Vitaly Kryuchin hammers out a high-calibre performance of the Ode to Joy with the aid of a pair of handguns.

Ever wanted to have a shot at playing Beethoven? Russian gun enthusiast Vitaly Kryuchin has made headlines by hammering out the Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the aid of a pair of handguns. Kryuchin gave his high-calibre performance at a shooting range in Suomussalmi in Finland, according to a report by the Daily Mail.

The head of the Russian Practical Shooting Federation fired at (approximately) pitched metal plates – which he has dubbed Glockafons – to produce Beethoven’s famous melody in a video that has since gone viral.

Dressed in a black tuxedo and protective eyewear, the marksman-maestro was accompanied by a small band – a keyboard player and violinist – who filled out the harmonies.

Kryuchin had more than just Beethoven in the cross-hairs – he was joined by two singers for an explosive rendition of Old McDonald had a Farm and the video is capped off with a rendition of the Russian song Murka.

While Kryuchin is well-known for his videos of virtuoso sharp-shooting, this is his first foray into classical music. But this video seems to have hit the target, so it might not be long before we hear some hair-trigger Haydn or Mauser Mozart.