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Airsoft for beginner training?


makomachine

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I'm a new USPSA shooter who is still waiting on my holster, belt, mag pouches, and shot timer. Recently purchased a SA XDM 9mm which inspired me to take on this sport for fun. Given that, I'm planning out a training program which will include dry fire practice and plenty of 'study'. Do to my location, I will probably only be able to shoot 3 or 4 times per month - with two of those being matches and another at an indoor range which will not let me do holster/movement work. I really need an avenue to work on my movement and speed skills outside of the matches themselves.

With that said, I've read multiple threads and got intrigued by airsoft as a training tool. There seems to be some mixed reviews however and am looking for your opinions on whether it is a good fit for me. I've got 2 acres and could set up an airsoft range to practice in on a daily basis, which seems a plus. Given that, I have a concern as I'm a new handgun shooter in general and will this help or hurt my development. I have no doubt it could be 'fun' but will it be productive and help me grow in the sport?

Also, they don't make an XDM or XD blowback/green gas airsoft gun that I can find. Will using a replica of another gun help or hurt my development?

Just looking for some input specific to a new shooter and someone whom will be shooting a different gun in Production than what can be purchased in airsoft. Your advice is appreciated!

Edited by makomachine
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I think Airsofts work for those that are completely new to shooting. If you own a gun and are thinking of using the Airsoft for "dry fire" practice, I'd say you're not going to glean some large volume of info over just dry firing with your pistol.

Rich

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I think Airsofts work for those that are completely new to shooting. If you own a gun and are thinking of using the Airsoft for "dry fire" practice, I'd say you're not going to glean some large volume of info over just dry firing with your pistol.

Rich

The dry fire drills would still be done with the XDM. I'm thinking of the airsoft more for the movement, target transition, and speed drills. Ideally, I could do all of this with the real thing but just dont' live in a place where I can do that unfortunately other than a few times per month.

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Actually all of those things can be done with your pistol dry firing as well. A timer is your friend and as long as you're honest with the results, you'll see them when it comes time to try them on the range at practice. If you can't find a range to practice on, even at an indoor range, a lot of times they'll work with you, once they learn you're safe.

Rich

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I was using airsoft for a while. I think it helped a lot in gaining initial confidence in activities like shooting on the move and hosing close targets. However I think it might have encouraged me to look over my sights and watch the bb fly to the target, rather than focus on the sights itself, but with some discipline that was overcome. My problem was airsoft guns kept breaking and I found that once I got to where I could trust that my bullets end up pretty close to where I aimed them, then the airsoft didn’t seem any better than doing the same drills with dryfire.

At this point airsoft seems only more expensive and less efficient than dryfire as you have to take time to reload the mags frequently and with dryfire you can just keep going. Also they turned out to be one more thing that needed fixing and fiddling and I prefer to spend my time practicing. It did make my backyard practice a bit more interesting for a while, so on the whole I’m not sure if I’d recommend it to others or not. When I was using it I thought it was a definite trick to betterment and maybe it was, but now that I’m not shooting with an airsoft I don’t miss it.

So there you go, another mixed review. ;)

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Thanks for the input. You are clearly in the mixed review category and given that I can't get a gun that matches what I'll be using, I'm leaning towards the negative at this point. I think it would be a fun activity but don't want to negatively impact my development as a new shooter. I'd be more in the positive camp if I had a gun that was the exact same dimensions, sights, and weight of the gun I'm using but I don't think that's going to happen. Unless someone tells me that I'm 'overthinking' that aspect of it, I think I'll pass on this for now...

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  • 7 months later...

I am also new to USPSA shooting and have the same problem, don't have a range to go practice the way I would like to. Also with the difficulties in finding reloading supplies and the cost of those supplies, I decided to try airsoft. I love it, to me it's like shooting the real stuff, without the recoil of course. I think it has help me a lot in my techniques and target accusation. The recoil is enough that it makes you think about what you are doing with double tap drills. I can’t really say for sure that it will make you faster, but I don’t see where it can hurt and it sure is a lot of fun!!!!! I bought two guns, a TM Hi-capa and a WE Hi-capa and the BB’s and propane adaptor for under $300. If I would have shot the same number of real rounds that I have with the airsoft guns, I would have spent a lot more the $300 for ammo. So…with that said, is it for everyone…..probably not….but I sure am having a lot of fun and I think for me that it will really help my overall shooting ability.

Mike

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While it is not exactly like shooting a real firearm, there can be some benefit to it. TGO was recently quoted (in Front Sight?)as liking it. And, back in the 2004 Steel Challenge, a guy named Tatsuya Sakai came in first in Open (WON THE MATCH) and 12 in limited. He lives in Japan so Airsoft was his only option for practice. Like I said, there can be some benefit! :rolleyes:

Later,

Chuck

http://steelchallenge.com/legacy/steelchal...ain_results.txt

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Good or not good?

