Enysse........................yes I hear you, that is exactly what happened when they banned lead shot for migratory gamebirds............hunters quit in droves. Not all hunters are as rabid about their sport as we are. That is what the powers that be and the greenies, bunny huggers, etc. bank on. Make things a little rough and they will just quit hunting. Put in some laws which make things inconvenient or a bit more expensive and they will quit in droves.
I am afraid the days of the .22 and young fellas like you and I wandering in the fields shooting gophers or targeting shooting on a regular basis are already gone for most. When a trip to the range for urban shooters (and that is most shooters) entails an hour or two drive time and a whole day tied up on the weekend..............most do it rarely if at all.
As the lead issue has generated more attention an increasing number of shooting ranges have been closed down and this makes target practice more and more difficult for millions of shooters. That is where things are at to a great degree in many areas. Those of us who live where you can still shoot at the gravel pit or in the backyard (like me) tend to forget that we are the very fortunate and things are not so easy for most shooters out there.
I hope you guys can fight off the lead ban, but if California is something to base future trends on, and they are now aiming for a state wide ban, it is coming faster than most want to believe. Most hunters will ignore it until it is too late.
Heck when the lead ban came in for shotgunners, 90 percent of the shooters were running around wondering what happened and getting up in arms after the fact. The signs were all there, you could read about it if you wanted to, if you belonged to a Fish and Game Association or a firearms association you would know about it...................but most don't.
It is a GOOD year when 5% of the shooters in the US belong to the NRA, most years it is around 4%. Hell they have to offer free memberships in cahoots with shooting industry manufacturers to get more to join..................and when it isn't free next year most of those who join with that program will not renew.
I know I sound negative, but I have been watching this for 4 decades and nothing has changed, if anything the complacency just gets worse. It is the nature of the beast and we who hunt and shoot are grossly outnumbered by those who don't.
I will be a very happy man when the shooting and hunting public stands up and proves me wrong and makes something meaningful happen..........needless to say I will not be holding my breath.