Airsoft guns have become popular because of their relatively lower risk and ease of availability. Even target-shooting games, once monopolized by BB guns, have started using some airsoft models. But most people who switch from a BB gun to an airsoft weapon complain about the lack of accuracy of these guns. So, how accurate is this perception?
Airsoft guns are almost always accurate at a 30-yard mark. Most airsoft guns require skill for precise shooting at 40 to 60 yards. Beyond this point, airsoft guns can be inaccurate, and airsoft BBs can lose their initial trajectory.
In this article, you will find out which type of airsoft guns are most accurate and what you can do to improve the accuracy of your gun. By the end of this post, you’ll know what to expect from your airsoft gun. So, let’s get started with the shooting range of airsoft weapons.
How Far Can Airsoft Guns Shoot Accurately?
Airsoft guns are eyesight-level accurate at 50 yards and slope downward slightly by 60 yards. After that, the slope becomes too drastic to be on point. In other words, you need to be within 50 to 60 yards of a target to hit it with vision accuracy.
You can be within 70 to 80 yards and hit a target with calculated accuracy. A calculated shot can have a downward trajectory and hit the mark because you position the gun to offset the change in direction.
Airsoft sniper rifles are the best for taking calculated shots. A slightly higher aim can account for the drop in the BB’s path as it moves past the 50-yard mark. This can help you understand how actual hunting rifles are set, but it won’t train you to use a hunting rifle.
Can You Train For Real Guns With Airsoft?
You cannot train to use a real gun with an airsoft gun because the firepower, projectile trajectory, and pushback of the trigger of an actual gun aren’t the same as those of an airsoft gun.
If anything, thinking that an airsoft gun is anything close to a real gun will set you up for a rude awakening. To hone your hunting precision, try to go to a gun range and use weapons you would actually use for hunting. An airsoft gun can help you improve your accuracy for airsoft games only.
How Can You Make An Airsoft Gun More Accurate?
You can make an airsoft gun more accurate by recalibrating it, cleaning its barrel, or using heavier BBs. If a specific defect or change is making your airsoft gun less accurate, you should fix it to offset the loss of precision.
A range of factors affects an airsoft gun’s accuracy. And because no single aspect guarantees the accuracy, you might have to adjust a few things to get your gun to be as accurate as you want it. Here are a few things you can do to make your airsoft gun more accurate:
Use Heavier Airsoft BBs
This is the quickest way to add precision to your shots. A 0.12g to 0.20g range is available in most supply stores. When you get a 0.23g to 0.25g airsoft gun, you can offset the inaccuracy caused by a weak firing mechanism and poor environmental conditions.
Get A Better Bucking
The buckling is a type of rubber stopper that keeps air leaks in a gun barrel. Getting a better bucking can keep the BB from shooting with asymmetrical air pressure. This tactic can work only when your gun is inaccurate because of air leaks.
Clean The Barrel
You might think that your airsoft gun’s barrel doesn’t need cleaning, but it does, even if the gun is “brand new.” In my experience, airsoft guns always have a layer of dust in the barrel, thanks to the factory conditions. You can use a gun-cleaning rod to clean the barrel. Any inaccuracy that comes from a clogged shooting mechanism is cleared with this.
Stabilize Your Gun Barrel
Different guns have different ways of restabilizing the barrel. If your airsoft gun’s barrel has become wobbly, it might be very hard to fire at a predicted point. Restabilizing the barrel can make the gun more accurate.
The methods above improve the accuracy of the gun by offsetting any problems that might cause that inaccuracy. But if the gun itself isn’t accurate, you have no option but to get a new gun. You can make an airsoft gun more accurate, but never more accurate than it is meant to be.
As mentioned earlier, most airsoft guns are not meant to be accurate beyond 60 yards. So, no matter what tactics you use, there will be diminishing returns once your gun can shoot accurately for a 50 to 60-yard distance. But if your Airsoft gun is failing to be on the mark at a 25-yard distance, you might want to get a gun with higher accuracy.
Which Type Of Airsoft Gun Is Most Accurate?
Electric airsoft guns are more accurate because they have the highest shooting speed. The speed at which a BB is fired often offsets factors like wind resistance, gravity, and barrel bounce (to some extent).
Gas guns have the second highest accuracy, followed by spring pistols, which happen to be the least accurate guns, especially when firing from a distance of over 40 yards.
Use an electric airsoft gun for medium and long-distance shots. But if your strategy entails exclusively firing from a distance, rely on sniper rifles for long-distance stealth shots. These guns are not just more accurate but are also quieter.
Precise shots can take you far in target-shooting games, but it is the silent shots that will help you win in classic airsoft games. That’s why I wrote an entire post covering some of the quietest and most accurate airsoft guns.
Final Thoughts
Airsoft guns are accurate, but only up to a point. By using heavier BBs and cleaning the gun barrel, you can maintain your gun’s peak accuracy, but you cannot change it too much. That’s why the best course of action is to get an airsoft gun that is precise, to begin with. Guns with the highest firepower and most stable barrel are usually the best in terms of accuracy.