BB comparison

[greg]

I find the .29's are definitely more accurate at 70m than .36's. This is with lalaxed vsr's 430 & 480mm power between 500 & 535.

 

But,

 

People notice & take more hits with the .36's.

 

At 70m, they land with more of a whack than the .29's do.

 

This is particularly noticeable if you are on the receiving end, or when shooting at audible targets like corrugated metal sheet. The .36's make more noise when landing at longer (70m+) ranges.

 

I guess this confirms the 'heavier bb holds it's energy longer' theories the boffins are always banding around.

 

 

Greg.

[Trasher]

Talking about tests, I measured a bunch of heavy BBs tonight.

 

It's not a thorough lab test, I just sat down with my old analog micrometer, picked 10 BBs random from each bag/bottle with tweezers and recorded the numbers... Interesting results.

 

 

General notes:

 

- Roundness, homogenity, smoothness, etc wasn't checked (obviously)

- BCB Steel and SGM produced the best results by a mile,

- Straight .43 was much better than expected,

- Blaster .30 and Straight .36 was a disappointment (I use the Blaster .30 for the Asahi M60 with great results)

- Some BCB Glass and First Target Rough BBs showed dimples, cracks, deformations (poor quality control)

- Range tests of the exotic (steel, glass, alu) BBs coming soon

- I'll try to single out bad BBs with micrometer and shoot some test groups

 

 

 

 

The naked numbers:

 

Maruzen .29 SGM

(mm)

5.95

5.95

5.95

5.95

5.95

5.95

5.96

5.95

5.96

5.95

 

BCB .28 glass

(mm)

5.95

5.97

5.99

5.95

5.98

6

5.99

5.98

5.96

5.95

 

1st Target .33

(mm)

5.9

5.94

5.94

5.94

5.92

5.91

5.92

5.92

5.93

5.92

 

BCB .87 steel

(mm)

6

6

6

6

6

5.9

6

6

6

6

 

BCB .30 Alu

(mm)

5.95

5.96

5.94

5.95

5.95

5.94

5.96

5.96

5.93

5.96

 

TFC .43

(mm)

5.91

5.93

5.92

5.96

5.94

5.97

5.95

5.93

5.9

5.96

 

Straight .36 white

(mm)

5.94

5.93

5.88

5.93

5.93

5.93

5.92

5.85

5.93

5.93

 

Straight .43 coated

(mm)

5.92

5.92

5.9

5.92

5.91

5.92

5.91

5.92

5.91

5.92

 

Guarder .28 HPM

(mm)

5.96

5.95

5.96

5.96

5.96

5.96

5.97

5.98

5.96

5.98

 

GP .28

(mm)

5.94

5.95

5.96

5.95

5.96

5.95

5.96

5.94

5.95

5.96

 

.30 Blaster

(mm)

5.96

5.91

5.93

5.97

5.93

5.94

5.94

5.96

5.94

5.94

 

.28 Blaster Pro

(mm)

5.92

5.92

5.93

5.93

5.93

5.92

5.93

5.93

5.92

5.93

[AnotherJesus]

This neatly brings up a question I wanted to raise.

There was a theory that I seem to be championing on these forums, that a 6.05 will be more accurate than a 6.03 or 6.01. So rather than trying different barrels through a gun, as any number of things can change when you do. I was going to suggest that someone find 2 ammo types to try though the same barrel. Both made to the same tollerance, but one bigger than the other, and one smaller. That way it would create a similar effect to having different width barrels.

 

If someone could give this a try for me it would be greatly apreciated. Obviously they would have to be the same weight, so from the table above blaster pro and G&P would seem the best to compare against each other. They also have a reasonable diameter difference.

Could you give that a try for me thrasher and post some groupings?

[Trasher]

the uncoated digicon .36 have provided more stable flight and better 'in game' groupings (dont really bother with target shooting, its bout the game shots that count)

I achieved the longest ingame one-shot-kill (laser ranged 69m) AND the smallest 35m group I ever shot with the Digicon .36.... It has more stable flight, better "wind resistance", better bush penetration, stronger impact than the SGM. Yes.

 

But we also experienced wild in-game flyers, less one-shot-kills, and more residue in the barrel - so we stick to the SGM, except for windy games.

[The Bushman]

I achieved the longest ingame one-shot-kill (laser ranged 69m) AND the smallest 35m group I ever shot with the Digicon .36.... It has more stable flight, better "wind resistance", better bush penetration, stronger impact than the SGM. Yes.

 

But we also experienced wild in-game flyers, less one-shot-kills, and more residue in the barrel - so we stick to the SGM, except for windy games.

 

TRASHER : Excellent work and brilliant testing. +1. The table sums it up and shows why you and I prefere the SGM to the 0.36g uncoated; consistancy. SGM are not ideal due to their lighter weight, but in calm conditions (with my 6.05mm barrel they work very well).

 

The test on the coated 0.43g is interesting compared to the 0.36g (uncoated) results.

 

Still no sign of my rangefinder

 

Good Hunting.

[Trasher]

Thanks Bushman.

 

Since the majority of the .36 Digicons/Straights showed a consistent 9.93-94 diameter, I'll try to weed out the badly undersized ones and do a long range test....

[drummguy731]

Well, I spiked quite the conversation . Well, just ordered two boxes of SGM's gonna give 'em another try!

[Senor Bear]

Well, this is the "BB comparison" thread. It was the least to be expected .

Nice test Trasher, I feel much better about starting to spend my airsoft tokens on sgms now, bearing in mind my vsr only chronoes at ~342 w/0.2s. I dont think it would be worth the range sacrifice for me to use .36s.

