50 replies to this topic

[Frostburg]

Hi everyone, I'm new here.

I have a question, and I havn't been able to find an answer

on the web, or by searching this forum.

 

I'm looking for a nerf gun that is the most accurate and consistent shot

out there.  I understand nerf toys are basically children's toys, but I also

feel there is some potential for accuracy, either commercially available nerf guns,

or modded or home made foam dart guns.

 

I am essentially looking for a foam dart rifle which handles and aims 

realistically, and can be used for in-home target practice/plinking. 

 

I ordered a Nerf Jolt EX-1 pistol from amazon, and am impressed with

its accuracy. I've managed to hit a small medicine bottle 16 out of 20 shots

at a distance of 15 feet using the supplied whistler darts.  Theoretically, if I added rifle

furniture; a stock which could be shouldered, more robust and properly calibrated sights, and a fore-grip which would be held, it would make for a decent inside-the house plinker.

 

I will happily craft the essential parts onto the Jolt Ex-1 if needed. I can add a plastic

rifle stock, a fore-grip and sights, if that's what I need to do. But I'm hoping for a better

base option.  My jolt is accurate, but not as accurate as I would like.

The Jolt Ex-1 is just an inexpensive nerf toy. I imagine what a higher quality, well constructed

foam dart is capable of, even amongst the nerf line.  It doesn't need to be multi-shot,

loading the dart on each shot is fine for me, as long as it meets the 

accuracy criteria.

 

Ideally, if any of you can recommend a nerf blaster which is even better in this 

regard, that would be a good first step.

I have no idea how to mod nerf guns, and I'd prefer not have to do so, as

my motivations are not as much the hobby of modding the gun, rather than

the end user product.

I've seen youtube videos and sites with completely home made

foam dart guns, and that seems like the best possible route to take.

I'm not super capable of constructing something like this, unless I could

dedicate a lot of time to the project, I would rather just buy one from

someone who could make a quality piece.

Any advice?

Thanks

[Kilomona]

Homemades.

[Maniacal Coyote]

TL;DR = WTB Accurate Homemade.

 

You're new here, so let me give you some advice.

1. Threads that boil down to you wanting to buy/sell/trade blasters go in the Trading section.
              You're very likely to get warned/banned for posting threads in the wrong section.
    
2. Langley, in his infinite wisdom, has decided that FNG's (newbies) aren't allowed to post in the Trading section.
              Lurk for a few days, make small, innocuous posts, and you'll become a member.
    
3. Look at Langley's signature. He makes reference to two pages that you really should read as a rookie. Hell, memorize them like you're a Catholic and they're the "Pater Noster" and "Hail Mary".
    
4. Make this: http://nerfhaven.com...c/24406-mark-8/ 
             It won a contest for homemades last year, and is relatively simple.

USER WAS WARNED FOR THIS POST

"LET ME GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE" IS CODE FOR "BACKSEAT MODERATION. HE WASN'T EXPLICITLY LOOKING TO BUY ANYTHING FROM ANOTHER MEMBER.

Edited by Ice Nine, 30 March 2016 - 11:29 AM.

[The2ndBluesBro]

Use a high powered airgun inside a comfortable shell like a longstrike. If you want to do outdoor taget shooting as well, a hydro cannon super soaker can shoot at 600+ FPS and hit a target accuratly at very far ranges.

[fisher521]

I would recommend the Buzz Bee Sentinel (here). It is very accurate and powerful. Here is Youtuber LordDraconical's review.

The Retaliator could be another choice as it is a rifle, affordable, and extremely easy to mod. You can add a stock, barrel and other tactical stuff like sights, fore-grips, etc. You can buy one here.

 

If you want a s n i p e r rifle, the Buzz Bee s n i p e would be the best option. Although not as versatile, it is extremely accurate and comes with a scope.

 

Edit: Someone hacked my account! I didn't say "loser rifle", I said "s n i p e r rifle". I didn't say "eat shit"!! The original said "s n i p e". I swear I that was not in the original post.

Edit Two: For some reason, when you type s n i p e r it automatically changes it to loser rife. When you write "s n i p e", it turns to eat shit.

Edited by fisher521, 29 March 2016 - 09:49 PM.

[xXD3V1LXx]

"Accuracy" your never gonna get that in nerf the best you can get is an overhauled stryfe with koosh darts. To be honest nerf=no accuracy!

[RandomUser]

If you want an easily customizable, cheap, and easy to mod blaster, nerf elite retaliator works, and if you want out-of-box power from something other than darts, nerf rival Zeus would be good for you.

