Your favorite isn't always your best....

So the governor has just recently allowed ranges to reopen. I usually shoot at a friends, but he's out of state for the past 3 months because he's necessary infrastructure and is in and out of quarantine between deployment. My back yard isn't much, but not enough to shoot anything in.

So i've been chomping at the bit to get out and send some rounds down range.

Of all the stuff I have, I find it amusing that all I can think about is shooting one gun, like the title says, it's not my "best" or anything I carry or even use for home defense, it's an oddballer just hanging out in the safe, but man It's all I want to shoot right now, haven't shot it for a few years. It's a nice aspect of collecting when you come back around to a piece that you many times overlooked.

It could be an old hunting rifle, an old plinker or even a shotgun. I mostly shoot 22's these days, but that old 92 is the first and only thing i care to shoot right now.

www.wilsoncombat.com...

First chance I get, I'm going to run about 300 rounds through that old 92, I miss it. As odd as that sounds.

I really like Berettas. My favorite being the M9A3.

I feel ya on the shooting part. I want to gonshooting, but I haven't gone to check to see what the availability on ammo is yet.

I went a couple of weeks ago and shelves were empty, amd even the reloading gear was gone.

I'm not going to blast off any ammo if it's going to be difficult to get my hands on more.

I'm not sure if it's true as I haven't looked into it myself as the past week I haven't felt very inclined to go town and see, but a couple of acquaintances have told me that ammo prices have gone up. I'll probably look into it later today since I'm going to be spending time with my dad and going to town.

I'm pretty decent pretty much anything that goes bang, but I really like shotguns. I've got my favorite handguns and rifles, but you could throw any shotgun at me and I'm going to have a good time.

a reply to: ZapBrannigan3030

Funny that you posted that.

Today for poops and giggles I ran a couple boxes of 308 through a 1957 Savage 99F lever action I got from my Grandfather.

It isn't the prettiest gun I have.

It isn't the best gun I have.

It is, however, the most comfortable rifle I own.

Still does amazingly well at 200 yards with the same crappy scope my Grandfather put on it.

It made my day.

originally posted by: Lumenari
a reply to: ZapBrannigan3030

Funny that you posted that.

Today for poops and giggles I ran a couple boxes of 308 through a 1957 Savage 99F lever action I got from my grandfather.

It isn't the prettiest gun I have.

It isn't the best gun I have.

It is, however, the most comfortable rifle I own.

Still does amazingly well at 200 yards with the same crappy scope my Grandfather put on it.

It made my day.

That's what I'm talking about.

I have the latest and greatest, bullpups, long range chassis rifles, etc. Yet I love shooting that 40 year old model 70 winchester 30.06 with open sights, or even an older milsurp I have laying around.

Some guns, are just so unique, they have a story, and when you shoot them and enjoy them, you are a part of it.

a reply to: ZapBrannigan3030

He taught me to shoot long range with that rifle with open sights.

So it's just the most comfortable thing in the world for me.

I think if I just changed the optics I'd be as good with it at 700 yards then my expensive crap.

originally posted by: Lumenari
a reply to: ZapBrannigan3030

He taught me to shoot long range with that rifle with open sights.

So it's just the most comfortable thing in the world for me.

I think if I just changed the optics I'd be as good with it at 700 yards then my expensive crap.

Modern scopes would do better, but in the end, it's our ageing eyes that are the biggest enemy.

I remember the days I could shoot 300 yards or more with open sights, now if it's more than 100 yards out, i need a top spec optic with 16 power to see that #.......

Good news though, the zombie apocalypse will take place within 50 yards for us old timers.

a reply to: Lumenari

Yes! yes and more yes! I love lever action. My favorite lever actions are Henry and Winchester.

To add on to my previous comment put a lever action smoothbore in my hands and I'm one happy man lol

a reply to: ZapBrannigan3030

Funny you mention the favorite gun aspect. I have a very very over glorified .22 LR that looks like a M&P AR .223/.556. Anyone that sees it thinks is a military grade assault rifle. I grew up with .22 firearms. Ammo is cheap and it’s fun as hell to ping around with.

The rest of my guns are just practice, nothing more.

a reply to: litterbaux

I believe in the 22 eventuality, that everyone ends up there at some point.

I'm not even old(under 40), but I just got it early. I did the whole thing about buying big bore and oddball calibers. I have elephant guns, 500 mag revolvers, oddball wildcats(over 44) in revolvers, single shot rifles, tons of crap.

In the last 5 years, all I've bought is 22's and 90 percent of what I shoot is a 22(LR or Mag). It's not just because it's cheap, but at some point it's just going back to basics.

a reply to: ZapBrannigan3030

Somewhere along the lines people forgot about the basics. I learned on 22 and when I coach people they usually come with some 45 or when it comes to rifles some other larger caliber.

I'll see how they shoot, which usually tends to be crap hence why they want me to coach them and help them shoot better.

I tell them to put their gun back in it's case and hand them a Ruger 22.

One reason yeah it's cheaper on the ammo costs.

But the real reason I do so, is because the most important part of being a good shot is having a good grasp on the basics. With 22s the recoil is so minimal, and it's just easier to correct bad habits.

Then, when they cam consistently punch out the targets I give them I move them up in caliber if they wish.

But yeah 22s in my opinion are also really fun to shoot. Shooting big rounds is fun in all, but it's akin to a genital measuring contest in my books. Unless you're hunting big game or in a military conflict trying to puncture tanks or something it's just a thing to do once a year.

a reply to: AutomateThis1

I agree, I've shot a lot, just about anything and everything.

I notice that even an experienced shooter(not bragging, honestly), the basics break down when you start getting into some of the stupid crap.

The worst thing I have is a 480 ruger snubnose, it' barks like a bitch. I can shoot it, but my god It's about 50/50 between me shooting it and it shooting me(and i have bigger, but it's such a light gun).

I've been out and watched people struggle with a 9mm, lighter polymer guns. That's why I like my 92, or my sig 226. People like them because they are all steel, heavier, much easier to shoot and much less recoil.

The best gun, in the end, is the one you are comfortable shooting. That goes for just about everyone, no matter what you're experience. It's why I won't dismiss smaller calibers for self defense, like most will, for people that are recoil sensitive.

Shoot what fits you, and enjoy it.

"Old Betsy" , a 10 gauge firing 8oz. expanding tip slugs...
Hurts both damn sides , mine and the targets.

Fun fact, because I mentioned it.

The only gun I have that I'm "scared" to shoot is my 480 ruger.

I have a titanium framed lightweight revolver(4 inch barrel) in 480 ruger. I handload those, last time I shot that thing, it smelled like someone was welding metal. It holds 5 rounds, after 2 cylinders, my hand felt like it grabbed an electric fence.

I'm starting to realize that maybe I may have loaded those 400gr hardcasts alittle hot.....

Good news, be a hell of a bear round.

My favorite gun ever I bought back when I was in my 20s . It was a nickel and dime piece of crap 22 revolver from Brazil . I don’t even remember the brand name anymore . It became something to do when anybody was bored . They’d ( often more than one ) would show up with a milk carton ( I think it was 500 cartridges ) of . 22 Long rifle .

We’d go sit on the back porch day or night,sometimes day and night and shoot. Varmints soon learned to fear us so did grasshoppers or just about anything else larger than a nickel . Even as we smoothed the barrel out it was pretty dang accurate .

We shot tens of thousands of rounds through that little thing .

I had a buddy of mine beg me for years to sell it to him. I finally did for something like 10 bucks .

A week or so later he brought it to the house bitching . The housing above the cylinder had broken back towards the hammer from years on firing. Lol

It pays to know you equipment . 😇

a reply to: ZapBrannigan3030

I really wonder what happened to my first Gun. AK-47, first gun I ever shot and the only AK I ever shot, zero recoil from what I remember. It’s probably in someone’s hunting cabin in northern Wisconsin. We got an SKS with the hell fire mod (3 round burst) but that was my uncles gun.

The memories!!

a reply to: ZapBrannigan3030

Dude, I really don't like snub noses. I'd only ever recommend them in close quarters self defense.

And I agree somewhat on the polymer frames. I find I gotta grip them somewhat slightly different. I like them. I carry a Walther PPQ M2 and also a PPQ 22 as a back up everywhere I go.

But I definitely prefer all metal construction. They just feel right. That being said I've been considering making the M9A3 my daily carry, and switching out my second pistol with something else.

originally posted by: ZapBrannigan3030
Of all the stuff I have, I find it amusing that all I can think about is shooting one gun, like the title says, it's not my "best" or anything I carry or even use for home defense, it's an oddballer just hanging out in the safe, but man It's all I want to shoot right now, haven't shot it for a few years. It's a nice aspect of collecting when you come back around to a piece that you many times overlooked.

It could be an old hunting rifle, an old plinker or even a shotgun. I mostly shoot 22's these days, but that old 92 is the first and only thing i care to shoot right now.

www.wilsoncombat.com...

First chance I get, I'm going to run about 300 rounds through that old 92, I miss it. As odd as that sounds.

It's okay. That's because you collect and shoot guns because you like them, not because you're ever going to have to use them. I shouldn't say never. The odds are probably the same as winning the pick 4 lottery with 2 pair so it could and does happen.. to someone.. everyday. Somewhere, right? Just like being robbed at gunpoint which I'm willing to say will never happen to me. It's a lottery I'll never hit. You should shoot because you like shooting and you like the gun, even antiques

I think being proficient with your handgun is enough to feel confident at home. The only way to really be sure is to wear it at home or always keep it nearby, even when you go from room to room. What good is it if you cant get to it. No one is going to break in while you're obviously home but there's no sense in ending up the victim in one of those shock articles where the guy and his wife get tied up, she gets raped, and then you both get killed.

a reply to: FlyingSquirrel

I just had a thief try to get in my home, broad daylight. They ended up just stealing the packages off my front porch while we were home. I have a camera pointed at the front porch and the person looked right at it but obviously didn’t notice the camera. I can’t share the footage right now, it’s evidence, the person was caught.

It was a Sunday afternoon, the thief must have thought we were away since the packages were on the porch even tho it was delivered that day. I’ve ran this scenario thru my head multiple times if they would have broke in. Where was I? Would I have been able to get my .38 special and load it in time?

I’ve made improvements since then....

a reply to: litterbaux

I always have my daily carry within reach if it's not on me. I've been in similar situations. I've got a lot of car parts and various other things on my property that certain types of people think it's okay to hop my fence to take a closer look.
They get scared off pretty quickly.

I've had a fee times where I've caught people trying to force a door. The looks on their faces when their greeted with what I've got in store for them is priceless.

I think the one that always makes me laugh is when I caught a guy testing my windows. He was exposed to a glorious full frontal naturalist image that I'm sure he'll never be able to forget haha

a reply to: AutomateThis1

I never thought of that. Fully nude with a belly band with a glock. That would scare the # out of me!