My answer to that is usually manned gun...
I can't usually hit shinola from them, but for some reason, I find them really fun. And on that every once in a while occasion when something does go boom, it just makes my day.
They do however seem to work MUCH better against ground targets than air for me - the other day I got 5 kills defending an otherwise undefended VF. Often times though even when a fighter is coming "straight in" at me intending to strafe I can't take him out.