[Snoop Doggy doge]

Good darts is accuracy. Since there aren't high quality standards, dart groups are very large, and it's about the dart used and breech. Also, koosh aren't the most accurate, USCs in my testing have tight groups. For plinking, and having sights, I reccomend just go get a BB gun, those things are rated to an actual MOA (info about that here) so you can have groupings for plinking that sights will be useful for. 

However, if you want a blaster that hits stuff, I do reccomend the BuzzBee Sentinel as it's great out of box, but foam dart shooters in general are bad for plinking. Groups are not very tight, and plinking would be very hard. 

[xXD3V1LXx]

Van were you using flywheels or sprinters to test accuracy because with one wrap of etape on a flywheel and running it on a 2-3s lipo (9-12 volts) you will be shooting koosh at a pretty tight group from 10 ft away...

[Snoop Doggy doge]

both. 

My testings have been at wars, and I consistently use 2-3 shots max at targets further, and USCs hit still targets. I have used all dart types, and USCs fly the straightest,

[xXD3V1LXx]

Hmm do you mind sending me a link i would love to try those out. Also van (this is unrelated) is Neno mostly NIC like frozen foam or is super stock still a thing because I'm debating whether or not to hook up a 2s to my strayven and put falcon 130s in it.

[Frostburg]

Snoop. I don't expect to get anything close to MOA accuracy using foam darts, lol, but I do appreciate the consideration. 

My typical shooting distances within my home are roughly 30-50 feet tops.  Being able to hit chapstick tubes set up on a table from 20-25 feet away is a decent goal

I would think.  My Jolt has already given me some impressive accuracy. Last night, I lined up a series of chap stick tubes on the kitchen counter, and sequentially knocked each of them off from 10 feet away without missing a shot, which isn't bad for a toy I spent about as much on as I would on a fast food meal.

 

I checked out the reviews of the Buzz Bee Sentinel, and I am very impressed. I ordered one from Amazon last night, as well as extra dart packs.  I'll also look

into the USC darts you mentioned.  Perhaps the USC ones will be compatible with, and improve upon my Jolt and Sentinel?

The reason I don't want to use pellet rifles or airsoft, is 1) They could damage my interior without a well set up backstop.  2) The ammunition is small, and I don't want to have stray pellets/bbs hidden about the living room.   3) Airsoft/pellet rifles require a decent amount of cleaning/maintenance, and are more expensive in general. 

I like the foam idea due to their relative ease of maintenance and cleaning up darts afterwards.

I checked out the Nerf Rival Zeus and Apollo series and they seem pretty amazing. The Zeus seems pretty much what I'm looking for, except for the motor, which is a big turn off for me. The Apollo seems almost perfect, aside from the fact that the charging handle is situated on top of the gun. It would be tricky to build proper sights onto the gun. 

 

I look forward to getting my sentinel in the mail. The stock is going to be short, but I can always build a more robust stock over the manufacturer's one.

One that matches my length of pull of about 14 inches. I can also attach sights to the top, if the accuracy warrants them. 

I'm still very interested in better designs and home builds, which would be amazing. 

Edited by Frostburg, 30 March 2016 - 09:26 AM.

[Meaker VI]

The reason I don't want to use pellet rifles or airsoft, is 1) They could damage my interior without a well set up backstop.  2) The ammunition is small, and I don't want to have stray pellets/bbs hidden about the living room.   3) Airsoft/pellet rifles require a decent amount of cleaning/maintenance, and are more expensive in general.

FYI: The first airsoft pistol I picked up came with a the pistol, a backstop, pellets, could reliably hit targets further out than any NERF blaster, and was about $20. A cheap spring pistol is perfect for indoor plinking, and all it takes to stop the bb is a loosely draped sheet or towel. I never once needed to clean the pistol in years of using it. If plinking accuracy is your goal, a spring airsoft gun is probably your best bet.
 

I'm still very interested in better designs and home builds, which would be amazing.

 
See if you can get a BoomCo Halo Magnum or Farshoot; those can have crazy range (basically just a double spring mod and maybe plug some holes) and have much better accuracy than NERF blasters because they've got better darts. If you like that, pick up a flipbow or breakflip for a more rifle-sized spring blaster.

