Plinking guns, fun guns and fun targets.

[GMballistic]

I do enjoy a bit of plinking from time to time so thought I'd start a thread for anyone to post there plinking/fun guns in. I also thought it would be interesting to see what "fun" safe and different targets people are shooting at (with an appropriate back stop always though for safety ofcourse).



I have a few Co2 airguns that I use for plinking but just thought I'd tell you about my newest fun gun.
It's a "Cybergun Mini Uzi" Co2 powered airgun that cost around £180 and it fires 4.5mm (.177) steel BB's. Looks wise I cannot fault it as it looks just like the real IMI Mini Uzi bar a few markings which obviously hint at it's airgun status. The body has a few plastic parts; the forend, pistol grip & grips but the majority of this airgun is metal. The gun has an all metal folding stock which is very functional and can double as a vertical handgrip at the front aswell when folded. It has a manual selectable safety.

The magazine is all metal and can hold upto 25 BB's when fully loaded. It similarly to the real Uzi magazine has markings for indicating the amount of cartridges in the magazine although on the airgun it is just for looks. The Co2 cartridge which powers the gun fits into the bottom of the magazine and a large allen key is supplied for fitting with the gun aswell as a spare Co2 end cap.

This is a semi-automatic Co2 airgun with a true blow back mechanism that actually cocks & reloads the gun each time you pull the trigger. With practice this gun will shoot very fast easily. I typically get two magazines from one Co2 cartridge but I'm happy with 50 shots as some of the Co2 is used for the blow back action afterall. The power level is low firing BB's at around 320fps av. but these type of guns aren't about power anyway. Definately not suitable for any sort of vermin control.

I believe the accuracy is very good and I like the iron sights that this gun uses which are adjustable aswell. I think you could get some tight groups but in all honesty I haven't tryed yet as it's much more fun sending cans spinning down the garden.

Overall I'm very happy with this gun and it's blow back action adds a true sense of recoil when firing ~ although nowhere near a real Uzi's kick it does buck around a bit which is fun.
The only negative things that I can say about this gun is that the paint finish on the metal is a little thin so will scratch easily when knocked about and the gun doesn't feature a last shot hold open bolt. In other words; when the magazine runs out of BB's, if you continue pulling the trigger to shoot the gun it will dry fire. Not a big deal really though at all.

^^ I was only going to write a few lines there but it turned into a bit of a review there. Lol ~ Hope you enjoyed reading it anyway.


Plinking targets wise I've used all sorts over the years so I'm interested to see if any of you have some different new ideas I could pinch.
Heres some of the things I've used occasionally; old shotgun/brass cases, XXXX strong mints (you get a nice "puff" of white dust when you hit them), thin plaster board (you can cut out bowling pin shapes, rabbits or anything really), old draughts board game peices, cans, old pens, wooden board with capgun caps glued on (makes a nice bang when you hit the caps) etc etc.

Any suggestions for targets then? what airguns are you guys using? any fun ideas or comments more than welcome.

[hunter]

By Eck.Good job im not replying with a quote GM !I plink with all my air guns, but really like my pistol, A webley alecto, its good for about 20 yards, if theres no wind maybe a little further. I string out things like polo mints,or stick love hearts on card, The latter going with a puff of dust.years ago i strung out a big collection of airfix planes and jets, and let em have it, that was fun and sad at the same time, but overall, great to watch them disintagrating, think it was an air rifle called a commando at the time, might have been spanish. Also a realy well shook up can of pop, shot with an fac, you want to see that bulge. funny how plinking can bring the youngter out in us. Think i might do a bit of plinking now. lol.

[Troll Hunter]

I love a good plink!

I often have a plinking session after I've been controlling vermin up the farm. Shooting acorns or doing a.bit of twig pruning is always a good way to wind down. I know some shooters are rather dismissive or plinking, but as far as I'm concerned it's all good, safe shooting. As long as you know where your pellets might go if you miss your target, there's no harm in it.

Plinking at cans with a pistol is what got me into shooting in the first place, so I have the humble Gat Gun to thank for 40 years of a fantastic hobby.

[GMballistic]

Thanks for the replies hunter & Troll Hunter.
I like the Love Hearts idea hunter aswell as the Airfix models which does sound fun but as you said sad at the same time. I've never heard of a Webley Alecto hunter so I'm going to search to see that little gem later when I can but I definately know what your talking about Troll Hunter when you mention the Gat!

The Gat air pistol was one of my first guns too and I'll never forget the fun I had with that. Shot darts and pellets all the time plinking with my little brother. Good times for sure.

I'd really like to try shooting at a remote controlled drone like I've seen some people do at American organised shoot. I think that would be a really challenging and interesting target to shoot at but obviously I'd need a semi-auto firearm at the least probably to have any chance of hitting it. Lol.

[Troll Hunter]

One really good plinking target is a string of conkers!

I used to thread loads on a string and hang it in the back garden. If you shoot them, they pretty much explode. As long as you've got a safe backstop, the only limit is your imagination.

[Hammergun]

I too started out with a Gat and a collection of Airfix kits... those were the days! On a similar theme, you can get small packs of readymade plastic military vehicles in 'pound' type shops and the ones I got for my great-nephews were made of a polythene type material that didn't shatter, just dented and went white where the pellet struck. They made great reusable targets for an impromptu garden range. And for those that think that this type of plinking is too childish for them - try scattering half a dozen of these toys at 55 yards, then try to shoot them... if you can find them.

[GMballistic]

^^ Definately agree Hammergun.
Plinking can be a great way of improving your shooting technique, honing your craft and just great fun too at the end of the day.

I made an interesting target using some old .22LR shell cases which was very challenging to shoot at. Using a Dremel and a 2.5mm HSS drill bit I made holes straight through the discharged shell cases at the top end. Then I got an old metal coat hanger and using some pliers cut it so that I could thread the shell cases along the bottom. Once I had threaded about 15 cases spaced equally onto the coat hanger I then rejoined the cut in the coat hanger simply with some ducktape.

I then hung this target 4ft up in the air from a low slung tree branch (with an appropriate backstop ofcourse) roughly 15 metres from my shooting line. It doesn't sound hard at first but I was using my good old Crosman 357 .177 Co2 gun with iron sights and honestly it was very challenging indeed. Single action shooting was the only way to hit them as double action seemed to pull my aim off just slightly but the feeling was great when I saw those cases spinning around. Even managed to shoot a few of them clean off the coat hanger altogether.

Its a great way to use of old shell cases that you don't need, that are damaged or cannot be reloaded and an easy way to make a spinning target.

[Troll Hunter]

Empty 12-bore shotgun cartridges make very good plinking targets and my brother once made a contraption to hold them.

He fixed a length of 22mm copper pipe into a metal bracket and the shells were loaded, base down, into the vertical tube from the top. An aperture was at the bottom, where the shells were held ready for the shooter to engage them. When the pellet hit the case, it flew off in a rather pleasing manner!

I think it held about 30 12-bore shells and was brilliant fun to shoot.

[GMballistic]

^^ Cool idea that one Troll Hunter.

I was using some old bannana's and orange's for some fast fire plinking this weekend. Biodegradeable so not much needed cleaning up afterwards which was nice.

[GMballistic]

Really fun targets I've been using the last couple of weekends have been these Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C targets I purchased from eBay. I really can't recommend these targets highly enough.

Great shot visibility as ever hit is embellished by a bright flourescent ring so a must for any shooter imo but especially useful for zeroing in a scope, open sight or for fast fire shooters just out for some fun.
My thread about them and a link to buy them from eBay is included below.

Just bought some Birchwood Casey "Shoot N C" targets