Thank you guys. Another story I have. I go to the range and there are a father and son shooting steel, 1st not at the proper distance and have covered 3/4 of the range with steel targets. So I politely tell them they have to move on, and the father engages me in an arguement. So when rules are not follow the member is suppose to get the liscence plate of thier car or ask for club ID. So I ask Dad to see his ID, well wouldn't you know he isn't even a member his son is but not him and he is arguing with me about rules, on the other hand the son didn't say a word, he knew I was right. So I trun to both the son and the Dad and say it was nice of you to have your Dad come today, but I guess if I see him again you will be in violation of bringing too many non-memebers to the club. Have a good day adn proceed to set my stuff up. Dad shut up in an instant. YOU DON'T EVEN BELONG HERE AND YOU ARE ARGUING WITH ME ABOUT RULES!
Plinkers Go Home And Stay There!
- Thread starter ppcmaster
- Start date
- Status
You should see the local outdoor range here in town. It's about 50 yrds off the highway, and the first of three skeet houses start about 100 yrds from HWY290. I've heard reports of traveling cars getting peppered, and I can see why. The covered firing area next to the skeet/trap area is only segregated by a small tree-line, so it gets peppered all the time. There is no range officer and the range is always hot (the old man sets up about 200 target sheets every morning at the 7/20/50/100 yrd berms). And I don't think a casing has been picked up in about 100 years. It wouldn't suprise me if somebody breaks an ankle. Oh, and drinking is permitted only 10 yrds behind the firing line. Seems safe, huh? If it wasn't just $7 to shoot all day, I would file a complaint. I'll take some photos for you guys next time I venture out there. It will either make you laugh or cringe.
Dear PPCMASTER,
Since you were so kind as to reply to my earlier thread entitled "Maryland ranges/plinking areas," and call me an idiot in the process, I thought it only fair to respond to your posting. I apologize if my posting torqued you off, but I must admit that your reply did not give me a case of the warm and fuzzies toward you, either.
Let me set the record straight. I do not fit your rather unique definition of "plinker," and it was not what I had in mind when I posed the question in my original thread. Please allow me to introduce myself to you. I have been shooting shotguns, rifles, and pistols for some 30 years. I have completed three firearms safety courses in my history, one a hunters' safety course sponsored by the MD Dept. of Natural Resources, one a handgun safety course sponsored by the MD State Police, and the last the Personal Protection course sponsored by the NRA. I have been a member of the NRA and NSSA (National Skeet Shooting Associaction). I have competitively shot registered targets with a shotgun, and even won a couple of events in my class. I have shot next to state and national champions in skeet, trap, and pistol. I have hunted waterfowl for many years. All of this has been done without accident or incident on my part. I have always had the utmost respect for the safety and condition of my fellow shooters and the area in which I am shooting.
In the field, I have seen full-body goose decoys with holes the size of my first completely through them, heads shot off, etc. all on the property of a (deceased) prominent State Senator; after that, I politely declined invitations to hunt that property again. I have seen a good old boy (from the big city) bring a dead goat to a deer checking station during rifle season, swearing (thorugh his beer goggles) that it was a deer; I have never hunted deer during rifle season as a result. Once on a skeet field, some bratty a-h missed a pair of doubles and threw his shotgun on the ground in the middle of the round; I refused to continue the round and would never shoot on the same squad with him after that. I have been at an indoor pistol range where some gang-looking types were shooting some kind of hand cannon all over the place; I alerted the range officer and left. My point is simply this: if you do not like the facility at which you are currently shooting, or the behavior of the people that shoot there, leave and find a better place to shoot instead of sounding so angry. A firing range is no place for an angry person.
While I am sure that I do not posess the range skill that you must, I can hold my own punching paper at 25 yds. with a 9mm Glock 17. I am sorry that there are some yahoos that have ruined your club. I am not, however, one of them, so I would appreciate it if you would not, knowing nothing about me, publicly insult me. I posed my question because I am looking to try out a new type of firearm, and would like to have fun, in a respectful and responsible manner, learning about it. Quite possibly, shooting at something other than paper might help me better understand the capabilities of the weapon, and thus enhance my respect for it.