 

Failing that, the Mark-8 is an entry-level homemade, but there are loads of other good plans if you've got the tooling and skill. Basically, any homemade will produce more power than any production blaster, which should equate to more range/accuracy. The biggest thing homemades have going for them is actual barrels. No production blaster has a barrel that does anything more to guide the darts than your Jolt does. All those fancy barrel extensions are shrouds that rob power, range, and accuracy from your shots.

 

I would recommend the Buzz Bee Sentinel (here)

Second the sentinel, very good reviews on power OOTB. It sounds like it may be the exception to my above statements.
 

Edit: Someone hacked my account! I didn't say "loser rifle", I said "s n i p e r rifle". I didn't say "eat shit"!! The original said "s n i p e". I swear I that was not in the original post.
Edit Two: For some reason, when you type s n i p e r it automatically changes it to loser rife. When you write "s n i p e", it turns to eat shit.

I thought this was common NH knowledge. Sniper gets translated to looser, and there are (or were) several other filters, one of which you've stumbled on. Most were kind of in-jokes, but the sniper one was because no NERF blaster can function as a loser rifle. All the darts will be accurate to about the same range, regardless of blaster, and that range is less than 100'. Accurate shots are probably maxed out at 20-50', where it'd be just as easy for me to throw something at you.

[Snoop Doggy doge]

Dart guide here.

Up close, I guess it's easier to plink, but still they're ideal at hitting a wall. anything to do with "S N I P I N G" is dumb and false. There are non in nerf, maybe a marksman at most, but everyone should have similar powered blasters at wars. 

Again, sights are bleh, in NIC you use the barrel to aim, and you can just add side railmounts onto stuff. 

[shandsgator8]

The only effective s n i p i n g I've seen at a nerf war (of any type, superstock or NIC) is done with those Zing bows or whatever they're called. One guy, nicknamed "Robin Hood," could pick people off from 80+ feet away. Unfortunately, he only have about 5 arrows, so he was usually a non-factor in the nerf wars.

[Wisecrack]

It takes modding, but a well modded Nerf Longshot can be great for over 100 FPS speeds, and quite a bit of range.

If that doesn't work for you I would recommend a Nerf Retaliator or the Buzz Bee Sentinel.

[Mehku]

The most accurate blaster you're probably gonna find on the market today is an Apollo or a Zeus. Look into the Rival line; the Zeus is an excellent battle rifle type platform.

[Frostburg]

I've been checking out reviews. I'm impressed with the sentinel thus far. I ordered one, so it should be here in a

few days. It will likely require some modding, including a new stock and some appropriate sights. 

 

I'm a nerf gun newbie, so I'm really only guessing at what these guns are capable of. I'm very

interested in discovering for myself.

 

The Zeus also looks interesting to me. It seems like it would require a bit less modding. The

stock appears to be a good length, so I don't anticipate needing to fix that. The sights might

need to be replaced. There seems to be two sets of notch sights, one for the front, the other on the

rear. I would ideally like a front post, and rear peep or at least graduated notch, but I'll hold judgement until I can get my hands on one.

[AnOoB]

I know this is not what youre looking for but if you want to actually hit people at a bigger range and the games you play allow them. i recommend looking at larp arrows.

http://www.darkknigh...arp-arrows.aspx

[Frostburg]

Okay. Well since I started this thread, it only seems appropriate that I update it. 

 

My Sentinel and Zeus came in the mail a few days ago.  A few comments about them.

 

First the Sentinel.  I'm going to admit, I'm slightly disappointed with this blaster.

 

When I opened the box, the design seemed cheap and flimsy. Not a huge deal, as I anticipated this. That can be dealt with if one were motivated to do so. 

 

When I fired it, it became clear that comments about its power and rage were not baseless. It certainly has

that going for it.

 

The main issue is the accuracy/consistency of the shots. I set up small lotion tubes on the fireplace mantle, and took some well controlled shots from a distance of 15 feet away.  After firing the entire magazine, none of the shots hit, even when I shifted my point of aim to adjust for apparent trajectory, the darts still wouldn't travel in a consistent enough path to land any hits.  For comparison, I picked up my Jolt, and fired from the same position. I hit my targets 17 out of 20 shots. 

 

The last issue is that my Sentinel is very jam prone. Not only is the blaster touchy, as it can be difficult to work the action, but I've had several jams where darts got mangled inside the blaster. Perhaps this is just a poor model I received, or the design is just lackluster.

 

My Jolt outperformed the Sentinel in terms of accuracy. Perhaps someone should build a platform around the Jolt instead.   It does go to illustrate the fact that, much like in real deal firearms, power and velocity are not necessarily synonymous with accuracy.  In fact, in many real rifles, the more accurate target shooters fire lower velocity ammunition rather than higher.

