I don't keep a formal count. I just know what I shoot in a typical practice session, so I have a rough idea of how much I shoot in a year.

Originally Posted by f00lish1

...but is it really necessary or why else should I keep track of this? If you do, how do you guys keep track? Notepad, logbook, excel spreadsheet?

Just curious.

It's really personal preference, but also for those are concerned of their gun's reliability. I keep a shooting log in Excel because it keep track on my shooting skills and performance of my guns.

I have it categorized by date, Range location, Round Count, money spent and notes.

I don't keep a record of how much ammo I shoot, I keep all my ammo in the original boxes and when I go the range with 4 boxes of 50 rounds per box and shoot all of them then I know I've used 200 rounds.

I keep a rough number of how many I've shot. Not exact by any means, I could be off by a hundred or so, but close. I don't record it or anything, it's just by memory. I've got about 2200 through my G17, and exactly 100 through my Ruger, which I know exactly because I've only shot it 3 tiimes.

I use bullet purchasing records. I don't change anything on schedule so its just for rough reference. After my S&W M&P40 hits 20,000 rounds(soon) I will quit worrying about it. I thought I was having trouble with the recoil spring on it around 10,000 but it turns out the extra length magazine springs for use with Aredondo extensions were the culprit.

I too keep track (on an Excel sheet) of Date, # of shots fired, Ammo used, number of malfunctions, whether it was cleaned afterwards, and general notes about how the range session went. I started it with hopes of getting more money if I ever sell the gun. The buyer could see a rough record of every time the gun was used.

I used to keep track on an Excel spread sheet. Then I got lazy and stopped.

I keep track in an excel spreadsheet with:

Date
Range/Location
Rounds Fired
Brand/Type of Ammo Fired
Failures/Malfunctions (If Any)
Notes

Just personal preference, and I just like to know

-Jeff-

Being I roll my own I know what I make...I know what I have..so I have a pretty good idea what has gone through what. Each of the pistols I use on any regular basis will have ammo that I load just for that gun. I will sometimes use other ammo so it's not an exact count but I can tell someone and be pretty darn close to what I've put through one.

I generally write the range session's information (guns used, rounds, groupings, malfunctions) on the back of the last target used that day. I am usually trying to slow shoot a tight group with a low number of shots at that point so it's usually not too torn up. I save these targets in a file. Total shots are also calculated via ammo purchase record which I keep.

I began a log book in May of 1958. It's a three-ring, loose leaf binder, with index tabs for each gun. I record the gun make and model, serial number, date and place of purchase. Also record on the index sheet any modifications and/or repairs made to the gun. I know, for example, how long I've had the gun and how many rounds were fired through it when a malfunction/breakage occurred.

Then, on sheets within that index tab, I record the date, number of rounds fired, ammunition/load data, bullet type, and total rounds fired to date. This information is obtained from my box labels that I use on my ammunition boxes. As soon as I return from a range session, I record this data prior to putting the brass into the tumbler.

Here is a sample of the data on my box label:



Why did I start this? At the time I was a soldier, the company armorer in an Infantry outfit. Our 106mm Recoilless Rifles had gun books assigned to them, and similar records were kept for maintenance purposes.

So, I decided it would be a good idea to be able to document any statement I made. Fifty years later, and about as many handguns, I still keep it up.

Bob Wright