The term airgun includes any “gun” that propels a projectile with air. Given that covers a lot of different products, it’s understandable that folks can think bb guns and pellet guns shoot the same ammo and are interchangeable. But that’s not the case.
What is a BB?
While most BBs are considered and sold as .177 ammo, in reality, they range from .171 to .173 caliber. Lead pellets start at .177. This makes BBs and Pellets inherently NOT interchangeable. There’s more to this story, but the bottom line is, at least in this case, size does matter.
What is a BB Gun?
A BB gun is an airgun that shoots round, steel bbs. On a side note, while some folks class airsoft airguns as bb guns, they shoot 6mm plastic bbs and are not part of this discussion.
The typical BB gun uses a smoothbore barrel vs. a rifled barrel found in pellet guns. The barrel will typically be sized to .177 to be compatible with various bb types. This size variance and lack of rifling are a couple of reasons why BB guns are less accurate than pellet guns.
What is a Pellet Gun?
If a BB gun is a gun that shoots steel BBs, then it stands to reason that a pellet gun shoots lead pellets. Additionally, where steel bbs are always essentially .17 caliber, pellets can range from .177 to .45 caliber.
However, if we compare apples to apples here, a .177 pellet gun will shoot some variation of a lead or lead-free .177 caliber pellet. If you tried to shoot BBs, they would not engage the rifling and be terribly inaccurate. Additionally, shooting steel BBs in a pellet gun can ruin the rifling, making the gun unusable for pellets.
What About the Dual-Ammo Airguns?
We can certainly see why some folks think shooting pellets in a BB gun or BBs in a pellet gun would be just fine, given that some airguns are designed to do just that. Take, for example, the Crosman 2100B. This multi-pump airgun is designed to handle BBs and Pellets. There is a real trade off however, because of the size difference in the ammo, the 2100B needs a barrel that will work for both. It may be able to handle each reasonably well, but it won’t handle either ammo to its maximum potential.
So What’s the Bottom Line?
We’ve asked many questions in this article, and hopefully, we’ve also provided the answers. The best way to look at this topic is only to shoot the ammo specifically made for any particular product. If you have a BB pistol or rifle, only shoot premium steel BBs for that gun. If you have a pellet gun, only shoot pellets that are the correct size and weight for that gun. If you have a dual-ammo airgun, shoot the ammo approved for the gun, whether BB or Pellet. It really comes down to making smart choices for the best performance and longevity of your airgun. And if you have an airgun and you don’t know what would be the best ammo, just give us a call here at Airgun Depot. We’d be glad to help point you in the right direction.
