Intentional headshots? Good or bad?

[Xaccers]

Too right it's unsporting!

As Bella says, most of us don't play for the pain and don't play to cause others pain - to deliberately hurt someone is sick and anyone with that attitude should be be banned from sites.

 

If I hit someone in the head it's either an accident from the bb kicking up or the only part of their body on show.

If I have a clear shot of them I'll aim for something like their vest so they can feel the hits but without the pain.

Course if they don't take hits I'll head for softer areas like the legs or arms, but again, not the head if I can help it.

[snorkelman]

I think if a head shot is neccessary (only part exposed, refusal to take any other hit) then fair enough Likewise if its mutually agreed before hand that particular hits have more value than others and everyone is singing from same songsheet. But to go out deliberately head hunting when hits have equal value and other parts of a target are available for no other reason than serial wank fantasies of being an uber-delta-elite-snipah is just *fruitcage* lame. Folks participating havent turned up to be bit players in some smirking nobbers distorted version of reality, they're there to take part in a game.

[eel one [COE]]

If all I can see is the head of an oponent, I'll shoot, so I voted yes, it adds to skill. I know everyone will do the same to me. But if someone presents a bigger target, then i'll aim at that. A hit is a hit, no matter where it is. A head is a small target compaired to a torso, so in order to get people of the field fastest possible, aiming for headshots are generally not optimal. However, If all you can see is the head and you are able to make the shot, I'll take it any day.

[niust]

Aim for the teeth but that only for some special nut that I want to hurt. But It is not practical with BB gun ...it just not accurate enough..body shoot is the way to go in most game anyway

[Marlowe]

As has already been said, headshots will happen. If it's accidental (As I've both given and received in the past) then it has to be accepted. I and a lot of other players choose to just wear a pair of shooting glasses, and so it's inevitable (if always momentarily a bit of a shock) to be hit there.

 

On the flip side, the only time intentionally aiming for a head should be acceptable is when it is the only portion of the body which can be seen. I'm sure there's plenty of people who will argue 'oh but x was cheating' (the common excuse for aiming intentionally at someone's face / head when fully visible), and while I can appreciate the frustration that cheating players can cause, I don't see how in any way that entitles you to inflict pain maliciously upon another. Following that logic, the next time some t*t on the motorway cuts me up in a dangerous manner, it's entirely acceptable for me to shunt them.

 

At the end of the day a degree of responsibility comes into using airsoft replicas. We use them to enable us to participate in games with others, and to enjoy this situation. Individuals such as cheaters may affect your enjoyment, but this does not absolve you of any responsibility and entitle you to use your replica as a means of inflicting pain. To use your replicas as such is a childish and grossly immature approach to the sport. There's much more 'grown up' methods of dealing with such situations (eg approaching the Marshals).

The moment you start intentionally firing to inflict pain is the moment you give every anti-wargame critic further ammunition for their cause, and demonstrate that you are in no way an individual who should have access to airsoft replicas.

[Stealthbomber]

The game revolves around shooting people. Part of a person is a head.

 

Now, before someone claims I'm calloused and a masochist, I lost two teeth in a 20 foot shoot a couple of years back as I made entry into a building. Yes, I was very upset at that very moment, but it was more that I neglected to pop on my mouthguard than at the player who shot me. When I popped my trunk when loading my gear, guess what was looking at me from the floor of the trunk? Yep, my mouthguard. 1,000 dollars in dental work later, I'm still twitchy when I make an entry and finally bought a mask so I'd quit worrying about it.

Interesting.

 

If you were shot in the face while entering a building I'd think the shooter could just as easily have shot you in the chest.

 

I'd say that's a great example of somebody being an nobber and you paid for it with $1000 of dental work.

 

*EDIT*

Regarding the whole "hit value" thing, wherever I play a hit is a kill. End of. Weapon hits are usually kills too on the basis that your weapon would be disabled and you'd therefore be useless in combat.

If I was ever involved in a "hit value" system I'd simply suggest that head shots don't count.

Chest is a kill. 2 or more shots to limbs.

I'd think the LAST thing anybody'd want to do is actually encourage people to make head shots. That's MASSIVELY increasing the chances of somebody getting seriously hurt.

[rhino]

I don't intentionally aim for the head. I'm more of a "double-tap-to-the-chest". I do have a habit though of wandering over to make sure the persons alright IF a shot does accidentally hit the head (whether by ricochet or other)

[Wupjak]

Interesting.

 

If you were shot in the face while entering a building I'd think the shooter could just as easily have shot you in the chest.

 

I'd say that's a great example of somebody being an nobber and you paid for it with $1000 of dental work.

 

Just to recreate the shooting, I was stacked on the right side of the doorway. I had chosen to go hard right into the room, which opened up both ways past the doorway, hallway at the 12 o'clock. The first thing to round the corner of the doorway was my left foot and then my weapon/face. I got about one step in the door and had started making my right turn to follow the wall when the shot landed. Shooter was at the 9 or 10 o'clock position inside the doorway, 20 or so feet into the room behind cover. The guy shot and the left side of my face was exposed. It was a good shoot. End result: Pick up your chiclets, Wupjak.

 

Could just as easily have shot me in the A zone? Sure, he /could/ have. If, this, if that, if his hop up didn't apply 30% more hop than all of his other shots, if his chicom red dot wasn't bumped and lost zero, if he wasn't a complete moron who perhaps only that day showed up for his first game with a US limit AEG, you get the idea. I don't know that any of those things actually happened (likely not), but at the end of the day, I can't control anything the other guy does. Ranting about mandatory center mass hits does nothing to address a phenomenon that I have personally experienced - much to my personal financial detriment, lol. Until you need a license to play airsoft, don't expect the other player to be anything more than a dumb kid with a gun, drunk with the imaginary power of holding a gun-shaped pee pee that he can shoot at people. That, unfortunately, is the lowest common denominator. Sadly, it's the worst that one has to prepare for in order to be pleasantly surprised at virtually every turn.

 

Relying on someone else to do the right thing, whether as the most expedient, most moral, most sportsmanlike or otherwise is something I prefer not to do in this world. The Marx Brothers had a bit in one of their movies where a man went to see a doctor about a pain he had. The patient said to the doctor (paraphrasing here), 'Hey Doc, you gotta help me. It hurts when I go like this,' followed by extending his arm and pointing his finger. The doctor shrugged and replied simply, 'Don't go like this.'

 

Wear a mask if you value your face. Don't rely on the other guy. Airsoft guns are inaccurate, players are untrained and undisciplined.

[Counting Count]

I never intentionally aim for the head, but headshots do happen, and most players will bear the consequences for the occasional headshot... either in a welt / mark / injury or something as simple as the initail shock of something pinging off your mask / glasses / goggles.

 

I've been hit by an intentional headshot from an over the limit at the Site Precision Rifle, giving me a nice cut to the face, and I "got my revenge" after the respawn... a nice cold Mk23 NBB supressor pushed in the nape of the neck and a whispered "you gonna surrender?" this guy liked causing cuts to people, but did not seem to like having the same returned to him

[snorkelman]

actually i agree that giving headshots a higher value is totaly unneccessary, but if some group of consenting sado masochists want to go out with mutual intention of shooting each other in the head and leaving each other with more scars and pock marks than a 13th century black death victim? thats their lookout ..I figure better they indulge in that in their own time at their own game than bring it with them to anyone elses Not sure how their insurers would view it though..

[Basho]

I always headshot when assaulting. End of.

 

[Marlowe]

I always headshot when assaulting. End of.

 

I would be interested to hear the basis for choosing to do this. Is this an approach to airsofting which Electrowerkz condones?

[stewpidbear]

I always headshot when assaulting. End of.

 

Remind me never to play there if that's the standard of players there.

[Skarclaw]

I tend to apolagize to people if I've shot them in the face, I shot a guy once at fairly close range and his face was bleeding, so I found him in the deadzone later and said sorry. Conversely, some guy jumped out at a friend of mine, my friend spun round out of reflex and shot at him, hitting him in the face. He was about to walk up and say sorry when the guy started shouting at him to watch where he is going. I have no problem with being shot in the face, although I was miffed when someone sprayed me in the face (fnar fnar) when I had my hands up (I was dead)

[danny g]

I never aim for head shots, yet I get plenty of them. Its always first games too, as my hop up is generally too high I always apologise, usually because I wouldn't like it to happen to me, and when it does, its painful, as I use shooting glasses instead of goggles etc to aid visibility add that to the fact that I've seen the picture of guzzi's teeth, and no wonder I feel sorry about headshots

[GuzziHero]

add that to the fact that I've seen the picture of guzzi's teeth, and no wonder I feel sorry about headshots

 

 

Im better than most people - I have 3 sets of teeth. Upper, Lower, and Spares

 

[Azubi]

if your intentionaly taking headshots (especially face shots) as to me your aiming to intentionaly cause people pain.

 

What a load of tosh. If a head is all you can see then you are aiming to eliminate the opposition from the game before they eliminate you. You are either doing this because that is your objective or they are preventing you from completeing your objective. I do not play this game to cause pain but if a head is all I can see then that is what I am going to fire at. Don't like it? Get a full face mask. I did.

[amateurstuntman]

I wouldn't say that people not taking hits is always intentional.

When you are amped up on adrenaline you don't always feel the hit, especially through thick clothes or armour.

Likewise the shooter is equally amped up and wants fast effects.

 

If a person doesn't take a hit either deliberately or through just not feeling it the logical thing to do is to shoot another bit of them that they will perhaps feel.

I know I sometimes neither feel or hear a hit but in that case I will either call out when I am told I have been hit or accept that I will then be shot in somewhere tender or in the head.

 

I am not a sadist but sometimes situations arise that require singular actions.

 

I think perhaps that it happens to me more often since I prefer weapons that fire single shots without lag, SP M16, Escort MP5, KSC HK33 and TMP, various GBBs and sometimes people don't react to a single shot the same way they would to a short burst.

 

[Carrion]

ultimatly the concensus is that if all you can see is the head then its fair game, if you can see everything aim for the torso.

