plink

Plinking refers to informal target shooting done at non-traditional targets such as tin cans, glass bottles, and balloons filled with water.^[1] 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. But undoubtedly the most common calibre used for plinking is the .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge,^[2] since these rounds are relatively inexpensive and have a low report. 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 licence, or are subject to less stringent regulation.

Reasons for popularity

There are at least three major reasons for the popularity of plinking.

Minimal costs and effort

First, 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

Second, 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). But 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.^[2]

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 negatively impact firearms proficiency.^{[citation needed]} 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.

Furthermore, most gun ranges typically segregate the three major types of firearms, effectively forcing one to shoot only one or two of them on any given shooting trip. While at outdoor public ranges, one can sometimes shoot rifles and handguns in proximity, shotguns are typically used at a separate skeet and trap range. At most indoor ranges, rifles and handguns are usually fired in separate parts of the range and shotguns are not allowed at all. By contrast, plinkers, can freely change between shotguns and pistols at a moments notice or freely use the full capabilities of a gun that fires both rifle or pistol and shotgun ammunition.

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.

Overall, plinking is popular because it allows shooters to thoroughly customize their shooting experience.

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.^{[citation needed]} 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.

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

• List of rifle cartridges

References

External links

• Power Plinker - Promoting the benefits of plinking.
• Fast Company - Plinking as Emerging Web Jargon.