Airsoft is another sport that people are curious to know about because it seems dangerous to play. But does airsoft hurt? To cut to the chase, yes, airsoft hurts, but it’s not as bad as it looks.
The pain level depends on many things like an individual’s pain tolerance, the opponent’s distance, the protective gear worn, the airsoft pellet, the gun, and many more.
Pain varies from person to person because what may be painful for you may not be painful for others, or vice versa. If you are aware of your pain tolerance, then you have an advantage.
Getting shot in the back may hurt, but getting hit in the hands will hurt even more. So for parts with fewer muscles and fat like the face, neck, and hands, always provide safety gear.
How Does An Airsoft Gun Hit Feel?
As mentioned, pain may vary from person to person. But generally, expect that an airsoft gun hit may feel like a slight sting to a hard slap.
The impact is even worse when the pellet hits your bare skin or if you’re wearing thin clothes. But if you’re wearing a vest or gloves, the hit will feel like a slight nudge.
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What Makes Airsoft Hurt?
Many factors affect how painful airsoft can get depending on the person. It may be due to the distance, pellets, clothes, and speed.
Below is a list of some of the common factors that make airsoft hurt.
Feet Per Second (FPS) Rate
Most of the airsoft guns used in playing have around 200 to 400 feet per second rate. The pellet or BB may travel at least 400 feet in just a second.
The faster the pellet dashes through the air, the more painful it will hit you.
Distance
Airsoft ranges encourage long-range shooting because you’re more likely to get hurt when you are closer to the opponent or shooter.
You can even get minor bleeding from being shot a short distance, so it is best to avoid getting near the opponent.
Pellets Or BB
Airsoft BBs or also known as pellets, vary in weight and, of course, sizes. There are guns with 370 FPS that can shoot a 0.20 grams pellet, which is common in the U.S.
If the same 370 FPS gun will shoot a pellet twice the weight of the sample 0.20 grams, it is already dangerous. Most airsoft games will not allow 0.40 grams and above bullets because it may cause serious injuries.
Pellets come in different weights, as mentioned, and it highly affects the impact on the person. When a shot has more kinetic energy, the more painful it gets.
Protective Clothes And Gear
Wearing airsoft armor makes a difference when the BBs hit you. If the pellets hit you directly on your bare skin, you will immediately feel the pain and have minor injuries.
If you have protective gear on, you can hardly feel the BBs hitting you, so you don’t get hurt. Also, you should wear eye or face protection gear because some ranges require them too.
Other gears such as padding, armor, gloves, and other protective equipment are optional to some ranges, but you still need to make sure of their requirements.
After all, it is also best to be safe than to get unexpected injuries from the lack of safe clothes and gear.
Minor Accidents
An airsoft field may have obstacles that players may accidentally bump into: thus, you need to be careful when moving around by wearing skin covering clothes, gloves, and also doing stretches.
There are cases where the pellets don’t even hurt the players, but tripping over stones, spraining ankles, and crawling do. Before getting into the field, do a warm-up and wear protection for your hands, knees, and elbows.
Can Airsoft Cause Serious Injuries Or Death?
Just like other sports, injuries are inevitable in airsoft. You can get minor damage, but they’ll heal immediately, but you may wonder how severe injuries are and could they be deadly.
Serious injuries only happen when players ignore the rules and regulations of an airsoft range and do not use safety gear when required. Or maybe players are wearing their protective gear but failed to wear it properly.
For example, players loosely wearing their eye protection gear can get massive eye bruises or severe infection when the BBs directly hit the eye.
The pellets can also scratch the skin when you’re not wearing long sleeve tops. Another severe injury you can get from playing airsoft is a broken tooth or bone damage.
But don’t fret because serious injuries rarely happen in the actual field as long as you abide by all the safety procedures. Also, these incidents frequently occur when players use metal pellets instead of plastics.
One thing to look out for during the game is the welts. They are swollen spots on your skin that may redden because of the impact of the BBs.
These welts can be huge, depending on how bad you got hit and how large the pellets are. So when playing, make sure to always wear protective clothing and calibrate your gun into a safe option.
How To Reduce Pain When Playing Airsoft?
Airsoft is a fun activity, so people don’t have to fear getting hit, but they should focus on the enjoyable aspect. You can only do so little about your opponent’s gimmick, but you can always plan for yourself.
Buy Protective Gear
Some airsoft ranges offer players their protective gear, but if you want to have a better layer of protection and wish to take airsoft seriously, you can invest in some good stuff.
Eye protection is a vital requirement for any airsoft game, but you have the option to use a full face mask or goggles.
A full-face mask together with a neck guard can guarantee protection on your head, while body armors can protect your torso.
You can also use pads for your elbow, knees, and ankles if you want to crawl or explore the airsoft course. There are other gears like gloves, ear guards, and more, but they can be optional.
It is vital to know that you should never forget to always wear eye protection because it is the most important on the list. Armor, gloves, and padding are also advisable, so you’ll feel less hurt.
Be Good
Great sportsmanship is significant in any sport, so you need to be good not just to your teammates but also to your opponents. In this context, however, being “good” means respecting your rivals.
By now, you know that close-range shooting may hurt more, so as a decent player, show respect and care for your opponents by not shooting near them or intentionally hurting them.
Keep at least a safe distance of 10 feet from them and have fun. As much as possible, aim for the body and not the face and sensitive areas.
Lastly, instead of raining bullets on your rivals, shoot with a considerable amount that is not too painful
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Final Thoughts
So does airsoft hurt? How painful is it? Generally, airsoft hurts and can cause injuries, just like any physical activities out there. But don’t allow fear to keep you from exploring this exciting sport.
The welts, bruises, and stings might be a little scary, but the fun in airsoft will be all worth it.