When I was a kid in rural KY the mix at the local gun club was probably 40% autos 45% pumps 8% o/u and the rest sxs,bolts,singles. Browning a5s and model 12s were held in high regard. As to the younger generation I think that there will be some sxs affection but it won’t be as much vintage guns that aren’t steel rated and shoot hard to find ammo. It’s good to remember that forms such as this one is patronized by a very small % of the gun owning population and irs easy to get the impression that there are more like us than there are. But ithink the guys that buy the CZ sxs guns and the Yilddze ?. will continue.i think that predicting the pump’s demise is premature as it is still pretty widely used in the turkey woods, slug hunting, waterfowl and don’t forget tactical, plus there are millions out there in the hands of hunters that don’t necessarily frequent the shooting enthusiast web world. The hunting shooting world I enjoyed is largely gone. Land access is largely gone unless willing to pay $$$ so I think sporting gun ownership will decline dramatically with succeeding generations . The tactical mkt will continue but it will do so without me.
I can’t speak to Kentucky. But, Minnesota has been adding WMAs at a pretty good clip, the land is often sold at less than market price or, donated by farmers that don’t have heirs that are interested in farming. You don’t have to pay to hunt here, further, the deer and the turkeys are nearing pestilence levels of population, if you are into that kind of thing. The grouse, pheasants, rabbits and squirrels are high in numbers for a while, then low for a few years, same as always. Anybody here who says there is no place to hunt hasn’t looked.
My kid has interactive video game options with friends that I never dreamed of. If you want to see something they aren’t interested in, bring up working on old cars. A few recent high school grads I know never even bothered to get a drivers license.
But, the world changes. Sometimes for clear reason, sometimes for no reason at all.
Best,
Ted
