j p o wrote:
Your question would cover most hobbies. If you aren't into the hobby, you think those guys are weird.
I laugh because I have a lot of hobbies that attract a lot of weirdos/dorks. That's fine, if I'm the weirdo I don't really care. We do hobbies because it amuses us. Not for whether or not anyone else gives a damn.
I garden a lot. But given the time I put in it would be cheaper to buy the vegetables. I have 50+ varieties of roses. No one but me, my wife, and my dogs ever goes into my yard.
I have north of 70 species of trees on my property, again, for myself.
I collect coins. I like history and it amuses me. I will never sell my coin collection and none of my nieces and nephews will give a damn when I die. When I'm old I'd love to be able to find someone young that is into coin collecting and start giving them the collection piece by piece.
I collect arrowheads and other American Indian artifacts. See above re: coins.
I golf. I suck. No one cares
I do triathlon. I'm old and I suck. No one cares.
I do woodworking. See above re:gardening.
I get asked if it is cheaper to reload, and per round and component, probably. But it becomes a hobby of its own. I have tailored ammo to my interest, but after buying the equipment (loader, powder scale, dies, chronograph, etc) I'm still underwater despite loading thousands of rounds over the years. But it is more accurate, consistent, and it allows me to make more ammo that might be expensive. I can make 20 rounds of speciality ammo I can certainly buy for about the same cost as making typical range plinking stuff. Meaning it cost less than bulk range ammo at the store.
But here is the reality. I started shooting again before I got my reloader back up again. It doesn't save you money. Instead, of going to the range once or twice a month for a couple hours each go and maybe 40 rounds of rifle and 50 rounds of pistol. I go weekly, and shoot 100 pistol rounds and 40 - 80 rounds of rifle. Being a member of a club with a 1150 yard range means I go and do my 40-80 rifle rounds and 100 pistol rounds on a steal target, then go up to the long range platform if nobody is there and run 10-20 rounds of match grade ammo that I made for a few cents a round that would have cost me 30 bucks for 20.
I'm not saving money, I'm shooting a lot more. And the volume is paying off but I'm spending more money to. I was good 6 years ago, training once or twice a month (didn't go often since my club was an hour away from home). I maintained better than average competency over the last few years where I went maybe once very 2-3 months, shooting almost only pistol. But now, we'll see. The leagues here are tougher.
"In the world I see you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Towers. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying stripes of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway." T Durden
