Life, shooting, and health......

I'm not sure I should even be posting this here.  If it's inappropriate, it can be deleted.  It is bothering me a lot, more than I expected it would, and I can't get it out of my mind.

It has everything to do with the virus.  Until a month or so ago, I went to the range for practice and enjoyment, wore a mask, and tried (without much success) to stay away from other shooters.  The only way I could accomplish that was to get to the range when it first opened, shoot for an hour, and go home.  Even that didn't work out as planned, as people wanted to come over and talk to/with me, and if one person came, then others followed.  I found a compromise I thought I could accept - it's a big range, with a large field, lots of fresh air, and if I went to shoot at one end or another, I could mostly be by myself.

Then the virus news on TV got way out of hand.  I'm also hearing that by Springtime, I'm likely to have gotten vaccinated.  So if I "do without" now, I'll hopefully have many more years of shooting.

Despite all the above, I look at the local numbers, and the graphs, and charts, and the bad numbers are roughly double what they were two months back when I stopped.  I try to convince myself that I can head to the range on a Monday morning, stay for an hour, then go home.  For five or six weeks every Monday it rained, sometimes to the point where the range was closed.  Now I've almost gotten used to not going.  I've got plenty of other things to occupy my time, but I miss shooting four or five days a week.

If I keep busy, and don't think about it, the days go by anyway.  Coming to this forum gets me all excited about shooting, but I keep thinking I can stick it out until I get vaccinated.  


I should add that I'm being very selfish here.  What I wrote up above is nothing like how this is hurting other people, jobs, livelihoods, health, isolation.....   Much of the country is hurting much worse than I am.  I feel very sorry for them.  

I'm hoping that by early spring, most people who want to be vaccinated will have done so.
I'm hoping that with no more political uncertainty, ammunition will once again be available at reasonable prices.

Nobody I can really talk to about any of this, so I figured I would post it here.
Hopefully the USA can get control of the virus (vaccine) and life can slowly return to the way things used to be.

Mike, I think things will normalize somewhat after we're all vaccinated, I hope. My biggest fear is the new people taking over and putting a damper on our shooting sports.
 Stan

Tractor Supply has anti-Covid-19 medicine almost like what other countries are using. Do some research of Covid-19 mitigation outside the US.

chopper wrote:Mike, I think things will normalize somewhat after we're all vaccinated,
I hope. My biggest fear is the new people taking over and putting a damper on our shooting sports.
 Stan

Stan,
I know better than to write anything "political", so that's out.  But I think it was in Shooting Sports Magazine that one the election was over, once again shooting supplies will become available.
One battle at a time, and right now, that's Covid.

Sa-tevp wrote:Tractor Supply has anti-Covid-19 medicine almost like what other countries are using. Do some research of Covid-19 mitigation outside the US.

No thanks; there is one vaccine now, soon to be two, and then more.  Even if I could find something overseas, I think I'll put my trust in the ones that are coming to the us, and my doctors here will be better able to monitor me than if it's some unknown vaccine from India or China or wherever.  If our new ones are around 95% effective, that's much more than I expected.

I don't think I need to wait for the vaccine before I feel comfortable going to the range - once we get over "the curve", and fewer people are coming down with the virus (and being killed by it), once the rates are down to what they were two months ago, I'll most likely start shooting again.

I also keep telling myself it's now December.  If it wasn't for the virus, I would have left for India in October, returning in late January.  I do that, or I should say, did that, every year for as long back as I can remember.  My range bag is packed, along with my Nelson conversion.  Every Sunday I think about driving up to the range Monday morning.  Every Monday I change my mind.  Oh well.


And in all my newly found free time, I've learned several new image editors, along with how to take photos using infrared light, and process them on the computer.  I'll copy one example below.  If I work at this and other things hard enough, it takes my mind off of shooting......


Trees turn light colored, skin turns pale white, and the results are rather strange, to say the least!


And meanwhile, back to the original topic, I've got lots of time to do reloading for 45, 38 Special, and if I get in the mood, 44 Special.
Maybe I'll be taking one or two days a week to do reloading, so I'm fully ready for when I can start again.
And the first week of January, I can order more 22 ammo from the CMP.
.....and I keep looking at what's new for sale here.  I'm scared I'll find something!

I have been having the same type concerns and have been limiting shooting to indoor ranges with the air handling systems. A constant flow of air from behind you and out at the targets. For the last two weeks, there have been fewer and fewer shooters at the ranges. I shoot at two different. Yesterday I was all to myself at an indoor range with 36 lanes. From conversations with the clerks the price of ammo is slowing it down. They have plenty to sell but at current prices it is turning off the casual shooters. If you have an indoor range you might want to give that a look.

