Airsoft guns can be used in multiple ways and one is the target practice. Many players who play in the fields also practice shooting at home and many people who do not play airsoft regularly, do the same. I personally enjoy spending time in my backyard shooting the cans and bottles of milk.
It is a suggestion to build home targets if you really want to pursue this regularly and choosing a gun to shoot with is a fundamental. Target practice is a great way to improve shooting skills and beside the fun it brings, it can also translate to the real gun skills.
In short, any airsoft gun can be used for target practice, but some are naturally better and I have made a research to find which guns would fit the criteria for target practice the best. So, the guns that made to the list are:
- Electric G&G CM16 r8-l
- Lancer Tactical lt-25
- Elite Force 1911
- Glock 19X
- Double Eagle Field Marksman
- CYMA VSR-10
- CYMA M870 Tri-shot shotgun
- Any other well performing gun
Factors to consider when choosing airsoft guns for training
Some of my criteria that I used is accuracy, effective range, penetration power and realism the guns bring.
You want accuracy and some decent effective range and a gun with terrible inner barrel, hop-up or weak velocity is more likely to frustrate you then to offer you some good time, especially on the windy days.
Penetration power may not matter that much, but I hate when a BB hits like a pillow and bounces off the target instead of at least applying some puncture marks or a scratch to it.
The guns on the list can crash the thin glass bottle and penetrate the aluminum can and I think that you should not ask for more. In case that you do then go with air guns instead.
Realism may not be important to you if you do not care about it, but to me it is one of the most important factors because otherwise it kills the immersion.
Realism can mean two things, the first one is the blowback action that mimics the blowback of the real gun and the other one is the actual success of the manufacture company in copying and mimicking the original real gun model in terms of details, weight, mechanism, length of the magazines and grip and so on.
If you find the power and accuracy to be under performing for your own preferences, then you should look for air guns instead. All air guns have more power and accuracy and use the steel pellets.
I do not like air guns because I like to have the option to use the airsoft gun collection for games and shooting at people in the fields too, and this is certainly impossible with air guns.
Airsoft guns also have more realistic replicas and are more entertaining than air guns, but for pure target practice air guns have the advantage because of higher penetration power and accuracy at long ranges.
If you do not train only for accuracy at long distances but also for mind muscle connection, trigger haste and fun then airsoft guns come with more benefits.
So, ask yourself what do you want to accomplish, are you preparing for a shooting contest in the next month?
Let’s say a few things about each of the mentioned airsoft replicas so that you know why I have included them on the list.
Electric G&G CM16 r8-l airsoft rifle
You can check the price on Amazon here.
What a wonderful rifle we got over here, this is a perfect gun for target practice if you are looking for AEG rifles, of course there are different purposes that other guns may bring and it depends on you, but this gun is longer than almost any other AEG I encountered and accurate at very high range.
I would lay down, put it on a crane and start taking targets down from a far. The accuracy I am talking about is 200 feet, a moving target may be difficult to hit at this distance but a static one is a joke to anyone with average aiming skills.
Retractable stock allows you to adjust the length of the rifle, so you can find the perfect length that fits you.
It is made of high quality polymer which makes it durable and pretty light.
In terms of the power, this gun is not the most powerful gun on the market, but its 350 FPS is more than enough for any purpose. I could only think about this FPS being low if you intend to penetrate glass bottles at distances.
There are semi and full auto modes with a safety option mode as well.
Lancer Tactical lt-25 airsoft rifle
You can check the price on Amazon here.
Another great AEG that is good in field just as it is good for practicing.
This is a gun that I also recommend to beginners because it is a great starting AEG that can compete with upgraded and more expensive AEG rifles in the market, but is also a great pick for experienced players.
This rifle has everything that you need in rifles, good accuracy and power and a rail where you can attach any cool tactical accessories you want.
You can try it out with a scope, laser or without any attachment because it has a nice iron sight.
This rifle can be everything that you will ever need in airsoft after a few smart upgrades like a hop up upgrade that will make it match the accuracy of most expensive and high-end rifles.
This is yet another recommendation of mine and I believe that you should make a further research to find the model you really adore if this one does not immediately catch your eye.
Elite Force 1911 airsoft pistol
You can check the price on Amazon here.
The ultra-realistic full metal pistol replica that has a blowback and shots at 300-350 FPS.
