I remember when I bought my son his first Airsoft sniper rifle. He was so excited, although I think I was more excited. It was a cold Christmas day and we decided to set up targets in the back garden. Pew, Pew, Pew, the Airsoft pellets were flying out. We could hear the BBs hitting the target. We run over to see how good his aim is – hmmm, most of the pellets had barely hit the sheet.
Most of the BBs had curved to the right, so what was causing his sniper rifle to shoot to the right? I began my research. There was a multitude of answers. I began eliminating each issue by trying the easiest first. Oh and by the way, the issue was the scope – it wasn’t set properly.
Your Airsoft Gun is not shooting straight because of one of the following issues;
- User Error
- Pellet Weight
- Pellet Type
- Hop Up
- Optics and Sights
- Inner Barrel
- Weather
- Upgrades or Modifications
Before I dive into this article, it must be noted that not all Airsoft guns are the same. What I mean is, in Airsoft, you get what you pay for. If you are using a very cheap gun (which is OK if that’s all you can afford, we all have to start somewhere) the mechanics of the gun are not going to be of excellent quality. This doesn’t mean your gun shouldn’t work, but unfortunately, it does mean you may experience poor performance or regular issues.
Why Is My Airsoft Gun Not Shooting Straight?
Now we’ve established a series of issues that could be causing your Airsoft gun to not shoot straight, it’s time to dive into them in more detail.
1. User Error
User error is arguably one of the most common reasons why your Airsoft gun is firing left or right. It’s not something we like to admit but it’s true.
Holding a gun incorrectly can cause pellets to fire left or right. If you hold your gun with a light touch or one-handed, chances are there’s enough vibration within the weapon to cause a swerve. You need to hold your gun firm, preferably with both hands. Aim and shoot with confidence.
When I watched my son firing his sniper, I noticed he closed his eyes as he pulled the trigger. Not a good idea. You need to have a visual of your target as you fire. Otherwise, how do you know what you’ve hit? This seems to be common among young newcomers.
Another common user error is when a gun has been cleaned or taken apart and not put back together correctly. This is an easy mistake to make. Take the time (or even photos) when you disassemble your weapon. They are made with precision to perform at their best. One slight change could cause your Airsoft gun to fire anywhere but straight.
2. Airsoft Pellet Weight
Your Airsoft gun will be rated for a certain type of BB. This affects how far the gun can shoot, how accurate it is, and how often you will need to clean it. The weight of a BB is essential, and if you are using BBs that are too light for your gun, you may find that they curve upwards before they curve down. As well as causing random curves to happen, using lightweight pellets can cause them to spin uncontrollably from the barrel.
Airsoft BBs come in weights ranging from 012 g – 0.40 g. and come in two sizes – 6 mm or 8 mm. Depending on your gun of choice will determine which pellets you should choose. An Airsoft gun’s firing power is measured as FPS or Joules and generally speaking, the more powerful the gun, the heavier the BB – to a point.
An added bonus of heavier pellets is they can travel further, again depending on your choice of weapon. For example, you’d be wiser to choose something above 0.3 g for an Airsoft Sniper rifle. However, the same weighted pellet in a pistol wouldn’t have the same effect. It would fall short on the range because it doesn’t have the same firepower behind it as a sniper.
Now even though the manufacturers may recommend a certain weight, this is for safety as much as it is performance. If you find your bb’s are not firing straight, try the next heavier weight and see if that helps. I’ve seen this asked many times with the same response – try a different weight.
The table below provides a guide to show what Airsoft BBs to use with what gun.
| Airsoft Weapon | Speed (fps) | BB Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Pistol | 200 – 300 | .25 – .32 g |
| Auto Electric Gun (AEG) | 250 – 350 | .25 – .32 g |
| Designated Marksman’s Rifle (DMR) | 300 – 400 | .28 – .36 g |
| Sniper Rifle | 350- 500 | .36 – .46 g |
3. Airsoft Pellet Brand
Something else to think about which could be causing your Airsoft gun to fire left or right is the brand of BB. Like everything else in this world, there are good and bad brands. Here is a list of some of the recommended BB brands;
- BLS
- Elite Force
- Nuprol
- KWA
- EMG
- Valken
- ASG Blasters
- Devil Blasters
- Guay Guay (G&G)
- Geoffs
- Krytac
- Jag Arms (Echo 1)
These companies develop quality BBs that are made to provide the best performance. They will cost more but they will be worth it. Stay away from cheap BBs, you know what I mean. The type where you can buy a million for $4 (slightly exaggerated, but you get what I mean).