Both are good, period

Ok, let's take my training last night. Standing, hands at sides, pistol unloaded on table, magazine on table, on signal load and engage target. I do this drill in dry fire, it is great for handling the pistol. I do it over and over at that little something I picked out in the room to point at. I don't know the time I do it in and I don't objectively know whether I was loose when I squeezed the trigger, but hey, I'm working it.

When I want to really push it and see when my body starts tensing up, making me fumble all this stuff, I use airsoft. Same setup, but only putting one bb in mag and setting up a stop plate about ten feet away. You'd think that since I am such a nice guy and so disciplined that I would just not miss that stop plate. But I do miss it and this means I would miss in dry fire but would not know this unless I could call it (most beginners can't) and that's when the training comes together. Either I hit it because I put it all together and saw the sights or I just flat out didn't, just like if I was shooting a match. Not to metion the benefit of the times I get from it where I get to say, whoa that felt rushed and I was .25 slower. Every body says smooth is faster but how do you really know what smooth for you is to you unless you time it. Dry fire means I have to put a par time in my timer to make my evaluation. Airsoft shooting with a stop plate is more fun.

I like dry fire for just straight handling, I like airsoft for objectively defining what I can or cannot do and then trying to apply what I can or can not do in a match.

Bad training is bad training wether with airsoft or dry fire. Ask someone at your local club what drills they do and copy that for a little bit. I was surprised when a local GM told me he usually only dry fires (and he uses airsoft too) for 20-30 minutes at a time. I did not understand it until I started regularly dry fire training. My head would fatigue after about 30 minutes and I started deteriorating anyway. So now I only try to do drills for about 30 minutes a session.

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In my training I mix it up about 50/50. I do not do any 2 shot per target drills with the airsoft because of the lack of recoil. I find dryfire with the real gun boring after ~30 minutes. Then I pick up the airsoft and shoot at the plate rack and other steel targets that require only one shot per target. Plus, sometimes it is just fun to blast away at a paper plate with the airsoft.

I like what Phil has to say and I think I will try breaking up my dryfire into a couple sessions per day instead of all at once. I would suggest purchasing a inexpensive airsoft setup and trying for yourself. I think you would be able to get most of your money back if you find that you don't like it. I think you can get into a Glock airsoft setup for less than $150. Gun with one mag $105, Propane Adapter $15, Propane $3, 2000 bbs $15. Airsplat.com has free shipping over $100 and evike.com has a smoking deal on a WE Hi-Capa with 2 mags for $105. Maybe someone local has a setup you can try out.

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  • 4 months later...

I am also looking towards doing some airsoft training. Because it'll be good training, but also a Ton of fun to set up stages in the back yard. I shoot my XDm 9 in Production, I'm a B shooter and I know with this I can get a ton faster. Considering I do no training at home at all right now.

I saw some Japanese site showing off a XDm 40 Airsoft gun, which dimentionally should be identical to the 9. So if anyone has any info on this gun coming out for sale anytime soon? I want to light up my garage and backyard.

ETA: A Little Past Half Way Down The Page........

Edited by HPD SRT
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  • 3 weeks later...

I started my airsoft training recently and absolutely love it. My first match a couple weeks ago revealed I am absolutely HORRIBLE at weakhand shooting (i just dont practice it much). I dryfired for awhile and thought I had the trigger control down pretty well. Now that Im using airsoft for that, Im getting "real" response and results as to whether Im holding true. Ive got a few dif sized plates and poppers to help me with my sight picture there as well. I also have a texas star. You cant do a real star that moves with just dryfire :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I started my airsoft training recently and absolutely love it. My first match a couple weeks ago revealed I am absolutely HORRIBLE at weakhand shooting (i just dont practice it much). I dryfired for awhile and thought I had the trigger control down pretty well. Now that Im using airsoft for that, Im getting "real" response and results as to whether Im holding true. Ive got a few dif sized plates and poppers to help me with my sight picture there as well. I also have a texas star. You cant do a real star that moves with just dryfire :)

Airsoft Texas Star? Nice!

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thats the one! and yea, its fun. Ive actually been able to "Mcguyver" the star into a popper activated swinger by putting more weight on one end and attached a small piece of cardboard and 1/3 target printout :)

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I'd like to add a review that is in no way mixed. The airsoft stuff works, period. I have spent about a month and a half with my gun and BAM airsoft targets and have noticed an exponential increase in my ability.

