Gun stores with dad

My dad has always enjoyed target shooting and hunting. While he hasn't hunted in a couple years, he still enjoys shooting. There's a nice local range run by a good group of people. Dad used to shoot his large caliber handguns there, but time has taken its toll. Arthritis in his right hand has made that very painful.

However, he's discovered he can still shoot .22 caliber handguns without any problems. That's been a big boost to his moral. He can still participate in a sport he loves. Recently he bought another .22 revolver. It shoots both .22 and .22 magnum.

Thus began the quest for .22 magnum ammo. It's not the most popular caliber in the world, but it used to be common and available everywhere. Dad has dragged me to a half dozen gun stores in the local area and none have any in stock. Even regular .22 ammo is often out of stock. I'd heard the shortage had eased, but there's no sign of that in this area.

We've walked into gun stores with few guns and no ammo. It's surreal enough to seem like a bad dream. The few guns on display are price four times higher than they were ten years ago. Sure, there's been some general inflation, but not that much.

My dad was able to score a box of .22 magnum at a flea market. I bought a small box of 410 slugs, which I haven't seen in some time. It's not like I needed them, but just finding them for a reasonable price got me excited enough to buy them.

It is possible to find ammo, but maybe not exactly what you want. Reasonably priced ammo quickly disappears from the shelves. Small caliber target shooting used to a fairly inexpensive past time. Now it hurts to shoot ammo that will cost big money to replace.

I do hope to get out on the range with dad before we head out. His eyesight isn't want it used to be. His hands sometimes have a tremor. There's arthritis in his shooting hand. With all that, it's a pleasure to see him shoot. The old man still hits the bull's eyes.

-Sixbears