How accurate are airsoft guns? A frequently asked question that has a very complex answer. Good airsoft replicas can be made to shoot quite consistently, but they cannot match the accuracy of real firearms. If you’re new to the sport, you need to understand that the limitations imposed by physics and the environment can greatly affect the range and accuracy. That is because the projectile we use in airsoft is a light, spherical piece of plastic whose trajectory can be easily influenced by a variety of factors.
Airsoft guns vary in accuracy depending on the type of gun and BB weight. Typically, airsoft guns are accurate up to 50-60 yards (50 meters) for hitting a human-sized target. Upgraded sniper rifles with heavier BBs can reach even further, with a maximum effective range of around 100 yards (100 meters).
The accuracy of airsoft guns is dependent on a number of variables that include the quality of the gun and its internal components, the quality of the ammunition, the weight of the BBs, wind, and air temperature and humidity. I will cover each of these in the sections below to explain their effect on the accuracy of your replica.
Frequently Asked Questions About Airsoft Accuracy
How far can an airsoft gun shoot accurately?
Most airsoft guns that are field legal have an effective range of 47 to 73 yards (that is around 43 to 47 meters). These distances do vary because airsoft replicas have different configurations and components. While the guns are capable of reaching these distances, it doesn’t mean that they do so with impressive accuracy. As I explained in the sections below, because the BBs are so light, their trajectories are easily influenced by a variety of factors. This means that it is very difficult to get pinpoint accuracy for all of your shots.
The fact is that most airsoft guns can fire BBs further than 50 yards, but beyond this distance, they are no longer consistently accurate. While some shots may fly true and hit what you are aiming at, you will get a lot more BBs that change their trajectory. Even with a gun that is able to lift heavy BBs like 0.4 gram you might struggle to hit your target with the first shot. Most likely, you will need to fire the first shot and then adjust your aim for the follow-up shots. For example, if the target is very far away, you might need to aim slightly above it. This will allow the BB to get more range and perhaps drop onto the target.
I would say that accuracy in airsoft is mostly a matter of consistency. As long as your gun is able to hit an A4 size sheet of paper at 50 yards with most shots, you can consider it accurate. An accurate gun will also have less shots that are veering right or left (provided there is no wind). This can be achieved through a combination of good parts and lots of experimentation.
What makes an airsoft gun accurate?
The most important factors to airsoft replica accuracy are: a good hop unit, a quality tightbore barrel, premium heavy BBs and stable fps. Each of these plays a role in accuracy. Tuning your gun to tick all these boxes will greatly improve your accuracy over stock replicas.
If you want your gun to keep its accuracy, it is important to perform regular maintenance. The most important part of this would be to clean your inner barrel after every game day so you remove any build-up of dirt. You will also need to check your bucking regularly for signs of wear and replace it if it starts to lose its elasticity.
How to increase airsoft gun accuracy?
Most airsoft replicas become more accurate as soon as you replace your standard bucking and barrel. Depending on how much you want to invest, you can get either a new hop up unit and tight bore barrel, or you could just take it slow and replace each part at a time to see whether the increase in accuracy is enough for your needs. I have covered the impact of each piece in the paragraphs below so you can get an idea of what to expect.
Replica quality
As a general rule, high-end airsoft guns tend to be more accurate out of the box. There are, of course, exceptions to this, as some manufacturers focus more on the quality of the external components and cut some costs by sacrificing the quality of the internals. In the end, it is the quality of these internal pieces that affect the accuracy and the good news is that with minor modifications you can make even cheap guns perform well.
The most important components in terms of accuracy are the hop-up unit, the bucking and nub, and the internal barrel. When we’re talking about AEGs, you could also take into account the quality of the gearbox and its ability to provide the same amount of power for each shot. This means that the cylinder, cylinder head, piston and nozzle need to work together well and provide stable FPS (feet per second), with minimal variation. This will ensure that the BBs will have the same amount of power applied and the other components can do their job well.
Hop-up Unit and Accuracy
The hop-up unit is essential for accuracy in airsoft. The hop-up is an assembly of components that allow the replica to shoot further and with better consistency. As the BB feeds from the magazine it is pushed up through the feeding tube and into a chamber. As the gun cycles, a blast of air pushes the BB through the hop-up chamber and out through the inner barrel. As it passes through the chamber, the bucking touches the upper part of the BB giving it backspin. This motion allows the BB to fly further.
The quality of the hop-up unit is important because it needs to be able to offer good air seal and effective backspin. Most entry-level guns have plastic or cheap metal hop-up units. These aren’t very well made and can make your gun less accurate. Having a rough feeding tube and chamber can affect the air seal and the ability of the nub to impart backspin. This can lead to inconsistencies in your shots. More expensive hop up units are made from better polymers or CNC aluminum and are polished to perfection in order to make sure that all the parts fit together well.
