Firearms: Pistol vs. Shotgun vs. ?

[drlapo]

Shooting clays is addictive. I have already shot 300 rounds this week and will shoot trap tomorrow +100.
I also have a pair of colt pythons.  Great pistols but I prefer breaking clays.

[JeffOlson]

Breaking clays looks like great fun! I plan to start doing that soon (or at least trying to do so!).

[Sheepdog]

Shotguns and sidearms are great, but my favorite is a high-powered rifle. It's more accurate, shoots further, and hits harder than the others and they're available in nearly uncountable configurations. When I was an agent we used to say, "I carry a pistol to help me get to my rifle..." Unless I'm hunting birds or trying to carry discreetly, a rifle will always be my choice.

[Sasquatch Jim]

  I used to shoot clays with a Thompson contender pistol with a .410 barrel with a choke.
 I nearly always got 4 out of 5 and sometimes 5 out of 5.  Barrel was chambered for 3 inch .410.
 Clays with trap loads were fun.  If hunting something that might bite, I could buy cartridges that held
 three .410 bullets that were straight sided and flat front and back.  For that ammo I just unscrewed the choke and the barrel
 rifling did what it was supposed to do.  Or I could load it with .45 long colt.

[Green1000S]

Neither.

Of all the guns I have owned, I like most the Sako TRG-22 sniper rifle.
You can take your time, relax and enjoy slooooow shooting.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Neither.

Of all the guns I have owned, I like most the Sako TRG-22 sniper rifle.
You can take your time, relax and enjoy slooooow shooting.

Yeah, I used to do bench rest muzzle loading stuff. Same idea. Cast your own balls..  measure the wind, etc.
It's all good..

[poorBob]

How about pistol AND shotgun? https://bondarms.com

[Lannis]

My brother and two sons and I spent a fun afternoon at a gun auction today.

About 100 shotguns and a few miscellaneous guns from a local collection were for sale.   A 90-year-old Navy veteran owned the collection and was selling out, and was sitting on the stage with the auctioneers watching the action.   About 250 bidders.

The first gun up was a Verletti M78 10 x 42R.   Nobody knew what the thing was; I sure didn't until I came home and looked it up - it's a 19th century blackpowder breechloading (bolt) rimfire rifle.   I have no idea where you'd get ammo for it.   Went for $275.

About 25 Belgian Browning A5s, from the first issue to the 1970s.   The 12 gauges went for about $900 each - the "Sweet Sixteen" 16 gauges for $1800 average each, and the 20 gauges for about the same.

Another 25 Parker doubles ranging from Damascus barrels to late models were up.   The 12 gauges for about $1000 each, and the smaller gauges at least twice that.   For some reason, the 16, 20, 28, and .410 gauge Parker doubles were extremely popular, some going for $4000 and more.

The old fellow they were selling for netted about $90,000 ... and we had a good time bidding (up to a point) and guessing what they would go for .... People seem to be in a good mood and ready to turn loose some money, because there were NO bargains to be "snapped up" ..

Lannis

[JJ]

When you want to see the close range effectiveness of a shotgun...watch the movie with the late great King of Cool, Steve McQueen..."The Getaway!"

[rocker59]

When you want to see the close range effectiveness of a shotgun...watch the movie with the late great King of Cool, Steve McQueen..."The Getaway!"

Because Hollywood is always so accurate in its depictions...   

[SaskMick]

K31 long range accuracy.



Medium range practicality

 

For when things get serious



Just because I can 

[Lannis]

You sure you're a real Canadian?   I hear (from other sources including WG threads) that Canadians just don't DO these kinds of things!

Be that as it may, that's a nice collection of practical defense weaponry!   Looks like you've got some wide-open spaces to practice in, too ....

Lannis

[SaskMick]

I'm sure.  ... I am also English, I have dual citizenship.   They just don't do those things in England because they are not allowed, but in my part of Canada lot's of people do.   I have taken it a bit further than most, I make them too

[JesterGrin_1]

 Well since we have lived in South TEXAS for a few generations firearms tend to be a hammer or as some say a tool. Heck we are pretty much born with them or to say now a days were. Things have sure changed due to the influx of people from other places.

