There are "fancy" guns and then there are "utility" guns
My catagories are "fancy" and "utility". A fancy gun to me is one with a high polished nice wood stock and fine blueing you can see your face in. Then there are the stainless or matte stainless steel and synthetic stocked guns or the ones that are parkerized or with a matte camo finish, those are the utility guns you can use and perhaps abuse a little and not feel bad about it.
With the bad weather I hunt in, I prefer a utility gun over a fancy gun because I don't mind the elements ruining a nice gun. Then again, I love the old warhorses like the SMLEs and Garands and the like, but those that are pretty original with the original parts I baby. The ones that have been sporterized already I just use and enjoy.
And then there are those that are shootable, but missing parts...though nice for gunsmithing projects that you wouldn't want ot practice on nice guns, at least not at first.
I shoot what I own, but if I can do the same with a utility gun, I save the fancy gun for nice weather.
Don't get me wrong, if I had a 100 year old gun in an obscure chambering, yes, I would refrain from shooting it. But I prefer guns I can shoot and take care of and love.