Zeroing & accuracy & range

[Jack Reacher]

Hi all just wondering are the general princables of zeroing an airsoft gun the same as any other gun & what sort if accuracy can I expect & what sort of range are they good for . cheers jack

[Guest PT247]

all depends on the gun re vrange/accuracy. Setting sights up is a personal preference, I tend to set mine for the straight path of the BBs then when firing longer ranges just aim a bit higher

[Jack Reacher]

I thinking about the average assault rifle but wouldn't mind any info on sniper rifles. , infact any airsoft guns . Cheers jack

[Guest PT247]

just set the red dot/iron sight/scope for where the BBs hit, simples! ;-)

[Chock]

I go for the best setting for consistency rather than the best setting for range, because if you know where the shots are going to go, you can adjust the range by moving the aim point up or down. On my M4s, I only use open sights and in fact I often fold the the front sight down and line the rear sight up with the U shape left by that gap where the front sight would be. That's not going to be everyone's preference of course, but it seems to work for me, because I like to push up. And I guess that's the key really; set it up so it works best for you.

 

Strictly speaking of course, assault rifles (or at least the first ones such as the STG and the AK) were never intended to be for pinpoint accuracy, they were about keeping people's heads down so that you could move a squad up, pin the enemy down and get into grenade tossing range, hence the name assault rifle. So you should regard an assault rifle as one part of your equipment, and grenades as its partner, because that is how an assault rifle is meant to be used.

 

A sniper rifle or a DMR is a different story of course, but the important point with those is the consistency of shot too, because unlike with a real sniper, it's unlikely that you will have a spotter making windage and ballistic drop correction calculations for you in a fight, you need to know where that round is going to go all by yourself. So, what you need to be aware of, is the typical range you are likely to engage people at, at the site you go to regularly. So, pace that distance out, then go to somewhere where you can set up a target at that same range, this may in fact be done at the airsoft site itself, since you can always get there early, and do this whilst awaiting a morning brief or, when the lunch break is on. What is helpful, is to have someone with a PMR radio alongside your target whilst you zero the rifle in, calling corrections, because that saves you tramping back and forth to check where the hits are going. If you don't have radios, then work out a signalling system, such as pointing in the direction the shot is off in, and of course one for cease fire, or you will not be popular lol.

 

Take something like a piece of cardboard and mark rings on it with a felt tipped pen, and be sure to also take something to secure it properly, because even in a light breeze it will be blowing around if not secured properly. Make sure the scope is fitted securely too, otherwise if it moves on the mount, it will all be a wasted effort, so take a notepad and write down any settings you adjust on the sight or any of the mount screws, you can mark the adjustment dials with tippex if you like, which does help. If you are sniping, sort your ammo out manually as well, wash it too, since a lot of ammo is covered in stuff such as mold release compound (which is a bit like soapy detergent), and that will affect consistency of shots if some BBs have that on them and others don't.

 

Other than that, it's just a tedious: shot, correction, shot, correction, until it's zeroed okay.

[Jack Reacher]

Thanks for the replys so far ,I do know how to zero a rifle but having never zeroed a BB gun I wasn't sure if the same princables applied , daft question I suppose really . I presume with the ammo being plastic & a lot slower than anything else I can think of it's more affected by wind .Im not expecting much in the accuracy department but what be considered good grouping with all types of airsoft guns.cheers jack

[Airsoft-Ed]

You ought to be able to get about a 2m cone of fire at about 50m.

If you can hit a coke can reliably at 20m on the first shot then you have good accuracy, if you can't hit a 2L bottle at the same range consistently then you have bad accuracy.

Most guns will sit somewhere in the middle of that spectrum and range can be anything from 20 to 70m, if you're getting more than that then you're probably a wizard or something.

[Jack Reacher]

Thanks for that Ed that's the sort of info I was after.cheers jack

[YingKid]

Jack, Just wanted to add a couple of things that hasn't been mentioned:

 

Different weight BBs will fly differently so obviously zero with the BBs you're going to play with.

