A Starter Guide for Beginners

Airsoft Beginner's Guide


Basic Terminology
FPS: Feet per second (speed that BB's are shot from the gun)
ROF: Rate of Fire (how rapidly the gun shoots BB's, usually measured in rps or rpm)
RPS/RPM: Rounds per second/Rounds per minute (one round=one BB fired)
AEG: Automatic Electric Gun
GBB: Gas Blow Back (usually refers to a pistol)


The Basics:

At first glance, airsoft seems to be a game based on violence. It is not. After the first game, most would realize that violence isn't what airsoft is about at all. Primarily, it is a strategy game. Strategy is what wins games. There will be more on strategy later on.

The next thing to remember when airsofting for the first time, is that it will most likely hurt, but isn't likely to cause any major injuries. Typically, if the airsoft BB (the ammunition used with airsoft guns) leaves a mark, it will only be a small red dot which will go away in a day or two. More serious injuries will leave small bruises or cuts, nothing that will result in a hospital trip. These usually result from people not following safety rules, so if everybody plays by the rules, everybody will be fine. As for the pain, it all depends on where the hit is. Hits on the arms, legs, and body will either give a little sting or no pain at all. Shots to the the head generally don't hurt much because of hair. A face shot is a little more painful, but like all the others the pain will go away after about five seconds. The one area that hurts the most is the neck, as there are veins and nerves, as well as the windpipe. Shots there might sting or temporarily knock out your breath. However, this is all assuming the shot leaves a mark at all. 70% of the time, the BB won't leave a mark because it was cushioned by clothing.



What to bring to a skirmish:

There are a couple of things needed for an airsoft skirmish. The items listed here are the ones that are required even if you don't have a gun of your own.

1. Eye protection: You might get off with a pair of sturdy sunglasses (shatterproof is highly recommended), but you'll be far better off with shooting glasses, goggles, or a mask. 360 degree protection is really the only way you should go. If you are wearing glasses, make sure they are wraparound, not just forward protection.

2. Water: Bring at least one bottle of water, preferably two. Keeping hydrated is important. Even if you think you can last without water, bring some anyways. You won't regret it.

3. A backpack. This isn't necessary, but it's nice to have something to carry your items in. You could also wear it during the skirmish to carry extra ammo or water.

If you don't have a gun, we have loaner guns to give out. They certainly don't have the same firepower that the rest of our guns have, but it will serve you well during the skirmish and let you get a feel for the game before you drop $100 on your own gun.


Game Rules:

A lot of airsoft has to do with an honor system. If you can't be honest, don't play. Firstly, when you're hit, don't lie. Just raise your gun in the air and shout either "Out" or "Hit" then exit the playing area. If someone accidentally shoots you when you're out, just keep your cool and walk away.

Also, there is a 15-25 foot rule. If your gun is firing above 380 fps (you will be informed of your guns power if you get a loaner) keep 25 feet away. If your gun fires lower than 380 fps, keep 15 feet away from your target. If you catch someone unaware and sneak up behind them within 15 feet, you can use the mercy rule. Just yell "freeze", "take your hit" or something similar to take them out of the game without shooting them. If you suddenly encounter an opponent face to face within 15 feet, just turn around and walk back to a safe 50 feet before resuming.

Here are the rules for some of the main games that are played:

Elimination: The players split into even teams. After being hit one times, you're out of the game. Last team standing wins. Sometimes this game is played with respawns, which will be determined at the beginning of the game. This is the simplest game, but it involves huge amounts of strategy. Play smart to win.

Frontlines: Players split into two even teams. One team is on Offense, one Defense. The Defense team has three "Frontlines" that they need to defend. The Offense has to take these frontlines by knocking down the flag at each one. Once the first frontline is taken, the game resets for the second frontline. After that frontline is taken, the game resets again for the third frontline. If the Defensive team manages to hold out for 30 minutes, they win. If the Offensive team takes all three frontlines, they win.

HVT (High Value Target): Players split into even teams. Each team has a designated HVT. This person should be armed only with a pistol. Each team wins by either eliminating the enemy HVT, or escorting their own HVT to the enemy base.

Once a game starts, it doesn't stop unless someone is seriously hurt or there are civilians passing through the playing area. Unless one of these things happen, the game doesn't stop until one team wins. A team can surrender at any time.


Equipment:

Once you figure out that you want to start airsofting regularly, you should buy your own airsoft essentials. Newcomers can borrow guns for a couple weeks, but after some time they should buy their own. This is so other people can borrow guns for their first time.

Guns
There are three types of guns: Spring, Electric, and Gas. A spring gun is a gun that needs to be cocked before each shot. They vary from pistols, to shotguns, to bolt-action sniper rifles. Spring shotguns are very good beginner guns because they are relatively powerful and require very little mainenance. The most common name for an electric gun is an AEG (automatic electric gun). AEGs are usualy SMGs (sub machine guns) or asault rifles and have fully automatic capabilities. Most people use AEGs as their primary gun (unless they are snipers). They require more time to care for than spring guns. Gas guns are usually pistols, which are the most common sidearm. They're useful for when your main gun is out of ammo, or you need to run fast. Note that most primary guns will cost you around or above $100. It would be wise to consult other airsofters about whether a gun you are looking at would be good for you or not. Generally, the two main factors you want to look at are FPS and Range. For an AEG, anything above 350 FPS is pretty good. 100 feet is standard range for an AEG. Spring sniper rifles should shoot 400 fps and have a range of more 120 feet.


