Shotgun "plinking"

[sandspider]

Hi all

 

I'd like to do a bit of shotgun plinking (when I have my SGC and a shotgun that is- any time soon I hope, FEO visit went well last week), shooting pattern plates, apples etc. to test loads and pattern and penetration. The problem is though I don't have any land of my own to shoot on, and I doubt any clay ground would want me to do something like that! Is there anywhere you can pay just to shoot targets other than clays (maybe somewhere that does practical shotgun?), or is it a matter of finding some rough shooting land of your own?

 

Cheers.

[RC45]

Not sure I have heard anyone doing that, unless they owned the land. Shooting apples might be considered risky!

[fortune82]

Ive been shooting for nearly 15 years and have never penetration tested on an apple! Dont know what it would prove either! Maybe that a certain size of pellet will go through an apple!

[Bluebarrels]

Not sure I have heard anyone doing that, unless they owned the land. Shooting apples might be considered risky!

and if shooting apples make sure you use a sensible load,30g 6s will be fine,dont go using 28g 7 1/2s they just havent got the juice LOL BB

[RC45]

I have some 42's if your struggling...

[MC]

I think you may want to do a bit of reading.

 

You "plink" with an air pistol, not a shotgun.

[sandspider]

I think you may want to do a bit of reading.

 

You "plink" with an air pistol, not a shotgun.

 

I know - I shot air rifles for many years. But I want to try the same thing with a shotgun... Carefully! And yes, I will use suitable loads to make sure of a clean kill on the biggest apple

 

I feared I might need my own land to do it, ah well.

[RC45]

I doubt if a farmer would let you do it. And don't ask your firearms officer or he might pull your ticket.

[Imperfection]

Shooting apples??? Must be an easier way of getting some juice???

 

Ask your local clay ground if they have a pattern plate.

[Greymaster]

Coming from the West Country I thought you'd know that shooting apples is a capital crime in cider-land.

[Blunderbuss]

I think you may want to do a bit of reading.

 

You "plink" with an air pistol, not a shotgun.

 

Plinking is a term originating in the US, which refers to informal target practice at non paper targets with ANY firearm/airgun. It certainly does not refer only to air pistols. Shooting at tin cans, old TVs and bottles with a .22 LR rifle or a centerfire revolver or semi auto would definitely be termed "plinking", as would shooting at cars and washing machines half a mile away with a .50!

 

Plinking with a shotgun is a little more unusal, as the static targets normally used are a bit less of a challenge. Try and get permission on a landfill or or other site with rubbish where you can take the odd shot an an unusal target to assuage your curiosity. Beware of richochets though

[Clubshot]

I have shot Practical Shotgun

 

Check out the Following Link

 

http://www.ukpsa.co.uk/

 

Re practise - Air bourne Plinking

 

Pop along to a Sunday Sport Clay Shoot - cheaper than a Shooting Ground

 

Will advise it is adictive - and Stress breaking

Putting names on Clay's and dusting them............

 

Really can test your Skills

 

You will also find that most Clay Shooting Grounds have

Pattern Boards - where you can test cartridges and chokes

 

Most Shot Gun Grounds and Farmers do not appreciate Shotguns being

Discharged into ground

 

And be very careful whn Shooting into water

Especially if there are ducks etc around - not being shot

 

Check BASC web site for more information

 

www.basc.org.uk

 

BOB/R

[reaper6]

you need to join a rifle club wgere they allow practical shotgun............not sure about apples though

[Shuck.]

you need to join a rifle club wgere they allow practical shotgun............not sure about apples though

 

EH??

[MC]

you need to join a rifle club wgere they allow practical shotgun............not sure about apples though

 

 

EH??

 

 

Come on Shuck,

 

That made perfect sense. In the same way that you go to the bus station to catch a plane.

[Dave 101]

Hi Sandspider .

 

I think what you need is a mentor , someone who can show you the ropes . I was a member of a practical shotgun club we shot just about anything we could lay our hands on , as the police used our range , riot shields police car doors and riot helmets all got a test fire the same as the police had been doing with them ,

 

5 litres of budweiser vigourously shaken and shot at 15 yds is a good target , I doudt if many members havent shot the odd can or two .

 

Main thing is to get to know the capabilities of your gun and be safe with it , one of the first things we did with new members was to take the on a range and show them the effects of a shotgun on various items , it kind of puts things into perspective .

 

Perhaps if you ask nicely someone here will help you out ,we al started as newbies once , if you was in my area I would have been glad to help .

Have fun and be safe . learn your craft .

 

Dave

[COACH]

 

Spend a little on a lesson with a good coach and save yourself a fortune in the end.

He/She will tell you all you need to know.

[sandspider]

Thanks one and all for the good advice.

 

I will defintely have a few lessons and look into practical shotgun. Don't worry, I'm not intending to shoot anything at point blank range, I'm simply curious to know what a shotgun would do to something like an apple at 30m, 40m etc. I know that a pattern plate gives you some info about spread and so on, but, with an air rifle, I found shooting cans, apples, lego men, old CDs etc. more informative and much more fun than punching paper. I don't intend to shoot at live game until I know my and my gun's capabilities.

 

Bob, thanks for the website - we were in touch ages ago (on the airgunbbs website), when I tested out your Prometheus tin pellet range and reviewed them for my website.

