Opinion ID: 171026
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Plinking as a Sporting Purpose

Text: We reject the government's argument that the sporting exception could not apply to Mr. Hanson as a matter of law, because his admitted purpose does not fall within the scope of a lawful sporting purpose[ ] under § 2K2.1(b)(2). A sporting purpose is an intent to engage in sport, something that is a source of pleasant diversion; a pleasing or amusing pastime or activity; recreation. Webster's Third New International Dictionary (1976). Plinking  casual recreational shooting, often at cans and other items found lying around [1]  is a form of target shooting, and many people engage in target shooting for amusement and recreation. That plinking is casual, rather than organized or competitive, does not disqualify it as sporting. We and several other circuits have assumed that target shooting, organized or unorganized, is a sporting purpose under the Guidelines. See United States v. Collins, 313 F.3d 1251, 1257 (10th Cir.2002); United States v. Lewitzke, 176 F.3d 1022, 1028 (7th Cir.1999); United States v. Bossinger, 12 F.3d 28, 29 (3d Cir.1993) (holding, specifically, that plinking is a sport); see also United States v. Denis, 297 F.3d 25, 32 (1st Cir.2002). But see Springfield, Inc. v. Buckles, 292 F.3d 813, 819 (D.C.Cir. 2002) (holding that plinking is primarily a pastime, not a sport for purposes of 18 U.S.C. § 925(d)(3), which allows the importation of firearms that are of a type ... generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes).