Plinking
Encyclopedia
Plinking refers to informal target shooting
done at non-traditional targets such as tin can
s, glass bottles, and balloons filled with water. The term is an onomatopoeia of the sound a bullet or other projectile makes when hitting a tin can, or other similar target, referring to the sharp, metallic sound, known as a "plink".
Firearms of all calibres and types are commonly used for plinking. At one end of the power range, .50 calibre rifles have been taken to the desert and used to shatter boulders. Undoubtedly the most common calibre used for plinking is the .22 Long Rifle
rimfire cartridge
, since these rounds are relatively inexpensive and have a low recoil. Many young people use airguns and airsoft guns
for plinking, because they can be very inexpensive, are safer because they are usually much less powerful than cartridge firearms, and also because in some countries, airguns don't require a firearms license, or are subject to less stringent regulation.
Many gun ranges also place restrictions on rate of fire, for instance mandating that shooters only fire one shot every three or five seconds. Thus, shooters equipped with a semi-automatic weapon, fully automatic weapon, or a revolver cannot get the full enjoyment out of shooting their firearm. Since defense situations often require knowing how to accurately fire multiple shots in rapid succession, prohibitions on "rapid fire" shooting reduce firearms proficiency. While private indoor gun ranges often allow rapid fire they tend to bar surplus military ammunition from the range, charge more for shooting rifles than for shooting handguns, frequently disallow the largest calibres, and charge by the hour which forces one to compress one's shooting experience.
pollution
of the environment. Since some plinkers may also shoot "anything that moves" (especially if it is small), this can cause a lead toxicity problem for scavengers, in addition to the ecological balance issues involved.
Plinkers do not always follow all safety guidelines, in part, because some of the appeal of plinking derives from the freedom one has from the strict rules enforced at a typical gun range. Thus, plinkers do not generally use typical range commands and it is not uncommon for plinkers who do not use prescription lenses to go without eye protection. Most plinkers will, however, yell out a warning before starting a shooting session and will make sure their comrades have ceased firing before going out to work with their targets. Plinkers unused to a formal range environment, particularly older plinkers from rural areas, may also omit hearing protection, especially when they are only supervising younger shooters or simply being bystanders. Overall, however, most modern plinkers have extensive range experience and practice basic safety precautions including the use of hearing and eye protection.
In nations such as the UK with more stringent gun laws than in the U.S., casual shooting is more often done with an air rifle (air gun).
Shooting
Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
done at non-traditional targets such as tin can
Tin can
A tin can, tin , steel can, or a can, is a sealed container for the distribution or storage of goods, composed of thin metal. Many cans require opening by cutting the "end" open; others have removable covers. Cans hold diverse contents: foods, beverages, oil, chemicals, etc."Tin" cans are made...
s, glass bottles, and balloons filled with water. The term is an onomatopoeia of the sound a bullet or other projectile makes when hitting a tin can, or other similar target, referring to the sharp, metallic sound, known as a "plink".
Firearms of all calibres and types are commonly used for plinking. At one end of the power range, .50 calibre rifles have been taken to the desert and used to shatter boulders. Undoubtedly the most common calibre used for plinking is the .22 Long Rifle
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
rimfire cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
, since these rounds are relatively inexpensive and have a low recoil. Many young people use airguns and airsoft guns
Airsoft guns
Airsoft guns are replica firearms that shoot plastic pellets by way of compressed gas or electric and/or spring-driven pistons...
for plinking, because they can be very inexpensive, are safer because they are usually much less powerful than cartridge firearms, and also because in some countries, airguns don't require a firearms license, or are subject to less stringent regulation.
Minimal costs and effort
Firstly, plinking has been popular because, in rural areas, one could start plinking with a minimum of preparation and expense. In hilly country with clay soil providing a safe backstop it is as simple as gathering up a few stray cans. In many rural areas, up until recent decades plinking was essentially the only way to regularly practice marksmanship. Certainly, a rural shooter might improvise a formalized paper target but even then, the rest of the shooting experience had the character of plinking.Shooting freedom
Secondly, plinking in general allows a shooter much freedom of choice in creating his or her shooting experience. In particular, the plinker is set at liberty from the very restrictive rules found at many gun ranges. Certainly, this freedom can be used to violate basic safety standards (see below). However, other typical range rules which are not strictly matters of safety can also be ignored while plinking. Plinkers need not have fixed time periods of shooting before shooters have a chance to add, remove, check, or adjust their targets. In general, plinkers are free to shoot at their own pace.Many gun ranges also place restrictions on rate of fire, for instance mandating that shooters only fire one shot every three or five seconds. Thus, shooters equipped with a semi-automatic weapon, fully automatic weapon, or a revolver cannot get the full enjoyment out of shooting their firearm. Since defense situations often require knowing how to accurately fire multiple shots in rapid succession, prohibitions on "rapid fire" shooting reduce firearms proficiency. While private indoor gun ranges often allow rapid fire they tend to bar surplus military ammunition from the range, charge more for shooting rifles than for shooting handguns, frequently disallow the largest calibres, and charge by the hour which forces one to compress one's shooting experience.
Target choice
The third major reason for the popularity of plinking is that plinkers are able to choose their own targets. This reason is related to the first two. Many targets regularly used for plinking are cheaper to obtain and more commonly available than standard paper targets. Second, plinkers are able to use reactive targets which, when hit, are more apt to display the full power of their weapons compared to paper targets hit with similar precision.Common criticisms
Some shooters disdain plinking because they feel it results in sloppy shooting habits, or because it may bring a bad reputation to the shooting sports because of the litter that individuals sometimes leave. Litter has caused many public access areas to be closed to recreational shooting and should be cleaned up after plinking to ensure that further closures do not occur. Another problem is leadLead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
of the environment. Since some plinkers may also shoot "anything that moves" (especially if it is small), this can cause a lead toxicity problem for scavengers, in addition to the ecological balance issues involved.
Safety
Responsible shooters clean up after plinking and follow general safety guidelines when shooting at any target. When plinking, a major concern is to ensure an adequate backstop exists so bullets will not strike or ricochet towards unintended targets or populated areas.Plinkers do not always follow all safety guidelines, in part, because some of the appeal of plinking derives from the freedom one has from the strict rules enforced at a typical gun range. Thus, plinkers do not generally use typical range commands and it is not uncommon for plinkers who do not use prescription lenses to go without eye protection. Most plinkers will, however, yell out a warning before starting a shooting session and will make sure their comrades have ceased firing before going out to work with their targets. Plinkers unused to a formal range environment, particularly older plinkers from rural areas, may also omit hearing protection, especially when they are only supervising younger shooters or simply being bystanders. Overall, however, most modern plinkers have extensive range experience and practice basic safety precautions including the use of hearing and eye protection.
In nations such as the UK with more stringent gun laws than in the U.S., casual shooting is more often done with an air rifle (air gun).
See also
- Firearms safetyGun safetyGun safety is a collection of rules and recommendations that can be applied when handling firearms. The purpose of gun safety is to eliminate or minimize the risks of unintentional death, injury or damage caused by improper handling of firearms....
- List of rifle cartridges
- Glossary of firearms terminologyGlossary of firearms terminology-A:*accurize, accurizing: The process of altering a stock firearm to improve its accuracy.*action: The physical mechanism that manipulates cartridges and/or seals the breech. The term is also used to describe the method in which cartridges are loaded, locked, and extracted from the mechanism....
External links
- Power Plinker - Promoting the benefits of plinking.