Regiment Airsoft Boot camp
AIRSOFT BALLS DAY 1
This week is the start of the Regiment Airsoft Boot camp series. Each week will cover another topic related directly or indirectly to our favorite pastime.
Suggestions to future boot camps are always welcome.
This week Regiment Airsoft Boot camp training will cover balls. Large balls, small balls, soft balls, hard balls, red balls, rubber balls and even glowing balls.
Everything you wanted to know about Airsoft balls.
Very basic training.
Airsoft balls are round.
Basic training.
For those new to the sport 6mm is the most common size of ball. When searching for airsoft balls “6mm” isn’t normally mentioned, just assumed.
Additionally 8mm balls are also used. To make your life easier unless there is a specific reason for buying a 8mm airsoft, don’t. If there is another option
in 6mm grab it. Most fields don’t sell 8mm and don’t allow you to bring on your own ammo. Players usually carry a backup, and most are in 6mm. It can be a pain
carrying two types of ammo and reloading in the heat of battle. That is some practical advice.
There is a wide variety of colors from black to pasty white, color isn’t important unless you have a favorite.
Ball weights range from 11g to 90g. The most popular levels being .12g for Crapsoft airsoft guns (the cheap crap that you should never buy), 20g commonly used in
game play and 25g used by more proficient players. New players just buy .20g or 25g, they are the most used for game play and more than passable for plinking.
Most AEG Airsofts are designed for.20g and .25g.
There are many other types of balls. Plastic, Biodegradable, Marking and Tracer among others. Biodegradable is your best choice either for game play or for plinking.
Unless you use a ball trap to collect them up then plastic will do.
For those more experienced
One point on plastic balls. Clean them up. If you are shooting in your backyard and don’t police the balls up they get washed away in the rain and into the sewer then
pollute the streams and lakes. They don’t breakdown and become a mess. Fish mistake them as food and have a hard time passing them threw their systems.
VERY IMPORTANT DON’T REUSE YOUR BALLS
Don’t reuse your balls. When a ball hits a target it becomes slightly deformed, it may look OK to reuse but this isn’t the case. When you reuse your deformed balls
they stick for a fraction of a second prior to flying down your barrel, this creates a back pressure causing the internals in the gearbox to be jarred, causing
problems over time. Also hi-capacity magazines leave a small indent into the ball. Over time the indents will build up cutting your HOP UP diaphragm.
The cost savings in balls wont cover the cost in repairs.