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 mistakes people make when 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 without its reducing effective range. 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 weights/sizes:
BBs come in many different weights, from .12 grams all the way to .43 grams! So which is best for your gun? I can't answer that without knowing the specs of your gun, but I can give you an idea of where to start. First of all, never use a weight below .25g. Many snipers (most elitists) will say that even this weight is too light. I say that's debatable. However, I do personally recommend .28g-.30g to start off with. Unless your gun is upgraded internally, I also wouldn't recommend going too much over .30 gram BBs, as you actually will start sacrificing effective range for accuracy.
I also want to mention the various manufacturing sizes of BBs. Believe it or not, not all BBs are the same size, and even the slighest variance in size can damage your gun and/or ruin your day! It's good to first know the diameter of your inner barrel. If you're serious about sniping you've hopefully purchased a precision barrel (only cost $30-$60) which will range between 6.00mm to 6.04mm. This is why it's so important to check the diameter of your BBs, along with the given variance. For example, let's say you have a 6.01mm inner barrel in your Maruzen L96. Now let's say you decided to try out .28g Airsoft Elites as your BB of choice. You read in the description located on the website you purchase your BBs through that the BBs are manufactured to be 5.98mm in diameter with a +/- .01mm variance. This means each BB will most likely be 5.97mm to 5.99mm in diameter. Since this is smaller than your 6.01mm inner barrel, you should be fine. However, let's say you get a BB with a diameter of 5.99mm +/- .01mm and your rifle has a 6.01mm inner barrel, well now we may have problems. There's a good chance you'll eventually come across a BB that slipped through the sorting and has a +.02mm variance from the 5.99mm the BBs stated. Try firing a 6.01mm BB down a 6.01mm barrel and you have yourself a jammed gun. This is a pain to deal with on the field and could have easily been prevented. So know your barrel size, know your BB size with variance, and choose a quality manufacturer for your BBs. Speaking of that....
Now let's take a look at the different recommended brands of BBs:
Pick a BB manufacturer that's proven itself as a producer of quality goods! Do not skimp on BBs - you'll eventually pay for it! If you're serious about sniping and care about your gun you'll pay the extra couple dollars to get a quality bag/box of BBs. Here are some recommended brands, but don't take this list as the only quality BBs out there - look around yourself and read reviews - there are more and more BB manufacturers coming out as time goes on, so pay attention and find yourself a good one!
* 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 and polished more thoroughly, 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.
Subject: Sniper ammo 
Sun May 10, 2009 10:50 am