 

Now for the Zeus.  The box it arrived in appeared to suggest quality. Upon inspecting the blaster, it had a very nice, sturdy feel. Loading and shooting was a relatively simple affair.  The stock needs to be extended by 2 1/2 - 3 inches for me to be able to more comfortably shoulder it.  The sights certainly sit too low.  This is perfectly understandable given the target audience tends to be 12-15 years old.   Firing it across my living room, in short order, I managed to hit small medicine bottles from 30-35 feet away.  This blaster has some real potential.       I dislike the "revving" noise of the motor. It simply needs a stock extension

and better sights, and it would be a great blaster for my initial desires.  Some modding by a skilled modder or myself would yield a some happy results. This one is definitely a keeper.    The Apollo is next, due in part to the less noisy operation. 

Edited by Frostburg, 04 April 2016 - 09:23 AM.

[Kilomona]

Okay. Well since I started this thread, it only seems appropriate that I update it. 
 
My Sentinel and Zeus came in the mail a few days ago.  A few comments about them.
 
First the Sentinel.  I'm going to admit, I'm slightly disappointed with this blaster.
 
When I opened the box, the design seemed cheap and flimsy. Not a huge deal, as I anticipated this. That can be dealt with if one were motivated to do so. 
 
When I fired it, it became clear that comments about its power and rage were not baseless. It certainly has
that going for it.
 
The main issue is the accuracy/consistency of the shots. I set up small lotion tubes on the fireplace mantle, and took some well controlled shots from a distance of 15 feet away.  After firing the entire magazine, none of the shots hit, even when I shifted my point of aim to adjust for apparent trajectory, the darts still wouldn't travel in a consistent enough path to land any hits.  For comparison, I picked up my Jolt, and fired from the same position. I hit my targets 17 out of 20 shots. 
 
The last issue is that my Sentinel is very jam prone. Not only is the blaster touchy, as it can be difficult to work the action, but I've had several jams where darts got mangled inside the blaster. Perhaps this is just a poor model I received, or the design is just lackluster.
 
My Jolt outperformed the Sentinel in terms of accuracy. Perhaps someone should build a platform around the Jolt instead.   It does go to illustrate the fact that, much like in real deal firearms, power and velocity are not necessarily synonymous with accuracy.  In fact, in many real rifles, the more accurate target shooters fire lower velocity ammunition rather than higher. 

I would guess your sentinel was a lemon (anomaly). Also, have you tried switchjng ammunition types? Or using alternate darts? The sentinel is sometimes seen as inaccurate when using elite darts, which are not accurate themselves. Fvjs, slugs, koosh, and other homemade/alternate darts are much more accurate than elites or large suctions. Also, Jolts are excellent firing well made glue domes.

[The2ndBluesBro]

 

The last issue is that my Sentinel is very jam prone. Not only is the blaster touchy, as it can be difficult to work the action, but I've had several jams where darts got mangled inside the blaster. Perhaps this is just a poor model I received, or the design is just lackluster.

 

My Jolt outperformed the Sentinel in terms of accuracy. Perhaps someone should build a platform around the Jolt instead.   It does go to illustrate the fact that, much like in real deal firearms, power and velocity are not necessarily synonymous with accuracy.  In fact, in many real rifles, the more accurate target shooters fire lower velocity ammunition rather than higher.

You have to make sure the prime the lever all the way forward, to ensure the breech has traveled far enough back. That should solve your jamming issue, unless you do indeed have a lemon. Nobody is going to build a platform based off a Jolt because the plunger tube is too small to do anything with, the catch is inbuilt and cannot be upgraded easily, if at all, and it is a front loading, single fire blaster with a low ROF. At most nerf wars, the majority of people, even if they carry a pistol, will rarely use it outside of pistol rounds. A pocket size backup blaster, therefore, would be pretty much pointless to have, since a holstered pistol is easier to draw. Accuracy has been basically thrown out the window in nerf modding due to the vast amount of variables and the ammo not being very accurate to begin with. Stefans are better, but accuracy still isn't consistent. Most people opt for pump (and occasionally lever) action blasters with a high ROF to put as many darts downrange as they can to increase their chances of hitting someone. 

