Question involving drop compensation

Found this site http://cybersloth.org/airsoft/trajectory/index.htm that did extensive testing on the effects of different weight BB's and different power guns. It pretty lengthy , but if you focus on the Modeled Data section ,section B.Mass Comparisons of Projectiles Fired at Equal Energies in particular , there is some excellent info about what weight to use , and what range to zero your sights at to get max effective range . This is at the bottom of the page .

Click the link that corresponds to your guns' FPS with .20 gram BB's , and you'll see a chart showing the range and drop of the different weights , and you can see the range that they start to drop off at . If you zero your sights at the range where there is approx. 12 of drop or 5 feet before , your sights will be most accurate for the duration of the bb's flight .

For example , if my gun shoots 400 fps w/ .20's , I would click the 1.49joules link. The charts that come up show that BB drop at 150 feet w/ .30's is less than 12 inches and .28's will drop about an inch more , or right about 12 inches , so I would use .28's and zero my sights at 150 feet . 12 inches is probably the largest drop you want to include in your effective range . If you're aiming for center mass on your target , a 12 inch drop will still allow for a hit , or a simple Kentucky windage adjustment (aiming slightly above your intended point of aim ) .

TIP:
It's a good idea to get in the habit of zeroing your sights so that at the zeroed range , your point of aim is the 6 o'clock position , instead of dead center (see pic below). This allows you to see your target instead of covering it with the front sight . It also incorporates allowance for slight bullet drop at greater ranges . At closer range , a center mass shot will hit the chest , at longer range , it will hit the waist .

Jim,

I see what you are saying. I'm not disagreeing with you. You seem to think that my technique does not seem practical to allow for accurate shots more often than not. Now I don't know if you seem to think that I just blindly walk onto a field without previous experiences or visits to said field and find a position that looks good and go prone and wait for someone to come by or something else. I ALWAYS go to the field beforehand and I ALWAYS find positions suitable for my shots. I know how to estimate the range to my target and I know how to compensate for my drop at that range. I take a long time to calculate each shot but it's not like I do all of the calculations right there on the field.

I spend a long time trying to estimate the strike zone of my shot and I know how to shoot the target. I never said that I don't miss in which case I just follow up with a more educated shot. I see what it is you are saying in your reply but quite simply put, I know what I am doing already. More often than not I make the shot I want to. I can never make the same shot again but since my target is a person I have a reasonably large target.

Also, YES real sniping can be applied to airsoft!!!
It doesn't matter if I'm firing a plastic BB or a copper sheathed lead round. The same principles apply to them both in the long run. I'm not saying that you can aim in the exact same spot as you would with a real rifle and hit the target with an airsoft gun. I'm saying that if you factor you maximum range with real steel and your maximum range with a sniper rifle then you have the same shot to deal with. It is just as hard to hit a target at 250 feet with an airsoft gun as it is to hit a target at 800 yards with a real steel gun. A lot of math goes into each shot and I like to take pride in the fact that I apply those same skills to my airsoft sniping. I'm not trying to brag.

Quote :

I am just explaining from my extensive experience in airsoft sniping what the most effective methods of hitting your target area.

And I don't think you are either. I'm not trying to insult you or talk down to you. I'm not trying to turn this into an arguement. I'm just sharing my view on the matter and I know that it works for me.

Tasada

Tasada wrote:

Jim,

I see what you are saying. I'm not disagreeing with you. You seem to think that my technique does not seem practical to allow for accurate shots more often than not. Now I don't know if you seem to think that I just blindly walk onto a field without previous experiences or visits to said field and find a position that looks good and go prone and wait for someone to come by or something else. I ALWAYS go to the field beforehand and I ALWAYS find positions suitable for my shots. I know how to estimate the range to my target and I know how to compensate for my drop at that range. I take a long time to calculate each shot but it's not like I do all of the calculations right there on the field.

"I know what I am doing already."

To the first part- I never said anything like that so I have no idea where you pulled that from!
The my point is, you spend a lot of time calculating where you need to aim for each target- you are going to miss the opportunity to hit a lot of your targets. In a TRE, you need to be able to make rapid calculations- which are always good, but never spot on, and that's where my method comes in. Of course, if you want to spend a lot of time zeroing in for one stationary target, that works great! Who wouldn't do that?! and yes, you are likely to hit the target, but in a TRE you are not going to have the time or capacity to make so many different calculations at once to hit all the different targets. And without a laser rangefinder, you will not be able to judge exact distances, so you will not be able to make perfect shots 100% of the time, no matter how long you spend calculating, because the range you presume to be correct may not be so.

to "I know what I'm doing already" - you are assuming that I am trying to teach you something here, I'm not. I am sharing my knowledge so that EVERYONE reading may be able to take something from it and apply it to what they do, that's what the 'Ask a Pro' forum section is for.


Jim

I would look at the guy, then chuck an airsoft gas nade at him.

Satan wrote:

I would look at the guy, then chuck an airsoft gas nade at him.

Excellent tactic, would love to see it worked out on the field