Whats your .02 on practicing with pellet pistols.

dep9sport

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Going to the range is of course the best practice possible but what if you wish to practice everyday at my age ( 16 ) and your parents work days effect when you can and cannot go to the range. I was wondering what you guys think would be some positive and negative effects of practicing with a pellet pistol with a velocity above 450 FPS and if you do so yourself.


any comments are welcome, Positive or not so please speak your mind.
 
6 views and no replys, Everyone has an opinion and i want to know yours, if its just a big waste of time i dont want to bother. Cmon boys.
 
Well, ok I'll have a go...

Marksmanship is a learned skill that, like most skills, requires repetition to learn and improve. Things like sight picture, grip, stance, trigger control and breathing will always be important no matter what type of firearm you are using so from that point of view I don't see why practicing with a pellet gun wouldn't be a good idea....

BUT:eek: At 16, I believe (not a lawer) that you still require parental supervision to legally use a pellet gun.

AND be absolutely certain that local by-laws allow for the use of such items in your municipality.

Just my .02

Geoff
 
If you have some money, get a Umarex 92FS Beretta.
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Heavy, all metal, and lots of accessories. Great for realistic draw/fire, and target practicing. Way cheaper to fire off 500 rounds to get good.

my2 cents. ;o)
 
Marksmanship is a learned skill that, like most skills, requires repetition to learn and improve. Things like sight picture, grip, stance, trigger control and breathing will always be important no matter what type of firearm you are using so from that point of view I don't see why practicing with a pellet gun wouldn't be a good idea....

Couldn't say it better myself.
 
I have a conversion unit (Crossman) that changes a 1911 pistol to a single shot pellet gun. It is fantastic for teaching proper trigger control and accuracy skills. Since the pellet takes longer to traverse the bore, follow-through becomes that much more important.

So yes, it's a good idea.
 
The only downside that I could see, would be some bad habits, that you get from an airpistol, that would effect your pistol shooting.. I'm not referring to wrong habits, just habits that you have to do for a pellet gun, or you do not need to do with a pellet gun, that you would have to do with a pistol.

Eg. the weight of the trigger on the pellet gun requires a heavier finger.. and may effect or cause a discharge with a pistol with a lighter trigger..
 
Well there's 3 important things that you can't learn from a pellet gun or airsoft gun, recoil control, index and timing. The index issue can be solve by using a pellet gun model that's identical to your competition gun but there is no substitute for the other 2. Not practicing with the setup you will be competing with will hurt your performance, but not as much as not practicing at all. So if the choice is between no practice and using the pellet gun then stock up on pellets.
 
6 views and no replys, Everyone has an opinion and i want to know yours, if its just a big waste of time i dont want to bother. Cmon boys.

First you have to learn patientence. Look at the views on most topics and they will have many more views than the posts. What if the person who viewed your post had no basis to give you an informed comment?

Air pistol shooting is a good idea if you get a decent air pistol to shoot. It will allow you to train your body to do the right things without reacting to recoil and noise. Those do the most to throw people off target.
 
even if not at the range...in your home you can practice with a real gun. UNLOADED of course...practice your draw, line of sight, trigger pull, reset, mag changes (again, empty mags), draw and rack slide (simulate starting with empty chamber).....and save the live firing for the range.....etc....
 
all very valid points and i thank you for your opinions. Keep em comming i still cant decide but so far im leaning towards investing in one for some of the training listed above. From the sounds of what people are saying it would be most benificial to practice with the pellet pistol but not for extended periods of time, say more than 2 weeks and practice at the range Often enough to avoid poor habbits but maintain consistant practice.
 
even if not at the range...in your home you can practice with a real gun. UNLOADED of course...practice your draw, line of sight, trigger pull, reset, mag changes (again, empty mags), draw and rack slide (simulate starting with empty chamber).....and save the live firing for the range.....etc....

The only poblem is i dont have my PAL let alone my PAL-R so i cant use or even touch a firearm without my dad within " arms " reach wich still makes this unpractical but not impossible.
 
Well, ok I'll have a go...

Marksmanship is a learned skill that, like most skills, requires repetition to learn and improve. Things like sight picture, grip, stance, trigger control and breathing will always be important no matter what type of firearm you are using so from that point of view I don't see why practicing with a pellet gun wouldn't be a good idea....

BUT:eek: At 16, I believe (not a lawer) that you still require parental supervision to legally use a pellet gun.

AND be absolutely certain that local by-laws allow for the use of such items in your municipality.

Just my .02

Geoff

well i would probably purchase one that doesent fall under the catagory of a firearm so under 495FPS if possible thus making it perfectly legal and i would be shooting in a private space wich is my garage and its away from my house or standing alone so i should be fine for legal issues.
 
Lots of good advice above.

Get a reasonably good pellet pistol, it doesn't have to be a multi shot repeater. There are several good single shot pistols with very good triggers.

Use it to practice the basics. Don't worry about "getting too used to it". You are not going for the Olympics right now.

If you can get a coach to help you out, all the better. If not, check out some good training guides.

One very important item that hasn't been mentioned is, if you are not very familiar with guns/handguns, just holding, pointing and shooting ANY type of gun is of great value. It will make you much more comfortable with it.

For action shooting practice, there are also some gas operated, blowback (slides fully cycle) airsoft guns that are remarkable copies. Unfortunately they are difficult to find in Canada, and quite expensive.

We have many airguns and they are great training/practice aids, and also fun to shoot. Even some pellet pistols in the $100 range are able to shoot groups of 3/8" at 10 metres, far better than the majority of shooters can accomplish freehand.

So think about what type of practice you want to do, and then get either a single shot or repeater that meets your needs.
 
Air pistols are definitely excellent marksmanship training. Look for good, adjustable sights and a decently light, crisp trigger. Some of the best made air pistols are the one's that don't use C02, but instead you either pump them to charge them, or spring driven piston. They can make for some great basement fun and competition. Don't be concerned with velocity. Look into something like a Diana 5G, you should be able to hit a dime consistently with one across the length of a basement.
 
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BUT At 16, I believe (not a lawer) that you still require parental supervision to legally use a pellet gun.

Nope, there are no licsensing/supervision requirements for airguns. (The only restrictions are local bylaws on the purchase of pellet guns). Minors can be in the posession of a non-restricted firearm for a legal purpose if they have a firearms licsense.
 
less important what you shoot as long as you shoot something,a non co2 single shot is a good learning tool,it teaches you to make those shots count,an airsoft is a great way to practice in your house,a .22 for your first gun[cooey single shot,like i learned on],and on from there,the main thing is to shoot lots,thats how you get good.;)
 
I realize this is action shooting talk, but I know many ISSF Pistol guys and gals who not only practice with air guns but end up competing in air competitions too.

Echoing everyone here, air guns are a cheap to feed, convenient to use (even in your own garage or basement) and best of all get you more trigger time.

No, they may not provide the exact same feel as a centerfire rig but the mechanics of trigger control, sight picture etc. are the same.

Do a search on the net or CGN for the Army Marksmanship Manual for pistols or one of the bulls-eye sites (such as the encyclopedia of bullseye). It isn’t action shooting but it spells out the fundamentals. Lay the groundwork, take the principles and practice, then apply what you learned to whatever action shooting you want to do.

I don’t care who you are or what you shoot: you learn to focus on the front sight and develop trigger control till it becomes second nature, and you will shoot better at whatever you want to challenge yourself, be it bullseye, IPSC, IDPA, SASS, etc., etc.
 
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