I don't like names like that in print. Never liked Gun Nut either. Such talk would be fine of course face to face and we all know what you mean.
I like the term "Rifleman"
I agree with Sav99 on this. Not as a point of being PC, but for the ease of reading. "Rifleman" flows easily off the page. More importantly, is the way that "Rifleman" keeps the reader in the same "intellectual groove" as the writer.
A colloquialism such as "Loony" breaks the flow of a well thought out column discussing the technical merits of boattailed bullets.
Sometimes, words that are useful around the campfire, are distractions on the page.
Just my 2 cents,
Your mileage may vary,
BMT
"The Church can and should help modern society by tirelessly insisting that the work of women in the home be recognized and respected by all in its irreplaceable value." Apostolic Exhortation On The Family, Pope John Paul II
