Choosing the Right BB for Your Airsoft Rifle

What size BB is best for my gun? Does it matter what brand it is? For the experienced airsoft sniper or designated marksman, you may already know what ammo make, model and size is best for your particular gun. For the new sniper, this article will prove to be very important! There are many factors that come in to play when it comes to being a successful sniper: Picking the right ammo for your gun is one of them. There are many common misconceptions about choosing a BB. For example, it is a well spread rumor that the heavier the BB, the shorter your effective range. This isn't the case. In fact, the key to your success is finding the heaviest BB your gun can handle and sticking with it. You can have the nicest rifle with the most advanced upgrades available for it, but your gun is only going to be as good as the ammo you're using!

First let's go over the recommended BB sizes:

.12g - Very lightweight. Too easily affected by weather and hop-up. NOT RECOMMENDED for any gun!

.15g - A little heavier than the .12g, but still way too light for any airsoft sniper rifle.

.20g - A well-made .2g will produce acceptable results, but still not recommended (unless for low-end guns)

.23g - Almost there. Can be used with good results in an airsoft rifle, but why not go for a .25g BB?

.25g - Now we're talking. This weight of BBs is the lowest recommended weight for a quality airsoft rifle.

.28g - Welcome to the heavy-weights. These are for mid-grade (or upgraded guns) to high-grade rifles.

.30g+ - These are for high-end and/or heavily upgraded guns only. Find which works best for your rifle.

Now let's take a look at the different recommended brands of BBs:

Tokyo Marui

KSC

Excel

Matrix

Airsoft Elite (AE)

Systema

AIM

SRC

Stealth

Maruzen

*The higher-end BBs like these stated are shaped to better standards than other makers, which in return means less jamming and more accuracy!

The truth is there's no clear cut way for me to tell you exactly which type of BB would be best for you and your gun. The type of BB you should choose depends on many factors like what gun you'll be using, what (if any) parts are upgraded, what is the weather like most often where you play, and what distances are you most often shooting from, just to name a few. The best advice is to buy a few small bags of the recommended brands and sizes I mentioned above, and try them out yourself! Sight your scope in and adjust your hop-up with each brand and size of BB, making sure to fire off many rounds with each to get a clear idea of the individual performances. Find which BB works best with your needs and your gun's abilities and go with it! This process takes a small investment and possibly a good bit of time, but it's well worth it. Having the right BB for you and your gun can make a serious difference in your game.

Even more information about airsoft sniping can be found at http://www.theairsoftsniper.com