Recommendations: Pellet or BB pistol for target practice

[beowulf]

Valid points. Reason for BB or Pellet is to save money on ammo. These are not to replace the real gun experience or training but to supplement and enhance the experience.

Right. She went to a range to try out different guns -really useful as some did not fit her hand well. And the guys there helped her learn about the gun, stance, jams, and more. At home we will use the actual handguns to practice - mine, and whatever she ultimately decides on - and will also use the pellet gun to practice and save money on the ammunition - can get a lot more practice in that way.

 

[FERLING]

I built a nice target range for handgun practice - cut into a hillside, with cables for attaching targets and distances marked. I have a 9mm and a .357 revolver. I have not used the range much but plan to use it a bit more and want my daughter to also become comfortable with handguns - she hikes the property, and I would feel better is she carried - once she learns enough to safely do so. Because ammunition can get expensive, I thought I would look into a pellet or BB pistol - one that had similar size and design to my 9mm handgun - to practice shooting - improve our skills. As I see it the choices are pellet vs BB, and C02 vs spring loading. I found some that look a lot like my 9mm. I don't want one with a really long barrel as it seems that would not be as effective to match shooting with 9mm. Just looking for suggestions and wondering if I am missing anything.

Train her to shoot a .22 cal. and then move her up to 9mm when she has the knowledge. When she has the experience with a 9mm then is the time to find the right pistol she can shoot and will carry. If it fits her hand and she can hit the target invest in ammo to keep her current on using it. Then let her pick out a BB / Pellet firearm that she wants for cheap target practice. They do make “laser bullet” that will fit your firearm, that lights a laser beam on trigger pull which can be use for basic handling of a firearm. That gives you real time feel while saving money on ammo.
What doesn’t fit today may be perfect later on?
Something like the following would be a good investment:

Basic Competition Package - Packages Laser Ammo

<p><strong>Included in this package are:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Premium Plus Kit - IR</li> <li>LaserPET II</li> </ul>

store.laser-ammo.com

 

[Doofy]

Right. She went to a range to try out different guns -really useful as some did not fit her hand well. And the guys there helped her learn about the gun, stance, jams, and more. At home we will use the actual handguns to practice - mine, and whatever she ultimately decides on - and will also use the pellet gun to practice and save money on the ammunition - can get a lot more practice in that way.

Great start. Proper training is everything.

 

[DK35vince]

and now see that there is another question I need to answer - blowback vs non-blowback - have to read more about that

Blowback makes the gun feel more realistic, but it will use up a co2 cartridge a little faster than non-blowback

 

[bcp]

You might think about practice using her real gun, but with wax or reusable bullets, powered by primers only. Less noise recoil, and cost but still practice/familiarization with the real gun.

Bruce

 

[CalG]

Crosman Custom Shop (Search it) offers the 2300 in a variety of configurations that are on par with Olympic level pistol shooting (Not really, but they are nice ;-)
.177 and BB are entirely too fiddly, though a young person may not feel that way.
In .22 they are VERY accurate, and reward good technique with very small groups out to 30 yards. Perhaps more, I can't hold steady ;-)

I've got a 2X red dot on the one before me now. Would do target peeps as well (if my eyes could focus at arms length ;-)

I do enjoy the CO2 cart air guns. about 50 shots per cart.. no muss, no fuss, no bother.

OH! did I mention they are very accurate? factor of four more so than BB (I have both, though .177 pells are fine!)

Some folks go to great lengths to find "the perfect pellet", I shoot the Crosman Premiers without any faulting.
Available at Most sporting goods retailers.

 

[dougtrr2]

I am not a gun person, but have no issues with those that are. If the goal of practicing is to be more accurate, don't you need to use the same gun you ultimately want to be accurate with? I would think the sight picture, feel and trajectories would be different from gun to gun. I realize an experienced gun user can probably adapt from gun to gun, but if you are just starting out will it be that helpful?

Always willing to learn more about things I don't know.

Doug in SW IA

 

[kcflhrc]

My wife has a CO2 revolver type that holds 8 rounds of pellets or 10 rounds of BB's. But she also has a Smith & Wesson 380EZ. When she is ready to move up the 380 EZ is very capable. Very little recoil and easy to rack the slide. My wife can't even rack the slide on my Taurus 9MM but the 380 EZ is very easy for her. Ammo for the 380 is a little harder to find than say 9MM but she will have a fun experience with the 380 instead of the violent behavior of a 9MM. They also make the EZ in a 9 and 40 I believe. Also a 22 auto is very nice and cheaper to shoot. I have a S&W 22

 

[Code54]

After reading more I thought I would chime in a bit more. The big thing to remember is you always want to train with the same weapon or as close as possible to the one you are going to carry or use in a defensive situation. The reason is you are going to develop muscle memory for things like changing the magazines, hitting a slide release or perhaps clearing a jam. While pellet guns seems like a good training idea they are really lacking (generally) in the ability to help build the skills needed for long term success. As others mentioned a .22 is a good pistol that is pretty cheap to shoot. By the time you start buying CO2's, and decent pellets you are getting close to the cost of .22 (hopefully once the supply chain gets back to normal the prices will drop back down on the ammo). The nice thing is a lot of .22's can work as trainers (M&P .22 comes to mind) - they are laid out the same as the larger caliber pistols so every motion and action will easily transfer to a higher caliber pistol down he road. You will want to learn the skills such as tap/rack/reloads so if the gun "doesn't work" you understand how to "fix it" without looking or really even thinking - this can learned on a .22 but doesn't really work too well on pellet and BB guns.

Right now I noticed Midway had 500 round boxes of .22 ammo for $55 to give you an idea of the cost. Now that is "high" compared to pre pandemic costs but we are slowly starting to see more ammo (at least around me) and the coasts are starting to drop back down.

 

[beowulf]

The big thing to remember is you always want to train with the same weapon or as close as possible to the one you are going to carry or use in a defensive situation. The reason is you are going to develop muscle memory for things like changing the magazines, hitting a slide release or perhaps clearing a jam.

Code 54, thanks for your suggestions - others (Ferling, bcp, dougtrr2) mentioned the same thing. I will add to that - I had some brief experience with a CO2 pellet gun - it broke before I could have much experience, but I do recall how much it did not feel like a real gun. So, getting a .22 seems like a plan. I will discuss this option with her and check out what is available in that gun.