Air Gun Training?

[teamshrink]

Is there any value in practicing with one of the co2 blowback style guns? The range is pretty far and I'd like to practice more, but if this is worthless I guess I could get a .22 to at least keep it cheap.

Does anyone train this way? Does it transfer to the real gun?

Thanks,
TS

[Dropkick]

What are you looking to practice with them?

[gringop]

Things that work well with airsoft, rimfire and other low recoil practice guns.
One shot draws.
Slow fire accuracy practice.
Things that don't require recoil management like wide transitions with one shot on each target or movement between shooting positions.
Depending on fragility of mags, reloading practice.

Things that suck with airsoft, rimfire and other low recoil practice guns.
Any drill with multiple shots.

I bought an airsoft gun to train with at home. I used it regularly for about 6 months and found it didn't build my skills any better than dry fire did.

Now it never comes out except for the rare FOF training. There is that one neighbor's cat that keeps coming round...

Gringop

[ford.304]

I shot air gun dot torture all winter in my garage when I couldn't get to the range. Starting at "almost no skill" especially, I think there's a lot you can learn from it, especially if your range doesn't allow drawing from the holster. It's nice to get more feedback than dry fire, especially when trying to work on speed. Combine it some dry fire and reloading practice on your main weapon with dummy rounds and you can get up to intermediate skill without much range time at all.

Not sure how much it helps once you've reached that point, though, as you don't learn recoil control at all.

[MDS]

I shot air gun dot torture all winter in my garage when I couldn't get to the range. Starting at "almost no skill" especially, I think there's a lot you can learn from it, especially if your range doesn't allow drawing from the holster. It's nice to get more feedback than dry fire, especially when trying to work on speed. Combine it some dry fire and reloading practice on your main weapon with dummy rounds and you can get up to intermediate skill without much range time at all.

Not sure how much it helps once you've reached that point, though, as you don't learn recoil control at all.

I did this a lot, and I think it's hurt my grip quite a bit. I've only recently been able to get a good, solid grip on my g19. I haven't shot my USP lately, but I want to, just to see if my grip has improved with it, as well.

My point is, shooting a lot of airsoft made me develop some bad intuition about what a grip needs to accomplish. That's just me, though...

[JFK]

Here is a link to a thread about something I noticed that helped me in accuracy and follow up.

http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?572-Interesting-Practice-for-Site-Tracking

[JHC]

I got one of those C02 airsoft G17s to practice draws to first shot and hitting a close target while hauling ass off the X. That's it so far. I don't know as to the true value of it all.

[ranburr]

Good training tool, especially in FOF.