Simple tip for practicing marksmenship, practice constently with a airgun.

I know what some of you might be thinking, airguns are for kids to tink around with, but over the past few months, I have been shooting near constantly with my airgun with a tasco 4X (not promoting it, but it does good for me)

Some of the things I find useful practicing this way:

Cheap ammo.[Obviously and some pellets can be reused making it cheaper]

Safety.[ Treat an airgun just as any powder burning gun, If your parents, mentors, instructor or even did research or took the time to learn, I think you don't have business working even air guns. For instance you want to shoot Ariel/moving targets.Ariels especially, if you did that with any other weapon, there is no telling how far that bullet will go, putting random Innocent people in danger. Bird shot too easy? try it, have someone throw stuff for you and you don't really have to worry about strays, just have some nice open space.]

Point shooting, Hip shooting.[Again , not as much worry for stray bullets, and why waste good ammo.]

Trigger control.[Yet again, why waste good ammo if you can help it or can't spend the money on good ammo( although .22 rimfire ammo is cheap) Not all triggers are the same but it will give you a good general feel and practice]

Simulating long distance shots.[ Hitting a party balloon at 80 paces ( looked to me like 50-60 yards) is easy with a high powered rifle, .22 rimfire, or even a shotgun with a good choke. but not with a airgun and pellet.( one in a million shot with a BB) While battling variable winds I had to aim 12-14 inches above the the top of the balloon. and the bullet had a 3/4ths to 1 second flight time. Its like some other guns at 200 or more yards. It took me many tries.

Gun Stability.[Every little move you make with an airgun while shooting it will be thrown off much more than any other higher powered gun.]

Location.[Some places you just can't shoot loud, fast moving bullets, or can the people living in these areas afford to go to a range all the time, or find a friend that will yet them shoot on their property]

One last thing depending on the air temperature and the air pressure, it will shoot faster or slower depending,(with a pump airgun at least)
and notice I did not say air rifle anywhere in this Thread.(besides now)A smooth bore will throw off you shot more that a rifled pellet gun (never shot one but i would assume) I would like one for small game.

I can slice a card with a pellet from 15 feet and you can to.

You can also hit a baloon from 50-60 yards, believe it or not but that is much harder than slicing a card, and I need to practice long shots with it.

S&F!

I used to have a G&P SPR/A Special Edition
( img.redwolfairsoft.com... ). I loved that thing, it was pretty accurate for an airsoft rifle but shots over 10m required special attention.

Great post!

You practice with them simply for the sport or hobby of it I assume?

I hope that you are not suggesting that there is a benefit in practicing with an air-rifle that will allow you to improve your skills with a regular non-air firearm because they are apples and oranges. For instance, you can be 100% perfect shot with an air-rifle, yet it will do NO good whatsoever when you use a real firearm that has something called explosive recoil...

Air-rifles are for plinking aluminum soda cans and tin soup cans in the back yard for kids. Using them simply for the fun of it is fine just dont think that doing so will refine your marksman skills on a regular firearm.

Apples and oranges.

Besides, you cannot defend yourself with an air-rifle so practicing for the average person with one serves only for the purpose of fun only.

And, if you ever did use an air-rifle to defend yourself in an emergency situation, a thug will laugh at you and then would beat you senseless over the head with own your rifle after you angered him with your little toy!

Being beat about the head senseless with your own toy rifle is a bad situation to be in I would imagine.

Originally posted by HangTheTraitors
You practice with them simply for the sport or hobby of it I assume?

I hope that you are not suggesting that there is a benefit in practicing with an air-rifle that will allow you to improve your skills with a regular non-air firearm because they are apples and oranges. For instance, you can be 100% perfect shot with an air-rifle, yet it will do NO good whatsoever when you use a real firearm that has something called explosive recoil...

Air-rifles are for plinking aluminum soda cans and tin soup cans in the back yard for kids. Using them simply for the fun of it is fine just dont think that doing so will refine your marksman skills on a regular firearm.

Apples and oranges.

Besides, you cannot defend yourself with an air-rifle so practicing for the average person with one serves only for the purpose of fun only.

And, if you ever did use an air-rifle to defend yourself in an emergency situation, a thug will laugh at you and then would beat you senseless over the head with own your rifle after you angered him with your little toy!

Being beat about the head senseless with your own toy rifle is a bad situation to be in.

edit on 25-11-2011 by HangTheTraitors because: (no reason given)

No! I do it to push myself and push the limit of what an airgun can do, to practice trigger control, stability and elsewhat. Then I try to take what do for my hunting. plus it keep me practiced up.

I have fired many guns over the years my friend, and for self defense, did I say self defense anywhere in my op? IF i did, call me crazy.

And yes, it could never help one cope with recoil.

You would be surprised thought, beside it's for small game as well.

I am suggesting a benefit.

Why would one even think of using a airgun for self defense, although it can kill, or seriously injure. That why I, as should all others treat it as any other gun.

Originally posted by ArrowsNV
S&F!

I used to have a G&P SPR/A Special Edition
( img.redwolfairsoft.com... ). I loved that thing, it was pretty accurate for an airsoft rifle but shots over 10m required special attention.

Great post!

I didn't even know they made airsoft's with rifling, that's pretty cool.

Fokes I use a Pumpmaster 760.

