For my money, you just can't have any more fun than spending a day out plinking with your favorite shooting iron. And one new pistol that makes plinking fun is Ruger's new-for-2007 4.5-inch-barreled 22/45 Mark III Hunter.

When I was a kid, every old farm and ranch had some gulley or low place where they dumped their refuse--cans, worn-out fence wire, even used-up appliances. Or if one of the farm critters died under suspicious circumstances, such that it was no longer suitable fare for the dinner table, it went there, too. To a young boy the local dump was a mysterious and exotic place populated with all sorts of inanimate targets as well as some highly animated ones--mice, rats, and various and sundry snakes. I suspect a lot of you folks reading this know exactly what I'm talking about because you learned most of your shooting skills at the local dump, too.

I think this is one of the things that makes plinking so interesting. We can do our shooting at the local dump with whatever targets of opportunity we might find. Or we can find a safe place to shoot and haul out a bunch of fun targets to try our marksmanship on. Plinking can be a way to get the kids interested in learning to shoot. And it can be a way to keep older kids--like maybe you and me--interested in our sport.

Plinking can include shooting at a variety of targets adorned with various types of critters.

Regardless of how informal our plinking session is, or how much fun we are having, it's always important to put gun safety first. And a plinking session is the perfect place to start teaching the kids the importance of gun safety--and it doesn't hurt to remind the more experienced shooters of the basics.

Four Simple Rules
Here are four simple rules that cover the subject.

1. All guns are always loaded. If you need to pick up a gun, or want to examine it, start with the assumption that the gun is loaded and act accordingly.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything or anyone you are not willing to shoot. That just about says it all. Loaded or unloaded, always keep the gun's muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target. Most negligent discharges (what some people try to claim are accidents) happen because the gun handler presses the trigger without intending to.
4. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it. You will be held responsible for every shot you fire. It is up to you, and no one else, to be sure of the target you are shooting at and what lies behind it.

Beyond a concern for safety, plinkers are not limited to any particular kind of target. Some companies, like Caldwell Shooting Supplies and Champion Traps & Targets, have printed up various stick-up targets with different kinds of critters and fun bullseyes. Birchwood Casey also markets a number of different spinning targets that will add a lot of fun to an informal plinking session.