What firearm for fun?

[MaxKW]

This all came to mind because I put a rifle on the EE and wanted to trade for something interesting and realised all the offers that came in where tools with a specific job in mind, eg. brush gun, target gun, waterfowl gun, competition gun, defence gun.

But what do you reach for when you just want to have fun, maybe just to wind down, maybe to practice some shooting without getting to serious or maybe to bring a new shooter out to show them the lighter side of our sport.

I realize most answers i'm going to get are going to be firearms that serve a dual purpose but interested to hear what you use and how you use them.

 

[blasted_saber]

New shooters I take out are introduced to three things

.22LR ~ pretty obvious

.223 ~ bigger boom, a bit of recoil, makes fruit explode. Mine happens to be a heavy barrel. Nothing brings a smile to a new shooters lips like putting the .223 on a sandbag and hammering a 300m gong on the first shot.

.12g ~ We shoot some informal clays with a hand launcher

Additionally I might add my Win 94 3030.

 

[MaxKW]

I have fun with my JR carbine in 40 S&W and steel plates,

informal clays

and old fruit and water jugs can be fun with most rifles

Rossi 92 in 454 with some 45 colt loads and steel plates can be "relaxing" also

 

[aaron v]

My favorite is a cooey 75 and spinning targets. Just simple fun.

 

[trebor2880]

Ruger 10/22 for informal plinkin' in the bush.

SKS, for a cheap thrill, anywhere.

GSG 1911 .22, for pistol range fun.

 

[LarryG]

Lately, the SKS. It gets to be a reflex to refill the mag and blast something. Norinco NP29 for the same reason

 

[Brutus]

A well put together and maintained M1 Garand rifle is a good suggestion IMO.
Smashing steel gongs with 30-06 handloads is mighty fun!

And I'll be a bit selfish an add an older M37 shotgun. Those slightly shorter 2 3/4 inch receivers balance so so nicely right between the hands. Even better, the Ithaca M&P 12 gauge with the 7 shot magazine & the 'slam fire' capability. Not the best choice for the recoil shy though.

Another fun filled firearm is the M1 Carbine. Small recoil impulse and the ability to plink out to 300 yards is pretty cool indeed.

 

[hickstick_10]

A nice single shot in a light kicking caliber like 38-55, 32-40 or 40-65. Can be falling block or rolling block or there are dozens more out there. 45-70 and bigger is a little much if you want to introduce a younger shooter to it, especially if they dont pay attention and bounce the buttplate off the collar bone a couple times.

You relax, take your time, shoot 5-6 rounds, have a break and maybe a smoke with your shooting partner and a cup of coffee. You get to enjoy manipulating the action and hearing the clicks of the action, the handling of the brass rounds, all in all a very esthetically pleasing experience.

Load 50 shells and you are pretty good to go for a few hours. Good for 100 yard plinking or heaving them out to 500 yards and beyond (maybe not with the 32-40).

Polish buddy of mine never owned a gun in his life and so goes and buys himself a nice Cooper 22 and a Beretta Onyx, and wanted to get a "sniper" 308 bolt gun for his "real gun", I said maybe try out a used rolling block I saw at a local gun shop, he got it, outfitted it with a good tang sight and has never looked back. He's outshooting me and my sharps pretty regularly now.

Whenever we head out to the range he always has that rolling block and the cooper and beretta stay at home, almost sad really, I cant remember the last time he shot those things. I've converted a few others to single shots, and whenever I run into them again, they may have sold or traded other guns, but for some reason none of them have sold the single shot yet. You wont regret it.

 

[Brutus]

Wichita Model 1375 with Krieger barrel in 308 Win.
I also have a soft spot for very accurate single shot rifles.
You don't have to compete to fully enjoy this rifle!
It's just really satisfying to put 11 of your own handloaded rounds into a 3.3x4.5inch group using irons at 300 yards on a good day.

 

[limit time]

The double barrel Outlaw always raises an eyebrow.

 

[Surrey Boy]

44 magum lever carbine for me.

 

[pin_head]

When it comes to having fun I gotta go with my 94. Just something fun about cycling that lever and the thing just handles so nice being so compact.

 

[Kilo Charlie]

When it comes to having fun I gotta go with my 94. Just something fun about cycling that lever and the thing just handles so nice being so compact.

Yup. My 336 too. Both in .30-30.

 

[c-fbmi]

Me too, when I just want to play and have fun I take a couple of my lever Wins out and just bang away, my new Win mod 92 44 mag is quickly becoming my pet, I'll have to say. What a well made sweet little rifle it has turned out to be.

 

[Pathfinder]

for fun Ill go to the range with my 222, may drag my 45-70 also and shoot some reduced recoil loads.

 

[factionrr]

3 that are in my bag no matter what

ruger 10/22
cz858
12ga pump

 

[sobo4303]

For the short range, cheap shooting...nothing, absolutely nothing, will beat the 22 LR.

For longer ranges, then there is the 17 hmr and the 223 - both very cheap to shoot.

I load, so I love to take my 1894 Cowboy loaded with 357 cowboy loads...now that is a real hoot and very, very cheap.

After that, it starts to get a little more pricey. I load my #4 Mk2 with Leads and blast away.

My Ruger Mini and M14 are a hoot to shoot too, just have to wait for barrel cool downs and stuff like that.

 

[grijim]

Can't go wrong with the.22 Lr. Also like my SKS and my 870 .

 

[mmattockx]

For plinking and casual fun shooting I will always reach for my CIL/Anschutz 310.


Mark

 

[Calum]

But what do you reach for when you just want to have fun, maybe just to wind down, maybe to practice some shooting without getting to serious or maybe to bring a new shooter out to show them the lighter side of our sport.

For me I'd be reaching for the SKS, it's cheap to buy, feed and is reliable.

From what I have seen the past few years is a lot of new shooters have been brought into this sport/lifestyle becouse of them. My wife included.