I got locks with the longer shackles so that I'd have more versatility with them (short shackle would work well for the rifle case.. but wouldn't lend itself to locking the UTV trailer, boat trailer, etc...)...
Theyre not great locks.. but to your point, if someone wants in your fence, rifle case, etc.. a simple pad lock of pretty much any design isn't keeping anyone out.. it just keeps the honest people honest..
The ones that have been exposed to weather long term (on the fence, boat trailer, etc) have rusted up a little bit.. but they still function perfectly.. the ones I set aside for the rifle cases and other lockable objects that generally don't get subjected to the outdoors for long periods of time, look and function just as good today as they did when I first bought them years ago.. I should be set for the rest of my life.. for what at the time I think was a $55 investment (today they are just under $70)...