As I’ve pointed out several times before, virtual reality (VR) can be a powerful tool for training. It’s obviously no substitute for live fire, but when done right it can be a great way to do things not only cheaper, but with a lot more flexibility than the one-way shooting range. Being able to slip some $250 goggles on your head and go to a virtual shooting range in your pajamas gives you a lot more chances for practice, too.
But, the biggest problem I identified with VR last year wasn’t the realistic look and motion. It was the tactile experience. Even if everything else is almost perfect, picking up a VR controller with a squishy trigger button puts the whole experience a little shy of dry fire practice. The AceXR “handset” showed me that this problem could be overcome with a better controller setup, as long as the feel of both the gun and the trigger is right.
But, the AceXR only currently replicates a pistol shooting experience, and I wanted to see if it’s possible to go play with a rifle in the metaverse. So, I started shopping again, and decided to start with something cheap: the “Magni Stock”.
At first glance, this looks almost nothing like a rifle. Sure, it’s got a grip with a trigger button, but the frame is below the grip, and the stock goes up (is this the mythical “shoulder thing that goes up“?) But, you have to keep in mind that you’re not holding a rifle when using VR. You’re holding two controllers, and they act as your points on contact with a virtual rifle in the game. But, when you can’t hold the controllers still and keep them in the same relative position compared to your shoulder, it’s a bit like shooting an AR or AK pistol with no brace.
So, in theory at least, the idea is to keep the relative position of your hands and your shoulder all the same, making for a much more realistic virtual experience.
Getting it right requires a lot of adjustment. For starters, I lined the thing up on top of my real rifle to get the position of the pistol grip and the stock to be about the same. This gave me a realistic length of pull and grip angle. I then tried to line the front controller up as best as I could with the shroud/rail system. But, I quickly found out that the angle was all wrong in the game, so I had to drop the front controller to make the virtual sights in Ghosts of Tabor (learn more about the game here) line up and feel right.
Once I got it all dialed in, it was pretty nice! I’m sure I looked doofy “shooting” in the tutorial level for Ghosts of Tabor, but the experience was pretty close to actually shooting, other than a spongy trigger on the controller and some flex in the whole setup (better rifle stocks with simulated recoil and better triggers exist, but they’re a LOT more expensive and I haven’t had a chance to test any yet).
When it came time to put the virtual rifle down on the table and do other things, the stock’s magnetic locking system came in handy. Because your virtual hands in VR follow the controllers, you need to be able to remove them from the gun. So, you pull and twist a bit to get the controllers free and let the stock hang by the sling while you do things like shoot pistols, work with supplies, etc. For things like reloading, you need to be able to take your weak hand off to grab a mag, insert it, and charge it.
What Didn’t Work Great
Because this was only $70, there are definitely some downsides.
The biggest one was how far down the stock goes before going forward. For men, you’d have the back of it on your chest going pretty far down. For women, it doesn’t work well because most womens’ chests aren’t flat. So, I had to twist the whole setup to put the stock off to the side at the bottom and clear my chest properly. My other option would have been to be an Amazon warrior, but I’m just not that committed to this rig.
Another downside is that the whole rig can be a little uncomfortable for extended use when frequently switching back and forth from shooting to manipulating other items in the simulation. There’s something about the whole experience of snapping hands onto a virtual item that doesn’t perfectly line up to the real world that was a little nauseating. But, it took over an hour of use with several interruptions (including goggle removal and replacement) before I felt sick. So, for casual and uninterrupted use, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Finally, using different simulated weapons sometimes requires adjustment. The simulated AR and MP5 guns both lined up about the same, but the simulated Barrett was completely different. So, keep in mind that the stock isn’t a cure all for stability in every game/simulation.
TBH, it shouldn’t be too hard to design a rifle stock for the current ACE XR “FCU”. You would probably just need to be clever about the mag release.
All virtual trainers fall short because they don’t realistically replicate felt recoil and learning to deal with that is one of the biggest parts of shooting practice.
VR trainers aren’t there to replace live-fire practice, they’re there to enhance dry-fire practice. People who are actual high-level competition pistol shooters do _tons_ of dry-fire practice.
I disagree strongly with this. Recoil management is just a form thing, and dealing with recoil anticipation is so much harder. I find dry fire, airsoft, and virtual training of new shooters teaches far less bad habits than they would develop just buying a gun and heading to a square range. These are tools, and having more while knowing how to apply them is always a good thing.
Also, there’s a reason most comp shooters I know spend more time using trainers than live fire, it’s not just cost.