High-end hop-up units also have a much more stable hop arm. That is the piece that pushes down on the nub and bucking so that they apply pressure on the BBs as they are fired. Having a hop unit that clicks into place when adjusting provides great results in terms of consistency. This means that the BBs should have a similar trajectory every time.
Airsoft Bucking and Accuracy
The bucking is a critical part of every airsoft gun. It looks like a cylinder that is made of rubber, silicon or similar elastic materials. This piece fits over the end of the barrel and touches the BB through the small window that is cut in the barrel. As the BB is pushed by the compressed air, it grabs the bucking on its upper part. This generates the backspin that allows the BB to fly further.
In terms of accuracy, the softness and shape of the bucking play an important role. Depending on how soft or hard the material is, the better or worse the bucking is for specific roles. Hard buckings are made from more rigid materials and they work better for high fps guns that fire heavy BBs like DMRs and snipers. You can use a soft bucking in a high-power build, but it will wear out faster.
Soft buckings are generally recommended for basic AEGs. These work well for replicas that shoot under 400 fps. Another advantage of soft buckings is that they work better in cold weather. The more rigid materials used in hard buckings tend to lose their elasticity when the temperature drops. Soft buckings, especially those made from silicon, retain their properties better even in near-freezing temperatures. That is why it is recommended to use a softer bucking if you live in colder climates.
Now that you know a bit about what a bucking does, it’s time to come back to its impact on accuracy. If your bucking is worn out or torn, your gun won’t be accurate. You might experience a loss in power and BBs flying all over the place. Some will have the correct amount of hop applied, while others won’t. That is why it’s always a great idea to check your bucking regularly and replace it if it shows signs of wear.
As I explained, the bucking rubs the top part of the BB and makes it spin. To have a consistently accurate gun, it is important that the bucking hug the BBs correctly for each shot. Depending on the setup of the bucking and nub, there is more or less contact with the BB.
Most guns come with pretty average buckings out of the box, so swapping it out for an aftermarket one should be your first upgrade if you want better accuracy. The best buckings are currently made by Maple Leaf (affiliate link) and Prometheus, while brands like Modify and Begadi are slowly making a name for themselves with their new products.
The Nub and Accuracy
The Nub (affiliate link) is a small piece of plastic or rubber that is pushed by the hop-up arm into the bucking. The shape of this piece determines how the bucking touches the BB through the window in the inner barrel. There are a variety of configurations for this like S-hop or R-hop but I won’t cover these in this article as it is meant for beginners. Some people insist that some are more accurate than others, but there isn’t much scientific evidence. What I will say is that it seems that R-hops are a bit better for hopping heavier BBs.
Having more surface contact with the BB translates in more backspin. A good combination of bucking and nub should be able to lift heavy BBs more efficiently. This is an advantage and you should try to set up your airsoft gun so it works with BB weights above 0.25 grams if you would like to have some extra accuracy. I will explain this further in the next section.
Inner Barrel Quality, Diameter and Length
Most airsoft guns come with basic brass barrels that don’t offer the best performance in terms of accuracy. That is because brass barrels aren’t as strong and durable as steel. They do oxidize faster than steel and are easier to scratch when improperly cleaned. Quality barrels are usually made from steel and are well polished on the inside. Because steel is a tougher metal, it won’t damage as easily when you clean it. The main point is that you should get the best inner barrel than you can afford as it does influence accuracy.
Another thing which may help improve your accuracy would be to stabilize your inner barrel inside the outer barrel. As you may already know, airsoft guns have 2 barrels, the inner barrel is used for shooting, while the outer barrel is just for looks and serves to protect the fragile inner barrel. Because some guns don’t have a secure fit of the two parts, the inner barrel can vibrate and this affects your accuracy. To avoid this, you can simply fit some spacers along the inner barrel so it sits right in the middle of the outer barrel. You can buy spacers or simply make them on your own using a rigid foam. This will prevent wobble and vibrations, making your gun more accurate.
Inner Barrel Diameter
The industry standard in terms of diameter has been 6.8 millimeters for most average AEGs. These days, some manufacturers also offer replicas with 6.5, 6.3 or even 6.2 mm barrels. As you might imagine, a tight-bore barrel is generally more accurate. If you want to upgrade your accuracy, replacing your barrel with a tighter one is a step in the right direction.
There is something to be said about going too tight though. Some brands sell 6 or 6.1 mm barrels, but in order to use these, you need to buy the very best BBs. Because these barrels are so tight, any variation in the shape of the BB will cause it to fly poorly and you might even experience jams if you use poor quality BBs. In addition, you will need to clean the barrel much more frequently because any build-up of dirt will affect your accuracy.