These types of BBs are mass-produced to make money and will either break in your gun or if they are shot, will probably fly anywhere but straight. This is usually because they are not circular or weighted evenly.
4. Hop Up
If you’ve noticed your Airsoft gun not shooting straight, it could be an issue with the hop-up. A common issue with the hop-up is that it can cause your pellets to fire upwards or downwards. This is due to too much or too little pressure being applied to the BB by the hop-up nub.
A Hop Up is a device in an Airsoft gun located between the inner barrel and the gearbox and is made up of a unit, a bucking, and a nub. The hop-up nub creates a backspin on a BB by pushing down on it as it travels through the inner barrel.
The reason for the backspin is to give the BB more propulsion and will allow the pellet to travel further (in a straight line) before it begins to descend to the ground.
Generally, most hop-ups have a variable adjustment dial on them. You can find this inside the gun itself which would mean you have to take the gun apart. You can then alter the dial and see if your BB’s begin to fire straight.
Another common issue with the hop-up is an internal seal. These are prone to degrading. Depending on what hop-up you’re using, these may be replaced. If not, the whole unit would need to be replaced.
One last hop-up issue could be the little gear cog next to the variable dial. Check to see if it moves when you turn the dial. It’s common for these small cogs to break.
Oh, here’s another common issue I forgot to mention – the nub itself. There is a rubber section on the nub that makes contact as it pushes down on the BB to create a backspin. If this rubber has perished there may not be enough pressure applied to the pellet causing your Airsoft gun to shoot up or down. Again, depending on the type of hop-up, you may have to buy the whole unit.
5. Airsoft Sights
Sticking a scope on your Airsoft gun not only makes it look cooler, but more importantly, it also helps you to aim more accurately… or at least it should do.
Technically, this isn’t a technical fault (unless your scope is broken). However, not having your scope set up properly can and probably will cause your aim to be inaccurate which might seem like your gun isn’t firing straight.
When I first attached a scope to my son’s sniper, I thought that was it. It comes ready and done and we should be good to go. Nah, that’s not how it works. You have to zero the scope to your specific weapon.
Eliminating your scope as an issue is one of the easiest to test. Just follow these simple steps:
- Set up a target in a safe place. It needs to be around 15 – 20 yards away from you.
- Take five shots at the target and see where each one landed
- Alter the scope dials to compensate and then repeat another five shots and see if you’re getting any closer to the target.
I would try the above process with and without the scopes. If you’re still not sure, try a different scope on your gun and let someone else try your scope on their gun.
6. Airsoft Inner Barrel
The inner barrel is a long tube inside the outer barrel. The inner barrel is what carries the BB from the hop up to the end of your weapon. Generally speaking, the inner barrel won’t be the cause of your gun not shooting straight. However, as we do, if you’ve taken your gun apart this is when issues can begin.
The common faults of the inner barrel are;
- The inner Barrel not aligned properly
- The inner barrel is dirty
- The inner barrel is broken
- The inner barrel is bent
- The nub has fallen out
When you dismantle your Airsoft gun, it’s important to you take eagle-eyed notice of everything. Where it all fits, which way it fits, and so on. Because if you don’t, chances are your gun will never work the same way.
7. Weather
Now I know this might sound obvious and it is. But it was only the other day, I recently read a post on social media about this particular issue and I was surprised at how many newcomers never took it into consideration.
I’m not talking about hurricanes or monsoons, but heat, both hot and cold can affect whether your gun fires straight or not. Gentle breezes, might not feel like much to your skin, but a breeze can easily knock a light BB of course.
Rain or showers, not only does this affect your vision, but the BBs have to work harder to fly through the droplets. The same applies if it’s snowing. The weather really can affect the projection of your Airsoft pellets.
8. Upgrades or Modifications
Airsoft enthusiasts may choose to upgrade or modify their guns to improve their performance. However, these modifications can also affect the accuracy of the gun if they are not done properly or are incompatible with other components of the gun.
If you have recently upgraded or modified your airsoft gun and are experiencing accuracy issues, double-check that the modifications are installed correctly and that they are compatible with the other components of the gun. You may also want to consult with a professional airsoft technician to ensure that everything is working correctly.
Conclusion
In this article, I discussed several potential causes of why your airsoft gun is not shooting straight, including issues with the barrel or hop-up system, low-quality BBs, problems with the power source, poor maintenance, user error, upgrades or modifications, and environmental factors.
By troubleshooting each of these potential causes, you should be able to identify and fix the problem, improving the accuracy of their airsoft guns and enhancing their overall shooting experience.
