Is it necessary to shoot fast ?

[joe hickey]

Other than combat, is it necessary to be able to shoot fast. Why do we need to develop air guns that can shoot rapid fire, since target shooting is done precisely and slowly, and hunting, rarely offers an opportunity to make more than one shot within a minute. Other than the “thrill” of semi or full auto shooting, theres no real need for air guns to have those abilities. Manufacturers see the need to develop air guns that can shoot fast, because the child in “us” makes it profitable for “them”. But is there a real NEED, for such guns ?

[PZAM]

But is there a real NEED, for such guns ?

If I enjoy shooting them then that argument falls flat, I don't think it's helpful to classify projectile firing devices in terms of "need" because it's a bit of a slippery slope that can be applied to virtually anything - you're just driving from A to B, what do you need a 6.2 liter V8 in your Dodge Charger for? In fact why do you need a Dodge Charger at all?

Any time a significant other questioned what I needed another gun for, my standard retort would be to ask what she needed another pair of shoes for and that was that.

hunting, rarely offers an opportunity to make more than one shot within a minute

In some cases the ability to make a rapid follow-up shot is advantageous in a hunting situation.

[leadslinger]

Other than combat, is it necessary to be able to shoot fast. Why do we need to develop air guns that can shoot rapid fire, since target shooting is done precisely and slowly, and hunting, rarely offers an opportunity to make more than one shot within a minute. Other than the “thrill” of semi or full auto shooting, theres no real need for air guns to have those abilities. Manufacturers see the need to develop air guns that can shoot fast, because the child in “us” makes it profitable for “them”. But is there a real NEED, for such guns ?

Well there are a lot of shooting sports that require you to shoot fast. I shot IPSC for many years and moved to PPC. There more than just sitting benched or 10M shooting slowly as possible for the tightest group shooting sports. Some people shoot IPSC with BB guns.

I mean in NS, there only 10m shooting, nothing else. Also countries where there are firearm restrictions, many places do mini shooting sports. Like Japan, IPSC with airsoft is common.

Maybe they want faster follow up shots. Not everybody also uses a 1000$ air rifle to go hunting. Or try and get the younger people involved.

Its not causing any harm so.

[mangerover]

I'm reading this as I tune ski's for my blind athletes to go as fast as possible but without the skills to perform the task it just becomes spray and pray.When I was a guide the first words to my customer after the shot was rack another and keep on target so for me it's skill then speed

[joe hickey]

These are exactly the kind of response,s to the question, I had hoped to invoke. The question was not intended to to reveal my opinion one way or another, but merely to get opinions.

[Ace]

Other than combat, is it necessary to be able to shoot fast. Why do we need to develop air guns that can shoot rapid fire, since target shooting is done precisely and slowly, and hunting, rarely offers an opportunity to make more than one shot within a minute. Other than the “thrill” of semi or full auto shooting, theres no real need for air guns to have those abilities. Manufacturers see the need to develop air guns that can shoot fast, because the child in “us” makes it profitable for “them”. But is there a real NEED, for such guns ?

Joe i think you basically answered your own question....
this reminds me of paintball guns in...PSP, NXl, NPPL, or CPPL you have a cap on your marker for that specific tournament like 12.5 balls per second so you'd have to program your board for that specific cap...yet manufacture make there markers shoot 23 BPS or greater i remember a while back there was a race between manufacture to see who could produce the fastest paintball gun...so why would they do that... because that's what the public wanted...

[Joolz]

I can vouch for a need to shoot fast: we made a game out of seeing how many bullseyes you could hit with the 1077 repeater. Wife is such a good shot that she was getting bored of nailing bullseyes from our living room table at a distance of 6.5m (target about half the size of a dime). So I printed dozens of these targets onto a sheet of paper for her to rapid fire. And she'd hardly miss. She was so fast that I couldn't keep up with reloading pellets to the magazines, roughly one shot every 1 or 2 seconds, open sights. She does have eagle eyes (very handy for spotting speed cameras parked way down the road, so I enjoy having her as a co-pilot)

Like everything else, if the technology is there, we'll find a way to make it more fun. As mentioned above, it's all about listening to the kid in us.

[ricksplace]

In my collection of firearms and airguns, the only autoloader is my 1911 .45. I've owned a few autoloaders (22s, Garand, M14) in 50+ years of shooting, but found they just didn't suit my shooting preferences. Having said that, I'll fight tooth and nail for the right to own and use them responsibly.

I must admit that full auto Thompson I shot at Front Sight was fun.

[Erie-Eyes]

Western Action Shooting is all about hitting required targets in the least about of time (stop watch) and its now possible to play this game with air guns thanks to the Colt SAA Peacemakers and Walther Lever action. So yes, sometimes it is necessary to shoot fast in order to compete.

[Daryl]

I agree with the newer discipline requirements as a just cause, however, why is a just cause even needed?

In a free society, law abiding citizens should be free to do as they please, whatever they want, as long as

that action does not infringe upon someone else's freedoms or safety.

Owning & using a rapid firing gun of any sort, does not in itself break or countermand that "definition".

[DocGadget]

Fun comes to mind I think it's a pretty good reason.
I like them all. I love my SteelStorm as much as my 1701P yet they couldn't be farther apart from one another

[sillymike]

Not sure if there's a "need" to shoot fast... other than it's fun to knock down series of targets in little time... or dealing with multiple "pest" at the farm





But as far as designing airguns that shoot fast I'd say, it's more about designing a reliable semi-auto airguns.
Right not, reloading an airgun to take another shot at a target involves breaking your shooting position to "work" the action.

Whether it be working a bolt


or a toggle



If you look at the Steyr, the LGB-1 will let you reload with a quick pull of the index finger


The Hunting 5 and LP50 will let you shoot in semi-automatic mode

[PZAM]

Also worth mentioning the FX Monsoon, one of the best air rifles I've ever owned.

[Doc Sharptail]

Rabbits on the run.... McCartney aside, you ain't lived until you've gone after running wabbits with a semi auto .22 rifle

My first was with a little Mossberg with the dropping tenite fore-arm. What a gas, and stew for the pot as well. That particular rifle was scoped with a brand new Weaver J 2.5 (dating myself here)

Favorite is still a toss up between the 10-22 and the Winchester 94-22-M in .22 mag I'm almost the same speed with both.

A lot of people still swear by the old 11-87 for pass shooting ducks~ 3 12 or 20 gauge shots as fast as the trigger can be worked.

Design and market a semi-auto a/g that that shoots consistently to point of aim from one end of the magazine to the other, and I'm all-in.

-D.S.

[Plinkercases]

I enjoy the Zen for the bench but also use AG and AS to train for Cowboy Action and Wild bunch shooting...cheaper and indoors if necessary.

Leaver gun (which I can get going just about as fast as a semi-auto) and the old 1911 Witness are ideal for this.

I am sure there are others playing IPSC and other run and gun tacti-cool like games with their AGs.

And I think that the speed demand comes first from the airsoft MilSim/combat players and then they are converted to AG by manufacturers to get us AG shooters perhaps....