Sincerely,
Rebelwon
Since you were so kind as to reply to my earlier thread entitled "Maryland ranges/plinking areas," and call me an idiot in the process, I thought it only fair to respond to your posting. I apologize if my posting torqued you off, but I must admit that your reply did not give me a case of the warm and fuzzies toward you, either.
Let me set the record straight. I do not fit your rather unique definition of "plinker," and it was not what I had in mind when I posed the question in my original thread. Please allow me to introduce myself to you. I have been shooting shotguns, rifles, and pistols for some 30 years. I have completed three firearms safety courses in my history, one a hunters' safety course sponsored by the MD Dept. of Natural Resources, one a handgun safety course sponsored by the MD State Police, and the last the Personal Protection course sponsored by the NRA. I have been a member of the NRA and NSSA (National Skeet Shooting Associaction). I have competitively shot registered targets with a shotgun, and even won a couple of events in my class. I have shot next to state and national champions in skeet, trap, and pistol. I have hunted waterfowl for many years. All of this has been done without accident or incident on my part. I have always had the utmost respect for the safety and condition of my fellow shooters and the area in which I am shooting.
In the field, I have seen full-body goose decoys with holes the size of my first completely through them, heads shot off, etc. all on the property of a (deceased) prominent State Senator; after that, I politely declined invitations to hunt that property again. I have seen a good old boy (from the big city) bring a dead goat to a deer checking station during rifle season, swearing (thorugh his beer goggles) that it was a deer; I have never hunted deer during rifle season as a result. Once on a skeet field, some bratty a-h missed a pair of doubles and threw his shotgun on the ground in the middle of the round; I refused to continue the round and would never shoot on the same squad with him after that. I have been at an indoor pistol range where some gang-looking types were shooting some kind of hand cannon all over the place; I alerted the range officer and left. My point is simply this: if you do not like the facility at which you are currently shooting, or the behavior of the people that shoot there, leave and find a better place to shoot instead of sounding so angry. A firing range is no place for an angry person.
While I am sure that I do not posess the range skill that you must, I can hold my own punching paper at 25 yds. with a 9mm Glock 17. I am sorry that there are some yahoos that have ruined your club. I am not, however, one of them, so I would appreciate it if you would not, knowing nothing about me, publicly insult me. I posed my question because I am looking to try out a new type of firearm, and would like to have fun, in a respectful and responsible manner, learning about it. Quite possibly, shooting at something other than paper might help me better understand the capabilities of the weapon, and thus enhance my respect for it.
Sincerely,
Rebelwon
Hello Rebelone,
In NO way was I attempting to insult you in, your post just lit the fuse. I am happy that you say you take your shooting seriously and I wasn't implying that you didn't. If this has hurt your feelings my sincere apologies. As for moving to a different club, well here in NJ there are not many at all anymore, they are always get shut down becuase of these plinkers I am speaking of. New Jersey is an anti-gun state no matter what people tell you, they tried years agao to outlaw guns and were not able to so now the dumb polititions are trying to out law ammo, specifically if an out fo stater comes to NJ with ammo, it will be a crime even if they are going to a match and even if they have a valid Federal firearms card. I shouldn't have to leave "MY" club I have been there for 13yrs and I am tired of the idiots. When I think plinking I automatically think idiot with a gun because that's how most of them are. Anyway my apologies again no offense intended toward you. Hadley when you find clapping noises please let me know I can use them also pot stirrer.
In NO way was I attempting to insult you in, your post just lit the fuse. I am happy that you say you take your shooting seriously and I wasn't implying that you didn't. If this has hurt your feelings my sincere apologies. As for moving to a different club, well here in NJ there are not many at all anymore, they are always get shut down becuase of these plinkers I am speaking of. New Jersey is an anti-gun state no matter what people tell you, they tried years agao to outlaw guns and were not able to so now the dumb polititions are trying to out law ammo, specifically if an out fo stater comes to NJ with ammo, it will be a crime even if they are going to a match and even if they have a valid Federal firearms card. I shouldn't have to leave "MY" club I have been there for 13yrs and I am tired of the idiots. When I think plinking I automatically think idiot with a gun because that's how most of them are. Anyway my apologies again no offense intended toward you. Hadley when you find clapping noises please let me know I can use them also pot stirrer.
DonR101395
New member
After reading the entire thread twice, I have to say this......