 But like others have said it all depends on the job at hand and or the expected job that may jump up as to which firearm is the chosen type.

 But I also mess with it probably more than the average person as I not only reload but cast my own projectiles for both pistol and rifle. But for rifle I tend to use larger calibers such as the 35 Remington,358 Winchester and of course the 35 Whelen Ackley Improved. And the tried and true 45-70 Government. :)

 Due to my age and what I grew up with I prefer a single action Ruger and or a Double Action Smith. The .357 Mag is a nice caliber but for pistols I far prefer the little wheezer .44 Mag. :)

[Rich A]

I recently got a Remington XP-100 (handgun) in 221 Fireball that is fun and accurate.

Rich A

[JJ]

Because Hollywood is always so accurate in its depictions...   

Agree...Hollywood is usually not accurate about ANYTHING...but watch this and you tell me...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDlNIPCirLk

[Lannis]

Agree...Hollywood is usually not accurate about ANYTHING...but watch this and you tell me...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDlNIPCirLk

The guy with the submachine gun must have learned "bullet multiplication" from the Lone Ranger, who could shoot up to 14 bullets from a six-shot revolver without reloading.

I think I counted about 70 shots from that 30-round mag.

And breaking 1" steel elevator cables with lead shot ... ?   Possibly one of the most UNrealistic gunfight scenes ever ... 

And it's not just the mechanics of gunfire.   The hired bad guys would NOT keep fighting into huge odds.  I mean, there's 6 or 7 of them.   If TWO of them were down due to the unerring accuracy of the hero, the rest would be hightailing it for the hills.   They wouldn't be fighting to the last man, they're not Davy Crockett, they're hired bullies.

It's like a Steven Segal movie.   He walks into a bar with 20 tough guys in it that have been messing with his people, whoever they are.   The first big guy comes up with a knife, and Segal disarms him and de-nuts him in 1 second.   Then 4 big guys come at him with brass knuckles and chairs, and he cold-cocks all of them, motionless on the floor.   Then 5 big guys come at him with guns and clubs, and he whirls around like a hurricane and puts them all out the window or down on the floor.

So there's 10 armed big guys, all bloody and motionless on the floor.  Segal hasn't even broken a sweat.   In the real world, that bar would be EMPTY, you'd see nothing but arseholes and elbows as everyone beat feet the other way as hard as they could go.

But noooo ... The NEXT big guy comes up with a pool cue and says "I guess we're going to have to teach you outsiders not to mess with cowboys (or oil men, or truck drivers)", and just comes at him swinging.   I mean, he's SEEN him take all these guys out while cracking dry jokes, and he just comes up and threatens him and takes a swing.

I haven't been everywhere, but I've been enough places to know that it doesn't work like that ... !

Lannis

[JJ]

The guy with the submachine gun must have learned "bullet multiplication" from the Lone Ranger, who could shoot up to 14 bullets from a six-shot revolver without reloading.

I think I counted about 70 shots from that 30-round mag.

And breaking 1" steel elevator cables with lead shot ... ?   Possibly one of the most UNrealistic gunfight scenes ever ... 

And it's not just the mechanics of gunfire.   The hired bad guys would NOT keep fighting into huge odds.  I mean, there's 6 or 7 of them.   If TWO of them were down due to the unerring accuracy of the hero, the rest would be hightailing it for the hills.   They wouldn't be fighting to the last man, they're not Davy Crockett, they're hired bullies.

It's like a Steven Segal movie.   He walks into a bar with 20 tough guys in it that have been messing with his people, whoever they are.   The first big guy comes up with a knife, and Segal disarms him and de-nuts him in 1 second.   Then 4 big guys come at him with brass knuckles and chairs, and he cold-cocks all of them, motionless on the floor.   Then 5 big guys come at him with guns and clubs, and he whirls around like a hurricane and puts them all out the window or down on the floor.

