the most exacting, purist form of music that I could find which led me to study Andres Segovia. Once I found it, the others seemed cheap and insignificant. So now that's all I play. And although it is somewhat difficult finding time to study Bach and the classical masters, hand cut dovetail joints, reload, and be out on the long range on the weekends, it makes me wonder...
How is it that 90% of gun owners that I come into contact with don't know what a minute of angle really is? No time, no care.
Most have such a sensitive ego that they cant even be taught! They want to know but cant bring themselves to coming to terms with the fact that they don't already know! Drives me nuts. Nothing better than being in the presence of someone better than yourself and being able to absorb the collective knowledge of their past experiences.
Sorry for the rant, but what was said above about this generation really gets me, obviously. Of course, I'd rather they learn a thing or two about the history of their own country before anything else but they wont do that either so, I'm done. Jesse