Unless you own the property, and facilities it isn't YOUR range, it belongs just as much to the plinkers you hate. I'll admit there are people who come to the range who are inexperienced and do dumb things. Have you ever thought about trying to give them a hand and teaching them, instead of getting on your high horse and berating them? I saw this behavior at the range I belong to this past Sunday. The club president got on his high horse with a kid who actually was doing nothing wrong other than he brought an AK and the president doesn't like them(but they are perfectly legal on the range). As a result, he lost three members, the kid who he booted off the range, and me and my wife who watched his unprofessional childlike tantrum. We weren't even involved with the confrontation, but decided we don't want to be a member of a range that is run by an elitist windbag.
You see it's about choices, if you choose to be a member of a range, you either accept it's members and leaders or you leave and find another range. You chose to be a member at that range you can also choose to buy property and build your own range that is only used by you and you won't have to deal with those horrible plinkers.
Well I guess you didn't read to carefully the two times you did read the thread. I have and still do attempt to help those out if they would like help. Also in the thread you will read that NJ is in fact overflowing with ranges, NOT! If I have been a member for 13yrs and these idiot and unsafe plinkers come and go like I change my underwear, they are of NO value to anyone or any club for that matter, they want to be destructive, look cool like TV and movies, and joke around with thier guns. I can't speak up for your past president this weekend, but maybe you didn't see what this kid was doing, like you said "KID". Kids do stupis things sometimes. I guess what I am really trying to get at is, stop being a knuckle head and learn about shooting from groups, leagues get involved and learn. Ignorance isn't bliss it's down right dangerous. I guess I can pose an analogie here: Most people who rent don't care about thier (tenant or landlords) property, they do not treat it like thier own even if they live there or have been there for years, these plinkers do not care about the club/range they belong to and they treat it as such. Maybe the Clubs should mandate that shooters shoot in a league or something like that.
I am a plinker because I dont shoot all the time.
when I go:
I follow the posted range rules
use the authorized targets
dont shoot up the the target frames or the range
courteous to fellow shooters
keep my hands off my firearms when folks are downrange or the line is not clear
dont give an opinion unless asked for one
police up my mess
so dont give all us plinkers bad names
when I go:
I follow the posted range rules
use the authorized targets
dont shoot up the the target frames or the range
courteous to fellow shooters
keep my hands off my firearms when folks are downrange or the line is not clear
dont give an opinion unless asked for one
police up my mess
so dont give all us plinkers bad names
I think your efforts would be better spent trying to educate and encourage them to become safer shooters than trying to expel them from your club. Many times we don't realize that most people are an untapped resource. It just takes the right opportunity. But by painting all of a certain type (defined only in your mind) of shooter with the same brush, you do a disservice to yourself as much as them. You can learn something from everyone you meet and you may be missing the opportunity to find a new shooter to mentor or your next shooting buddy. The firearms community has a bad enough image (particularly in the East) to outsiders, so let's not aid them by infighting.
Next time you see a plinker, approach them in a friendly manner and engage them in conversation. You may be surprised where it leads. Try the same approach with range officials.
Next time you see a plinker, approach them in a friendly manner and engage them in conversation. You may be surprised where it leads. Try the same approach with range officials.
PPCMASTER,
Apology accepted, no offense taken
; sorry if I over-reacted. I AM sorry to hear that NJ is such a tough state for firearms enthusiasts, but I can empathize as Maryland is not a whole lot better (and always trying to get worse, so it seems, even with a strong hunting tradition across the state). Despite living in a populous suburban area, at least we do have a fairly good number of options for ranges close at hand. Hope you can find a way to a good place full of good people nearby. Like you, I have little tolerance for folks that cannot respect firearms. I like staying alive.
Apology accepted, no offense taken
; sorry if I over-reacted. I AM sorry to hear that NJ is such a tough state for firearms enthusiasts, but I can empathize as Maryland is not a whole lot better (and always trying to get worse, so it seems, even with a strong hunting tradition across the state). Despite living in a populous suburban area, at least we do have a fairly good number of options for ranges close at hand. Hope you can find a way to a good place full of good people nearby. Like you, I have little tolerance for folks that cannot respect firearms. I like staying alive.