Also, I am not a kid, I am almost 24, and a hunter. I don't ever think HangTheTraitors read the whole OP, just the Name.

Air rifles are an excellent choice for a survival tool, they are not just for fun or practice.

reply to post by mileysubet


You Could carry 1000 rounds and it would weigh you down all that much. Try carrying that many shotgun shells or even 22 rimfires.

That alot of small game if you lost in the middle of nowhere.

Originally posted by quantumdragon
reply to post by mileysubet

 

You Could carry 1000 rounds and it would weigh you down all that much. Try carrying that many shotgun shells or even 22 rimfires.

That alot of small game if you lost in the middle of nowhere.

edit on 25-11-2011 by quantumdragon because: (no reason given)

I considered an air rifle for my survival rile but went with a rugger 10/22 instead, with consideration of adding a high powered .22 cal air rile to my kit.

Originally posted by HangTheTraitors
You practice with them simply for the sport or hobby of it I assume?

I hope that you are not suggesting that there is a benefit in practicing with an air-rifle that will allow you to improve your skills with a regular non-air firearm because they are apples and oranges. For instance, you can be 100% perfect shot with an air-rifle, yet it will do NO good whatsoever when you use a real firearm that has something called explosive recoil...


Besides, you cannot defend yourself with an air-rifle so practicing for the average person with one serves only for the purpose of fun only.

Many people don't know about big bore air rifles.
They can be used for defense and have been around since 1803. and that is not a misprint 200 years of high power air rifles.
www.quackenbushairguns.com...
www.pyramydair.com...
www.xp-airguns.com...

www.beemans.net...

reply to post by mileysubet

I have shot a ruger 10/22 and it is a fine choice for a semi-auto 22

The advance of an airgun/rifle in a SHTF deal would be that it is quiet. If people here you shooting from a little ways off, they might what your hunting grounds or whatever you might have for there own uses, and is potentially life threatening.

Disadvantages are obvious.

A 22 airgun would have some more knock down power.


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I wrote this not as a survival topic but.....

reply to post by ANNED


I know RIGHT.

Calibers of other air guns/rifles are .17(the most common) .20,.22,.25, and a i guess just introduce by PCP airguns(lol).357 and can have customs made in even bigger calibers.

This according to wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org...

Check this bad boy out.

Girandoni Air Rifle

en.wikipedia.org...

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Quackenbush .458 cal. air rifle. wow those look nice, I would like to back a white tail with that and i guess you can get this caliber for under 600 dollars

That would also be applicable for self defense, but a one shot deal, for some, that's all they need.




THESE LARGER CALIPER AIRGUNS ROUNDS ARE NOT INDENTED FOR WHAT I MENTION. ONLY .17 CALIPER.

Originally posted by quantumdragon
Location.[Some places you just can't shoot loud, fast moving bullets, or can the people living in these areas afford to go to a range all the time, or find a friend that will yet them shoot on their property]

Check you local ordinance at least, just to make sure everyone.

reply to post by quantumdragon


Not sure I could promote this idea. When I was young I spent many afternoons with a BB gun, and when it came time to learn to shoot, it was a different ballgame. They may be good for short range practice, but for anything with a rifle over 50 yards it's just not the same skill set.

There's also something to be said for practicing the firearm you intend to use. It seems to give a big advantage to know your firearm.

reply to post by Evolutionsend


Did all that you shot out of you gun as kid only BB's? A good pellet is quiet accurate.

The only thing I use bb's for is hip/ point shooting and close range.

Of course an airgun can be used for self defence, ok its not going to do much against a regular firearm, but on its own against nothing it will work just fine and can do real damage with a well placed shot or at close range. Here in the UK where we cant have/get/use real guns easily this is our best hope/chance, the other major advantage is 500 lead pellets for 5 GBP and they come in a nice sealable plastic case, easy for carrying at this price you can afford to practice daily. I have 3 rifles, one for each of us adults in my immediate family should we have a SHTF scenario but only one proper telescopic site between the 3, which i would use for hunting or snippering. The other 2 rifles work just fine using the sites built into the gun.

reply to post by quantumdragon


I shot anything that would fit in the chamber. I was a poor kid and wasn't picky about ammo. Still a very different skill set.

I think having a good quality air rifle is an important survival tool, but I think it's a bad idea to use it as a stand-in for a real rifle for practicing. The ballistics for each are drastically different - ball vs. bullet, non-rifled barrel vs. rifled barrel. Break open the piggy bank and go buy a case of ammo, and practice, practice, practice with the real thing!

reply to post by Evolutionsend


As far as I am concerned, it the same as any other rifle, just slower velocities, it is just the of throwing the projectile is different.

not me but and i wish the camera would pan out at the end to give a better overall view but....

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


It is going to be my small game gun, so whether I agree with you or not, i should practice with it if i am going to use it in the fields and woods.

IT is not the only gun i practice with, i also practice with a .22, 30 carbine, and .308 when i get a chance, but it cost good money to contently practice with a 308. if i did, i would be spending 100 dollars a day on shells.

If i had a nice big a$$ range (at least 7 miles) i would practice with these weapons just as i would my airgun, plus $ is a issue.

i made lots of change money when i was a kid shooting pigeons at local feed mill.i have used everything from red riders to pump action 880 daisy to daisy powerline co2 pistols all od them worked fine