BB's
There's two factors to look at for BB's. The first, and most important is weight. The most common BB's are .12 g, .20 g, .25 g, and .30 g. The heavier the bb, the farther it will go, and the more accurate. If your gun is strong enough, a heavier weight BB will make it shoot farther. The BB will move slower, but it will go farther more accurately and with more of an impact. Hence, heavier weight BB's are ideal for sniper rifles, while BB's around .20 are good for medium to close range.


.12 bbs are only good for lower powered guns in the 200 fps range. Anything heavier and the bb will drop too fast and reduce the range. Do not use these in a high quality gun, they will cause a jam.

.20 are good bbs for any gun within the 300-400 fps range.

.25 are useful for 400 fps guns, like high powered AEGs. They are decent for sniper rifles.

.30 are the best for guns that are high 500 fps. Ideal for sniper rifles.

The other factor to look at in BBs is brand. Crosman BBs from WalMart are fine for Spring guns, but for higher end electric guns, better brands are needed. TSD Tactical BB's are good (and cheap). Airsoft Elite are one of the best BBs around. Most professional airsoft stores sell good bbs.

Other Gear
If you're just starting out, you most likely won't need any other gear than eye protection, your gun, and BB's. However, as you advance, you might want to look into other things. Tactical vests are vests that have pockets sewn into them to hold magazines and other items that need to be accessed quickly in the heat of a firefight. MOLLE stands for MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. If a vest is MOLLE, that means it has a series of fabric loops on it. The loops are used to mount pockets and pouches of your own. MOLLE is usually more expensive, but it allows you to customize your equipment to fit your play style. Holsters, gloves, boots, helmets and BDUs (battle dress uniform) are all things that you might look into in the future.


Basic Tactics:

As said before, superior tactics can win a game. One of the most important tactics to know is the flank. As a rule of thumb, if you can suround an enemy you can defeat them easily. The easiest way to execute a flank is to have a person (or multiple people) with AEGs take the most obvious and direct route to the enemy. Once there, the person lays down supressing fire (fire that will keep the enemy hiding behind cover). The supressing fire should be enough to distract an opponent. While the opponent is distracted, the rest of the team should sneak around to either the sides or back. Once you have teamates positioned all around the enemy, open fire. The only way to hide from an attack from all sides is to be completely surrounded with cover, which is nearly impossible. Keep firing into the enemie's position. They will either all die, or try and make a run for it. If they run, you should be able to cut them down easily.

However, you may be wondering how to counter a flank. The best way to avoid being flanked and surounded is to keep your team slightly spread out. You don't want your team to all be in a centralized bunker, but you also don't want them to be scattered everywhere. Split your team into two or three groups. Have one group in a bunker or fortress, and the other one or two groups in hiding some distance off. If all goes well, the enemy will try to surround the group in the bunker. Once this happens, the other one or two groups on your team can pop out of hiding, get behind the enemy, and win the game.

Also make sure to keep your team aggressive. A team that stays in one spot for too long will eventually get pushed together and slaughtered. Keep moving towards the enemy.

For beginners, one of the main problems is fear. Many beginners are too quick to retreat, and to slow to advance. When an enemy charges, don't run away. If you're in cover, and an enemy is headed straight for you in a blind charge, you have a perfect posistion to eliminate the opponent. However, if BB's are clattering into your cover, don't sit in your cover and look for who is shooting you. Book it to the nearest cover. If BB's are getting through your vover, that means the opponent has the ability to hit you unless you move (obviously). So move. Advancing takes some getting used to. When the enemy stops firing, it's usually safe to advance. Remember, you can probably break cover faster than the enemy can pull the trigger. It's also incredibly hard to hit a sprinting person. When running at top speed (unless you're running parallel to the opponent, in which case you're dead meat) you are almost impossible to hit. However, every second that you're out of cover is more chances that the enemy will get a lucky shot on you. Keep your rushes to a couple of seconds before you dive back into cover. Another problem with fear is surrender. In airsoft, you should never surrender, whatever the odds. This is more an issue of sportsmanship than anything else. Even if it's the entire other team against you, you can at least fight it out and take some of them down with you. The other team is not allowed to do a forced surrender (hold gun at point blank and demand surrender) because that ruins the game, and can cause people to get hurt.

And lastly, know your gun. Do target shooting with your gun and get a feel for it. After a while of using your gun, you'll be able to make adjustments against wind. You will also know the range of your gun, which is also extremely important. If you overestimate the range of your gun, you could fire too early and give away your position. Know the range of your gun and you will know when it is the right moment to strike.





For additional information you can go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airsoft

http://www.airsoftgi.com/information.php?info_id=43#fieldgene-airsoft-gun

http://www.airsoftgi.com/information.php?info_id=34#10

http://redwolfairsoft.com/redwolf/airsoft/Beginners

Wow, that sounds very profesional.

Thanks

It took a while, but I was bored and had a lot of time to kill...

Josh... .25 bbs are actually recommended for Sniper Rifles.
They may be slower, but they're more accurate and go out farther than .2s

Okay, I'll edit it. Kris was getting .3 for his sniper, so that's why...

.3s? Wow...thats one slow bullet....

clAyton wrote:

.3s? Wow...thats one slow bullet....

Travels farther though, and hecka good for expensive guns

I just read a guide on Airsoft Forum about that... I'll post it.

I finally got around to updating this. The info I used to have in was outdated.

If anyone cares to read it again, suggestions on what to add are welcome. Especially on the small bits I have on sniper rifles. I really have no experience with them.

seems fine to me if you are beginning it is good advice, once you play for a while it is just all depending on what you feel you need