Airsoft for bigger guys?
 

Okay so I was wondering, what would be the cons of playing airsoft for a bigger guy? I'm 6'3 300 lbs but I'm very athletic so I'm not an absolute slob, infact I carry my weight well and I have a great frame and I'd say I'm pretty lean but I'm also overweight. I play football (offensive line obviously.), baseball, hockey, lacrosse etc. I've played basically every sport.

Lately I've been interested in airsoft but I've had some self doubt as a bigger guy tbh. I've never seen too many big men play airsoft or paintball at all before lmao I mostly see smaller skinnier guys play and a few older ones. I've already got a callsign picked out that no one has in my province has and a loadout. Nothing too fancy. I'd like to play sniper or just an AR and focus on holding a specific area of the map, not so much run and gun but obviously I will do run and gun eventually.

I think playing airsoft will help me with cardio and such and just help me keep in shape while having fun.

Thoughts? Any other bigger men out there playing have tips? Thanks in advance.

Theres lots of big guys that play airsoft, you can get all kinds of sizes of gear.

That's because the big guys play with real steel :D

If you wanna play airsoft go ahead no one will judge you. Be it cqb or wooded skirmish type deals there's always a niche and 10 minute water/reload breaks.

Just keep in mind the human body was not designed to run while holding 5 pounds of shit...

Also, no sniping. Don't contradict yourself! Getting off your rump means NO SNIPING.

The bigger you are the bigger the target. Other than that it's up to you.


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I'm 6'4" 210lb slim/athletic, Rob is 6'1" 270 (340 when he started) heavy set, Hedi is 6'5" - 6'6" 240? Fit with size 18W feet. It doesn't matter, you can play and find gear.

Absolutely get into the hobby man, don't let your size affect your decision.

It can be a great workout depending on how you play. There are usually events ranging from skirmishes for a couple of hours to 48-72 hour milsims.

The only thing is you wouldn't be able to use the same cover a small guy could but most fields will have an assortment of objects for cover that you would use.

To touch on the sniper thing briefly I would steer you towards a AR/AK rifle to start. Sniping in airsoft is a specialized role and doesn't really work like most folks imagine. An assault rifle can be tweaked from a DMR to CQB lengths and you could pretty much always use it regardless of the game.

Before you buy any major kit just get out there and play a game to see what it's actually like, have fun!

bigger dudes just need to be a bit more careful in fields, I know of one guy who dislocated his patella. twice. Also one guy got too excited, misstepped into a rut and wrecked his knee and had to be ambulanced out. It should be good advice for anyone to watch their footing, but bigger guys have a lot more inertia if they go the wrong way. Uneven ground is killer.

I know a couple guys 6'5" that have played for years and love the hobby/sport.

One of them is athletic and in good health/shape

The other is 40+, overweight, bad knees, etc and still enjoys playing.

The thing about airsoft, is that it isn't just about the game, but also the comradery/friendships you can build with other players and their families.

Their is a role for everyone in this hobby/sport, that suits everyones playing style(s) or ability.

I also notice that when playing once a week, during the warmer months, I get in amazing shape. Walking, running, squatting, crawling, carrying gear, high temperature days, are all work outs, but you do not realize that you are doing them as you are focused on just having fun/mission.

Never let yourself miss out on something you might enjoy just because of self doubt. This is a sport that welcomes everyone, small, large or in-between.

Strap up and you will see.

Have a wonderful Christmas Mr. Too Tall, and a Happy New Year.

W35

Bigger guys make great machine Gunners !. Been around 170cm and under 140lbs means I struggle holding a m249 for too long xD

There is generally a lack of people willing to take that role

Welcome to the hobby ! :D

6'6 260lbs have bad knees/ankles (damn sports) and have been running and gunning for 5 years now

IMO dont buy a sniper rifle as your first gun. They are no better than a stock AEG.

different things have their own cons or pros. just like pros and cons and pistol vs a sniper rifle. It all depends on the little situations you run into.

If you are a happy go lucky and just want to enjoy the sports then by all means, the community is very supportive and friendly. Once you dip your foot in the water you will just enjoy it more and more.

I am 6'1". it makes me crouch a lot(muscle pains the day after each game) but thanks to squats and dead lifts at the gym it does not bother me anymore.

This is a sport largely dominated by geeks and CODsofters, don't worry, you are most definitely not the only big guy out there!
Nor are you the most out of shape. I played with a guy who, I shit you not, couldn't run more than 60ft without having to catch his breath.

