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Is Airsoft Powerful Enough For Cardboard Targets? No Co2

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I've played airsoft a bit and have a small collection of airsoft replicas - pistols, SMGs, ARs, shotguns, grenade launchers, etc. There are 4 primary power methods: Spring (ie: AEG), CO2 or Green Gas (basically propane w/o the stink), and HPA (it's not called PCP in airsoft circles as the pressures in the gun are reduced to around 100-120 ps). 

I'm going to give you my honest opinion here on several aspects of airguns versus airsoft replicas. 

Pistols - most non-target airgun pistols are utter crap. You can't keep them within a 6" circle past 10 yards. Airsoft pistols are so much more accurate. I have some that can group 1" at 10 yards and easily hit a mansize target at 50 yards. Airsoft pistols are also the closest you can get to real steel.

Rifles - well you can't compare airgun and airsoft rifles. Airgun rifles win if you are looking for accuracy. Airsoft rifles, if tuned well, will shoot a 0.30 gram 6mm plastic BB at ~400fps. They will easily punch paper out to 30-40 yards. And I will confirm getting hit in the stomach at that distance still hurts like a mofo. 

Overall I would say that airsoft replicas, both piatols and rifles, are designs to operate and breakdown just like the real weapons. They are the best training alternative you can use for real steel. Don't believe me - watch this video - it's insane how fast this Japanese airsofter is with RS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQDfwyUgtjg

And they are a TON of fun to mess around with. 


 
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My 10 year old son has 2 AR style AEG rifles that shoot 6mm .25g plastic BBs at around 380-425fps. They will punch holes in Amazon shipping cardboards easily out to 40-50yds. They will even crack open filled coke cans at that range. We also have a couple of airsoft pistols, springers and CO2 blowback types. The springers can shoot paper targets, but has a hard time with cardboard boxes at even 10 yds. The CO2 pistols are more realistic with blowbacks and such, is more powerful than the springer pistols, but nowhere near the AEG rifles in terms of power and accuracy. I have no experience with HPA airsoft, but from what I know, they are about the same or could be slightly more powerful than AEG based airsoft rifles.

My son and I can sit in our backyard and blast through 10k rounds of these biodegradable BBs in one sitting shooting at paper, cardboard, cans, eggs and whatever we can get our hands on. Fun stuff.


 
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If you already have a compressor and a small tank hpa cost will be reduced, though they still tend to be priced higher than aegs. AEG can be cheaper up front but they have a lot more moving parts inside that will require maintenance and possibly upgrading.

I like the sound of an hpa much more than gears squealing in an AEG. HPA is more of a suppressed airgun sound. That said, I have 2 aegs myself, an hpa and a couple gbb pistols. Considering getting another hpa as I enjoy them more, especially with some of the modified stock options where you attach a small tank directly to the hpa engine (similar to airguns) and ditch the external line and tank. Check out the MTW by wolverine airsoft along with their wraith co2 and and aero stocks. Great hpa setup out of the box. 

I only got into my airsoft stuff for plinking really. The cheap plentiful ammo, full auto options as well as real steel replicas seemed like they could be just as fun to shoot as any of my airguns - though with less range and accuracy, and they are in my opinion. But now I want to try and use them in games with other players. That seems like a lot of fun as well.
 
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The bio bb's are made from the same chemicals as lawn fertilizer. No need to worry about being green. They shoot as well as the plastic as well. I have an old M4 AEG that has been a lot of fun. I also have an M&P40 pistol in Co2 that's fun. If I bought another one for target shooting, it would be an all metal, BB gearbox AEG with LiPo batteries and a large bag of .25g Bio bb's. I haven't kept up with those for a few years, but brands like G&G, KWA seemed good a few years ago. Mail order from a real enthusiast web store, not the local big box store. Finding a place that sells exact replacement gear sets will save you some grief years down the road. I used to buy from Evike.com
 
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AEGs are the easiest way into it. Least maintenance and usually ready to roll out of the box. If you need some good brand recs let us know.
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I'd like to hear more about good brands. These would be for my 11 and 12 year olds. Decorating the tree and searching on my phone and there is a lot of information to digest.

Evike keeps coming up on my searches. Is that a good place?
 
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Yeah - Evike is one of the biggest in the US. I also recommend Airsoft GI and Airsoft Atlanta. Once you get into modding I recommend Brill Armory for parts. And Hobby King for batteries.

There is a TON of information to digest. One key tuning thing to read up on is hop-up. It's the backspin put onto the BB to create a magnus lifting effect to cause the BB to defy gravity and go straight for 100 yards. It's an adjustable setting on all Airsoft guns.

I would recommend you get 0.25g BBs to start with. Don't get 0.2 or lower - just like a light pellet the wind will carry them. 

So first recommendation - stay away from GBBR (gas blowback rifles) as they are not for beginners. Brands I really like that are very high quality out of the box are VFC Avalon line, he ASG Scorpion EVO 3A1, ICS. You should expect to spend $300-$400 for a really good rifle that will last. Stay far away from the cheap brands as any rifle under $150 is going to be mostly garbage. 

Also - check out the Reddit r/airsoft - it's one of the best airsoft discussion forums.
 
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Once you get into modding...
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I legit chuckled at how you stated as if it were pre-determined that I'd get into modding. It does make sense when addressed to members of this forum.

I'm just now sitting down to look at this stuff. You did streamline my search dramatically. Thank you for that.

Between VFC and ASG is there one you'd recommend over the other for ease of working on, availability of parts, etc?

My boys have Traxxas Rustler's RC cars and they're easy to find parts for and easy to work on, usually. However, it's one of those things that I both enjoy and sometimes despise doing, if that makes any sense.

Also, are those rails standard Weaver Picatinny? Meaning I can use my overflow of mounts and scopes on these?
 
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I second VFC. My son has a VFC Avalon and it is one of the smoothest and most reliable AEG in his collection. 

The Krytac is also another awesome and reliable brand. If you are willing to splurge a little more, pay for the ones already fitted with integrated MOSFET.
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Can you give me some specific examples with integrated Mosfet?

I've been fighting a viral infection in both ears since the middle of October. One of the associated problems is blurry vision and staring at a computer screen doesn't help.

I'm definitely at the buy once, cry once point of my life so I'm happy to pay a bit more. I'm not sure how much a bit is.
 
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I second VFC. My son has a VFC Avalon and it is one of the smoothest and most reliable AEG in his collection. 

The Krytac is also another awesome and reliable brand. If you are willing to splurge a little more, pay for the ones already fitted with integrated MOSFET.
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Can you give me some specific examples with integrated Mosfet?

I've been fighting a viral infection in both ears since the middle of October. One of the associated problems is blurry vision and staring at a computer screen doesn't help.

I'm definitely at the buy once, cry once point of my life so I'm happy to pay a bit more. I'm not sure how much a bit is.
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Yup, buy once cry once. I made the mistake of buying the first one without MOSFET. Without MOSFET, the trigger contacts were mechanical and they wore out over time and had carbon build up on the contacts. It failed after 15k rounds. I bought a MOSFET upgrade for it and it was a pain to get in there and upgrade. The VFC and Krytac we bought after both had MOSFET electronic triggers and they still shoot like new after over 30k rounds each...

VFC Avalon with MOSFET: https://www.evike.com/products/69880/

Krytac with MOSFET: https://www.evike.com/products/56632/

I know, they cost almost as much as real guns. But just this week, my son and I shot about 5k rounds in the backyard practicing "move and shoot" techniques on "shoot-n-c" targets and we had a blast. 


 
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