 

if posisble be hoinerable and bang kill. i had a lad behiond 3 dead guys who i bang killed at unreal when his head was showing as he was close and i diont want to fire. he took it hapily.

 

acidental head shots are part of the game, it happens and whilst i personaly *badgeress* about it i do not do it with malice.

 

intentional ones at any range are just ignorant unless its at long range with snipers. up close it is just uncalled for and can ruin a games play.

 

[Abelius]

All this talk about people cheating again. After a round where you've spotted someone "cheating", has anyone EVER thought about having a nice chat with the guy in question? Heck, even if this is a bit offtopic, what's wrong with people! Without pointing anyone, whining on forums about people not taking their hits or even the most radical, aiming for the head purposely (even if there is a torso exposed) during skirmishes is just wrong. Does a guy that most often solely accidentally doesn't take the hit really get on peoples self confidence so hard?

 

Might have got a bit heated up here, but I hate the "cheating" question people will always have. I've seen people "cheat". I pretty likely haven't noticed sometimes the bb hit me. Live with it.

[Basho]

Electrowerkz

 

I am not an employee of FCS, merely a marshal and first aider so I don't "represent" the company line. When marshalling I of course aim for the leg. Also, regarding electro everyone is warned that we have no bang rule and you should wear full face. If you come to electro please bring full face. We are a friendly bunch of dedicated players, and safety is your own concern, however as the first aider I should point you to THIS THREAD - Safety at the 'werks, Your marshals guide and remind you that the average engagement distance is 10 feet.

 

So, why do I shoot intentionally to the head? Firstly, I should also point out that I am not a "lacer" in any sense of the word. I rarely take my gun off semi even at electro and I only play with mids. If the head is the first thing I see, then zap. I'm not going to *beep* foot about and it is a natural reaction to aim there. All my guns are under 310fps including pistols so the power is not an issue. Also at touching distance I of course just tag kill.

 

If I play away and the site has a specific rule against it, I abide rigidly and cheating is a serious offence in our team for which we have thrown people out.

 

However, when it comes down to it, I have yet to ever have anyone not take their hit from a single shot to the head, it is a legal viable target. I would put forwards the anecdotal and experiential theory that In all the time I have been playing I have seen far more injuries from lacings than from single shots to the head.

 

Basho

[Carrion]

basho single shorts are fine.

 

last week at unreal i was in a position where i couldent fight back so i just crouched, no gun in hand covering my head with my hands in an obviouse position of i know i am dead

 

oposing player comes around and hoses me inside bang range (inside pokeing range tbh) which ###### me off. 3 shots hit my face 2 on the g;asses

 

all 3 of which have only just finished healing 1 of which bled for 3 days .

 

likewise i am yet to to see a player who doesnt take there hits

[slo_one]

My group is Paintball masks only. So yeah, shoot'em.

[Dope on a Rope]

Headshots IMO, potentially dangerous and a poor example for the sport.

 

I've been airsofting for about 10 months and in the last few months have seen an increase in the number of deliberate headshots being taken, why??

 

Granted that headshots can happen, especially when you take into account windage or someone shooting whilst assaulting, but to deliberately take a shot at someone's head, at the two sites I mainly frequent I've seen two lots of broken / cracked teeth, a broken nose and quite a few faces peppered. From AEG's but even more worryingly from sniper rifles well within minimum engagement distances.

 

All a bit Hollywood.

 

I'm ex RAF, whilst in I qualified as a RAF Marksman and obtained my Range Officers ticket, we were taught that when engaging a target draw a line from the inside of the shoulder down across the body to the inside of the opposing shoulder and another line from the other shoulder to opposing hip, where the two lines cross is where you look to place your rounds. It maximise your ability to get a kill, even if you do not kill your target he will be in a very bad way.

 

As for headshots, the only persons looking to make a killing/incapacitaing shot are those (police or military) who who need to ensure that hostages are not killed in a reflex firing of a weapon or where an IED could be initiated. And that sort of shot is placed at the base of the skull.

 

Military snipers now are more often deployed for reconnaissance, or to destroy comms equipment or vision equipment, the 'headshot' is more the domain of a paramilitary or police marksman / sniper

 

So why is this such a popular idea in airsoft?

 

The best I've managed to get from some of our heroes / walts is that "That is the way it's done in the films". Their 'training films' seem to be less special forces and more Steven Seagal.

 

So do we accept that in points for shots games that the head is a no score or deduction of points area?

 

Should we be asking sites to enforce a no headshots rule?

 

 

 

 

[noodlenissin]

My group is Paintball masks only. So yeah, shoot'em.

 

Masks or not - thats a bit much?

 

Its airsoft - youre shooting at people - headshots will happen. Fact is - your head will often be the only thing on show. Anyone running round deliberately headshotting when the body is on show is a bit soft in my opinion. Its far from realistic, as those with real steel experience will attest.

 

Anyway - The body is a much clearer shot - especially with hop/windage discrepancies. Shoot what you can see, but if you can see all - stick to the body. Its more realistic, more efficient, and more player friendly.