# What is more fun to shoot semi-auto or revolver



## spacedoggy (May 11, 2006)

Most of my pistols are semi's but if I was going to the range just to have fun and fun only, no training and stuff, just plain old fun shooting I would take a revolver any day over any of my semi's that I love.

I like to take a double action 357 or less with at least a 6" barrel.

I think what makes these so much fun for me outside at the range is how accurate they are. You get to shoot longer because it takes longer to load and shoot so you’re taking your time and I seem to relax more. When you learn to shoot double action its fun finding that sweet spot in the trigger pull when you know it's time to squeeze and each revolver being different.


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

spacedoggy said:


> You get to shoot longer because it takes longer to load and shoot so you're taking your time and I seem to relax more.


Don't have a revolver, so I can't intelligently comment on which one is more fun. I definitely agree that you'd be able to shoot longer. I find that I blow through ammo when I shoot pistol (for some reason I don't go nuts with the AR). Lately I've been only loading 6 or less into the mags to make my shotting sessions last longer


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## Airedale (Sep 18, 2007)

I chose revolver because I'm a wheelgunner. Having said that, I've been shooting in single stack division for a month or so (USPSA) to keep proficient with my 1911's.

Anyone can blaze away with a bottom feeder-shooting the wheelgun requires one to shoot accurately:mrgreen:
Dave


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

Yep! Wheelguns all the way Mr.Spacedoggy. I enjoy my bottom feeders too but not like a I do a wheelgun. Way more accurate with the revolver but I grew up when it was king. Plastic just leaves me cold but blue steel and wood stirs my soul. Just me and I am to old to change.:smt1099


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

I actually find revolvers considerably more fun to shoot than autos, and I also shoot them slightly more accurately. (That said, I no longer own any revolvers. I sold my last one about two years ago.)


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## Guest (Oct 11, 2007)

I reload so shooting a revolver saves me from having to chase brass but I'm also cheap so the time I save is usually spent scrounging other brass left on the range. To me any time spent shooting is fun.


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## Guest (Oct 11, 2007)

I own several of both. If it goes 'bang', I love it. :smt023 Could have been more choices in the poll though.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

Just to play in the front yard I have several S.A. wheelguns that love to play with. The other choice should have been both.


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## hideit (Oct 3, 2007)

this is a good question
when you said revolver my mind went to DAs not SA
As I look back on my years I remembered the fun I had with the 44mag ruger SA and the 30 carbine SA and the 45LC SA
some of my best stories are from SAs
If your poll has specified SA revolvers and DA revolvers I would have voted differently


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## spacedoggy (May 11, 2006)

I just wanted to ask just two question. Revolver or semi. It's to hard to try and put everyones answer as a poll question so that's why you pick and then write about it. I could ask sa rev or da rev or blued rev or stainless rev or 2"rev or 4" rev or 6" rev or8 3/4 rev sarev fixed sights OK you got the point I hope. With most people I know enjoying revolvers more I'm surprise that they don't sell more.


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

For fun? Revolvers. .22, .38, .357, or my .44:










No bending over to retrieve brass when you're done, either. :mrgreen:


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

spacedoggy said:


> With most people I know enjoying revolvers more I'm surprise that they don't sell more.


I think that's partially because the idea of "fun shooting" for a lot of people nowadays involves getting dressed up like a SWAT cop and using whatever gun is currently on the cover of _Combat Handguns_ to fire as much ammo as possible - with the fewest number of actual hits. I am sure anyone who has been to a public range since 9/11 knows what I mean. :mrgreen:


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## Alaskan_Viking (Jun 13, 2006)

I voted: _Just don't understand old farts. What's this thing they call a revolver? _:smt082


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## spacedoggy (May 11, 2006)

Mike Barham said:


> I think that's partially because the idea of "fun shooting" for a lot of people nowadays involves getting dressed up like a SWAT cop and using whatever gun is currently on the cover of _Combat Handguns_ to fire as much ammo as possible - with the fewest number of actual hits. I am sure anyone who has been to a public range since 9/11 knows what I mean. :mrgreen:


You Nailed it. I laugh at them but also I know that was me many years ago.


