Rexrider
Member
….go out to the desert to decide which one is the most fun to shoot.
A range report…sort of.
My friend and I headed out to the desert last Sunday to do some plinking. Nothing serious, just shooting at soda cans, coffee cans, and water jugs. While I was packing up my gear I started to ponder which rifle was the most fun. None of them are not fun, that’s for sure!
So, here is my viewpoint on casual shooting of a Colt AR, Yugo SKS, and a Marlin 1894.
The AR (Colt Match Target)
Well, can’t make any argument that an AR is not fun to shoot. What’s not to like? Accurate, reasonable weight, low recoil, and can be reconfigured for different rolls just by swapping out the upper. The only down side to this particular rifle is it is a “ban era†AR. But this in no way distracted from the shooting experience. As my friend said “without the flash hider, it just looks…wrongâ€. Funny, he forgot all about what it looked like after running a few mags through it.
Hard to believe this design is a middle aged design now. It has definitely matured over its life span. It may not fire the hardest hitting round but what it may lack in punch, it makes up for in accuracy and ease of operation. You almost can’t help hitting what you aim at. For me, it is the most ergonomic rifle I have used. It just fits. I just wish the magazines did not take so long to load. Definitely the rifle to grab if confronted with hoards of zombies
I did have two failures. One dud round. I was using up some 80’s era M193 Malaysian ammo. I was not surprised or concerned (although it was the first dud I encountered). This was why I was using it up for plinking. The second was a little more serious but easy to correct. The black follower in a DPMS black magazine tilted and wedged itself in the body with 2 rounds left. First time this has ever happened to me. These are outstanding mags (as most people know) but do not have the anti-tilt follower. A set of green followers has already been ordered to retro fit all of my DPMS mags.
That aside, a very fun rifle to shoot.
The Yugo SKS (Unissued grade)
The cheap commie rifle. This thing is almost like an anti-AR. It’s long and heavy. Only has a ten round fixed magazine and uses stripper clips. Not considered the most accurate rifle but mine seems to do reasonably well. At least as far as hitting cans at 50+ yds. The Williams peep sight I installed is like night and day over the stock sight.
Those of you who have never shot an SKS are probably wondering how this could be competing for a most fun rifle to shoot. Those who have…..well, they know why.
Because of its weight and mid-powered round it does not really have any more recoil then the AR. It is also built like a tank. Cheap commie rifle my [censored]. This thing is not cheap. This is the kind of rifle that will just keep going. Drop it in dirt, pick it up and pull the trigger. No second thoughts. Did not have a chance to clean it? Don’t worry, it will work.
[Side note. My friend’s two sons each have there own SKS. No matter how many speeches he and I have given them about cleaning their guns, they just don’t. We have given up. As my friend put it “they can pay for their own guns from now on and not clean themâ€. Their rifles have not been cleaned since the cosmoline was removed. They did not have any failures.]
Even though the SKS only holds ten rounds, it is so easy to reload with stripper clips. It was easier to keep the SKS firing then the AR. I had a bandolier of clips and had a blast. Now, in all fairness I did not have preloaded mags for the AR. (Note to self: take loaded mags with next time for the AR).
No failures. This is the best $150 rifle I have ever bought. For those on a tight budget and looking for a reliable 7.62x39 rifle, this is the one. Hell, even if you have a huge budget you should try one. Always a fun time.
The Marlin 1894 (357 mag/38 special)
Wow, lets talk old school. A rifle from a world long since gone. This was the most recent addition to the family. I had wanted one of these for over 12 yrs. Just never got around to getting one until this year. It always seemed to get bumped on the “want listâ€. Man, what was I thinking. Can’t believe I missed out on this all these years.
A very nice looking rifle. Small, light, and easy to maneuver. Not a long range rifle but long distance shooting is not in its job description (for this model). But it does make a great all around working rifle. Use it for hunting (within reason), home defense, camping, ranch/critter control, truck, and just plain fun plinking.
As much as I enjoy shooting semi-auto, there is something about a rifle that you have to be part of to operate. Sort of like…interactive shooting.
I really like the idea of the versatility of being able to use 357 mag and 38 special. It is almost amusing how much less recoil and sound come from the 38’s. It is almost like shooting a 22.
The 1894 also received the most requests to be borrowed. My friend shot the Marlin more than the AR. The boys were also excited to see the Marlin and of course asked for a couple of turns with it. I would have bet money the boys would have turned their collective noses up at it. Nope, they were like “wowâ€, “that’s coolâ€, “dude…that’s sickâ€, “when can I have a turn?â€.
Rate of fire can be respectable once you get the hang of it. Sustained rate of fire is a different story. Everything is great until the tube runs dry. No stripper clips here. Grab a handful of rounds and start loading. Maybe this is not the best choice for those hordes of zombies but guess what? In the real world, there are no hordes of zombies (the undead brain eating type). If I am ever in a situation that requires using all 10 rounds then I have the wrong tool for the job….not to mention probably needing air support as well.
No one had any trouble hitting what they were aiming for. It is an accurate little rifle. Using 38’s made it almost too easy. No failures of any kind. Everyone had fun with it. I still find it ironic the old school lever action was the choice of the day.
So, when the day was over and everything was put away the question remained. Which one was the most fun? The beauty if it is…I don’t have to answer that. I am thankful that I don’t. I live in a country (and state) that allows me to enjoy my hobby and pick whichever rifle I am in the mood to shoot. The fun is in knowing I can go and enjoy casual shooting in the desert or go to a range and enjoy seeing how close I can get the holes to each other.
For those of you in states that don’t allow you these choices, Nov 2nd is your day to be heard. Please get out and vote. If that does not work, you are always welcome in AZ.
