Picking The Right Pellets Of Pain (aka BBs)

There are tons of different airsoft BB options out there.  BBs come in every weight from 0.12 gram to 0.43 gram and more.  They come in white, black, tan, neon yellow, and many other colors.  There are even BBs designed specifically for certain types of combat situations. With all of these options, you may be wondering which kind you need for your airsoft gun.  Here’s how to pick the right BB to get the job done on the field!

Don’t Go Cheap:

Cheap BBs can damage your airsoft gun by breaking apart inside the barrel or jamming the internal parts.  Although you can get away with using cheap BBs in inexpensive spring guns or AEGs, it’s smart to make the switch to more expensive, professional BBs when you begin using a skirmish-ready weapon.  Seamless precision 0.20g BBs are the minimum specs recommended by airsoft manufacturers and sellers for quality weapons.

Go For Precision:

You wouldn’t try to fit a 2 inch bolt into a 1 ¾ inch hole, right?  Then why would you try to shoot a BB that’s too big for your airsoft gun’s barrel?  Airsoft gun manufacturers make all types of inner barrel with various inner diameters.  Most quality inner barrels are tight bore (under 6.05 mm) and require precision BBs to work properly.  Buy a BB that is small enough (around 5.95mm), and has a very high precision (+/- 0.01 mm) to prevent problems with your gun down the road.

Buy The Right Weight

Buying the right BB weight for your airsoft gun will improve your ability to take down the enemy.  You’ll have an increase in accuracy because the heavier a BB is, the less likely cross wind (wind blowing the BB left or right) will affect it.  Range may also be increased because the hop up is able to better transfer backspin to the BB.  However, if the BB is too heavy, you’ll get less range because the FPS is lowered too far.  Pick the right BB weight to take maximum advantage of your gun’s accuracy and power.

(Note: Remember that for each 0.05 grams the BB weight increases, FPS will drop by 20-40.)

Here is a break down of the BB weights and the recommended FPS for each:

Pick A Color, Any Color!

Well, maybe not any color!  White is the standard color used by most airsofters.  It is easy to see while in flight (making aim adjustments easier if you aren’t into using your sights 😉 ).

Other options include a variety of florescent colors (yellow, orange, green, etc.), tan, black, and glow-in-the-dark.  Here is a quick list of the pros/cons of each color option:

White: Standard and simple.  They’re easy to find and hard to go wrong with.

Florescent: I almost never use, or recommend, florescent BBs.  Usually they’re cheap, but very unreliable.  If you have trouble seeing the white BBs in the air you might consider this color option (but only if you can find some quality ones).

Tan and Black: These BBs are very hard to see when in flight.  This can be great if you’re going for maximum stealth and can use your sights effectively.

 

Look At The Unique Options:

BBs are not just offered in different colors, they are also manufactured to meet the needs of different missions!

Bio-degradable:  Bio-degradable (or BIO) BBs will eventually decompose into the ground. (To alleviate your fears, they won’t melt away in the bag.  It requires lots of moisture and time to get them to decompose.  This is coming from a guy who left them in a glass of water for a few days to check 🙂 ).  Many outdoor fields and MilSim game producers require you to use BIO BBs, so it’s a good idea to at least have a bag or two on hand.  I personally use Lancer Tactical 0.25g BIO BBs because they work great on the field.  Just keep them away from moisture and you’ll be rocking airsoft games, environmental style!

Marking:  These BBs are designed to leave a small, colored mark on your opponent upon impact.  This can take away the honor rule part of airsoft (although I hope everyone you battle with is honorable!).  It’s questionable how well they actually work in a game (imagine walking up to a guy during combat and telling him you’re searching for the 6mm speck your BB left on him!).

Glow in the Dark (or tracer):  These BBs are often used with a tracer unit.  They’re able to light up and be seen in the dark.  This is a good option if you play night games or indoor CQB.  Here is a cool video from AirsoftGI.com on how tracer units, and tracer BBs, work:

 

I hope this guide gives you a basic knowledge to select the best BBs for your airsoft armament.  If you have any questions, be sure to ask in the comments.  I would also love to hear about the type of BBs you use and why you prefer them!