If you are new to the sport of airsoft, you might want to know whether airsoft hurts!
In case you are asking this question, you have come to the right place.
You might want a comparison between paintball and airsoft and prefer to know which game hurts the most.
People new to the game have a lingering fear that it may hurt as much as paintball.
The short answer is yes, airsoft does hurt, but its only a mild pain, as much as someone giving you a slight punch in the shoulder. It should be noted that the BB’s that are shot from an airsoft gun hurt a lot less than a paintball gun.
Before going deep into the question, you need to understand that pain is relative.
A pain that is a 3 (on a scale of 1 to 10) for one person can be a 5 to another person. Airsoft guns and paintball guns usually fire at a similar speed.
The average firing speed of both these guns is around 330-feet per second. But the paintball gun shoots balls that weigh around 3 grams while airsoft guns shoot balls that weigh around 0.2 grams.
On the other hand, the energy of an airsoft gun is around 1 joule while the energy of a paintball gun is around 15 joules.
The airsoft gun fires at 1/15th of the energy of a paintball gun.
For example, the impact of a car hitting a wall at 40mph is quite different from a truck hitting the wall at the same speed.
The energy of both vehicles is different.
This means a person being hit by airsoft balls feel much less pain compared to a person being hit by paintball balls.
You can even make it hurt less by wearing thick and baggy clothing.
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How Does It Feel To Be Shot With An Airsoft Gun?
The pain resulting from being hit by the pellets is quite similar to being flicked as hard as possible.
This is how it feels to be hit at usual playing distance and not point-blank. It can sting a fair amount on your bare skin.
The pain can be a bit worse if hit on a finger or a sensitive area in the body.
But there are many ways to reduce the pain, such as protective gear and vests, that will make the overall experience much better for you
Reducing Airsoft Pain
Being hit by the BB’s doesn’t always hurt. In fact, the range at which you were hit will determine the amount of pain you feel.
The greater the distance between the two players, the lesser the pain would be.
If you are playing in a woodland environment, you are more likely to have a greater distance between the players.
This will help reduce the energy of the shot as well as the pain associated with it.
In fact, you will experience less pain at greater ranges.
As a player, you can decide whether you want to move up on the frontline and risk getting shot – which may hurt more – or stay back and lessen the pain associated with the shot.
It’s entirely down to the player to decide where he/she wants to play.
If there isn’t a certain amount of pain associated with being hit by an airsoft pellet, there will be much less adrenaline during the game.
Feeling a little pain increases the interest of participating in the game.
A good palyer will always look for opportunities to cause the least amount of pain to another player.
It is all about being a great tactical player and not about the actual pain associated with the game.
You can try wearing multiple layers of clothing with a loose-fitting top layer. This well help slightly is someone is using a higher powered weapon like a airsoft shotgun.
Adding more fabric between your body and the projectile will reduce the pain associated with the projectile
In fact, the loose-fitting top layer will absorb some of the pain before it hits your body.
A heavy hooded sweatshirt or an old sports jersey is a good top layer to prevent the pain.
These garments will most likely prevent a lot of the pain from shots to your torso and arms.
Loose-fitting pants will protect your legs and reduce some amount of pain overall.
An athletic strap and a cup can reduce the pain to the groin area. This is defiantly a must for male players and the younger players as getting hit down there, well, it hurts, trust me.
The Best Type Of Gear To Prevent Pain
Your protective gear is the most important thing to reduce the pain when out in the field, and its vital for ensuring that you can enjoy the game without worrying.
The force of an airsoft gun is usually enough to pierce the skin of a person when hitting at a shorter range.
Just imagine the damage it can do to your eyes!
That’s why you need the right gear when playing the game.
The most important area to protect is your eyes.
Here are some of the best type of gear to prevent any real damage to your body when playing.
Full Face Mask
A full face mask will protect your eyes and face from any potential damage. It comes in two pieces – one piece to protect the eyes and the other to protect the face.
The bottom half of the gear is made from neoprene or other breathable materials.
Half Face Mask
This gear helps protect the eyes of the player.
It is made of wire mesh or hard plastic in the form of goggles to protect the eyes.
Helmets And Hats
Protecting the head is important.
A tactical helmet will not only protect your head but give an opportunity to attach other gear like flashlights, cameras, and patches.
Gloves
Scrapes and cuts are quite common in this game. Gloves will protect your hands and help reduce pain to the tips of the fingers and will hopefully reduce broken skin damage.
Safety Pads
This type of gear helps protect your knees, elbows, and the chest area. It will keep the sensitive areas safe from fire.
These are some of the best type of protective gear to prevent pain when playing.