[Snoop Doggy doge]

To support The2ndBluesBro, you do want to push the sentinel lever all the way forward. The whole accuracy thing, I think is BS, especially using stock elites which is what I'm assuming. The sentinel has been praised to be "the savior of superstock" as it is cheap and high power. I have a removed air restrictor and feed mine USCs, (with a pump on it, along with a rail mount with a rail to be attatched) and I feed it USCs, fires fine and around/more than my 5kg ret, with no barrel on. You probably have a lemon as my sentinel never jams now (Seriously, I can't get it to double feed without the air restrictor) and the lock should prevent you from closing the lever too early. Like Kilomona said, different darts are great, and way better, I run by USCs, I linked a dart guide and I'll link it again so you can try different types, but I have no idea how you get such a tight grouping consistently that you're hitting tiny targets like a bottle. These blasters are aimed at firing on human sized targets.

The thing about the jolt, again nobody really will expand on it as it's the liberator of nerf pistols (Cheap, works and hard to fail) but really can't be chaned. It has been expanded to newer pistols like snapfire or whatever, the smaller one shot pull backs as it has a plunger and is more direct, so there's more power. Technically, the jolt has been expanded since it's a plunger mech, to practically all springer variant nerf. I still don't see why you're plinking at home, and getting a small indoor airsoft range would be a lot easier IMO. 

[Frostburg]

To support The2ndBluesBro, you do want to push the sentinel lever all the way forward. The whole accuracy thing, I think is BS, especially using stock elites which is what I'm assuming. The sentinel has been praised to be "the savior of superstock" as it is cheap and high power. I have a removed air restrictor and feed mine USCs, (with a pump on it, along with a rail mount with a rail to be attatched) and I feed it USCs, fires fine and around/more than my 5kg ret, with no barrel on. You probably have a lemon as my sentinel never jams now (Seriously, I can't get it to double feed without the air restrictor) and the lock should prevent you from closing the lever too early. Like Kilomona said, different darts are great, and way better, I run by USCs, I linked a dart guide and I'll link it again so you can try different types, but I have no idea how you get such a tight grouping consistently that you're hitting tiny targets like a bottle. These blasters are aimed at firing on human sized targets.

The thing about the jolt, again nobody really will expand on it as it's the liberator of nerf pistols (Cheap, works and hard to fail) but really can't be chaned. It has been expanded to newer pistols like snapfire or whatever, the smaller one shot pull backs as it has a plunger and is more direct, so there's more power. Technically, the jolt has been expanded since it's a plunger mech, to practically all springer variant nerf. I still don't see why you're plinking at home, and getting a small indoor airsoft range would be a lot easier IMO. 

 

I took your advice and took the plunge on the USC darts. They should be in my mailbox in a few days. 

As for the indoor airsoft range. I have given that some consideration, and I might even go that route if the 

the foam dart/nerf project doesn't pan out.  However, I already have a decently sized backyard .22 range. But I want the ability to be able to casually pick off PEZ dispensers from across the living room with the foam darts or balls or what have you when I only have a few minutes of spare time, or be able to do target practice on a college campus, etc.   Nerf type blasters offer the type

of quick convenience I like, and allow me to be able to practice anywhere without having to worry about violating rules

or policies. A person could keep a nerf blaster at their job or dormitory without the risk of raising any concerns by others. 

As for my Jolt EX-1 (orange version). Not only do I get tight groups with it. I recently bought an identical one, just to see if I got lucky with my first one. The second Jolt holds pretty much the same tight groups, perhaps with only a very slight edge towards my first one. I'm using orange whistler darts with the black tips, which seem very accurate from my point of view.  

 

Go ahead and get yourself one. Set up a few small targets. PEZ dispensers, prescription medicine bottles, even chapsticks will do.  Measure out a distance of only 6 feet away. Use the sights, keep both eyes open. Once you get the hang of the dart's (very consistent) trajectory, go ahead and move back to 10-15 feet or more. Maintain consistent hold-over for trajectory curve.  Provided you are consistent in your technique, you ought to be able to hit your target the majority of the time.   I will extend the range to 25-30 feet with slightly larger targets such as plastic red solo cups or coffee mug sized targets and score hits pretty consistently, provided I maintain a consistent hold-over.

All I'm saying is that if I can achieve this kind of accuracy from a $4 toy hand-sized pistol which can fit in my pocket. Better, more expensive models ought to be able to produce at least equivocal if not significantly better results.

[Kilomona]

If you already have the velcro/whistler darts, a 2 1/2 blowgun made of 1/2 inch PVC should be great. I have a 3 1/2 foot one I sometimes mess around with that has good grouping and range, and no one should be suspicious of anything like a short white plastic pipe.