What is a realistic number of rounds shot per yr for competition shooters?

[DangerousDrummer]

Someone on another board posted 30k rounds. I find that hard to believe as that is 82 a day every day. At one a minute that is 1 hr and 20 minutes every day for a year!

What do you experts say? I have no idea.

 

[Killshot]

What type of competition are you referring to?

 

[DangerousDrummer]

Any, I am looking for the max. Most competition shooters make their own ammo, so I think the 30,000 number is BS. Build and shoot 30,000 rounds in a year? Just doesn't seem possible when you consider the time requird to build a competition cartridge. Build and shoot 80 a day every day for a year? This was brought up in reference to a US senators defense of DHS ammunition purchases in a letter to a constituant.

 

[Killshot]

Again, what type of competition? 3-Gunners and Pistol shooters can easily shoot that amount.

You've never seen a Dillon 1050? Can do 1,000 rounds in an hour.

Someone shooting 500rds only has to do that 60 times a year. That's only 5 days a month.

 

[Scott Harris]

That's possible for a pistol shooter. Smallbore maybe also?

 

[Mudcat]

Keep in mind that law enforcement personnel rarely shoot more than a few hundred rounds per year and a lot of them would rather shoot ZERO. For those of us that compete, we can burn thru a lot of ammo in a year. I normally shoot a good 10,000 rounds per year in competition and practice. A lot more if I have a lot more time to practice and if prices for components are not thru the roof, or unavailable. And airgun....I shoot another 5,000 rounds per year on it, easy, as I shoot that rifle about every night during the winter months.

for those of shooting HP, we dont shoot as much as the pistoleros or the 3 gun types, etc, as they are more volume and rapid fire oriented, but I think that 30k number would be easily doable but a lot of those folks.

 

[ar10ar15man]

one of the top pistol shooters, in preparing for a pistol match, bianchi cup( poor spelling) shot 40000.
preping for a single national match...

i have done a ton when shooting ipsc, three gun, club stuff, br.......have wore out pistols....they rattle they are so loose.

 

[Taildrag15X]

For a number of years I've burned over 12 lbs. of powder a year loading for a .223 Rem. chambered Service Rifle, High Power & Prone Rifle, before the mouse gun it was 24 plus for my M1A & Garand burnt during practice and competitions.

This year I'm already pushing 25,000 rounds of 223./5.56 & 9mm for our NFA fun guns with another 20K needed to see us through this years machine gun shoots, as long as the supplies don't run out.

National Champion Carl Bernosky had written an article for the Daily Bulletin regarding "How to shoot standing" awhile back, thinking he stated he shot 2,000 the month prior to Perry, off hand........

 

[broncman]

I am shooting FT/R and plan on a match a month. I practice each week. I have allready went through 1000 rds of 308 since Jan and only been to 1 match plus one this weekend. I finished off a 500 ct order of Juggernauts in practice yesterday. So far, about 300 -400 a month.

Thats about all I can afford and have time to reload right now..

 

[gunnermhr]

Wow, sounds like some awful high numbers. I like to shoot Groundhog matches and a few 1000 yard matches. I send about a 1000 rounds down range though each gun. Practice, matches, barrel break in, total 1000 rounds. I know a few guys that shoot a lot more than I do in the same disciplines but they don't shoot anywhere close to 10,000 rounds a year, well, maybe a couple but not too darn many.

Pistol, 3 gun and shotgun sports I think could run though that many by accident. I easily went though well over 10,000 rounds a year with a shotgun.

 

[Erud]

Im somewhat OCD about round counts so I can tell you exactly how much I shot last year. I am an NRA HP shooter and primarily shoot OTC, but also dabble in Long Range Prone and Mid-Range Prone. I shot 31 days of matches in 2012 + practice. Also, many days of "cheap" practice with .22 and air rifle. My 2012 round counts break down like this:

Main OTC Match rifle: 2523
1000 yard "Any" rifle: 486
Palma Rifle: 166
OTC rifle with .22lr upper practice: 2611
10m Air rifle practice: 1892

Total rounds for 2012: 7678

Maybe a few hundred rounds on top of that through other guns just for fun, but nothing major. Knowing how many days I spent shooting last year I would have a very hard time reaching 30k, although I am sure there are some in other shooting disciplines that do it.

