How Far Can A 400 FPS Airsoft Gun Shoot?

The size and weight of the ammo you use in your gun will affect your range.

If you use heavy BBs, you’ll cover more range on the field.

Here’s the thing…

Heavier BBs retain energy better than lighter ones, making them cover more distance.

The only problem is that the pellets will move slower and may not hit anything fast.

And if you plan to have your weapon cover more range, pay attention to your BBs. Clean off the wax so that it doesn’t contaminate your hop up system and cause poor performance.

Factors to Consider

While thinking about the shooting distance you’d get from a 400 FPS airsoft gun, don’t forget that you need to consider some things.

You’ll need to know how much effective range you can get with a 400 FPS airsoft gun and the effect of hop ups, barrel quality, BB weight, and others on your range. 

• Range vs Effective Range

Range refers to the distance covered by your BB after a shooting round.

You’ll get different ranges on a gun, based on the gun’s power source, FPS, wind, BB, or how smooth the barrel’s bore is.

Guess what?

It can be as high as 100 feet or as low as barely 10 feet. That distance covered is the range of your weapon.

Effective range points to the distance you’ll usually cover when you shoot. This range is generally shorter, but you’re expected to hit targets consistently at that distance.

For a 400 FPS sniper rifle, you can hit an object or person within a range of 200 feet, where you have all factors in place. But if you want accuracy, or you’re looking for a consistent range, you’ll get circa 100 feet. 

• Average 400-FPS Distances

Now, how far can a 400 FPS airsoft gun shoot?

Again, it depends on these factors.

But…

On average, without upgrades, you’ll cover as much as 25-35 yards consistently. And where you fine-tune the gun, you can get as far as 40 yards on a shot.

Depending on the type of gun and how fast the FPS is from off the shelf, you can upgrade an airsoft gun to give you as much as 50-70 yards anytime you shoot the gun.

The only thing is that it may cost you a lot of money, having to reconstruct and reprogram the weapon. 

• FPS and Range

Your gun’s FPS will affect its range. And one with more FPS is at an advantage over another with reduced FPS. And that’s because the weapon works fantastically with heavier BBs that travel smoothly through the wind to give you improved range and accuracy.

But here’s the truth…

If a 250 FPS gun has better quality than a 700 FPS gun, it’ll cover more range. That’s because the range is determined not only by FPS but the gun’s barrel length and hop-up.

For example, a gun with a longer barrel or smooth bore will give you more accuracy. The BB will travel faster.

So, consider the FPS without neglecting other features or functions of a gun. Also, clean your gun properly. 

• Hop Up Quality

The hop-up applies backspin on the BB so that as it leaves the gun’s barrel, there’s more gravity. This mechanism will give you more distance with accuracy.

If your gun’s hop-up quality is high, or if you can adjust it, you’ll cover more range, especially where other components are in place.

Look at this…

Even with low FPS, you can cover more distance with a high-quality hop-up. But where it’s poor or improperly set up, it will affect your gun’s range negatively. 

• Smooth Bore

Another factor affecting the flight path of your BB is the inner barrel construction. To achieve more range, you’ll need an airsoft weapon with a perfectly circular barrel.

The bore of your barrel needs to be smooth and create a center hole. That will prevent a BB from hitting the sides of the barrel and negatively impacting the BB trajectory and accuracy.

Make sure that beyond the gun having 400 FPS or even more, it has a smooth bore.

But that’s not all…

Even a high-quality barrel is at risk of dirt or scratches that affect range. That’s why you should clean the barrel regularly and carefully.

• BB Weight

Without modifications or upgrades, you’ll hit targets accurately, even from a distance, when you use heavy BBs.

Why’s that?

A lighter BB won’t travel as far because of the wind. But, wind and light covers like leaves and tree branches won’t affect heavy ammo.

The only thing is the slower travel you’ll get. For instance, switching from .20g BB to .30g BB will reduce your gun’s velocity by 25-75 feet per second. 

But what do you need speed for, if not to hit targets accurately whether they are far from you or not?