 

And before you start adjusting your sights, get your hopup setting correct.

[Colonel Kurtz]

My 2pence on scopes and zeroing;

 

With the exception of very expensively and well crafted snipers (and still only just);

 

The range at which airsoft guns are accurate/effective, you don't actually need a scope, let alone zeroing one. If you don't have very good eyesight, then magnification may help you see where the BB ends up hitting and thats about the only benefit.

 

At the kind of range where scope zero-ing will make the difference between whether you hit someone or not, the variance/spread from shot to shot will be too great to make it worthwhile.

 

If I use a scope I just attach it and leave it, as the scopes a few inches above the barrel it means when i aim at someones head it'll hit them in the chest, perfect! As long as the scopes in a 'neutral' position and not pointing significantly off in a direction then that's all you need.

 

To me a scope in airsoft seems more about enjoying immersion in the soldier/hunting experience than having any practical benefit, it's all a game so if you enjoy it why not!

 

in the time it takes to aim down a gun using a scope, you could have already fired a couple of shots and adjusted your aim accordingly. BB's travel slow enough for you to be able to follow the bb's path from the moment it leaves the barrel so it's very easy to see where you're shooting.

 

unless you've not been spotted by the opponent or are down to last few bb's then i wouldn't bother with it at all. when you're looking down a scope your vision is narrowed (the point right duh), and a significant % of the people i've ever shot playing airsoft didn't see me because they were looking down a scope at a different tree or bush etc.

[Jack Reacher]

You make some good points Colonel , i guess your better off using an airsoft gun more like a shotgun than a rifle ie get a good fit & point , So I suppose if that's the case you only really have to adjust the hop up. ? cheers jack

[Guest PT247]

I have to beg to differ on the not needing a sight. Absolutely invaluable to me anyway. My eyesight is fine but my BBs still travel farther in a straight line to be able to see them and that is with a 350fps AEG. A proper set up red dot sight will allow fast target acquisition and kill on first or second shot and if positioned correctly on the gun will still allow enough peripheral vision to see what is going on around you. I guess the sniper style optics do cause a bit of target fixation as they have a very narrow field of view and you need to shut one eye with them but with both eyes open on a well positioned and set up red dot works wonders for me.

[Jack Reacher]

I was thinking along the lines of something like a ecotech sight rather than a hi mag rifle sight , my eyesight isn't quite as good as it was , I guess I'll have to try with & with out , I've not even been skirmishing yet & suspect I'll prefer open air scenarios being a hunter.cheers jack

[Jack Reacher]

Allso you shouldn't close either eye when using a scope but a lot of people do .Fine for target practice but not so in other environments IMO.cheers jack

[Guest PT247]

also depends on where you play too. If it is predominantly dark I'd stay clear of the EOTECH sights... the light you up like a beacon. Even a red dot sight will to an extent but not as much

[Guest PT247]

Allso you shouldn't close either eye when using a scope but a lot of people do .Fine for target practice but not so in other environments IMO.cheers jack

Not true unless you mean T1 sights rather than a scope... The RN trained me to shoot with both iron sights and SUSAT, you close one eye when aiming down both. (unless we were taught wrong on all the SPO training and shoots)

[Jack Reacher]

Sorry yes I mean T1 sights & iron sights .cheers jack

[Jack Reacher]

Iron sights is optional but with a moving target I'd say both eyes open .cheers jack

[Colonel Kurtz]

I guess it all depends on your style of play. I run around alot and always happy to be the first lemming through the door, so get little use out of a sight. If your a defending team, or prefer to stay in one spot providing covering fire then you'll get more use out of it.

 

I've never found i needed magnification to see where a bb goes using a 350fps m4, but eyesight is my one very good faculty and the last few metres can be abit hit and miss hehe.

 

Any sight without magnification, dots etc is all good, they just save a second or two spent trying to align/focus on the iron sights

 

Hopup is nice and easy to adjust, just increase it until the bb starts to curve up in its trajectory once its run out of force, then decrease it slightly until it doesnt.