Regards,
Erik

 

[SDWhirlwind]

Watching some of the Outdoor Channel shooting programs within the last year I can't remember if it was Todd Jarrett? or Rob Leathum?(sp?) stated they shot over 100K per year. Seems hard to believe but that is their livelyhood and passion so.....I can see it in a handgun pretty easy.

 

[swglenn]

Talking to a "serious" F-Class competitor he stated he shot 4-6,000 rounds a year. He is shooting a 7 short mag and says he is getting 800-900 rds barrel life. So he is going through 6+ barrels a year. A new barrel every other month.

 

[KevinThomas]

DD,

No problem at all with a handgun, and their round counts are always going to be higher than a rifle shooters. For one thing, our barrels don't last as long! I do a number of different forms of competition, and it will vary consdierably by each. I spend about 6,000-7,000 rounds a year in shooting or practicing for Highpower competition. I do 50 rounds a day (offhand) five days a week for the several months leading up to Perry. These are rimfire, shot through an Accuracy Speaks Service Rifle and on reduced targets. We do several team practices beofre Perry, and then whatever other matches we can make it to throughout the season. The actual centerfire rounds through my competition guns (which are virtually identical to my rimfire gun) is probably closer to 2,000 rounds or so per year. I normally get two or three seasons out of a barrel before that gun gets relegated to "back up" status and a new barrel in the downtime between seasons.

It really depends on the discipline. I know Rob Leatham, Doug Koenig and Bruce Piatt pretty well, and would be surprised to hear that any of them shot much less than the 100K rounds quoted. David Tubb and Carl Bernosky both shoot a lot less, but shoot from more stable positions and have a lot of muscle memory built into their positions. That's another thing; the positions for XC competition or prone competition don't change. Pistol (USPSA or the like) positions do. There's an extra level of training required to deal with that, and that should probably be considered into the mix.

 

[VaniB]

10,000 to 30,000 rounds a year?!! Well geez willikers....now I know where all the hoarding originates and why it's so severe.

With a habit like that, you must always be "in need". I shoot 20-30 rounds every two or three weeks and average a 1lb can of powder and 300 primers a year.......if that. During the panic buying I end up paying $30 hazmat fees and $12 shipping for a 1lb can because the local gunshops are dry. You guys do know that you have a problem, right? It's called addiction. Have you tried drinking? Scotch is sold by the 55gal drum, and 10,000 of those shots will linger and last you a long time without screwing up the supply chain. 8) (ie; the icon of guy with a habit hiding his red eyes. Can you relate?)

 

[Lapua40X]

Back in the days when I was shooting camp perry off hand and PPC I could go through about 12 - 15000 rounds a year in .22, .45 and .38 putting holes in B16 and G53 type pistol targets, and I wasn't shooting full time, so I don't think your friend is off base with his figures. I know it sounds like a lot of ammo but keep in mind that, especially in rapid fire events, it's possible to go through a lot of ammo in a VERY short period of time.

 

[dreever]

Close as I can tell about 1600-1800 rounds. Laying off November to March.

Danny

 

[ARIZONA_F_CLASS]

For a year of F class shooting from 4,000 to 6,000, but you will probably re barrel also. To keep the accuracy on track.

 

[MNFinn]

Close as I can tell about 1600-1800 rounds. Laying off November to March.

Danny

that sounds pretty close to my estimating, I'm looking at about 1200-1400 a year, and there really isnt any shooting here from November until the snow's mostly gone, so, Mid April

 

[dreever]

The way I look at it I can go to the range and shoot up 60-100 rounds just playing around. OR I can go to the range and do some quality practice and just shoot 30-40 rounds. I go for quality. I learn more, I get better results, and I save money to boot.

Danny