Cheers
Rexrider
A range report…sort of.
My friend and I headed out to the desert last Sunday to do some plinking. Nothing serious, just shooting at soda cans, coffee cans, and water jugs. While I was packing up my gear I started to ponder which rifle was the most fun. None of them are not fun, that’s for sure!
So, here is my viewpoint on casual shooting of a Colt AR, Yugo SKS, and a Marlin 1894.
The AR (Colt Match Target)
Well, can’t make any argument that an AR is not fun to shoot. What’s not to like? Accurate, reasonable weight, low recoil, and can be reconfigured for different rolls just by swapping out the upper. The only down side to this particular rifle is it is a “ban era†AR. But this in no way distracted from the shooting experience. As my friend said “without the flash hider, it just looks…wrongâ€. Funny, he forgot all about what it looked like after running a few mags through it.
Hard to believe this design is a middle aged design now. It has definitely matured over its life span. It may not fire the hardest hitting round but what it may lack in punch, it makes up for in accuracy and ease of operation. You almost can’t help hitting what you aim at. For me, it is the most ergonomic rifle I have used. It just fits. I just wish the magazines did not take so long to load. Definitely the rifle to grab if confronted with hoards of zombies
I did have two failures. One dud round. I was using up some 80’s era M193 Malaysian ammo. I was not surprised or concerned (although it was the first dud I encountered). This was why I was using it up for plinking. The second was a little more serious but easy to correct. The black follower in a DPMS black magazine tilted and wedged itself in the body with 2 rounds left. First time this has ever happened to me. These are outstanding mags (as most people know) but do not have the anti-tilt follower. A set of green followers has already been ordered to retro fit all of my DPMS mags.
That aside, a very fun rifle to shoot.
The Yugo SKS (Unissued grade)
The cheap commie rifle. This thing is almost like an anti-AR. It’s long and heavy. Only has a ten round fixed magazine and uses stripper clips. Not considered the most accurate rifle but mine seems to do reasonably well. At least as far as hitting cans at 50+ yds. The Williams peep sight I installed is like night and day over the stock sight.
Those of you who have never shot an SKS are probably wondering how this could be competing for a most fun rifle to shoot. Those who have…..well, they know why.
Because of its weight and mid-powered round it does not really have any more recoil then the AR. It is also built like a tank. Cheap commie rifle my [censored]. This thing is not cheap. This is the kind of rifle that will just keep going. Drop it in dirt, pick it up and pull the trigger. No second thoughts. Did not have a chance to clean it? Don’t worry, it will work.
[Side note. My friend’s two sons each have there own SKS. No matter how many speeches he and I have given them about cleaning their guns, they just don’t. We have given up. As my friend put it “they can pay for their own guns from now on and not clean themâ€. Their rifles have not been cleaned since the cosmoline was removed. They did not have any failures.]
Even though the SKS only holds ten rounds, it is so easy to reload with stripper clips. It was easier to keep the SKS firing then the AR. I had a bandolier of clips and had a blast. Now, in all fairness I did not have preloaded mags for the AR. (Note to self: take loaded mags with next time for the AR).
No failures. This is the best $150 rifle I have ever bought. For those on a tight budget and looking for a reliable 7.62x39 rifle, this is the one. Hell, even if you have a huge budget you should try one. Always a fun time.
The Marlin 1894 (357 mag/38 special)
Wow, lets talk old school. A rifle from a world long since gone. This was the most recent addition to the family. I had wanted one of these for over 12 yrs. Just never got around to getting one until this year. It always seemed to get bumped on the “want listâ€. Man, what was I thinking. Can’t believe I missed out on this all these years.
A very nice looking rifle. Small, light, and easy to maneuver. Not a long range rifle but long distance shooting is not in its job description (for this model). But it does make a great all around working rifle. Use it for hunting (within reason), home defense, camping, ranch/critter control, truck, and just plain fun plinking.
As much as I enjoy shooting semi-auto, there is something about a rifle that you have to be part of to operate. Sort of like…interactive shooting.
I really like the idea of the versatility of being able to use 357 mag and 38 special. It is almost amusing how much less recoil and sound come from the 38’s. It is almost like shooting a 22.
The 1894 also received the most requests to be borrowed. My friend shot the Marlin more than the AR. The boys were also excited to see the Marlin and of course asked for a couple of turns with it. I would have bet money the boys would have turned their collective noses up at it. Nope, they were like “wowâ€, “that’s coolâ€, “dude…that’s sickâ€, “when can I have a turn?â€.
Rate of fire can be respectable once you get the hang of it. Sustained rate of fire is a different story. Everything is great until the tube runs dry. No stripper clips here. Grab a handful of rounds and start loading. Maybe this is not the best choice for those hordes of zombies but guess what? In the real world, there are no hordes of zombies (the undead brain eating type). If I am ever in a situation that requires using all 10 rounds then I have the wrong tool for the job….not to mention probably needing air support as well.
No one had any trouble hitting what they were aiming for. It is an accurate little rifle. Using 38’s made it almost too easy. No failures of any kind. Everyone had fun with it. I still find it ironic the old school lever action was the choice of the day.
So, when the day was over and everything was put away the question remained. Which one was the most fun? The beauty if it is…I don’t have to answer that. I am thankful that I don’t. I live in a country (and state) that allows me to enjoy my hobby and pick whichever rifle I am in the mood to shoot. The fun is in knowing I can go and enjoy casual shooting in the desert or go to a range and enjoy seeing how close I can get the holes to each other.
For those of you in states that don’t allow you these choices, Nov 2nd is your day to be heard. Please get out and vote. If that does not work, you are always welcome in AZ.
Cheers
Rexrider