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## spacedoggy (May 11, 2006)

Alaskan_Viking said:


> I voted: _Just don't understand old farts. What's this thing they call a revolver? _:smt082


From Alaska, I don't get it. You must have one in 545, 460 or 500mag, for those cute brown or black furry things that live in those woods there or the white ones up north.

Hope your not carrying a Kel-Tec 380 semi-auto there young viking from Alaska. I do envy you young ones but I'm sure all Generations say that. And there are those times I wish I lived in my grandparents time when you could go to the Hardware store and pick yourself up a nice Thompson.

To get back on track every time I take someone who has never shot a wheel gun out to shoot one they enjoy them but I don't see them rushing out to buy one either. There will be a day when you will breakdown and pick one up. That day will be a day that opens up a whole new world of shooting for you. So alway keep an open mind. I do and that's why I have at times the lastest and greatest.


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## Spartan (Jan 1, 2007)

I don't personally own a revlover. I really like auto-loaders. I plan on getting one someday, though I am not very familiar with the different calibers (357, 44, etc).

This would be fun, just to have:


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## stormbringerr (May 22, 2007)

i voted gee wonder... really either one would be fine with me to enjoy myself at the range.:smt1099


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## JeffWard (Aug 24, 2007)

I guess I just like throwing hard earned cash down-range...

13-14 rounds of ACP (yes, Mike, into a tiny little "rapid fire" group of 3-5", LOL, not a "man-sized-group") from a XD 45.

Let's see... $0.30 per squeeze, 10-13 at a time... Damn... Gotta buy my reloading press!

But it's more fun than wadding up $3-4 in a ball and throwing it off a bridge!!! I like fire-power. I like big booms and big ragged holes. Traded my .44Mag for a .45ACP. The .44Mag revolver was too slow. Boring... and no more accurate thank you.

Can't wait to get outside and shoot steel.

-Jeff


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

JeffWard said:


> 13-14 rounds of ACP (yes, Mike, into a tiny little "rapid fire" group of 3-5", LOL, not a "man-sized-group") from a XD 45.


That's good defensive shooting!

I guess I make a distinction - for myself if no one else - between defensive shooting and recreational shooting. I see the latter as driven more by accuracy and less by speed. Of course, if you have fun shooting steel and IPSC, then speed is indeed of the essence! But what the hell do I know? I sold my M4gery and am moving mainly to manually-operated rifles.

But, Jeff, I am sure you have encountered the guys I am talking about on public ranges. They are usually the ones clad in camo but too overweight to be in the military, who yank the trigger on Glocks and 1911s fast enough to put six cases in the air simultaneously but might hit the target once or twice, and who have a manicured girlfriend clad in heels and a too-tight shirt who clearly has no desire to be at the shooting range.

Well, I guess the latter part isn't bad. :mrgreen:


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## Bob Wright (May 10, 2006)

*Fun?*

As to which is more fun, autoloader or revolver, naturally I'd go with the revolver.

For fun, long range shots an inanimate targets. Especially if shots can safely be made at objects floating in water. Many years ago I had the ability to shoot in old sand pits. These were deep pits so the water level was some twenty or thirty feet below grade level, and ricocheting bullets were caught by the opposite wall of the pit. Floating empty shotgun shells in the water and poppin these was great fun.

And, with a flat shooting .44 Magnum, hunting groundhog over open pastures.

Set up those orange clay targets shotgunners use at 75 to 100 yards and bust these. Shoot up driftwood until its splinters. Blow up water filled jugs.

On a still day, use helium filled balloons tied down to logs. Cut the string with the first shot and bust the rising ballon with a follow up shot. Wadcutter or semi-wadcutter bullets are more reliable at cutting string or thread.

I don't think you can get these anymore, but exploding railroad torpedoes with a .22 is fun. But this is not limited to the revolver.

