Author Topic: What FEELS the Best To Shoot?  (Read 634 times)

Offline Halo

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3222
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« on: July 07, 2007, 10:01:48 AM »
In all the gun threads, I don't think we've had one about what gun just FEELS the best to shoot.  Not necessarily the most ergonomic or accurate, but what you enjoy the most simply for how the gun feels to you when it goes off.

I've shot 12-gauge, .410, .223, .357, .38 Special, .30 Carbine, 30-30, .22 (including Magnum), .40, .357 Sig, and .45 ACP, and of these, the one that FEELS the best to me is .45 ACP.  Very satisfying BANG and respectable recoil, but not unpleasant.  .223 feels pretty good too.  

Got to thinking about this watching the movie Babel where a Moroccan kid makes an ill-advised shot with a .270 Winchester Model 70 given to a guide by an oriental hunter, then bought by the kid's father to dissuade jackels around his goat herd.  

The kid and his brother seemed pretty comfortable shooting the .270.  No hearing protection either.  Guess that's more optional when hunting instead of target shooting?  I haven't shot a .270 or .308, but those seem like they might be the rifle calibers that might FEEL the best to me since I like the .45 ACP feel.  

I have no need for either caliber so probably will never buy one, especially with the cost of the shells.  But interesting idea anyway.

I know how a shot feels depends a lot on what it's shot from, but there is a cartridge generality that applies to whatever it's shot from.  So with whatever caveats you care to add, in general, what caliber FEELS the best to you to shoot?
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. (Seneca, 1st century AD, et al)
Practice random acts of kindness and senseless beauty. (Anne Herbert, 1982, Sausalito, CA)
Paramedic to Perkaholics Anonymous

Offline AKIron

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 13367
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2007, 10:05:20 AM »
The most fun I had with a gun and my clothes on was shooting a Desert Eagle .50 cal. S&W .357 comes pretty close.
Here we put salt on Margaritas, not sidewalks.

Offline Maverick

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 13958
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2007, 10:28:50 AM »
Subjective "feel" for the recoil is dependant on several variables. You can't really quantify it since it is different for every shooter. It depends on projectile weight, caliber, powder charge, action type, gun weight, etc to a significant number of variables. What "feels" good to one may not feel good to another even if they are similar in size.

Which gun to shoot and how it feels are also dependant on what you are shooting. Hunting large and dangerous game would not feel good if you are carrying a .223 when it really calls for something like a .450. The same is true if you are just punching paper or plinking where a .22 feels better than that same .450. One is fun, the other is punishment to sit at a bench and fire off 50 rounds.

Try different calibers and see what feels good to you. You are the one that is relevent to the consideration, no one else is.
DEFINITION OF A VETERAN
A Veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life."
Author Unknown

Offline Heretic

  • Nickel Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 583
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2007, 10:36:42 AM »
Living here in Ohio we aren't allowed to hunt deer with centerfire rifles.   So, Remington Copper Solid Sabots 12GA 2 3/4" is what I use for Whitetails.  I use those with my Marlin 512 slug gun.  I am confident shooting these at 100 yards.

3" #2 shot for waterfowl over decoys.  Brand name doesn't make a hill of beans to me over decoys as most shots are less than 40 yards.

I don't own a handgun yet but I am looking at Springfield Armory .45ACP  Trophy model.   Just seems like a great weapon to me.

I used to shoot the Beretta 92 when I was in the Army.  I was able to score expert with this and the gun shot very well for me.

SEstud

VWE

  • Guest
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2007, 10:48:17 AM »
O.k. little history here... back in the mid 1980's I was in the Navy and towards the end of my stint I volunteered for a tour. It seems that Iran was attacking Kuwait tankers, so the U.S. was asked for help. We came in and reflagged the tankers with U.S. flags and used U.S. ships and patrol boats to escort said tankers through the gulf. I was on one of those patrol boats and my gun was a single 40mm on the bow. It was gyro stabilzed so the barrel would stay level in all sea conditions and had a rotory drum attached that would hold 40 rounds total, 10 4 shot 'clips'. I sat in an armored tub that used foot pedals for left and right with a joystick on my right for up and down including a hat switch that controlled the ammo drum, and of course the trigger. This gun was a cut down single off of a quad 40mm from WWII and could fire 2 rounds a second. We used HE and AP the latter could penatrate 2.5 inch plate amour at 5000 yards. Even as my service continues in todays Army this was the funnest gun I've ever shot hands down...


Offline lasersailor184

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 8938
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2007, 01:16:24 PM »
What feels the best to shoot is the 1911.  I don't know what it is about it, but even with a decent recoil, something about it just feels so natural.
Punishr - N.D.M. Back in the air.
8.) Lasersailor 73 "Will lead the impending revolution from his keyboard"

Offline gpwurzel

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3836
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #6 on: July 07, 2007, 01:22:46 PM »
My favourite rifle ever shot is the L1A1 (better known as the SLR). 7.62, little recoil, reasonably accurate (even given it used to be not so well built). Effective range, anything up to a mile (if it hits, whatever it hits goes down and stays down). Unfortunately, in the UK rifles require special licences, specially cleared land to use them on. Handguns are banned..ho hum.....

Have shot the L96A1 as well....(basically a snipers rifle)...very very nice, but as I cant hit a cows backside with a banjo, let alone anything with a rifle....think I'll be sticking with flying cartoon planes instead (that said, cant hit anything I shoot at with those either....:eek: )


Wurzel
I'm the worst pilot ingame ya know!!!

It's all unrealistic crap requested by people who want pie in the sky actions performed without an understanding of how things work and who can't grasp reality.


Offline Hornet33

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2487
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #7 on: July 07, 2007, 01:22:47 PM »
Of all the guns I've shot in my life the one that felt the best to shoot was an M110A2 8 inch self propelled howitzer. Nothing like pulling tail and feeling the ground shake under you and feeling the air get sucked out of your lungs, then the breech opens up and the powder smoke comes pouring back out at you. If that doesn't put a big grin on your face call a medic because your dead.

Next would have to be a Mk-19 automatic grenade launcher. Those things are a blast to shoot.

But as far as my personal weapons go, I'd have to choose my Remington 700BDL in 30-06. The recoil is straight back into the shoulder with no drift. It's heavy, solid, and loud, just how a rifle is supposed to feel.
AHII Con 2006, HiTech, "This game is all about pissing off the other guy!!"

Offline Masherbrum

  • Radioactive Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 22416
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2007, 02:56:43 PM »
This, and I haven't shot it in about 6 months.

FSO Squad 412th FNVG
http://worldfamousfridaynighters.com/
Co-Founder of DFC

Offline Hajo

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6036
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2007, 04:29:09 PM »
Of all the Firearms I've owned the one I most enjoy or enjoyed shooting is my Model 1911 Colt Combat Commander.
- The Flying Circus -

Offline FBBone

  • Nickel Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 549
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #10 on: July 07, 2007, 08:04:00 PM »
Out of all of my guns, I'd say that my Springfield M1903-A3 feels the best to shoot.  I shoot 165 gr. SPBT at approx. 3000 fps, I haven't had to remove the turret caps in 20 years for scope adjustments, and it is a very well balanced rifle.  Admittedly, it isn't stock.  It was customized by my father before I was four years old, but it's every bit as reliable as when it was a service rifle.

Offline SteveBailey

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2409
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2007, 08:11:38 PM »
What feels the best to shoot?  My load.     :aok

storch

  • Guest
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #12 on: July 07, 2007, 10:28:23 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by SteveBailey
What feels the best to shoot?  My load.     :aok
lol you had better stop firing sir.  :D

Offline Maverick

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 13958
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #13 on: July 07, 2007, 10:39:11 PM »
Absolute favorite gun to shoot, Main gun (105mm) from M60A1 and A3. :D
Second, the M85 cupola mounted .50 cal in the tank.
I don't have access to the tanks any more darnit.  
Small arms.
M1 Garand in 06
My 12 guage OU
.45 Colt Officers model
.45 Colt Mk 4 70 series w/ S&W sights
My Glock model 19
S&W Model 66 both 4" and 2 3/4"
Marlin .22
There are others but those are the ones I reach for the most. I do miss the tanks.
« Last Edit: July 07, 2007, 10:44:09 PM by Maverick »
DEFINITION OF A VETERAN
A Veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life."
Author Unknown

Offline SteveBailey

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2409
What FEELS the Best To Shoot?
« Reply #14 on: July 07, 2007, 11:42:40 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by storch
lol you had better stop firing sir.  :D


LOL, ya.. I have plenty of kids already.