Jennifer, it looks like you have had this relationship with ‘VR gun practice’ going for a while.
Doesn’t your VR headset get jealous that you aren’t playing some mind numbing game instead of practicing a useful real world skill?
😂
Ever try a CO2 BB pistol with the blowback slide?
Help practice your draw from your holster.
“Ever try a CO2 BB pistol with the blowback slide?”
It’s nowhere near as close as the real thing, let’s be serious. Firing a centerfire gun is a VIOLENT experience for the shooter (and hopefully for the intended recipient). Your upper body is whacked with a concussive blast, and you’re temporarily deafened.
A close replication would require an assistant holding a rubber mallet giving the gun you’re holding a solid *thwack* when you pull the trigger, to be realistic, not a puff of CO2 gas…
Was fairly spot on with the M16 sims but those were substantially more expensive and developed along with a fairly low recoil cartridge to begin with. In the end the form is probably more important than recoil management for training so good enough I guess.
All it needs is Giffords to complain about it for free advertising.
Thanks to them Palworld went from an obscure Steam title to a game on many wish lists.
Thinking with the wrong head:
Snapchat scam turns deadly when Bartlesville woman shoots intruder in home invasion error > https://www.examiner-enterprise.com/story/news/crime/2024/02/02/bartlesville-man-killed-in-botched-meetup-after-snapchat-sex-scam/72451278007/
synopsis: A man named James Allen transferred money via Snapchat for a sexual encounter. It was an international scammer, who gave Allen an address so they could meet for the supposed encounter. So, to get what he paid for he arrived at the wrong address and started knocking then banging on the door. The female resident him warned him to go away and that she was armed and would shoot him if he entered when he started trying to break through the door. Allen then broke through the door … resident fired one shot, responders arrived and Allen was taken to Ascension St. John Jane Phillips Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Thinking with the wrong head got Allen killed.
Washington County District Attorney Will Drake called it a justifiable use of deadly force. Police have confirmed it was a scammer in another country.
I wonder how she would have been able to defend herself without a firearm from an enraged horny idiot willing to do violence? How many of you ladies out there would have been able to fight this man off with your bare hands? The anti-gun answer is she should have been seriously-grievously harmed/killed/raped rather than have a firearm for defense, just like they would want for the rest of us. Remember that the next time the anti-gun talk about ‘common sense’ which is there way of saying its common sense to them that you should be seriously-grievously harmed/killed/raped rather than have a firearm for defense.
That’s probably why the Brits, Aussies, etc. all went from “no guns allowed” to “no self defense allowed.” They know that a firearm is generally the most efficient and effective tool for self defense, and in their twisted leftist way of thinking, that’s the next logical step to their dystopia.
Migrants accused of beating NYPD cops arrested (in Phoenix AZ) after being freed without bail (in NY).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vVkyQSQmTw
I wonder whether a local sheriff is saying, “Say, the border is right down the road. Let’s throw them over right now!” Not that they would stay in Mexico, but it would be good practice.
If that happened down here in Polk County, Florida, that cop would have 4-5 dead migrants at his feet…
Need to install a trebuchet at the border.
This would ensure the deported scum NEVER returned onto US soil.
Sometimes you gotta take out the garbage.
Looks like a bit of silliness to me.
“if that happened down here in Polk County, Florida, ”
Thanks to FL’s adequate selfdefense laws, it will not happen here. I even read that NYPD complains that people go to New York to steal, and then come to FL to spend it…
Think about that. They feel safer stealing in NYC, but when they want to party, FL is more comfy, and gets the call…
Taxes and prices are lower in Florida as well so why not.
More video game silliness.
Video games are a multi-billion-dollar market. Many games feature realistic renditions of firearms, modern, historical, and even futuristic. Their depictions of combat and adventure spark player interest in real-world firearms, military service and history, and the wider landscape of second amendment issues and American culture.
To ignore the power of video games is to ignore a deeply influential form of media and unnecessarily cede a lot of ground to the left. Much better to embrace games, connect with players, and win a few culture war battles for once.
Plus, games are fun!
The fact that I recognize that pied piper does not mean I follow. It’s just recognition.
Nonsense…complete and total nonsense.
You would be surprised how many POTG came into the sport via video games.
Medal of Honor and Call of Duty got a lot of people into milsurps.
When I was in the army back in the 1980s. The Nintendo game system was modified for real weapons training. A government contract. And it worked very very well!!
big (smile)
Save your money. And buy 2 or 3 sets of snap caps. And dry fire practice with them.
There are about $23 at set. Master your trigger control first.
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