Ha, I feel you! But for my boys and I it doesn't ruin the experience, it just makes us want to shoot more!
I've been shooting a long time, 40+ years starting with a Red Rider BB gun, then quality air guns, .22's, shotguns, centerfires, handguns, bows, etc... My most recent obsession started with PCP's when the club where I compete told me that I cannot bring my sons to the 1000yd range until they are 18 (insurance mandate). That combined with the fact that it's a 3 hour drive to that range once a month to compete made us change direction a bit. With the PCP's we can shoot anywhere around home, it's all National Forrest, vineyards or we can shoot on our property where we have a 70yd range set up. We shoot so much more than we ever did and have so much fun tinkering, upgrading or whatever as long as it revolves around are PCP's. I have quite a few quality springers, I got my first Beeman when I was ten, 39 years ago but never seem to even touch them since we started shooting the PCP's.
My boys and I have one PCP each, I really can't afford to have expensive air guns sitting around that don't get used, so spares aren't really an option at this point. Although soon I am going to purchase a RAW and Uragan compact. Our stable includes a Brocock Bantam Hi Lite in .22, an FX Streamline in .25 and an FX Impact MKII in .25. We're constantly adjusting, changing and tuning to get the guns shooting at their highest level, smaller and smaller holes! Although my boys are only 9 and 11, they are both very, very capable with their PCP's. Both are getting bored with shooting bottles at 115yds from prone! That's the kind of thing that get's me excited, knowing that they are wanting to improve and shoot targets that are either smaller or farther away!
Shooting at the 1000yd range is pretty much over for me until my boys are 18. I miss it but really not that much. It's all relative... a 10-12" group at 1000yds with a 6.5x284 really isn't that different than a 1/2"-5/8" group at 75yds with a .25 cal PCP. It all boils down to the same fundamentals... a good stable shooting position, sound breathing and trigger control. For me and my boys, it's not about the shooting platform, it's about shooting small groups at a long distances and having a great time!
Anyway, I'm rambling and got off track a little bit. My point is this, my boys and I have gotten so much enjoyment out of our PCP's, we've made great friends near and far, it's kept my boys from spending quite as much time on the computers or video games, and most importantly, it's brought my son's and I even closer together while at the same time given us something fun to do without even leaving our property. We are obsessed with tiny holes or a little bit larger holes at long distances... the farther the better! It's good clean fun that really has only one downside. It can be a little expensive, especially initially but if you save like I did and don't have to buy everything "right now", it really is attainable for almost anybody. Buy what you can afford and have a great time!!!
THE TINY HOLE OBSESSION RULES! LOL
Stoti
sorry couldn't resist.
