Shooting training with the Smart Target PRO device in airsoft
Firstly, learning how to use your airsoft gun
If someone says that you do not need to learn how to work with an airsoft gun, he is either an extremely talented person or he is simply cheating. Hardly anyone is born an advanced airsoft player. If you do not see the point in training, I suggest you go to a skirmish with Speedsoft players. There has been no doubt for a long time how important technical and physical preparation is. To me, experienced speed players seem to move at an accelerated pace. The first step on our way should be to admit to ourselves that a little training will not hurt us. This is an introduction to improving your skills and, as a result, increasing your satisfaction with the game. After all, hardly anyone likes to lose and the worst thing is when we can only blame ourselves for the failure.
So how can we help ourselves? There are several options. The simplest and probably the most effective is simply to go frequently to airsoft games. Thanks to this, we practice all elements of the game at once. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. This takes time and money. In addition, it is difficult to focus on one aspect, which is our greatest weakness. Another option is home training. If we have the conditions for it, we can spread the targets in the garden and train quite efficiently with them. However, not everyone has such opportunities.
Fortunately, we can do a lot with the airsoft gun itself. We can train picking it up and presenting or changing magazines. It is a good idea to check the layout of the pouches of our tactical equipment. However, speed is hard to work with this way. For that you need some sort of hit logging system. The Smart Target product comes to our aid. It was developed for the real firearms but it can also be used with airsoft carbines and pistols.
Smart Target PRO – what is it and how does it work?
The described devices form a coherent system. On the one hand, we have targets in the form of small boxes with a white workspace. The second element of this puzzle are emitters in the form of laser cartridges or barrel inserts. What we have in our replica is just such a laser insert. When a shot is fired, a laser beam is activated, which, hitting a point on the target, allows you to register the hit. We can build our set freely. The purchase of several shields and laser inserts will increase its functionality. Nevertheless, the base itself, i.e., one target and one emitter, will allow for quite efficient training. Nothing stands in the way of starting with the basic configuration and buying additional elements over time. If we decide to develop in shooting, over time we can also buy emitters adapted to firearms and continue training there.
Above: Smart Target PRO V2 Laser Target
The devices come to us in small cardboard boxes. Inside you will find basic instructions and the products themselves. What is worth noting is that the laser inserts, which uses quite hard to obtain CR311 batteries, has them already in the set. The shield is powered by two AAA batteries and does not come with them in the box. To start training, just turn on the shield and place the emitter in the barrel of our replica. It is quite a simple operation. The set includes a holder with an M4 thread that will help you place the laser in the inner barrel of the airsoft gun. After that, just unscrew the handle and we can start training. The shield is turned on with the switch on the side of the device. Next to it there is also a button for changing operating modes. In the set with the emitter, we also get a plastic element simulating BBs in the magazine. Thanks to this, gas powered replicas do not stop the slide in the rear position after each shot.
While the emitter makes a very good impression, the target itself may seem to be made at a fairly low cost. The housing is plastic, which at first glance looks as if it was made cheaply. However, this does not interfere with use at all. From the first moments of working with the system, everything works fine. During my tests, neither the emitter nor the interactive shield caused any problems and did not break down. The only thing to remember is that the laser cartridge should not be used in the auto mode of the replica. In addition, the system works with gas, spring and electric replicas without any problems.
Basic training with the Smart Target PRO set
Once we have covered the basics of operation, it is worth moving on to discussing the real applications of the system. We already have several options with even the most basic set of one shield and one emitter. First of all, acquiring a target training. We can set the shield quite close to each us. About 5 meters is enough, and if we want to increase the difficulty level and we have enough space, we increase the distance. We put ourselves in the low ready or high ready position and, on the device's signal, we fire one shot. The shield will show us how quickly after the sound signal the hit was scored. This exercise is not only about speed, but also accuracy, and the small size of the target will help build that. It's worth saving your results and tracking your progress over time.
If we have enough possibilities, it is worth introducing variety to the above exercise. We can set up around the corner of the room or at the door. On the signal, we lean out from behind the cover and shoot. This already simulates a real application quite well. Think about how often in CQB games you get hit because someone was faster in leaning out from behind an obstacle and taking a shot. This exercise can be extended further by changing the position to kneeling or half-lying, if only we have enough space in the house.
Another good exercise is to change the magazine. We can easily simulate the 1R1 exercise known from shooting training, i.e., "one, reload, one". We fire one shot, change the magazine and fire another. The device will show us the time between two shots, which we can save to track our progress. Of course, it is worth doing it in the target equipment.
Other uses of the Smart Target system
The fun does not end with the basic set. In my opinion, if you want to expand your Smart Target system, it is worth doing it by buying a second emitter. Then you can very well train the transition from a long replica to a short one. You can start again from the standby position and take a shot from the carbine replica. After that, switch to the pistol replica and take another shot. Smart Target will show us the time elapsed between shots. The whole fun is to shorten this time over time, while maintaining accuracy.
The Smart Target system also has several other features. By buying additional shields, we can train the transition between targets. Nothing stands in the way of arranging a shooting track using this system. There is one more application that I think is underestimated and may turn out to be useful. What's more, it does not require a large apartment or house from us. Smart Target is also a great way to zero the sights in our airsoft gun. Of course, it is best to do it at longer distances, but the basic setting of our sight can be done even at home. This will certainly help and doesn't require you to shoot a single BB.
Author: Boreq
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