REConley wrote:I have been having the same type concerns and have been limiting shooting to indoor ranges with the air handling systems. A constant flow of air from behind you and out at the targets. For the last two weeks, there have been fewer and fewer shooters at the ranges. I shoot at two different. Yesterday I was all to myself at an indoor range with 36 lanes. From conversations with the clerks the price of ammo is slowing it down. They have plenty to sell but at current prices it is turning off the casual shooters. If you have an indoor range you might want to give that a look.

I found a graph that describes my concerns.  I'll copy that graph down below.  Regarding what you wrote, every place I go to read about the virus warns me that being "indoors" (breathing in other people's air) is far more dangerous than being outdoors.  Being in a wide open area is supposed to be safe.  If it's an indoor range, where they sell ammo, as the price of that ammo gets way too high, I think that would slow down their business much more than the safety concerns due to the virus.

Follow the red line.  Early in the year, I was going to the range four or five times a week.  With the first hump in the red line, around July, I stopped, completely.  By September I was back to range trips three or four times a week, but my range closed during early October due to flooding, and by the time it re-opened a week or so later, the virus seemed to me to be too active, so I stopped. Looking at the graph, maybe we've reached another peak, and the red line will start on a downward path.  If that line gets low enough, or when I get my vaccine, I hope to be shooting again on a regular basis.

To be honest, every time I almost talk myself into going to the range lately, the "evening news" kills my desire to do so.  My biggest concern - for whatever reason, going to/from the range, or while at the range, I'm afraid of being with other people, for any reason.  Car problems, crowds, and especially all my friends at the range who will want to chat for a while.  That's what bothers me, not the shooting.

There are lots of graphs and charts - the ones I pay most attention to are those for around Miami, Florida, but this one from The NY Times is for the whole country, based on seven-day rolling averages:




Thanksgiving probably contributed to the hump in the red curve, and the upcoming holidays will probably do it again.  I know some people feel otherwise, but I wish for month or so everyone in the USA started wearing a mask.  That, and the new vaccines, might help us get back to the "old normal", for whatever and whoever survived.

This is a time to be "selfish" and stay away from others. My sister-in-law has shown symptoms of the virus for days. She got tested the day before yesterday and yesterday she found out that she has COVID-19. She is elderly and lives alone. She had been pretty careful, but thinks that she contracted the virus from a friend when they went out to eat. The friend thinks she contracted it from a family member. Except for necessary trips to the store, my wife and I have been self-isolated since March. I wouldn't want to have all those months of sacrifice be for naught now that a vaccine is being distributed. We also wear masks, when out, try to stay distant from others and wash our hands frequently.

Mike, I think a lot of shooters feel the same way.  A friend of mine is concerned more now than before.  I explain to him that he hasn't gotten sick yet so keep practicing your safety protocols.
I would feel safer going shooting than going out to eat.  Indoor shooting with masks on, the blower system on and every other booth closed, I am not to concerned.  Just make sure you disinfect your hands. 
Outside shooting is even better.  Masks on and six feet apart. But damned it's getting cold out.  I have a feeling that the ranges in my area will be getting shut down again.  And that's going to suck.  I think if the ranges close in my area I might look into a Scatt.
Anyways now is not the time to get sick when there is a vaccine just around the corner for the general population.

From my point of view, I agree with all the above.  I'm no longer going food shopping, I haven't been shooting since October (I think), the only things I do are visit doctors when needed, and go for outdoor walks where there is hardly anyone around, and for those people who are there, I can avoid them.  My camera and I are getting to be best friends.  With a vaccine potentially so close, this is not the time to take any unnecessary risks.  Lots of hand washing, and lots of home cooking!

I've done quite a bit of IR photography as well, it's fun.
I haven't been to the range since June or July. Better safe than sorry and the matches and targets will be there in a few months time.

My $0.02,
Joel

My new dry-fire target:

If you want to keep your skills sharp and stay safe I recommend shooting air pistol at home. It’s more fun than dry fire and will help your slow fire scores.

My club has some fairly strict and sane limitations on using the indoor range and masks required everywhere indoor and out.  Compliance seems very good.  The ventilation in the indoor range makes it "safe enough" for me. 

I'm amazed at how difficult we find it to comply with relatively mild restrictions.  If we showed the same fortitude in the 1940s, we'd be speaking German or Japanese.  Or dead.

As far as any "cure" (whether from Tractor Supply or elsewhere) and doing research, make sure your research is really research.  And not just what some idiot, or even quack doctor, on social media said and then got repeated a hundred times or more.  Remember apricot pits and cancer.

There is a lot that I don't know, but I do know that I now have an appointment for my first vaccination on January 3, early morning.  I assume the second shot it about two weeks later.

Based on what I've been reading, two weeks after the second shot I should be safe from catching the virus myself, and it should be safe for other people to be around me.

mikemyers wrote:There is a lot that I don't know, but I do know that I now have an appointment for my first vaccination on January 3, early morning.  I assume the second shot it about two weeks later.

Based on what I've been reading, two weeks after the second shot I should be safe from catching the virus myself, and it should be safe for other people to be around me.