Airsoft once a week alone isn't really enough cardio to whip you into shape, but it can be a motivator to GET into shape. So jump into the sport and get motivated!

Awesome, thanks guys :)

I'm 6ft 300 lbs. Been in airsoft since 15. It's all in your play style. I've made a lot of dudes think twice about the bigger guys. Pretty quiet, and sneaky in the woods. And fast when I need to be. All depends on the player.

I'm probably in and around your weight category, and it's fine man. It is all mental. I mean there are skinny kids playing this hobby who can't make it past 12 hours. You might not be able to run up a hill as fast but if you make it to the end you are already better than a huge chunk of people.

Come out and pew.

id say do it. we have regular guys in their 50's over 250lb who can play with the 20 year old "athlets" and we have 20 yo athlets who cant keep up with the big guys.
ask yourself this. do you thino you would have fun at airsoft? if the answer is yes most of tje groups around would be glad to have you.

Hey guys I'm naturally skinny and have a 6 pack, but I'm not sure if I should join the gym?

See the relevance? Doesn'tt fucking matter.

Join and spend your thousands now.

Do it man. It's not going to hurt to try. I've gained about 40 pounds since I started about 12 years ago. I'm 6'1'' and 240lb with a reconstructive surgery done on my ankle. I still come out for airsoft and blank fire events which we try to have once a month during warmer time of the year. Most of the time it's a multi-day events too. I work construction so if my foot gives me trouble I have to withdraw in order to be able to work on Monday. Sometimes for an hour, sometimes for half of a day. Nobody ever looked down on me for it.

6'5" 250 ish. just bought all my gear and excited for my first day out which should be within the next couple weeks. I suppose I'm a bigger target but oh well I'm going out for the fun. I'm also 44 yrs old.

Quick edit as I made it our to my first airsoft game yesterday and let me tell you........ Hooked hooked hooked. What a fun enjoyable time. I thought a guy of my size would be an easier target but its all about movement and using concealment to my advantage. yes I got shot plenty of times but I racked up a few nice kills with the help of my teammates. Thanks goes out to trendkilla and AAS/SCAR for having me out and I cannot wait for the next game.

I'm just a year younger and the same size as you. I had my first full summer of games last year and had a blast and even convinced some guys on the fire dept with me to drop paintball for airsoft.

My biggest problem was finding clothing or a helmet that fits my big melon. As a tall guy, I tend to bang my head into things a lot since you midgets have everything sized for you ;)

I'm one of the bigger guys playing, have a blast doing it.

I also quite often hear in the bush when I get my Mercy kills "How the fuck does someone your size move so quietly" not uncommon for me to disappear and rack up a series of kills before someone gets me.

So do not let your size be a determent, use it to your advantage, find some good camo that works in your area, learn some bush craft (helps if you are a hunter and know how to move quietly), then go pew pew those younger skinny kids who cant keep up for a full day of play because they dehydrate to quickly.

I'm with Bloodsport on this. I'm 50-ish, and have worked in the bush for decades. Just over 6 ft. 270lbs...but like him, you never saw it coming. I don't run, ever. Don't need to. Just quietly think about where I'm going, how I'm going to get there and use the shadows and foliage to my advantage. Experience works wonders..

Same goes for the guns. I also have years of engineering experience. Nothing I have is stock anymore and part of the fun was studying the round ball ballistics and applying it to plastic BB's. More range and more accuracy also go a long, long way. The first season, I studied the game play and terrain..and got killed ALOT. Much of that on purpose. Second season I brought the guns I had built over the winter to see if I had understood the game and the players and to see if the research was on target. Third season...BOOYAH.

It's just like hunting deer...the first season, have no expectations, but spend the off season studying the habits and comments...then reapply it the next season, and so on.

As for the sniping thing, sure, I was an idiot. First summer I went out there with a stock bolt gun and got slaughtered. But damn it was fun! The bolt gun is much, much better now...heheheh

As for being injured and such, I jacknifed an 18 wheeler almost thirty years ago, and have had some pretty nasty industrial accidents. Airsoft is terrific physio and if I get too bagged, I just put the killrag on my head and head for the respawn for a couple of minutes to stretch out. Doing some is better than none at all, right? Sometimes I even overload my kit to make sure I'm pulling all the extra weight I can to get the workout benefit.

Sure, I'm old and slow, but rarely get killed in a game...and often get the 'where the hell did that come from' comment...it's so much more than just a physical game. Get out there and enjoy it!!