Saturday, March 22, 2014

Personal preferences

That's what everything comes down to, especially in the non-professional shooters' gun world. 

My personal preferences are mine, not anyone else's.  I like what I like, and I have solid reasons for what I like.  I don't think my choices are better than anyone else's, and I'm sure that there are those out there who make better choices than I do.

For instance...I love my bolt-action rifles.  Love them to death.  I love loading them one cartridge at a time, love slamming the bolt forward to pick up a round (have to slap the dog shit out of my M44 and my 91/30, but that's part of the experience), love the feel of the rifle snuggled into my shoulder, the feel of the trigger take-up, and the kick of the rifle.  It's almost a ritual, for me, now.  It's calming.  And I need that, because it's one of two things that take the five separate trains of thought in my head (two of which are ADD) and get them all focused on the same thing.  Makes things get quiet.

I know modern semi-auto rifles are just as accurate as (if not more so than) a good bolt-action.  It honestly doesn't matter to me.  I don't have a singe rifle that isn't capable of more than what I can do with it, especially after five years of little to now practice.  My SAR is capable of almost as much accuracy as my husband's AR-15.  I love the rifle, but I don't love it as much as I love my bolt rifles. 

I am aware that wheel guns are more reliable, for the most part, than a semi-auto handgun.  I don't care.  Yes, they're pretty, but the angle of the grip, the feel of the gun in my hand, just isn't right.  They're fine guns, but my personal preferences lie with my CZ-82...or my Colt 1903, both of which I'm quite capable with. 

I do not like Glocks.  I don't like that the sole safety is a DAO trigger, I don't like the angle of the grip, and I honestly prefer hammer-fired over striker-fired guns (and really like DA/SA...which is part of what explains why I prefer semi-autos over revolvers). 

Personal taste.  My guns are not better than yours, any more than yours are better than mine (unless you've spent a shit ton of money, and are a professional).  I like mine.  They're better for me, not better in general.

And I'm pretty sure your guns are the same to you.

13 comments:

  1. I like my Mosin cause it's fun (and cheap to feed), I like my Arisaka T30 cause its different. I haven't put anything through the Mossberg, but I'm sure I'll like that, too. I don't usually feed them 1 round at a time, though.

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    1. I have a Brazilian Mauser that's been re-barreled in .308 that has a five-round magazine. I load each round by hand, not by stripper clip, because I've had it drilled and tapped for a scope, and that's in the way (hard to hit the target at fifty yards when you can't see the damn thing).

      I need practice loading the Mosins. Rimmed cartridges are far, far different. But the time taken to load each cartridge in the magazine and make sure it's seated correctly is part of the meditation process.

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    2. Ah yes, the infamous Mosin rim-lock. Put them in forward and slide them back, repeat X5, and then listen to someone tell you how the interrupter is supposed to take care of that problem.


      Yes, it is. Thanks. ;)

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  2. It is cliche, but if we all had the same likes and dislikes, the world would be a very boring place.

    I like my AR, because, well, AR. Although it is chambered in 6.8 SPC. Mostly because I wanted a little more power than .223, but couldn't afford to buy and feed a .308 EBR.

    My Savage 111LRH is awesome, because, well, .338 Lapua Magnum. Same with my Ruger Alaskan. I mean, what's not to like about a .454 Casull with a 2.5" barrel?

    I'm not a huge fan of Glocks, either. Although all but two of my semi-autos are Glocks. Why? I am the exact opposite of you, in that I want the same trigger pull every time. DA/SA screws me up. That leaves me with striker/DAO pistols or revolvers. Plus, nobody but Glock makes a 10mm with a reasonable magazine capacity. So, I am stuck with Gaston's crap when I'm not carrying a revolver.

    Like you said, though. What is right for me, may not be right for thee.

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    1. Um...I don't even like shooting .38 from a 2" barrel...I think a .454 Casull would break my hand. However...You're male, and much bigger and stronger than I am. That's part of what makes up the difference.

      If I ever end up actually able to go hunting, I'd likely take my other half's SKS. Shoots well, it's magazine is well within MO's hunting limitations (ten or less), and doesn't have a scope to get hung in underbrush. Nice gun, just...again, semi-auto, when I prefer shooting bolt.

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  3. '94 Winchester and Python over here... :-) And it IS a zen moment when you get all the cats in the head going in the same direction! Shooting anything is, to me, relaxing after I've finished, because shooting well requires total concentration. And I'll agree with your statement about bolt guns. To run one smoothly takes practice, patience, and knowledge of 'that' gun! :-)

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    1. Semi-auto takes less focus and attention to do well, for me. But yeah, shooting anything is relaxing.

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    2. I'm just the opposite, it takes me MORE attention to shoot a semi-auto well.

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    3. I'm a LOT smaller than most adult shooters. I can't keep my bolt guns shouldered while I work the bolt.

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  4. So to boil this down to it's purest Gunblog essence: "Your gun sucks and you're holding wrong." ;)

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    1. No, it's that your gun doesn't suck, I just don't like it. Pay attention, will ya?

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  5. My thoughts exactly. It's rare that I'll do a mag dump with a semi. If I'm plinking, I prefer to just take my time and enjoy the experience.

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    1. I've trained a reflexive double-tap into myself with my routine carry piece (it's a Makarov), but that's about as quick as I shoot. With anything. A mag dump wastes more ammo than I care to spend money on.

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