Inner Barrel Length
While in a firearm the barrel length is very important for determining accuracy, in airsoft this doesn’t matter that much. The internet has this theory that the best barrel length for airsoft is 455 mm, but I haven’t been able to find out why. Some people argue that a longer barrel will better stabilize the flight of the BB, but again there isn’t much scientific evidence to support this. The general consensus is that the effect of barrel length in airsoft is insignificant. Factors like the barrel and hop up quality are more important for accuracy.
Barrel length can, however, affect the fps. A longer barrel is better for shooting heavier BBs as it allows them enough time to accelerate to top speed. The length of the barrel should be considered together with the volume of air that the cylinder can hold. If there isn’t enough air being pushed through, a longer barrel is useless.
Airsoft BBs and Accuracy
As you may know, airsoft BBs are plastic or resin spherical pellets. This is important because round projectiles aren’t known for their accuracy as they can’t maintain a very stable flight. If you take into account that 6 mm BBs are also very light, you can clearly see why it is difficult to have them fly true to distances of over 110 yards. Any gust of wind can blow them off course and any rotation movement other than back spinning will cause them to veer left or right.
BB Quality
If you want to have the best accuracy it is important to use the highest grade BBs you can afford. Why is that? Because more expensive BBs are made using a more precise molding process. This means that their shape is as round as possible and this helps in achieving a more stable flight trajectory. BB diameters are generally 5.95 mm, but this can vary depending on the manufacturer and the quality of their machines.
Another thing you need to look at when choosing BBs is their polish. Premium BBs are very well polished and this allows them to run through the barrel much better. In addition, their flight trajectory is more stable as there is less drag caused by air friction. Low quality BBs have a more porous look and don’t even shine in bright light. If you want more accuracy from your airsoft gun, buy the best available BBs.
BB weight
Most airsoft guns these days work well with 0.25 gram BBs. The range and accuracy is somewhere at about 50 meters or 50 to 6o yards for most AEGs. However, if your gun has a good hop up unit, you should be able to get better results by using heavier BBs. This is because heavier BBs tend to have a more stable flight because they are not as affected by wind and other atmospheric conditions. They also keep their kinetic energy better.
If you want your replica to shoot more accurately you should test out multiple BB weights and see which is the most effective. Once you find out the highest weight BB you can use, you need to consider whether it is a good idea to perform upgrades to get even more accuracy. High end guns such as those made by Krytac, VFC, ICS and other reputable manufacturers can be used straight out of the box with 0.28 or 0.3 gram BBs as their hop up units can lift these effectively. Of course, for higher powered guns you should consider going above 3 grams and even about 4 grams. These weights will offer the best accuracy.
The downside to using heavier BBs is that they cost more than the regular 0.2 gram BBs. You will need to find the right balance for your budget. If you can afford it, go ahead and buy the heaviest BBs that your gun can shoot well. If you like to shoot a lot of full auto, then you might consider easing up on the trigger and being more selective with your shots.
The Impact of the Weather Conditions on Airsoft Accuracy
Because the ammo we use in airsoft is very light the weather conditions can have a huge effect on accuracy. Even bullets fired from real firearms are affected by wind and humidity and these projectiles weigh considerably more than BBs.
Wind is the most important factor when it comes to accuracy. Strong air currents will blow BBs of course. You can counteract this somewhat by using heavy BBs, but even these will struggle if the breeze is somewhat strong.
Temperature and humidity are also factors that can affect accuracy. As I explained above, lower temperatures have an effect on the hop up bucking by changing its elasticity and therefore its ability to lift BBs. Use a softer bucking if you’re playing during the winter to have better accuracy. Lower temperatures also affect air density. When it is cold outside, the air is denser and therefore there is more friction for the BB to overcome. Another thing to remember is that gas powered guns perform badly in cold temperatures, the fps and accuracy suffer because of this.
Humidity can also mess with your accuracy. It too can affect the parts of your hop up assembly. There is also something to be said about the condensation that appears when there is a lot of humidity. Again, gas guns might be more affected because there is a difference in temperature that develops as the gun is being fired. This can cause condensation on some internal parts, messing up your accuracy. Humidity can also cause more dirt to build up on the inner barrel, so you should clean it regularly if you play in a wet environment.
Conclusions
To get better accuracy from your airsoft gun you should:
- Upgrade your hop-up unit by replacing the stock bucking and nub, or just swap out the entire assembly with a higher-end one.
- Use a softer bucking unless you are running a high power build.
- Get a quality 6.03 mm inner barrel that matches your other parts.
- Use heavier BBs. Find the highest weight that works and stick to it.
- Use quality, well-polished BBs.
- Practice shooting your gun at various distances to get the hop-up tuned in perfectly.
- Try using an optic. A red dot or scope, as long as it’s sighted in, will help you to aim better and become more accurate.
