Ok so I’m thinking of another hobby that involves a shooting sport I shot as a teenager Air rifle field target shooting, clay shooting and was a professional gamekeeper for a number of years so shot a lot of different weapons and held Section(Class) 2 and Class 1 firearms licenses BUT I don’t think I can be bothered with applying for a license again.

So though about playing airsoft anyone done it? Play it enjoyed it?

What’s the connection between shooting and dressing up and running around the woods with toy guns?

Firing toy guns!

Done it a few times, it relies a little too much on people being good sports whereas Paintball its a little bit more obvious that you have been hit.
The guys (they are all guys) out here take it very seriously, you can get some real hardcore stuff.

Its fun, doesn’t hurt that much (wear goggles at a minimum) and I found the indoors stuff (close quarters) is great fun, very quick short sessions, not so keen on the outdoors sessions as it turns into a sniper game.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUnNYe_ysU4[/video]

Have not done it in a while as a found it not as much fun as riding a bike, plus I couldn’t take it that seriously.

Used to do it years ago. Great fun. BBs can sting a bit if hit on exposed flesh.
Got all my gear still. Could do with selling really. But my ukara membership expired so can’t sell on airsoft forms or at sites.

I used to play/work on a paintball site . The kit and balls were very expensive the games were physicaly demanding running around in woods all day diving into bushes . It was great fun and involved a fair proportion of females . Perhaps because when we did it their was a lot of corporate days .

I did a day ages ago, South Wales I think it was, old military base of some sort.
It was great fun, one of the guys I played hockey with was really in to it.
What struck me was, I was glad the people who were doing it regularly had an outlet, and we’re there each weekend and not roaming the general population.
Some guys all in black SAS kit, ropes and cable ties etc! One guy in leather trench coat and hand guns strapped to his back, Matrix style. 8O. There were lots of odd people there.

What was said earlier, it did turn a bit into a sniper game and not all the weapons were equal so you could be at a disadvantage against some people.
I think I still have tinnitus from one of the flash bangs.

Lol some good responces here cheers guys i enjoy my biking but as ive quiet a lonng commute (on the bike) some weekends i just fancy doing something different on a Sunday (mrs works nights and we have no kids) so fancy something ourdoorsy that will keep me out of the house. 🙂

fancy something ourdoorsy that will keep me out of the house.

How about field archery?

Some guys all in black SAS kit, ropes and cable ties etc! One guy in leather trench coat and hand guns strapped to his back, Matrix style. 8O. There were lots of odd people there.

🙂 absolutely wonderful! It’d be worth getting into, just so you can meet these sorts of characters. THe average middle aged man probably spends a Sunday afternoon at a garden/shopping centre; not dressed up as Neo legging it round an abandoned warehouse.

Gives me hope for the human race.

Another good alternative could be LARPing?

Why don’t you try gardening? It’s outdoors, you can dress like your filmstar / superhero / special forces soldier of choice, and you can nip into the house for a brew at any time!

I’m going to finmere air soft next week with my 14 year old lad. We go once a year for his birthday and have a good laugh.
I don’t own any gear so we borrow my mates guns and gear. He is an airsoft nut. We went round yesterday to go through which guns we were going to use and his current arsenal is about 15 assault rifles and a whole load of gas powered side arms. He is also kitting us out with full digicam tops, trousers, and those tactical utility Kevlar vest thingies that the soldiers wear with all the pouches and a back pack on plus a helmet each.

You think bikes can be a bottomless pit of spending then you ain’t seen nothing yet till you rock up at a airsoft venue and see the kit that gets laid out. I reckon he has easily Ten grands worth of gear not to mention the stuff he’s sold over the years.

tend to find that the youngsters and non regulars do all the running and shooting and the regulars enjoy the gearing up as much as the actual firing.

I’m using his Scorpion Evo?? And the boy wants to use his new honey badger (oo er). Should be good 😀

Cougar – Moderator
fancy something ourdoorsy that will keep me out of the house.
How about field archery?

+1. Huge fun. Beware though, can be just as much of a gearhead hobby as MTB or airsoft if you let it (my recurve bow probably cost me north of 1500 quid and carbon arrows are expensive things to smash against trees).

MattBee used to run the largest Airsoft company.
Between us we easily have in excess of £20-30k of kit – many are unobtanium unless you “know” the right people…..
Anyone want to buy an ex-SAS kit bag 8)

If you’re anywhere near Essex you could try the Campaign Cup? 😉

(my recurve bow probably cost me north of 1500 quid and carbon arrows are expensive things to smash against trees).

I think mine was less than £100 (though granted it was some time ago) and I made my own arrows. It’s as expensive as you want to make it really.

Was site manager for UCAP for 6 years.
Can be great fun, but can also be a home for walts and armchair SF, best thing is to remember it’s supposed to be a bit of fun.
Mind you, I’ve been over to Europe to play, had helicopter insertions, fast attack boats, tanks, abseiled off tower blocks and even just run around the woods (our old paintball site is now also an airsoft site instead) with a pair of jeans and a few spare mags in pockets. All were fun in different ways.
Can spend relatively little on it compared to paintball, the ‘guns’ tend to be more accurate and the ammunition is considerably cheaper.
Once you’ve played at least 3 times in more than 3 months but less than a year using either a rental gun from the site you play at, or borrowed from another player, you can get site membership sorted and if you want register with UKARA to enable you to buy your own. (porlus, you only need to prove your defence against the VCRA to buy, not to sell…)
Kit wise it’s just like bikes, there’s always the n plus 1 itch and lots of shiny things made of carbon and aluminium to buy.
Whereabouts are you based?

Hi mattbee Greater Manchester.
Duffer I **** hate gardening. And it’s not the dressing up it’s the running around and shooting that I think I’ll like 😀
I spent the first 6 years of my working life dressed in cammo half the time.

I did archery for a while with my brother but we found the clubs very up there own arse so used the range I used to shoot at with proper firearms until he sold his gear.
Not much fun on your own 😕

If you liked air rifle field target try hunter field target it’s a bit more laid back than FT hunter field target association

Cougar – Moderator
(my recurve bow probably cost me north of 1500 quid and carbon arrows are expensive things to smash against trees).
I think mine was less than £100 (though granted it was some time ago) and I made my own arrows. It’s as expensive as you want to make it really.

True. My recurve has custom limbs which upped the cost considerably. When I shot Field I more often used my little Mongolian horse bow which was much cheaper (about 80 quid IIRC) and like you made my own wooden arrows.