Good for you (seriously).  Both vaccines (approved to date) relied on research done at the NIH and other government funded labs.  And a credit to the scientists working for Pfizer and Moderna.  However, I have not heard anything even near conclusive about the vaccines preventing you from spreading the virus to others.  From hopkinsmedicine.org:

If I get a coronavirus vaccination, do I still have to wear a mask? Physical distance?

Yes. It may take time for everyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccination to get one. A vaccine that is 95% effective means that about 1 out of 20 people who get it may not have protection from getting the illness.

Also, while the vaccine may prevent you from getting sick, it is unknown at this time if you can still carry and transmit the virus to others. That is why, until more is understood about how well the vaccine works, continuing with precautions such as mask-wearing and physical distancing will be important.

Believe me, I will be wearing a mask regardless, for the above reasons and more.  It will allow other people to be more comfortable when they're around me, and they will be less inclined to thing I'm an inconsiderate jerk.  

95% may be less than 100%, but it's a LOT better than 0%.

Once everyone has had the vaccine, the virus will be less of a concern.  I assume at some point, we can go back to shooting as before, and competing in matches.

mikemyers wrote:

And in all my newly found free time, I've learned several new image editors, along with how to take photos using infrared light, and process them on the computer.  

I don't know if it can be found online, but if you want to see some interesting infrared cinematography, there is a movie "Soy Cuba" (I Am Cuba) made by a Russian right at the time of the Cuban revolution.  Of course, it's an anti-American polemic, but for some reason it was shot on infrared stock.  Maybe that was the only type of film which they could get enough in Russia of that year!  I don't know.  Anyway, it's worth watching for the strange appearance of the outdoor scenes.  I saw it 25 years ago; can't remember if that was on video tape from the local specialty video rental store or at an art-house cinema.

Keep being careful!  My wife, daughter and I all came down with the Rona last weekend/early this week.  So far, we're getting off easy compared to some people, but even then you don't want it!  I'm able to function normally around the house but my wife is feeling quite weak and sick.  If we're lucky, we may feel normal by the end of the month.

No idea how we got it, but while our daughter was staying in, we adults had become fairly complacent about going on frequent errands to the grocery, drug and hardware stores, wearing masks as per the state requirement and trying to use hand sanitizer when we got back to our car.  That probably sunk us.

I will look for the movie - thanks.
Sorry that you all got it - hope you are all better soon.

About shopping - Instacart.....
It's more than just Publix.

https://www.instacart.com/store/publix/storefront

Buck13 wrote:I don't know if it can be found online, but if you want to see some interesting infrared cinematography, there is a movie "Soy Cuba" (I Am Cuba) made by a Russian right at the time of the Cuban revolution.  Of course, it's an anti-American polemic, but for some reason it was shot on infrared stock.  Maybe that was the only type of film which they could get enough in Russia of that year!  I don't know.  Anyway, it's worth watching for the strange appearance of the outdoor scenes.  I saw it 25 years ago; can't remember if that was on video tape from the local specialty video rental store or at an art-house cinema........

The movie can be seen on Amazon - here's a snippet of it you may enjoy, along with the history:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUXT1GOL1wI

mikemyers wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUXT1GOL1wI

Good find!  It was the sugar cane as seen at the 10:40 mark that I found particularly striking.

Good afternoon,

This post is good and it brings a lot of comfort to those in the same predicament. Our outdoor ranges are open, but at 32-40F 0-+5C it isn’t exactly warm. Our indoor facility was closed as of December 10th and won’t open until January 11th. They have also placed some very stringent restrictions on travel and socializing.

I have an indoor 10M air range to practice both pistol and rifle. I also use it to dry fire and also with the laser target systems. I have ITarget that uses a brass cartridge with a primer button and a laserlyte that attaches to a rail. I have a small rail taped to my Pardini 32 barrel and have been using it like that since the first closure in March. When I am not shooting I cast boolits or reload.
I miss the social aspect of shooting 2 nights a week. We have been still sending emails and texts around trying to keep in touch and boost morale. As a loose knit group it still makes everyone’s day!!

Looking forward... I believe between vaccinations and time we will all get back to our routine and filling our pockets with 10’s and X’s!!! Happy New Year!!!

Since I'm not yet  going to the range/club, the only connection I have to shooting, bullseye and anything else, is this forum.  For a while, I didn't come here too often, as it reminded me that I shouldn't be going shooting yet, but now things have changed, and this forum is the closest thing I have to shooting. Like you noted, I didn't really think how important the social aspects of shooting are - and how much I would miss them.

I guess this week will be a good time to go through all my guns, one by one, clean as needed, and just look things over.

So many negative (and horrible) things happening all at one time, and most days, the TV news just gets worse.

I do have an airgun, looks and feels like a normal 1911, but back when I bought it I told myself it is not for practicing in my very small apartment.