The Secchi shape helps in two distinct ways.
For iron sights, it allows a shooter to shift focus to the front sight and keep it there (Quiet Eye) while pressing the trigger. Once shooters internalize that they can actually trust the front sight and don't need to keep shifting focus back and forth, many shooters see 2x-4x tighter groups...immediately.
For red dots, the pattern literally sucks the red dot to the center of the target and will allow you to see movement of the dot caused by your trigger press very easily.
The real world doesn't have Secchis...so you use the Secchi target to isolate variables, build confidence, and learn the fundamentals and then switch to targets without Secchis.
A "Gip" is a term created by Matt & Sherrie Seibert to describe a tiny (1-2mm) dot on the front sight, between the existing dot (if there is one) and the top of the front sight. It drives external focus and process-based shooting and will allow you to be precise quicker than with a wider front sight.
In order to hit where you aim, you must be able to press the trigger without disturbing muzzle/sight alignment. The tighter you grip with your shooting hand, the more difficult this is, unless you've developed the ability to isolate trigger finger movement from the rest of your hand.
If you are having trouble with doubled up or overlapping targets, try shooting with your non-dominant eye closed for a shot or two. If that makes it easier, then use this process: Aim with your non-dominant eye closed...as you start to press the trigger, open your non-dominant eye.
Alternate from shot to shot with your non-dominant eye closed on one shot...open on the next...closed on the next...etc.
Does airsoft precision matter? Not when you're using them as a toy and not so much when doing force-on-force, but when you're shooting targets that you're scoring and making decisions about what to do next based on what you see on the target...yes, precision matters. You shouldn't need to be chasing your misses around the target and you shouldn't have to "think" about where to hold when you aim...you want a relatively predictable point of impact every time you press the trigger and match your target size/distance to the reality of the precision/accuracy of your airsoft pistol.
Dust, dirt, and bb debris dramatically impact precision...keep your gun clean.
Some guns are naturally more precise than others because of consistent machining, how the valves release gas, the trigger, seals, and other factors. Accuracy can also degrade over time because of parts wearing out or fouling. A store bought gun that shoots great today may not shoot great a few thousand rounds from now. That's one of the big reasons why I like Chaos built, modified, and rebuilt guns...they're made to last.
Chaos airsoft pistols are built for serious training and are used by elite military, law enforcement, and civilian shooters. Jay has a $300k CNC machine that he uses to build durable aluminum uppers and he replaces the fragile internal parts with durable precisely engineered metal ones. He can do amazing things with full size, compact, and subcompact airsoft as well as both red dot and irons. Check them out now by going >HERE< and let Jay know that Ox sent you.
FYI...Jay's guns aren't the cheapest on the market, but if you're looking at buying ammo at $300/1,000 rounds, the payoff for getting one of Jay's tuned airsoft masterpieces AND ammo + gas will happen somewhere between 1,000 - 2,000 rounds.
I've heard the claim that all airsoft bb's come from the same factory or, at most 4-5. I'm not sure if that's correct, but I do know that there's a HUGE difference between the performance of different airsoft bbs.
It can be the difference between your groups looking like a shotgun blast vs. a single hole OR the difference between bb's feeding reliably or jamming up your mags. Quality bb's are a must. I look for brown/black biodegradable bb's from brands that claim tight tolerances, perfectly spherical bbs, lots of polishing, and great reviews.
They can be 5x or more expensive than el'cheapo Walmart bb's, but when you're "upgrading" from .1c per round to .5c (or even a WHOLE penny) per round, it's worth it...not only for accuracy and reliability with your next shot, but also because cheaper bullets tend to leave more junk in your gun, require more frequent cleaning, and negatively impact long term accuracy.
I'm not posting links for bb's because airsoft bb brands seem to come-and-go and they don't always hold to the same quality standards over time.
Airsoft uses gas from a compressed gas reservoir to propel the bbs. As the gas expands, it absorbs heat, cooling the remaining gas and the gun. The cooler gas is, the less pressure it exerts, so it's possible to shoot a high speed course of fire and have a lower muzzle velocity at the end than at the beginning...this leads to vertical stringing on the target.
In addition, a nearly-full air tank will have higher pressure/velocity than a nearly-empty air tank. You can get around this by having spare mags, switching & topping them off every time you add bb's, and putting the mags you aren't using in your pocket or (in the winter) on a heating pad.
The big thing here is to understand and accept that vertical stringing is a thing and not to correct your aim because of it.
Unlike real pistols where if you're off by 1" at 10 feet you know you'll be off by 2" at 20 feet, with airsoft, you could be off by 1" at 10 feet and 3" or more at 20 feet, depending on the gun/ammo combination. If you're going to shoot a precision drill, make sure you're shooting it at a distance that your gun is capable of. For Dot Torture, 9-10 feet is great.
Airsoft guns put a backspin on the bb so that it curves up after it leaves the muzzle. What that means practically is that with my Glock 19 airsoft with iron sights, it's dead-on at 21 feet but shoots low at 10 with lighter bbs. I've tried getting an adjustable rear sight and cranking it up and, on many airsoft pistols, there's almost no way to get an iron sight combination that will give you a point of aim that is the same as your point of impact at 10 feet.
This became a big deal for my sons because in the winter, after they help me with work stuff, I let them shoot 10 shots for money at a 1" target and give them $1 for each hit. I didn't want them monkeying with sight alignment or offset...I wanted them to be able to present the gun, see the right sight picture, take the shot, and get rewarded for executing the process properly.
Two ways around this are the offset target (above) OR getting an airsoft pistol with a milled slide and red dot.
First in isolation, then in combination, and then they match as many factors of "game day" as possible to stress-test their skills.
Over-training wastes time, money, and increases the chances of injury. They spend millions of dollars trying to figure out how to maximize game day performance with minimal practice.
They know what to do ahead of training, during breaks, and after training to maximize how much skill is learned, how much is retained, and how much can be used automatically under stress.
And they're continually working on IMPROVING these 3 sensory skills.