BBs bounce off hard surfaces such as wood, rocks, and concrete. This is why it is so important to wear safety glasses and to have a proper backstop. Safety should always be the number one priority.
The five rules of gun safety apply to BB guns as well as centerfire guns. The rules are:
- Treat all guns as if they are loaded at all times.
- Never point a gun at something you are not willing to destroy.
- Keep your finger off the trigger.
- Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
- Always keep your guns in a safe place.
Following these rules will help you to become a safer and smarter shooter on and off the range. Teaching others these rules will help make your range a safer place.
By treating all guns as if they are loaded you cannot accidentally shoot someone with a BB. Not only could that hurt someone, but it could also make them REALLY mad at you and they might try to get revenge… and that would stink for you.
Never point a gun at something you are not willing to destroy. When you think of BB guns you might not think you could destroy much, then you watch “American Airgunner” and see that they go hunting and blow stuff up all of the time. Yes, they can. Watch for where you point your gun because the only thing we want to blow up are cool targets.
Keeping your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot will keep you from pulling it before you are ready. Therefore, if any one sneaks up on you and you flinch the BB gun will not go off. When you are ready to pull the trigger, remember to squeeze the trigger slowly and let it surprise you so that you do not jerk it.
Being sure of your target and what is beyond, means having a proper backstop and knowing exactly what you are about to shoot at. Do not think “Oh! Something moved, I am going to shoot it!” There are a lot of different things you can use for backstops, I will touch on that later.
By always having your guns in a safe place you can prevent people from messing with them if you are not around. I know I have friends who come over and say “Oh! What is this?!” and they proceed to pick up and play with whatever they have found. To keep this from happening, whether it is your kids or friends, keeping your BB guns out of sight until you are ready to show everyone is a great idea and can prevent BBs from being shot into the walls of your house.
When I shoot BB guns I usually wear my shooting glasses or my sunglasses. It does not matter what kind of glasses you wear as long as your eyes are protected. If a BB ricochets off of the target into your eye it could cause a lot of damage. Now if the BB hit you in the arm you might just say “Ouch!” and move on with your life, but your eyes are very sensitive. If your eyes were to get damaged it could result in scarring on your eye or possibly loss of vision, and that will not help you become a better shooter!
Another way to protect yourself is to have a proper backstop so that your BBs do not ricochet or go beyond your target like I mentioned earlier. Some great backstops would be a dirt pile, a couple square bales of straw or hay, or maybe even a small hill. I have two square bales of straw stacked on top of each other as my backstop. This protects the wood fence behind them and it also stops the BBs before they could hit the fence and ricochet.
Breanna Noble is a competitive shooter from Arkansas who began shooting matches in 2013. She enjoys reloading ammunition and shooting matches with her family. Breanna is enrolled in marketing studies and hopes to work in the shooting industry. She is currently recording short videos about the features of airguns and actively shooting Steel Challenge, USPSA and Outlaw 2-Gun matches.