Air Gun Ammo – What Kind of Ammunition Should You Use?

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Air Gun Ammo Ammunition

Air guns are becoming increasingly more popular, whether it is a young person’s introduction to the sport of shooting. Or an adult using a powerful air rifle for hunting. Or some one who enjoys target shooting, possibly a future Olympian.

The range of Airguns has increased dramatically.  The number of guns purchased every year also keeps growing, creating an open market for producers.

The United States has the highest weapon ownership rate in the world per 100 residents. It is important to also remember that air guns should always be treated as  weapons; even though they are usually safer than normal guns.

This is because air guns mimic the same look, feel and operation as real pistols, rifles and semi-automatic weapons but do not have the same force of power. Air guns may even produce the same number of fires per second as a traditional weapon, but the impact will not be quite so dangerous. While the performance ratio is similar, traditional guns use bullets but air gun ammunition is usually pellets or BBs.

History of Shooting

air rifle ammo

Families of hunters and outdoorsmen often passed down the love of guns to future generations. As weapons technology advanced, the mock air guns were created and younger people could attend outdoor activities and feel grown up.

Target shooting is a popular pastime for many people and can even be organized as a group activity. Shooting is also included in Summer Olympic game competitions and has been quite a popular sport ever since its inclusion in 1896 when the Olympic tradition was re-introduced to the world.

Air Gun Ammunition

Air guns are also known as pellet guns. They are designed to propel projectiles through the force of compressed air. The typical ammunition used is metal or composite pellets or BBs. Just as the guns come in different sizes and performance styles, the ammunition also comes in different weights, densities and materials.

One of the most popular pellets used for air guns today are known as Diablo or wasp waist because of their unusual shape. Instead of the traditional barrel shape, they have either flat, round, hollow or pointed tip and are narrow at the waist.

They have the ability to flare out to the whole diameter of the barrel when the gun applies pressure. This shape and unique design has very low friction and helps the shooter maintain high accuracy.

Other pellet options such as inferior composite materials might not be precise and sometimes hit the target sideways. The hole left is not clean, round or smooth because of the tumbling and breakage of the pellet. Specialists call it keyholing, because the shape left in the target resembles a keyhole.

Depending on the type of targets and pellets being used, overall accuracy is easy to increase. Beginners may want to start out with the least expensive pellets while competitive shooters would want to purchase the most dense and high-quality pellets or BBs available.

Our Recommendations for Great Air Gun Ammo

PreviewNameStar RatingMore Details

Daisy Outdoor Products 2400 ct BB Bottle (Silver, 4.5 mm)4.6 from over 370 reviews!More details!
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GAMO Blue Flame .177 Caliber Pellets (100 Count Blister Pack)4.0 from over 100 reviewsMore details!
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Crosman LPH .22 Caliber Hollow Point Pellets, 500-Pack4.5 from over 170 ReviewsMore details!
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Gamo Combo Pack .22 Caliber Pellets (TS-22, Hunter, Magnum, Master Point)3.7 from over 20 ReviewsMore details!
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