CosmoLover
New member
When I think of plinkers, I think of father and son shooting. It's as American as a father and son eating at Whataburger after a dove hunt. Now how can that be wrong?
DonR101395
New member
What you have described are slobs at best, idiots at worst. I shoot alot, I've never shot in a league, and I consider myself a part time plinker. I like to do serious defensive training, not the gamesmenship that leagues foster, it's just not for me. For those into it, have a nut, everyone needs a hobby. Sometimes I like to take my .22 rifle or pistol to the range and plink, it's not nearly as much fun as when I was a kid and could shoot tin cans in the back yard, but I can live with it. I would suggest you work on changing the rules, changing the supervision or just change clubs if you're not happy there.
In the interest of clarity, PPCMaster should stop calling these people "plinkers" and call them something more fitting. Mall Ninja and idiot are two names that come to mind.
I hate these people too. Where I shoot, it seems that every week there is at least one guy who feels the need to shoot at our targets or slam his gun down when he can't figure out how to get the magazine in.
I live in a gun-friendly state (Louisiana) and if they tried to make it so that you had to belong to a gun club to own a gun, or even shoot in compitition to belong to a club....Well, let's just say that wouldn't fly too well.
I know alot of people who have one gun and have it strictly for personal defense. They take it to the range maybe once or twice a year to rotate the ammo in it and to make sure the gun still works.
People like this should be required to shoot in a league just so they can have a good means of protecting their life and the lives of their family?
That sounds elitiest and almost anti-2nd amendment to me.
I hate these people too. Where I shoot, it seems that every week there is at least one guy who feels the need to shoot at our targets or slam his gun down when he can't figure out how to get the magazine in.
I live in a gun-friendly state (Louisiana) and if they tried to make it so that you had to belong to a gun club to own a gun, or even shoot in compitition to belong to a club....Well, let's just say that wouldn't fly too well.
I know alot of people who have one gun and have it strictly for personal defense. They take it to the range maybe once or twice a year to rotate the ammo in it and to make sure the gun still works.
People like this should be required to shoot in a league just so they can have a good means of protecting their life and the lives of their family?
That sounds elitiest and almost anti-2nd amendment to me.
superpelly
New member
___________________________________________________________________
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Plinking refers to informal target shooting done at non-traditional targets such as tin cans, glass bottles, and balloons filled with water.
Firearms of all calibers and types are commonly used for plinking. At one of the power range .50 caliber rifles have been taken to the desert and used to shatter boulders. But undoubtedly the most common caliber used for plinking is the .22 Long Rifle calibre cartridges since that round is realtively inexpensive and has a low report.
Reasons for the Popularity of Plinking
There are at least three major reasons for the popularity of plinking.
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 finding a safe backstop was 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.
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.
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 or even automatic weapon 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. 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 calibers, 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 close 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.
Plinkers can also readily combine shooting with other recreational activities. One can, for instance, bring firearms along for a swimming trip to the local swimming hole or creek. One can swim right before or after one does some shooting and without the need to even change clothes. Plinking is also perfectly compatible with a variety of other outdoor activities, especially hiking.
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 of Plinking
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 it sometimes creates. Many though by no means all, non-shooters would be disquieted by shooting which takes place outside of a dedicated gun range and thus hold forth against it on the grounds of safety and noise pollution.
Plinking and 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.
For better or worse, 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 range 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).
The Future of Plinking
It is difficult to project the future of plinking in the United States and around the world. A number of factors weigh heavily on the viability of plinking in the decades to come.
First, the overall legal environment for civilian firearms owners is of prime importance to the future of plinking. Increasingly restritive gun laws will mean fewer and fewer places one can legally shoot let alone plink. Restrictions on guns themselves are also significant since, the United Kingdom after outlawing most firearms is now considering further restrictions on air rifles.
Second, plinking can be likened to an endangered animal suffering from an increasingly severe loss of habitat. Suburban sprawl threatens established formal gun ranges with closure and this same trend has an adverse effect on plinking. Urban dwellers who move into rural areas for quietude often have a different set of values from rural gun owners who consider it acceptable to fire guns in their back yard at reasonable hours. These homeowners often successfully file noise and nuisance or even safety complaints to force plinkers to give up their pastime or take it elsewhere.