So there's 10 armed big guys, all bloody and motionless on the floor.  Segal hasn't even broken a sweat.   In the real world, that bar would be EMPTY, you'd see nothing but arseholes and elbows as everyone beat feet the other way as hard as they could go.

But noooo ... The NEXT big guy comes up with a pool cue and says "I guess we're going to have to teach you outsiders not to mess with cowboys (or oil men, or truck drivers)", and just comes at him swinging.   I mean, he's SEEN him take all these guys out while cracking dry jokes, and he just comes up and threatens him and takes a swing.

I haven't been everywhere, but I've been enough places to know that it doesn't work like that ... !

Lannis

OK-OK - so the machine gun scene was silly...(agreed)...and steel cables being severed by lead shot...not likely....and the guys chasing him were morons....But I still liked the shotgun scenes overall...and who does'nt like Steve McQueen anyway?!? (Geeeeez Lannis...lighten up a bit ) 

Also, I like the early movies with Steven Seagall - - even if the fights are all ridiculous....

[Lannis]

OK-OK - so the machine gun scene was silly...(agreed)...and steel cables being severed by lead shot...not likely....and the guys chasing him were morons....But I still liked the shotgun scenes overall...and who does'nt like Steve McQueen anyway?!? (Geeeeez Lannis...lighten up a bit ) 

Also, I like the early movies with Steven Seagall - - even if the fights are all ridiculous....

When you prime this ready-to-go pump with a hearty "You Tell Me" ... well by gosh I "Can Tell You"!    This is all light ... and happiness.    Strangely enough, I always liked Steve McQueen - one of those rare actors that doesn't seem to take himself seriously, much like Christopher Walken or William Shatner, and I followed his motorcycling life closely.  But he did very few movies that I liked ... even to this day ....

Lannis

[JJ]

When you prime this ready-to-go pump with a hearty "You Tell Me" ... well by gosh I "Can Tell You"!    This is all light ... and happiness.    Strangely enough, I always liked Steve McQueen - one of those rare actors that doesn't seem to take himself seriously, much like Christopher Walken or William Shatner, and I followed his motorcycling life closely.  But he did very few movies that I liked ... even to this day ....

Lannis

    Cheers!!

[LowRyter]

reminds me that tomorrow the local motorcycle club with have it's monthly dinner at the Wilshire Gun Range Bar & Grill.   

No really, Gun Range Bar and Grill. 

[Chuck in Indiana]

^^^ You got a problem with that??
 
Up in Wisconsin, there's a store where you can buy guns, ammo, beer, and liquor.  and bait. 

[Rough Edge racing]

The guy with the submachine gun must have learned "bullet multiplication" from the Lone Ranger, who could shoot up to 14 bullets from a six-shot revolver without reloading.

I think I counted about 70 shots from that 30-round mag.

And breaking 1" steel elevator cables with lead shot ... ?   Possibly one of the most UNrealistic gunfight scenes ever ... 

And it's not just the mechanics of gunfire.   The hired bad guys would NOT keep fighting into huge odds.  I mean, there's 6 or 7 of them.   If TWO of them were down due to the unerring accuracy of the hero, the rest would be hightailing it for the hills.   They wouldn't be fighting to the last man, they're not Davy Crockett, they're hired bullies.

It's like a Steven Segal movie.   He walks into a bar with 20 tough guys in it that have been messing with his people, whoever they are.   The first big guy comes up with a knife, and Segal disarms him and de-nuts him in 1 second.   Then 4 big guys come at him with brass knuckles and chairs, and he cold-cocks all of them, motionless on the floor.   Then 5 big guys come at him with guns and clubs, and he whirls around like a hurricane and puts them all out the window or down on the floor.

So there's 10 armed big guys, all bloody and motionless on the floor.  Segal hasn't even broken a sweat.   In the real world, that bar would be EMPTY, you'd see nothing but arseholes and elbows as everyone beat feet the other way as hard as they could go.