My sight acquisition and focus was so much faster after 2-3 weeks of heavy practice (coupled with some dryfire and reload practice with my real guns) that it caught me off guard in my first match. Ultimately everything you do right up until the shot breaks is exactly the same. And most of this sport is about "seeing" as Mr. Enos would say. This has done a significant amount for how I see what is happening with my sights in a match, and how quickly things happen. Plus it is a lot of fun. Which assists you in staying motivated to practice more than dry fire.

Yes you can see the BB's if you are looking for them (But you should be watching your sight, calling your shot, and transitioning to the next target. Not watching the BB's)

I scraped my way into production B class a couple of months ago and had concerns about being competitive. I have since put 10k through the airsoft gun in practice in the past 2 months (in my garage with snow on the ground when I couldn't be at the range. Shooting less live ammo than I have in any month in the 10 or so since I began this sport), and have shot 2 matches, and 2 classifier matches where I have had 7 different 70-85% classifiers in different divisions.

I have had some professional instruction (USSA's competition handgun class with Mike Seeklander) so I feel like my practices are productive, and I am working on the right things. Obviously as a beginner that is important, So if you can take a class, definately do that. Once you have a sense of what you need to work on, the ability to do it in your garage every night for nearly free is fantastic.

I also wanted to mention that Phil Burt at BAM airsoft has been a fantastic resource for me in terms of equipment. I was very impressed with the quality of their targets, and their professionalism. Thank you, Phil.

Quite frankly, unless someone else is paying for your ammo and you have your own private indoor range, and serious about getting better, you are out of your mind if you dont buy a bunch of targets from those guys and get to practicing.

Chris

Edited by Chris_Andersen
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thats teh exact reason I did it Chris, snow is flying and i cant get to the range to do what i want. I have a spare room in my house all set up for my airsoft work. Phil was definitely a huge help when setting things up as well as comin up with new ideas (all the youtube vids are great).

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thats teh exact reason I did it Chris, snow is flying and i cant get to the range to do what i want. I have a spare room in my house all set up for my airsoft work. Phil was definitely a huge help when setting things up as well as comin up with new ideas (all the youtube vids are great).

No snow here but I'm spending around 30 minutes a day with airsoft in the back yard. Using some of those neat alumimun beer bottles that came out last summer, I built an "idiot" plate rack. Move that back to around 8 yards and put it on the timer. Really helps me with picking up the red dot.

Bill

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  • 1 month later...

I'm an advocate of using Airsoft to get basic skills down that you would normally only get to practice during a match, such as shooting on the move, time to first shot, and shooting at dynamic (moving) targets.

After getting spanked during my first exposure to a Texas Star at a match, I bought an Airsoft Glock on Ebay (more on that later) and a BAM Airsoft Texas Star target, set up a range in my backyard, and had at it. Using a free iPhone shot timer app I found at the Apple iTunes store from Surefire, I added a daily Airsoft session to my normal dryfire practice regimen.

From surrender position, my times to hit all 5 plates on the Star dropped from over 6 sec to under 3 (avg. 2.65) after a week or so of practice. That made it very worthwhile.

I also bought a BAM swinger and built a 5 plate remote resettable plate rack using the metal plates they sell. Well worth the $500 or so I spent on all of the Airsoft gear and targets.

Barry

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Forgot to add my comments re the Ebay airsoft Glocks...

I have 2, one a Taiwanese cheapie that died after a couple of months - the slide and frame fit got so loose that it now launches the slide every mag or so. I tossed it in the trash and now use one I bought from Manny USA...it's doing better but definitely showing the signs of 4 months of near daily use.

Buy a quality Airsoft gun - all metal if you can find one for the type of gun you shoot - and maintain it.

Barry

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I like the airsoft for the single shot between transitions, and reactive targets. It along with dry fire has, for me, helped. It also allows me to do some awkward positions to confirm my dry fire skills. I too will get boered with dry fire so it allows me to vary things up.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

For what it's worth, I definitely advocate airsoft as a winter training tool but it does not replace dry firing ! Just came back to IPSC after 8-plus years of other hobbies and I credit airsoft for getting my level back on draw, trigger control, bizarre start positions, reloads, etc.

I picked an airsoft Hi Capa 5.1 while waiting for my actual SV and shot the hell out of it. It just died after 15000 rounds (bottom lugs sheared, just like a real one...) and another one, open-class and all metal this time, is on the way. Just beware of all the cheap equipment in the aisoft world, like C More copies with sub-standard lenses (aka See No More), fake CR Speed holsters, etc.

Of course you can carry it too far like our friends in the Philippines or in Japan (short stroke slides, 1000+ dollars open guns, etc.) , but since they don't have the possibility of shooting anything else I guess they have an excellent excuse.

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