If you’ve decided to give airsoft a try, you at least understand the basic principle of the game. You will get shot with plastic BBs and you might experience some pain and discomfort, but the fun you can have will surely outweigh this minor inconvenience. Not to mention, you will certainly get a good workout and make lots of cool friends. Do keep in mind that for a safe and more comfortable playing experience, you should make sure to wear adequate protective equipment (eye protection is mandatory) as this will minimize the amount of pain caused by airsoft BBs.
How much does it hurt to play airsoft?
Most hits you will receive while playing will feel like a flick or a sting. Depending on the area of impact, the speed of the BB, the clothing and gear you are wearing, the pain you experience can range from a mild poke to a bee sting.
Another factor that can influence the amount of pain you feel is the weight of the BB. Speaking from experience, getting shot by 0.2 gram BBs is less painful than getting hit by a 3 gram paintball, so if you’ve tried paintball, you’ll most likely be perfectly fine. The same goes for any sport that has mild contact. In any case, most of the time, the adrenaline surge you get while playing will make the pain seem more than bearable.
Does getting shot by airsoft guns hurt?
As you can probably guess, different areas of your body are more sensitive than others, and that means that getting shot in the face is quite different from getting shot in your feet. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the pain you will experience depends on a lot of factors so I can’t give you specific information, but I will try to give a detailed explanation on what to expect and how you can minimize the damage, so keep on reading.
Pain in relation to the speed of the BB
Airsoft replicas can vary a lot in terms of the speed with which they can propel BBs. This speed is generally expressed in FPS – feet per second and, as you might have guessed, the more FPS the more painful it is to get shot. This has led to the adoption of certain laws that dictate the FPS limits that can be used in certain states. Furthermore, indoor fields usually limit the FPS of airsoft guns to anything in between 300 and 350. Outdoor fields tend to have higher limits, ranging from 350 to 450. Guns that are capable of higher FPS are generally limited to single fire only and have a set minimum engagement distance. For example, an airsoft sniper won’t be allowed to fire at another player if he is closer than 30 meters (this limit is also different across different states and countries).
Now that you have a broad idea on what the speed of the BB means, I can give you some information regarding the pain you will likely experience when getting shot.
- 200 – 250 FPS – this is the speed mostly prevalent in handguns. As these are designed to be used up close, you will feel the hit, but it won’t hurt much even if it hits exposed skin.
- 250 – 350 FPS – some pistols and the majority of airsoft replicas fall into this category. Depending on where you get hit, you might feel anything from a flick to a sting. The pain sensation will dissipate in a few seconds.
- 350 – 450 and above – getting hit will hurt and you might even get a slight welt or a bruise. That is why it is important to wear adequate protective equipment when playing on airsoft venues that allow higher FPS. As long as you do this, you should be fine.
I won’t mention airsoft replicas that shoot hotter than 450 FPS, as they are generally not allowed and it is probably illegal to shoot people with them. In any case, as you get more involved in airsoft, you will probably invest more in protective gear such as plate carriers and helmets, and these can protect you entirely. You won’t even know you got hit unless you hear the noise the BB makes as it impacts a hard surface.
| FPS of the replica (feet per second) | Recommended BB weight for best performance |
| <300 | .12 gram |
| 300 to 350 | .20 gram |
| 350 to 400 | .25 gram |
| 400 to 450 | .28 gram |
| 450 to 500 | .36 gram |
| >500 | .43 gram |
Pain in relation to the weight of the BB
The weight of the BB can matter when it comes to the pain you will feel as you get hit. As you might expect, a heavier BB will have a higher impact force. Now, the majority of the players you’ll encounter will be using BBs that are in between 0.2 and 0.25 grams. In this range, you shouldn’t expect much pain, especially if you are appropriately dressed. People who have higher end replicas might be able to run heavier BBs which might hurt more. Here is how I would rate these:
- .2; .23, .25 gram BBs – the usual weights you will see players use. You will feel the sting, but they shouldn’t leave a lasting sensation of pain.