Bob Wright


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## SemoShooter (Jul 5, 2007)

I have revolvers and pistols. I would rather shoot my pistols for marksmanship or defensive practice. I sometimes carry my snubby wheel gun, but most of the time I carry one of my pistols. I try to stay proficient with both.


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## OMSBH44 (Jul 7, 2006)

*Revolvers for just plain fun!*

Especially single action revolvers. Especially unmodified Ruger Old Models.
I really like the sound of four clicks when I cock it. I really like not having
to chase brass all over the place!

I really like the versatility of revolvers. I can load my .44 up really hot, or
I can load it way down so the bullet is almost visible as it goes down
range. You can't do that with most semi-autos because they won't
function with the really light loads.

So, for a relaxing day at the range, you can't beat an old SA revolver!


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## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

Hands down the best one is........................The one in my hand when the hammer drops..lol 

They both ave their place, I love my 1911's but there's something about a wheel gun that make me want to shoot them too. I look at a handgun as both a tool and a piece of hand held art in form and function. A well designed, well built handgun is just one of the best examples of art I have been allowed to see. Fit and finish, the function, the sound and what happens to water filled containers or those pieces of paper I hang up to poke holes in. I even look at those pieces of paper with pride when I make those holes in a pattern that makes me happy :draw:


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## teknoid (Mar 12, 2007)

For fun? All of the ones I own are fun, but for pure enjoyment, I really like my SAA Uberti .45LC. It's a blast, and a tack driver.


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## samskara (Jul 19, 2006)

Nothing in the world more fun than a Colt SAA.


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## TheBigRusch (Nov 14, 2007)

*Newbie*

I don't yet own any handguns, but I have been having a lot of fun shooting friends' and friends' dad's guns. I have to say I really prefer autos. Maybe it's because I grew up in the age of technology, and I just like the many moving parts all working together rather than the simplicity of revolvers, or maybe it's because I'm a city kid. But it's what I like.

TheBigRusch


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## poperb (Oct 14, 2006)

Either a semi auto or a real big revolver. The S&W 500 with the 4 inch barrel got a fun bang


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## Joeshwa24 (Nov 14, 2007)

I have to say that for me the fun part of shooting is training; I'm just not into going out and arbitrarily shooting. Its just not my thing. So for me I have to say the Semi-auto.


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## lazyman (Nov 28, 2007)

heres why i like the sbh ruger in 44 mag. many years ago i read an article in one of the gun mags about a government hunter in one of the western states. he said that he only would use the ruger sbh 44 mag because he could take 1 or 2 shots at a predator, and if he had to persue that predator he could eject the 1 or 2 cartriges and re-load without having to eject all of the cartridges as in a double action revolver. it made sence to me then and it still does;. i love the model 29 s&w but i use the super blackhawk 44 mag as my preference. just my 2 cents


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## texgunner (Jul 25, 2006)

I have a decent sized collection of handguns, both semi's and revolvers. The semi's put a bigger smile on my face and that's how I voted. However, since I started reloading I've been shooting my revolvers more. Chasing brass is a PIA.

Tex 

P.S. Spacedoggy, I love your signature line.


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## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

I like shooting autos more than SA's when it's just for fun, but I do love my SA's too. More than anything, I love shooting steel. There's just something about that instant gratification of shooting steel targets with an auto. I don't remember if I'd posted these here, but here's a fun day of shooting...

HK USP .45 AND Springfield XD9mm compact



Kimber Raptor II .45


Zhur


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## submoa (Dec 16, 2007)

Carl Gustaf 84mm recoilless...










Wife prefers AR. They are such girly guns!