It is not a secret that this is one of my favorite airsoft pistols and I would recommend it to anyone.
Pistols are great for target shooting and although they may lack the effective range of rifles and snipers, they offer lots of fun and things that you can not achieve with rifles and snipers.
Pistols are must in any arsenal and target practicing with them feels dry, at least it is a case for me.
It is small, light and compatible and after all, if your goal is to improve the pistol shooting skills then you do not have to think further, choose Elite force 1911 or a glock!
Glock 19X airsoft pistol
You can check the price on Amazon here.
Remember when I mentioned realism? This airsoft replica does not only have a realistic blowback, but every part and detail that can be found on a real G19 is almost perfectly replicated on the replica, of course beside the inner parts.
Therefore, you have an option to target practice with a glock that is identical to the real counterpart and fits the holster exactly.
Glock replicas are fully licensed by Glock and they are known for their high quality and performance.
This replica is something that I highly recommend to everyone just as it is a case with Elite Force 1911.
Double Eagle Field Marksman airsoft sniper
You can check the price on Amazon here.
This airsoft sniper replica operates on spring bolt action system and it makes an efficient, money saving gun for almost any airsoft purpose but Close quarter games.
It is quite accurate on its own and has a decent FPS for snipers rifles, although it may not be the most powerful sniper on the market unless upgraded, it certainly is a great deal for the affordable price it comes with.
It is not only one of the best quality built snipers on the market that feels realistic and has the weight, but also seems to last long for everyone because you will rarely hear any complain about it.
Sure, you will need to make some upgrades if you want to make it a deadly machine, but for target practice you do not need anything much better than this, except a good scope.
Because it does not come with a scope and the scope needs to be purchased separately it comes with a lower and affordable price. When you add the cost of any decent scope ($30-$50), you realize that you have to pay for the quality and you will end up with a budget of about $150 for an outstanding sniper option before upgrades.
If you want to upgrade it furthermore and get it to higher tiers you are free to do it as well, but start out slowly.
As a matter of fact you can choose almost any sniper that is accurate and add a good scope to it, so it does not have to be exactly the double eagle field marksman, but I had to recommend something and this one has made many happy faces.
CYMA VSR-10 airsoft sniper
You can check the price on Amazon here.
Another great design, good starting accuracy and high quality, bolt action sniper rifle.
I am slowly falling in love with it from a distance, but have not ever had it in hands unfortunately.
I have heard lots of nice stories about this gun and I know that it needs upgrades to be on a really high tier, but it has everything you need at beginning and if you are keen on snipers you can use this one for target practice and eventually take it to an actual game in the field.
This is the last sniper on the list I am going to mention because for pure target practicing I have not found snipers that especially shine at target practicing, so if you are interested in snipers I am just dropping those that I like and it can be a good starting point for your own research.
CYMA M870 tri-shot shotgun
You can check the price on Amazon here.
This gun is spring operated and it is the only reason why I have put this on the list. I am not saying that its performance is terrible although it really under performs at longer distances, but beside being great at close distances it is not a gun that I would use sorely for accuracy, skill improvement and neither for fun.
Okay, the fun aspect may be subjective, so I am pulling it off, but there are better guns for target practice in my opinion.
You may ask yourself, why did I include such a terrible and under performing gun on the list then? Well because of two simple factors and they are called maintenance and resource efficiency.
Spring operated pump action shotguns like this one are extremely easy to maintenance because there is not much of the complex stuff going on inside and they are easy to take care of.
Whenever you have a gearbox, advanced electronics a gas chamber and such stuff, you also get more work with the maintenance.
The second factor is the efficiency that saves the money. Forget about expensive gas or the electricity that needs to be recharged into the batteries.
With spring pump action shotguns you never think about whether your gun is filled and can it last you for a day. When you think about the money aspect, in the long term it actually saves quite a lot.
In target practice you will shoot a lot and will not be as resourceful as you would be in a field competing against people.
Conclusion
This post has been created for any beginner who wants to target practice or play airsoft, but does not know much about it. The mentioned guns are great picks, but can also be used as a good starting point for further research.
There are many other guns that can be used for target practice, but some are naturally more suiting than others, make a research and find the one you like, check what it offers and what the reviews say.
You can use the mentioned guns and factors that I stated above to help you with the research.