How to Choose the Right Minnesota Airsoft BBs

Which Airsoft BBs should you be running in your gun for Minnesota Airsoft? Bottom line, high quality Airsoft BBs. They are a inexpensive investment for your Airsoft gun, but using low quality BBs (like the ones in sporting goods stores) can damage your Airsoft gun and cause costly repairs in the long run. Below are several key points to keep in mind when shopping for Airsoft BBs.

Size of your Airsoft BBs

Airsoft BBs needed to be properly sized for 6mm barrel (as close to 6mm as possible)

Most Airsoft guns are built with 6mm inner Tight Bore barrels. Improperly sized BBs will not tightly fit in the barrel of an Airsoft gun. Air is able to escape around the BB instead of being trapped behind it where it is used to to push the Airsoft BB out of the barrel.

Quality of your Minnesota Airsoft BBs

Airsoft BBs should be perfectly spherical to avoid jamming in the barrel.

Airsoft BBs should be have little to no material imperfections. These can causing BBs to break into pieces in the barrel or on contact.

How to Spot a Low Quality Airsoft BB

• Brightly colored BBs
• Clear or transparent BBS
• Most BBs found at various sporting goods and general stores such as KMart, Walmart and Target.

These BBs are extremely low quality. They often are often very light and brittle. They can have air bubbles in them which cause the BBs to be off-balance and possibly tumble in flight.

Minnesota Airsoft BB Weights

Although there are various weights for airsoft BBs, the most common types you will usually see are .12G, .20G, .25G, and .30G. There are some in between and heavier sizes, but this list is the mopst common sizes you will see when buying airsoft BBs in Minnesota.

A few simple things you should note are:

• The lighter the airsoft BB, the higher your velocity or FPS (feet per second).
• The heavier the airsoft BB, the more accurate and less affected it is by the wind.
• The general rule – Shoot the heaviest BB your airsoft gun works with.

The heavier the BB, the farther it will travel compared to a lighter BB; even though the lighter BB will have a higher FPS.

Choosing the correct BB weight for your Minnesota airsoft gun is VERY important, but often overlooked. An uneducated airsoft player will put hundreds of dollars into a new AEG gun, then load it with cheap .12g airsoft BBs. This causes a high probability of breaking your gun and they probably voided they airsoft gun’s warranty as well.

.12G Airsoft BBs

These weight of airsoft BB is meant to work with spring guns or low powered electric guns. NEVER use this weight of BB with a in high quality or high powered airsoft guns. They can cause jamming and destroy the gun’s internals. Many manufacturers will consider your gun void if you shoot .12G BBs from it. MANY big box stores offer .12G airsoft BBs. Typically they are no-name, generic brands and are made very cheaply. If you do plan on running .12G airsoft BBs, make sure they are seamless and precision ground BBs.

.20G Airsoft BBs

If you are new to Airsoft, and not positive which weight of airsoft BB to get, these are for you! .20G BBs are the most common and acceptable weight for airsoft guns. They can be used for almost any gun, with the exception of very cheap pistols and low powered (probably cheap as well) electric guns. While these are the most commonly use airsoft BBs, they are not suggested for higher end sniper rifles (See heavier weights below).

.25G Airsoft BBs

These are a heavier grade of Airsoft BB and are generally not used in any spring guns unless they are sniper rifles. Airsoft BBs in the .25G weight are often the choice of more experienced airsoft players, as they provide the best accuracy and travel the furthest.

.30G Airsoft BBs

These airsoft BBs are primarily meant for sniper rifles. They will provide the highest accuracy and distance, while retaining their bite. And while it is possible to use these airsoft BBs in a high upgraded AEG, you will most likely be disappointed with them, due to the low FPS.

Other Weight of Airsoft BBS

There are several other weights of airsoft BBs, each having their own purpose in the airsoft game. A .23G airsoft BB will trade a bit of accuracy for a higher velocity. You will also find ultra-heavy .36G and .43G airsoft BBs that are meant for highly upgraded sniper rifles.

General Rule for Optimal BB weight in your Minnesota Airsoft gun (Base Speed: Gun Shooting .20G BBs)

• 300-350 FPS – .20G
• 350-400 FPS – .25G
• 400-450 FPS – .28G
• 450-500 FPS – .36G
• 500 FPS – .43G

Biodegradable BBs for Minnesota Airsoft

Want to be environment friendly? All Airsoft fields in the Twin Cities area have moved to requiring Bio BBs when you are plying. Biodegradable airsoft BBs will decompose over time in a non-toxic, environmentally friendly way. They are great for extended outdoor Minnesota airsoft operations. Or for Minnesota airsoft fields that require players to use biodegradable airsoft BBs.