Plinking – Recreational Shooting That’s Fun and Builds Skill

Plinking is a fantastic, entertaining way to practice accuracy and speed—without stress and without competition. Targets can include paper for air rifles, but also tin cans, glass bottles, metal silhouettes, and other creative objects. As with any form of shooting, safety must always come first.

Any form of practice improves shooting skills, and plinking is no exception. In fact, this type of recreational shooting can help develop hand-eye coordination—especially among younger or less experienced shooters.

While plinking in other countries may involve everything from rimfire and centerfire rifles to shotguns and handguns, it is generally limited to non-license air guns in Germany.

Safety comes first. Even if it’s easy to set up a few homemade targets and build a mini shooting range, legal guidelines must be observed. In Germany, it is prohibited to carry or use air rifles or pistols in public spaces. Shooting is only allowed on certified ranges or private property, and only if it's ensured that no projectile leaves the premises.

If those conditions are met, it’s game on. The appeal of plinking lies in the fact that almost anything can become a target—within reasonable bounds. If you’re tired of shooting paper targets, try tin cans, balloons, golf balls, or even melons—there’s no limit to your creativity.

GECO offers the perfect ammunition: GECO Diabolo 4.5 mm and GECO Superpoint 4.5 mm are two precise air gun pellets at a great price. The slightly lighter GECO Diabolo (0.45 g) was developed for beginners and hobby shooters. GECO Superpoint (0.50 g) is a smooth pellet with a pointed head for higher impact velocity and penetration—ideal for powerful air guns.

P.S.: The term Plinking is onomatopoeic—it comes from the sharp metallic “plink” sound a pellet makes when hitting a metal target, like a tin can.