[Trasher]

We have two stock TM Mk23s in the team (320fps on ICS green) and they work best with .28, so I don't think SGM is an overkill for 340fps rifles.

[Senor Bear]

No what I meant was that I am happy using SGMS, but would not be happy using .36s due to the range sacrifice.

I myself am using .28s in my mk23 as well, just changed the barrel to a laylax 6.03 and am using the nineball hop rubber.

Due to my fps limits I will often use the mk23 by itself anyway.

[sirrith]

Very nice test I'll have to try find some of those blaster .28's to mess about with...

[Bodgeups]

Nice work Trasher

 

One thing to point out, the Straight 0.43g you show in the picture are the uncoated variety, not the coated ones. Did you have another bag with a green label in it?

[tmks88]

Thanks trasher!

cant wait to see the range results, also let me know what hop rubbers are you using, because bjorns gspec couldnt shoot 0.87 in a straight line more than 20-30m(i think he had firefly hard rubber)

my KJW M700p stock rubber was excellent with them (about 60m straight, maybe a bit more)

king arms rubber in my M700 wasnt that good, actually it was a lot worse

[Trasher]

Bodgeups,

 

Thanks, I thought I had the coated ones.

 

tmks88,

 

I've Firefly hard plus 430mm Laylax 6.03. I don't expect great results from the .87, but we'll see.

 

 

[bjorn]

Indeed it was so - I have Firefly hard rubber, KM tightbore, rifle was shooting at 168m/s w/0.20g bb-s.

 

The 0.87g bb-s gave me around 95m/s velocity but not enough spin.

 

 

KJ M700 original rubber is way harder then Firefly Hard or any other Hard type rubber for vsr or aeg i have seen.

 

Going to try 0.30g alu bb-s soon. Just cant get a hold of SGM-s.

 

Bjorn

[Gerkahn]

Swapped out the 170 spring from my vsr today to a 150, and tried shooting at a laser ranged distance of 20m, my best grouping today was 30mm with sgms, 6.03 barrel and nineball rubber in open air and mild wind, a 6.01 is on the way to me and im trying to get hold of a firefly rubber, are 170 springs very detrimental to accuracy because of the vibrations? i can't see how i can get 30mm at 20m and 150mm at 30m its very significant, which is why i guess 20m is the best range for us to share results from sgms and digicons etc.

[TheBauer]

ideally i loved to get a base line of 40m as thats more realistic, 20m is some sites min engagement distance, but at that range not gona take a shot, 40m would be a great test distance but its getting some where in doors with 40m of space.

[Gerkahn]

I have access to 40m just about, might take some moving of bits at the factory but its doable, currently though i feel like i wouldnt hit much better than 6-8 inches, need to re chrono vsr as im unsure of what its doing with a 150 spring, i think i get around 460 on it, still have some .36's and .43's i could also try, i always found .43's seemed to shoot on rails in comparison to any other rounds, strange how everyone has so much trouble with them

[TheBauer]

I have access to 40m just about, might take some moving of bits at the factory but its doable, currently though i feel like i wouldnt hit much better than 6-8 inches, need to re chrono vsr as im unsure of what its doing with a 150 spring, i think i get around 460 on it, still have some .36's and .43's i could also try, i always found .43's seemed to shoot on rails in comparison to any other rounds, strange how everyone has so much trouble with them

well think of it this way,

 

yey 20m awsome grouping, you go and take your shots in game at 40m, and its like "boo wheres my awsome grouping"

do a grouping test at 40m and you can judge your shots betterin game as youll know the grouping at that range.

 

i just dont see the point in doing close range testing when were not hitting people at that range, seems pointless and just an effort to get 'awsome' groupings.

[Gerkahn]

Agree with you entirely on that, will get 40m results as soon as possible

[Trasher]

20m is too close, the true differences between BBs start to show over 40-45 meters - I prefer 50m for AEGs and BA alike.

 

 

BTW, I extended the test to 30 BBs for each brand.

 

Hmm... major changes and not for the better. Some of the underperformers (like the Straights) have nice consistent, "dominant" diameters until the horribly over/undersized BBs turn the stats upside down.

 

Data tables available here in XLS

 

[AnotherJesus]

To the people struggling with not enough backspin from the .87 steel BBs. Use a softer hop rubber. Yeah it's gonna ware slightly faster than normal, at least it'll work for a while. I figure if you're spending $0.05 a shot you can afford to change the hop every 10 thousand rounds.

Alternatively, wrap the hop rubber very softly with PTFE tape. This will add an extra thickness to the ruber so push down on the BB more. If you do it right it wont have any derogatory effect on accuracy. I'd suggest 3-5 layers should be enough to make a noticeably large difference.

I'm planning on getting some of the steel BBs. But a 6mm bb in a 6.01 barrel scares me somewhat. Might wait till I've ordered the 6.05.

[bjorn]

Agree with you entirely on that, will get 40m results as soon as possible

 

 

I would love to see some Xtreme Precision 0.30g bb-s in the same test. I think they are almost as good as SGM-s, and far superior to any other regular brand bb-s.

 

Bjorn

[tmks88]

i borrowed some .43 straights on saturday to try them in action, they were worse than .3 xtreme in accuracy. im glad i didnt order them

[drummguy731]

Well, I used some of the leftover SGM's from my old box today and took a couple shots to make sure everything was working with the internals and I hit a tree with a with of the average male torso at about 48m while I was standing. Woot! Now I just need to tune the hop up to make it even more accurate.