Unlike public or large private gun ranges, few individual plinkers have the financial wherewithal to fight for their own interests where said interests conflict with those of determined homeowners. While many gun owner groups and gun ranges have successfully lobbied state legislatures for "range protection laws" there have been few if any efforts to pass "plinker protection" legislation.
con't below
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Plinking refers to informal target shooting done at non-traditional targets such as tin cans, glass bottles, and balloons filled with water.
Firearms of all calibers and types are commonly used for plinking. At one of the power range .50 caliber rifles have been taken to the desert and used to shatter boulders. But undoubtedly the most common caliber used for plinking is the .22 Long Rifle calibre cartridges since that round is realtively inexpensive and has a low report.
Reasons for the Popularity of Plinking
There are at least three major reasons for the popularity of plinking.
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 finding a safe backstop was 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.
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.
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 or even automatic weapon 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. 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 calibers, 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 close 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.
Plinkers can also readily combine shooting with other recreational activities. One can, for instance, bring firearms along for a swimming trip to the local swimming hole or creek. One can swim right before or after one does some shooting and without the need to even change clothes. Plinking is also perfectly compatible with a variety of other outdoor activities, especially hiking.
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 of Plinking
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 it sometimes creates. Many though by no means all, non-shooters would be disquieted by shooting which takes place outside of a dedicated gun range and thus hold forth against it on the grounds of safety and noise pollution.
Plinking and 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.
For better or worse, 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 range 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).
The Future of Plinking
It is difficult to project the future of plinking in the United States and around the world. A number of factors weigh heavily on the viability of plinking in the decades to come.
First, the overall legal environment for civilian firearms owners is of prime importance to the future of plinking. Increasingly restritive gun laws will mean fewer and fewer places one can legally shoot let alone plink. Restrictions on guns themselves are also significant since, the United Kingdom after outlawing most firearms is now considering further restrictions on air rifles.
Second, plinking can be likened to an endangered animal suffering from an increasingly severe loss of habitat. Suburban sprawl threatens established formal gun ranges with closure and this same trend has an adverse effect on plinking. Urban dwellers who move into rural areas for quietude often have a different set of values from rural gun owners who consider it acceptable to fire guns in their back yard at reasonable hours. These homeowners often successfully file noise and nuisance or even safety complaints to force plinkers to give up their pastime or take it elsewhere.
Unlike public or large private gun ranges, few individual plinkers have the financial wherewithal to fight for their own interests where said interests conflict with those of determined homeowners. While many gun owner groups and gun ranges have successfully lobbied state legislatures for "range protection laws" there have been few if any efforts to pass "plinker protection" legislation.
con't below
superpelly
New member
Con't
To protect them against suburban sprawl many remaining open spaces have been made state or national parks but this often has the unintended consequence of closing these areas off to plinkers.
As areas one can legally plink become harder and harder to find, the cost of plinking increases due to travel time. Lack of suitable plinking venues in many parts of the United States has been a chief reason for the overwhelmingly rural character of plinkers in general.
Thus, the future of plinking is dependent upon a number of factors which are difficult to predict.
One possible outcome would be for plinking with firearms to largely disappear but for plinking with air rifles to make up for this, at least in rural areas. This would most likely occur if both the trend towards plinker habitat loss and the trend against more restrictive gun control laws were to continue.
Another scenario also assmumes that that plinker habitat reduction will not significantly abate but that public and private gun ranges will realize the large potential market in displaced plinkers. If this happens, one might seem some partial revival of plinking in a more rigid and structure context.
Adding a sound suppressor to a firearm greatly enhances its potential plinking use, especially when one is firing subsonic ammunition.
Examples of Plinking in the Media
R.Lee Ermey has popularized plinking on his History Channel television show "Mail Call" by using a variety of firearms and other weapons on his mortal "enemy" the watermelon. At times Ermey has used watermelon targets to gauge the relative stopping power of two different weapons. For instance, he compared the M-14 to the M-16. While some might not call such demonstrations, "plinking" Ermey does nothing to hide the pleasure he derives from such carnage and the use of reactive targets to display a weapon's power is certainly in the tradition of plinking.
