So, you’ve got yourself a brand new airsoft AEG and you’re seriously thinking about getting into competitive airsoft events or even MilSim.

There’s just one catch. Your airsoft gun just isn’t meeting your expectations in terms of performance, and you don’t think it’s the gun. You think it's the airsoft ammo.

Either your airsoft gun isn’t delivering the speeds you expected, or, despite what you do with the hop-up, you can’t seem to reach those ranges or dial in accuracy. Maybe shots seem to wobble and yaw or roll off to the sides after getting so far.

Good news: It very well may be the airsoft ammo. Let’s take a look at some common considerations that impact airsoft guns, range, power, accuracy, and overall performance.

Airsoft Ammo Size

First off, let’s get this low-hanging fruit out of the way. Technically, airsoft ammo size does matter but it’s very near a standard, at 6mm. There are some airsoft guns that shoot 8mm BBs, but for the most part, it’s a near-certainty that yours shoots 6mm BBs.

So just double-check it and move on. A 6mm AEG can’t shoot 8mm BBs, anyway.

What About Quality in Airsoft Ammo?

The next thing to look at is the quality of the airsoft pellets themselves. You spent good money on an AEG with an adjustable hop-up and maybe one with a powerful, high-torque motor with rare earth magnets, right?

Why on earth would you waste money, then, on low-quality airsoft ammo? Pay a bit more and get polished, one-piece pellets only. The cheap ones that are made with seams have inconsistent densities and will never be as accurate as one-piece polished ammo, period.

Even worse, they can potentially break apart in the barrel and damage your airsoft gun or sensitive components of the hop-up unit.

Does Airsoft Ammo Weight Matter?

Not only does airsoft ammo weight matter, it probably matters more than all of the other factors mentioned here, combined.

Every airsoft gun has a certain amount of power (which is usually translated as a feet-per-second, or FPS, rating). More powerful airsoft guns can shoot heavier ammo, and less powerful airsoft guns are more suitable with lighter ammo.

The standard is .20g. Typically, when you see an airsoft gun’s FPS rating, it’s given with .20g ammo, which is usually disclosed.

This being the case, slower airsoft guns, such as GBB pistols and some GBB rifles, may shoot more accurately, and farther, with .20g BBs. Attempting to shoot heavier ammo from slower airsoft guns is pointless because it will compromise your range.

Similarly, shooting lighter ammo from airsoft guns with higher FPS ratings will also compromise your range and accuracy - for two reasons. One is that lighter ammo will decelerate more rapidly as a result of higher air resistance, and the other is that lighter ammo is less stable in flight, and more likely to roll, yaw, or dip in its trajectory.

Therefore, performance with faster, more powerful airsoft guns actually improves as you bump up the airsoft ammo weight. Use the following pointers for reference, with respect to FPS rating.

• Sub-300 FPS (some spring airsoft guns and GBB pistols): These airsoft guns are on the lower end of the power spectrum and are best suited by .20g BBs, or even lighter .12g BBs.

• 300-300 FPS (Most airsoft replicas and AEGs): Here, .20g BBs will work just fine, especially at close to mid-ranges, as well as for CQB.

• 350-400 FPS (Many AEGs): Airsoft guns in this range will perform best with airsoft ammo ranging between .25 and .28g.

• 400-450 FPS (Most powerful AEGs and bolt-action airsoft sniper rifles): These airsoft guns will shoot most accurately and achieve the greatest ranges when shooting BBs between .28g and .32g.

• Above 450 FPS (Only the most powerful AEGs and bolt-action airsoft sniper rifles): The heaviest airsoft BBs are most suitable here. Opt for .30, .32, or even .36g BBs. The most powerful airsoft sniper rifles, which scrape at the bottom of 500 FPS, can shoot the heaviest airsoft BBs of all, in some cases as heavy as .40g.

Don’t Just Switch the BB Weight: First, Adjust the Hop-Up

A quick word to the wise before you ditch your current airsoft ammo in favor of a heavier or lighter option. Before you do that, tinker with the hop-up unit a bit, especially if your problem is not being able to hit targets at extended ranges.

Your airsoft gun’s hop-up system puts backspin on the BB, which, via the Magnus effect, lifts the BB and enables it to shoot farther. If your hop-up is not properly adjusted for the BBs you are shooting, that might be the problem.

What Are Biodegradable Airsoft BBs?

One thing you should also do if you’re going to start shooting all new airsoft BBs is to buy biodegradable airsoft ammo, especially if you’re planning on getting into airsoft events.

Conventional airsoft ammo is made from plastic polymers that don’t biodegrade readily and in some instances can even pollute the environment. By contrast, biodegradable airsoft BBs are made with plastics that break down readily when exposed to the elements and are much better for the environment.

Do I Need Special Airsoft Ammo to Shoot Tracers?

Finally, one more note on the use of airsoft ammo: airsoft guns can shoot tracer rounds.

What you will need are a tracer unit (which can be added to the end of threaded airsoft barrels) as well as compatible tracer airsoft ammo, which is coated in phosphor powder.

Tracer units contain small UV lights that irradiate pellets as the specialized, phosphor-coated ammo passes through them. As the unit blasts the ammo with UV, the phosphor powder absorbs it and then releases the energy in the form of visible light, just like a fluorescent lamp.

Just make sure you have a tracer unit that’s compatible with your AEG and airsoft ammo that’s compatible with the tracer unit. (Some can only shoot certain types.)

Contact Us for Additional Help

That’s about all you need to know about airsoft ammo to make an informed decision about airsoft gun performance, but if you still have additional questions or would like some help picking out the best option, get in touch with us at 800-581-6620.