Cheapest handgun training available is...

[grndslm]

I was at a lady friend's house last night, and as I was waiting for her to get ready, she asked me if I wanted to shoot some ducks. Why not?

She turns on Duck Hunt, one of the greatest blasts from the past. Of course, she preferred to hold the gun only inches away from the screen... but I had to show off my skillz. Standing back as far as I could, I realized that this was a pretty decent form of training for those "from the hip" self-defense moments that everybody mentions when somebody else says they want a handgun.

From the hip point & shoot... From the hip aim & shoot... From the hip gangster point & shoot... Add in a second duck, but you still only have 3 rounds between the two ducks... Shoot two skeet at once. Good training, IMO. The only things that might not transfer are the trigger. And the gun had a futuristic grip angle, like the Beretta Neos... so that might or might not help you out a whole lot.

Overall, tho... great to tire your forearms and trigger finger out!! I beat the One Duck game, the Two Duck game, and then I lost at the 14th (of 15) round of skeet shooting. I might have been showing off my gangsta technique, which really isn't that bad when you realize how your "cone of vision" works (not that I'd shoot like that in real life, but I could if someone bet me ). But the point remains... this video game tired both of my arms out, and I'm only right handed. What if you're in a gunfight and your dominant arm/hand gets blown off... are you gonna wait until then to become ambidextrous at firing your weapon? I do honestly believe that I got more training and technique from an hour of Nintendo than I did my previous handgun.

Doesn't cost much to get a NES with Duck Hunt and gun... and you NEVER have to pay for more bullets. You get the shoot from the hip in under 5 feet scenarios, and the ladies can play too! Wonder if you can get extension cords for original NES controllers, because I might have to buy her one.

SIDE NOTE: Anybody here understand how the gun realizes if you're actually pointing at a duck/skeet?? I do ... but I'd rather see how long it takes for somebody else to share their answer.

 

[bigfatdave]

I resurrected my NES a while back, for other reasons. I was a bit sad when the light zapper wouldn't work with the flat screen.

I think the screen flashes except for a bit around the targets when you fire, so the optical sensor (old tech, mass producible for cheap in what, 1985?) is looking for a flash. Of course, that wouldn't explain how it determines which target you hit, so perhaps I'm wrong, or at least not entirely correct.

 

[badbadtz560]

if u like duck hunt.. try somethin more modern like time crisis or taht zombie killing game.. house of dead 4 maybe?

I believe the traditional ones basically took in the light frequency from where your gun was pointed.. almost like takin a very small snapshot of the light output from the TV... probably matches it to a table or set of values to determine hit or miss... or where you hit. I haven't played duck hunt in like 20 years so I can't comment on how the original was done lol

 

[Oro]

Cheapest handgun training available is...

I thought that was the Army. I understand they even pay you..

 

[grndslm]

HAH... that was a good one, Oro!

And yes, House of Dead for the Wii is pretty cool, but it's really not as good for training as old school NES. The NES is wired, doesn't have input from accelerometers, and the Wii controller is NOTHING like a real gun, including the gun add-on thing for the Wii-mote. The NES gun has a springy trigger so that you can expect the "break" to happen at just the right time. As realistic as you can get in virtual land, IMHO. A friend just got the game Conduit for the Wii, and it's extremely hard. Nothing like a good, virtual point and shoot at 2 skeet with only 3 bullets.

As for how the OldSkool NES works... when you hit the trigger, the ducks and skeet turn into white blocks on the screen. Hit the trigger and you'll easily see the blocks. So if the light sensor in the gun detects white... that means you hit it. And I do believe that the square for the skeet get smaller and smaller the farther it gets away. The square also extends a little bit below the skeet to compensate for "virtual" gravity. Pretty slick if you ask me... especially considering it was made more than 20 years ago.

 

[bigfatdave]

But how does it discern which duck or skeet you have hit?

 

[grndslm]

Good question...

I'd guess the blocks are 2 different shades of white, or just 2 different colors altogether.