Tank Plinking during the Gulf War
During the Gulf War, the destruction and high attrition rate of Iraq's armoured divisions, due to coalition air attack prior to the land campaign, gained the term tank plinking among coalition air forces. This was as a result of the abundance of armoured targets and the extremely effective use of strike aircraft, such as the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 and the A-10 Thunderbolt, via very high sortie rates and utilizing highly accurate precision-guided munitions such as the AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missile. Though the F-15, F-16, and F-14 all sortied in the Gulf War, the A-10 Thunderbolt II received the vast majority of tank kills, firing more than 90% of the Mavericks expended in the campaign, besides its very effective GAU-8/A Avenger.
During the latter parts of the campaign, aircrews learned to carry out missions early in the morning. With the sand still cool after night, the heat from a tank's engine made them stand out on the infra-red imaging in the cockpit. This allowed aircrew to identify targets easily, and precision munitions were afforded an even-easier kill.
The air campaign was so effective that at the height of the air assault, Iraq's armoured forces were being reduced by over 200 tanks and AFV's per day. Apart from the materiel destruction, it also destroyed the morale of Iraqi tank crews, and this was borne out during the first armoured encounters by coalition ground forces, where it was found that Iraqi tanks rarely got off the first shot. As it turned out, the crews were terrified of staying in their tanks, which had been transformed into death traps by the air assault, and as a result, the crews were camping some distance from their tanks.
As a ex-cop ---------I still plink
To protect them against suburban sprawl many remaining open spaces have been made state or national parks but this often has the unintended consequence of closing these areas off to plinkers.
As areas one can legally plink become harder and harder to find, the cost of plinking increases due to travel time. Lack of suitable plinking venues in many parts of the United States has been a chief reason for the overwhelmingly rural character of plinkers in general.
Thus, the future of plinking is dependent upon a number of factors which are difficult to predict.
One possible outcome would be for plinking with firearms to largely disappear but for plinking with air rifles to make up for this, at least in rural areas. This would most likely occur if both the trend towards plinker habitat loss and the trend against more restrictive gun control laws were to continue.
Another scenario also assmumes that that plinker habitat reduction will not significantly abate but that public and private gun ranges will realize the large potential market in displaced plinkers. If this happens, one might seem some partial revival of plinking in a more rigid and structure context.
Adding a sound suppressor to a firearm greatly enhances its potential plinking use, especially when one is firing subsonic ammunition.
Examples of Plinking in the Media
R.Lee Ermey has popularized plinking on his History Channel television show "Mail Call" by using a variety of firearms and other weapons on his mortal "enemy" the watermelon. At times Ermey has used watermelon targets to gauge the relative stopping power of two different weapons. For instance, he compared the M-14 to the M-16. While some might not call such demonstrations, "plinking" Ermey does nothing to hide the pleasure he derives from such carnage and the use of reactive targets to display a weapon's power is certainly in the tradition of plinking.
Tank Plinking during the Gulf War
During the Gulf War, the destruction and high attrition rate of Iraq's armoured divisions, due to coalition air attack prior to the land campaign, gained the term tank plinking among coalition air forces. This was as a result of the abundance of armoured targets and the extremely effective use of strike aircraft, such as the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 and the A-10 Thunderbolt, via very high sortie rates and utilizing highly accurate precision-guided munitions such as the AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missile. Though the F-15, F-16, and F-14 all sortied in the Gulf War, the A-10 Thunderbolt II received the vast majority of tank kills, firing more than 90% of the Mavericks expended in the campaign, besides its very effective GAU-8/A Avenger.
During the latter parts of the campaign, aircrews learned to carry out missions early in the morning. With the sand still cool after night, the heat from a tank's engine made them stand out on the infra-red imaging in the cockpit. This allowed aircrew to identify targets easily, and precision munitions were afforded an even-easier kill.
The air campaign was so effective that at the height of the air assault, Iraq's armoured forces were being reduced by over 200 tanks and AFV's per day. Apart from the materiel destruction, it also destroyed the morale of Iraqi tank crews, and this was borne out during the first armoured encounters by coalition ground forces, where it was found that Iraqi tanks rarely got off the first shot. As it turned out, the crews were terrified of staying in their tanks, which had been transformed into death traps by the air assault, and as a result, the crews were camping some distance from their tanks.
As a ex-cop ---------I still plink
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