Or weakening your target with guns.
Me and my father used it as an opening move, the sequence: missile kill the first, ram the second and gun down third while your wingman plays with the fourth (I even learned to hog his kills with either a missile or gun fire) was great for quick dealing with 4 fighter flights, one of the largest formations you encouncered in WC1.
It often damaged my hull a little, but the enemy always exploded into a giant fireball, so it was worth of it, I just had to be carefull not to execute head-on with the next enemy.
Of course, when the quick elimiantion of the fighters was needed the most (while escorting the captured Ralari) you faced Jalthis which were too heavly armoured to kill that way.
But at least one transport crew owes it's lives to this tactic used on Dralthis.