Put The Fun In The Plink With A BB Gun

BB targets for plinking fun

Not all sharpshooters are created in quite the same mould. We all have to begin someplace though. Possibilities are to start with little BB guns as well as practice targets in order to just have a good time plinking. The more plinks you get, the much better your skills have become. Simple.

Later, the shooting goes up a degree when BB weapons are focused on movable targets. Now it gets really fun. Shooting moving targets with bb weapons  requires mastery in body as well as hand coordination. However as they all claim, practice does make best. A removable target can be devised for moving target shooting – BB guns will fit this kind of shooting since it is light-weight.

BB weapons work like air guns. Compressed air forces the pellet into the barrel of the weapon. The pellets get ejected with decent power for hitting targets but the rate is low and therefore suitable for novices that have not actually attempted much shooting before.

Guns that have to be cocked before shooting are much safer. There is no way it can go off by itself, so for safety and new shooters this is the way to go. It’s also why BB weapons are suggested for the young (and also not so young people) who want to enter into shooting sports. There’s also no real strength required to set or fire a BB gun, whereas air rifles for example can take a lot of pull (and strenth) even with the long barrel as a lever.

Getting a BB?

If you are intending to get BB weapons for your teens, be sure to advise them on the proper usage and storage of the guns. They must be advised never to leave them anywhere where there are youngsters. BB weapons ought to be treated with respect like actual guns, because they can still injure people when misused. If you can instill the right respect and safety for sports weapon usage from the start, it will translate easily across any sports shooting your kids move up to later on.

Low cost China made plastic BB weapons are real bargains. A decent BB gun can retail for as little as $30 (just check Amazon here). So you can start out cheap – but to get serious you will very likely want to upgrade from this level before long. If you decide to upgrade your gun, you will certainly be spending a lot more than this.

BB weapons spit out 4.5 mm plastic bullets – that’s what makes those nice plinking noises when you hit the target. The method of propelling them though can vary – it could be electrical, compressed gas or spring gas powered, any of which are good to start out.

Plastic BB weapons are normally the weapons used for starting out target shooting. These have barrels with bore diameters of 4.5 mm. The quality BB weapons have steel barrels with copper or zinc plating. However first timers favor plastic BB guns due to the fact that these are cheaper, and ideal for light leisure.

Your Gun, Your Game

Your choice of BB gun will depend on your game and how serious you take it as a hobby or sport. If you want the feeling of actual weapons, the springer will be top on your listing. This is suggested for newbies. If you believe you could do better with automatic or gas BB weapons you could select from a range of  replicas – from rifles to pistols.

It’s an easy sport to get started in. Just be sensible where you shoot and you can have a lot of fun, and maybe even take it to a competition level.

Comments 1

  • Nice intro to the sport. I’ve been into target shooting for 12 years now, and started out just the way you did. Lots of people feel scared of shooting, but go to a range and learn from the right people. Respect and safety for anything that shoots a projectile is always number 1 when you learn the right way. I recommend anyone who is interested, just get started and enjoy the sport.