 

Dave, thanks for the suggestion. My girlfriend actually lives in Essex, so I do go Braintree way every few weekends. And I've had various offers from local people about trying their guns and their clay shoots, but I've not asked about shotgun plinking - don't want to ask too much at this stage. But, if the opportunity arises and no one minds, I'd be happy to take it!

 

Anyway, thanks again. Roll on SCG arrival so I can actually get a shotgun and do some shooting

[Shuck.]

Hi Sandspider .

 

I think what you need is a mentor , someone who can show you the ropes . I was a member of a practical shotgun club we shot just about anything we could lay our hands on , as the police used our range , riot shields police car doors and riot helmets all got a test fire the same as the police had been doing with them ,

 

5 litres of budweiser vigourously shaken and shot at 15 yds is a good target , I doudt if many members havent shot the odd can or two .

 

Main thing is to get to know the capabilities of your gun and be safe with it , one of the first things we did with new members was to take the on a range and show them the effects of a shotgun on various items , it kind of puts things into perspective .

 

Perhaps if you ask nicely someone here will help you out ,we al started as newbies once , if you was in my area I would have been glad to help .

Have fun and be safe . learn your craft .

 

Dave

Dave. Where did you do your Practical Shotgunning? I plan on getting some time off and seeing what its all about, Neil Smith told me about the UK PSA place closest to me, I like the idea of shooting static targets but Id love to go and shoot misc items

 

Thanks one and all for the good advice.

 

I will defintely have a few lessons and look into practical shotgun. Don't worry, I'm not intending to shoot anything at point blank range, I'm simply curious to know what a shotgun would do to something like an apple at 30m, 40m etc. I know that a pattern plate gives you some info about spread and so on, but, with an air rifle, I found shooting cans, apples, lego men, old CDs etc. more informative and much more fun than punching paper. I don't intend to shoot at live game until I know my and my gun's capabilities.

 

Bob, thanks for the website - we were in touch ages ago (on the airgunbbs website), when I tested out your Prometheus tin pellet range and reviewed them for my website.

 

Dave, thanks for the suggestion. My girlfriend actually lives in Essex, so I do go Braintree way every few weekends. And I've had various offers from local people about trying their guns and their clay shoots, but I've not asked about shotgun plinking - don't want to ask too much at this stage. But, if the opportunity arises and no one minds, I'd be happy to take it!

 

Anyway, thanks again. Roll on SCG arrival so I can actually get a shotgun and do some shooting

 

I think its a good way to learn more about the ballistical characteristics of your guns & ammo, Im sure we all shot the odd toy cars with our air rifles when we were younger, learned about ricochets on hard surfaces etc.. something you could never learn from shooting clays or anything else in a controlled environment..

as you say its not really one of those things people really seem to talk about, but I think as long as you know your safety zone and keep to strict boundaries.. that you cant have some fun experimenting.

 

Id like a place to do it but id never try on one of my farm permissions.. I asked BabbyC the other day about his permission as he always seems to be shooting car doors/remote control vehicles and other items

lucky *******

[mike.ginty]

I think if that is the kind of thing your going to be doing with a shotgun you should consider an air rifle, and if you told this to a FEO i don't think you would get your SGC this is a lethal weapon and should not be treated like a toy for plinking at ground level targets. you should consider a few shooting lessons and shotgun safety courses beore getting your SGC and it would help your application.

Edited February 15, 2010 by mike.ginty

[RC45]

 

Spend a little on a lesson with a good coach and save yourself a fortune in the end.

He/She will tell you all you need to know.

 

 

Anyone know a good coach :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only joking

[Shuck.]

I think if that is the kind of thing your going to be doing with a shotgun you should consider an air rifle, and if you told this to a FEO i don't think you would get your SGC this is a lethal weapon and should not be treated like a toy for plinking at ground level targets. you should consider a few shooting lessons and shotgun safety courses beore getting your SGC and it would help your application.

 

Maybe if you have a problem with plinking at ground level targets and consider it as 'toying' with firearms then you should write a letter to the guys at UKPSA - Get all of their certs taken off them

 

If the guy is careful and as I said, is conscious of the safe distances and he takes precautions I see no reason why there would be any problem.

Edited February 15, 2010 by Shuck.

[Bluebarrels]

I think if that is the kind of thing your going to be doing with a shotgun you should consider an air rifle, and if you told this to a FEO i don't think you would get your SGC this is a lethal weapon and should not be treated like a toy for plinking at ground level targets. you should consider a few shooting lessons and shotgun safety courses beore getting your SGC and it would help your application.

so where do you usually shoot rabbits??? BB

[fortune82]

so where do you usually shoot rabbits??? BB

 

And Foxes and Hares. Come to think about it 50% of the pigeons I shoot are so low when decoying that I am firing at the ground!

[njc110381]

Come on chaps, lighten up a bit. As long as a safe area is used and noise isn't a problem what's the issue? I've shot all sorts of stuff with most of my guns. Although they are tools for a serious job they are also toys for us to have fun with and as long as that fun is also safe what's the problem?

 

Even a FAC states "for zeroing". It doesn't say at what. I love to shoot at apples. They're a great target that explodes when hit, are free, biodegradable and the size of the kill zone on our quarry. If you stand and shoot at windfalls in a large orchard they're also at unknown ranges so you can push your bigger calibres out to silly distances to see what the drop/wind is doing.

 

A shotgun doesn't have conditions of use, you can shoot what you want with it as long as it's safe and not an illegal quarry!