- .25; .28; .3 gram BBs – as people spend more money on their guns, they will be able to use heavier BBs as these can perform better in terms of range and accuracy. Obviously getting hit up close with one of these BBs, will hurt more. However, since they are effective at longer ranges, you might get shot from a further distance and this will reduce the force behind the BB. As I explained above, the further you are from the shooter, the less pain you will experience when you do get hit.
- .3; .32; .4 grams and above – generally reserved for sniper rifles and DMR platforms that use single fire mode. These BBs are designed to make the most out of custom builds (which are quite expensive) so not many players will be using them. These replicas also have to follow strict rules regarding the minimum engagement distance (MED), so the damage they do is reduced.
Pain in relation the range of the shooter
When a BB flies through the air it gradually loses speed and kinetic energy. Therefore, the further it has to travel, the less impact it will cause. Sometimes, when your opponent is very far away, the BBs he is firing will be so slow that you will be easily able to dodge them. In this case, if you do get hit, expect to feel more of a flick than actual pain. Evidently, the closer you get shot from, the more it will hurt.
Keep in mind that if you and your opponent are very close, you will have to pull out your secondary weapon, something like a pistol or shotgun, which are far less powerful than your main replica. This will make it safe for both of you. If you don’t have a pistol, some airsoft fields make use of the “Bang Bang” rule – basically, whoever surprises his adversary in close quarters says bang bang and it counts as a hit. Another alternative is for both of you to back away until you get to a safer distance of engagement. As you can see, there are a lot of ways to minimize the pain of playing airsoft.
Pain in relation to the area of impact
If you got this far into the article, you can probably guess that the pain you experience when getting shot will depend on where the BB hits. In my experience, getting hit in areas covered by soft tissue, such as your neck, hurts more than getting hit in your shoulder for example. Here is how I would rate the pain:
- Most painful – face (nose, lips or forehead), ears, neck and knuckles.
- Medium pain – forearms and torso
- Negligible pain – lower part of the body
My most painful experience was getting hit in the knuckles of my main shooting hand when I forgot my gloves at home. A BB was able to break the skin a little and it stung for the entire day. Other than that, I haven’t been hit very hard, or my equipment absorbed much of the impact. As mentioned earlier, you can safeguard most of your most pain sensitive areas with protective gear.
If you are afraid of getting hit in the face, you can wear a face mask and helmet. These come in a variety of shapes and sizes so you’ll surely find something that feels comfortable. In addition, these will absorb any impacts so you won’t suffer even a pinch. If you don’t want to invest in a helmet right away, even a baseball cap or boonie hat will provide enough protection for your forehead. You can also get protective gear for your ears and neck, but I find that a basic shemagh or scarf is enough for me. For your hands, I definitely recommend getting some gloves as these also help with avoiding scrapes and cuts.
Your upper body should be fine if you are wearing some loose fitting clothes as these can absorb part of the energy of the BBs. In any case, you will see most players wearing some sort of plate carrier or battle harness (used to carry spare magazines and accessories), which adds another layer of protection. In my experience, you only hear the sound of the BBs hitting these.
A sturdy pair of pants will do for your lower body. If your pain tolerance is high, you might get away with wearing shorts, but I wouldn’t recommend it, especially if you are playing in a forested area. You will likely get scrapes from branches and bushes and probably rashes from certain plants such as nettles (not to mention insect bites).
The final kind of pain
Now that we have covered physical pain, it’s time we talked about the worst pain you can experience in a game of airsoft. That of getting eliminated from the game. I’m obviously kidding here, but let me tell you the frustration of getting hit when you are making a bold play will certainly make you forget about a few stings caused by BBs.
All in all, I encourage everyone to try airsoft at least once or twice. If you are the adventurous type, you’ll soon feel that getting hit is certainly worth the huge amounts of fun you can have. In addition, the variety of gear that is available these days can mitigate most of the pain. And let’s not forget, as soon as you get good at the game, you won’t be getting hit as often.
Can airsoft guns hurt you?
If you’re still wondering what getting shot with an airsoft gun feels like on bare skin, check out these videos from Houston Jones. I really don’t recommend either of these experiments, but you can still check them out for a bit of fun 🙂