But noooo ... The NEXT big guy comes up with a pool cue and says "I guess we're going to have to teach you outsiders not to mess with cowboys (or oil men, or truck drivers)", and just comes at him swinging.   I mean, he's SEEN him take all these guys out while cracking dry jokes, and he just comes up and threatens him and takes a swing.

I haven't been everywhere, but I've been enough places to know that it doesn't work like that ... !

Lannis

 We agree on something     I was a hoodlum and saw fist fight close up...Even got involved sometimes...They are messy and sloppy and are over quickly...    I believe in real life Segal was a martial arts master that did take on multiple opponents in arranged competition...

[SmithSwede]

The OP's question was:  Which do you most enjoy and why?

For me, handguns.   Little kids all grew up shooting in Alabama, and I can remember the adults all having deep skepticism, but tremendous respect, for handguns.   They said you couldn't really hit anything with them.   But starting around age 7, and for whatever reason, I showed precocious skills with handguns.  It seemed like me, and every kid, could hit small targets in a lake with a braced rifle.  But I was the anomaly in being able to hit pretty small targets with a pistol off hand.   

So, pistols were good to me early on, and I've always liked them.   Later got into competitive pistol shooting.   So the one hand gun is my first love.   In my callow youth I preferred semi-automatics.    Still have a few bottom-feeders.    But my focus today is really target grade double-action S&W revolvers, along with select Colt wheel guns.    Favorite calibers are .38 Special, .44 Special, .357, and .22 LR.

Having said that, I will admit that some of the most satisfying competitive shooting I've ever done is long range rifle.    There is something absurdly addicting about engaging a target at the seemingly absurd distance of 1,000 yards, see it drop into the pits, and then come back up with a scored ten. 

Shotguns never did anything for me.   Always meh. 

Another oddity.  While I'm a flaming gun nut, I have never been a hunter.   Too soft hearted.  I'm not anti-hunting.   Just personally never had the urge to shoot an animal unless it was actively chewing on me.

[LowRyter]

^^^ You got a problem with that??
 
Up in Wisconsin, there's a store where you can buy guns, ammo, beer, and liquor.  and bait. 

It only counts if you can drink on the premises.    Otherwise, close but no cigar. 

[Lannis]

We agree on something     I was a hoodlum and saw fist fight close up...Even got involved sometimes...They are messy and sloppy and are over quickly...    I believe in real life Segal was a martial arts master that did take on multiple opponents in arranged competition...

I do enjoy some Segal movies, just a bit of escapism.   I read up on him some when he got his Russian citizenship from Putin ... he was a martial arts guy in real life which I'm sure helped his acting as The Tough Guy.   But he can get a little over the top sometimes .... !

Lannis

[MotoG5]

As a life long gun nut I have owned and shot just about everything out there at one time or another. Competition rifle, pistol, trap, skeet, air rifle and long range black powder cartridge. The last being my venue of choice for completion for the last fifteen years or so. All of the others were in my younger days when my eyes and nerves worked better. Just for fun I have collected and shot many vintage military rifles and hand guns in bolt, auto and single shots. Even made a hobby of building various renditions of Mr.  Kalashnikov's rifle from parts kits. All fun and pleasurable. But to answer the OP its all rifles these days.
I am still active in black powder cartridge rifle competition but my eyes have finally made shooting iron sights at the ranges required ( 100 to 1000 yards) a loosing proposition I have made the switch to scope shooting. Here is a picture of my newest completion set up.


This is six shots at 300 yards. Should work so I can keep on going for at least a few more years.

     

[SaskMick]

Love that Rolling Block action. Is it a Pedersoli ?

[Chuck in Indiana]

Those gnomes better run for cover..

[MotoG5]

Love that Rolling Block action. Is it a Pedersoli ?

Yep, it is. Picked it up from Cabela's back in 03'. Did a trigger job on it and its been an excellent shooter right from the start.
200 yard 10 shot group. The one off the rabbit was the first fouling shot.