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## Scratchshooter40 (Jun 17, 2008)

*Fun, huh. . . . . . .*

Let's see, I started with a Model 10 .38spl at the academy, progressed over the years to a BHP for choice of carry during narcotics investigation. Left Law Enforcement for the Marine Corps and did 8, then Sales Job to support both wife and habit. Still have shooting habit, minus the wife. Girlfriend shoots though, quite well. But for pure fun, for me at least the SO's MP5's in the Fun house in competition with others for accuracy and time. Not just blazing away rock and roll, deliberate shooting for results with the reserve. Next would be my Beretta 96. Like I said "Fun, huh" well that's different for all of us as the choice of weapons we enjoy or use as tools of the trade.


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## Don357 (Dec 4, 2007)

*Which one is more fun?*

Actually, I like the one that goes "BANG"!

No, really depends on what kind of mood I'm in. For extra precision shoooting, I like my Ruger Blackhawk .357mag with a 6 1/2" barrel. But I also like my TZ99 9mm with a 4" barrel. While the TZ is accurate enough to do 15rds inside 6" groups at 25yds, the Ruger with scope is hard to beat. Both are really more accurate than I am. "I LIKE BOTH!":smt033


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## dannyb (Jun 17, 2008)

I voted "Bob and Baldy" not because I give a hoot about what they said but because my real choice wasn't up there. I love shooting my revolvers and my semi autos. I'm on the range to relax and have fun. If I'm shooting well that day, I'm having fun; doesn't matter what I'm shooting with (or "with what I may be shooting" if you want to be grammatically correct). If I'm shooting poorly that day, it still beats the heck out of going to work (ok ok, geezer cliche). I :smt168 when I shoot!


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## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

Submoa,
Is that the Great Salt Lake behind your truck there?

I'd go shooting with your wife any day of the week! Lucky man.
hehe

Zhur


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## IntegraGSR (Nov 6, 2007)

That's a question like "Blonde or Brunette?" or "Scotch or Bourbon?" or "LS6 or Hemi?" or "Lager or Ale?" or "Bratwurst or kielbasa?"


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## unpecador (May 9, 2008)

Can't answer I don't own both BUT... I prefer Brunette and Lager :mrgreen:


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## submoa (Dec 16, 2007)

IntegraGSR said:


> "Blonde or Brunette?"


Both. Threesome. (also need to get back about 20 years and quaff viagara like M&Ms)



IntegraGSR said:


> "Scotch or Bourbon?"


Single malt. Bruichladdich



IntegraGSR said:


> "LS6 or Hemi?"


ZZ572 crate



IntegraGSR said:


> ""Lager or Ale?"


Guinness



IntegraGSR said:


> "Bratwurst or kielbasa?"


Villager's Lincolnshire


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## Old Padawan (Mar 16, 2007)

I voted auto. I own both and I do enjoy the revolver. But I just love to shoot scenarios and dueling trees. I can reload any of my autos faster than I can reload my revolvers. Perhaps with more practice I could get them closer, but I will never reload like Mikulec.


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## mike#9 (Jul 14, 2008)

I really love to shoot both....but I prefer the semi-autos over the revolver


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## Wyatt (Jan 29, 2008)

I own both and had to vote for revolvers being more fun to shoot. Don't get me wrong, my Beretta is a hoot to shoot for sure, but there is just something about blowing up whiskey bottles lined up on a fence post while on horse back at full speed with a six gun in each hand! :smt033

I also enjoy the ritual that goes with loading and unloading a wheel gun more than I do cramming bullets into a magazine. Another fun thing about revolvers is the variety of bang among just the traditional loads from .22 up to .44 mag.


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## Rhino (Jul 12, 2008)

I take my vote back. After shooting my dad's 357MAG Python at a 5x4 foot target at 100 yards standing up and being able to keep a 3x3 foot group, I had a ton more fun doing that than I've ever had with a semi auto


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## Fred40 (Jan 7, 2008)

Hmm......I don't know. My current 1911 can hold a 2.5" group at 50 yards. From a bench rest I can nail a 2-litter bottle every time at 100 yards and hit it 6 or 7 out of 10 standing up . But shooting my brother-in-laws 6" Colt Python was a real hoot as well.


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## hemmigremmie (Jan 23, 2008)

Revolvers are fun. HG


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