Inflation is everywhere, and many people seek budget options for their hobbies. Let’s examine if it still makes sense to pick up airsoft, go to the woods and shoot people for fun! 😁
Airsoft has 3 main costs: 🔫 Guns & Gear, ⚪ BBs, 🎫 Game tickets
- Budget guns and gear: what to look for?
- How much do BBs cost?
- Game admission: what are the regular costs?
- The first year of airsoft: cost breakdown
Long story short: yes, picking up airsoft still makes sense. You can get most of the new gear for 300-400 bucks, while monthly costs can vary from 20 to 100 bucks a month.
To go into detail, we have 3 main costs that are involved in airsoft. Let’s go through each of those categories and see how much they actually cost and what are your budget options.
Budget guns and gear: what to look for?
When starting with airsoft, you either buy a new set of gear or get it second-hand. Frankly, we don’t recommend much of second-hand guns. 🙅♂️ With gear items such as Plate Carriers, etc., you can get away with second-hand, though.
WHY NOT GUNS: In many cases, you don't know what you're really buying. Especially without a chronograph, you can actually run into some guns that look cool but shoot in a way that turns you away from airsoft. Moreover, you get no warranty. If you have a friend who can walk you through and inspect your gun, then it might be a suitable solution with decent AEGs available at around 100 - 150 bucks.
Fortunately, there is actually quite a clear list of what we WOULD GET. In an ideal case, this is your shopping list:
ROUGH PRICE (2023): 300 €
Compared to many other sports (ice hockey or American football), paying 300 bucks for what you need is sweet…
Moreover, with these new things, you can be sure no poor gear breaks your experience. For the rest, you can use second-hand or even sports clothes and gear. Just bring some decent shoes… If you don’t trust us with what to get first, check out our Start Airsoft Academy – there we go into detail:
How much do BBs cost?
As per “consumables” that you’ll need for airsoft, you might be surprised that it’s not a very expensive hobby… If you run an AEG that we recommended, the only thing you will actually need to replenish is the BBs. If you run a pistol, you will also need gas.
A bag of BBs (2 500 rounds) costs around 10 bucks. And if you are not too crazy about full auto, it can easily last 2-3 game days. Given that most casual players play about 2-3 games a month, the costs are, we would say, doable.
ONE EXTRA TIP: after a while, it would be cool to get a Maintenance kit. With every airsoft gun, your barrel eventually gets dirty from BB residues, compromising accuracy. Don’t worry, it’s a normal thing. Just make sure your gun is nice and clean. 😊
Game admission: what are the regular costs?
Joining a game can cost anything between 5 and 50 EUR/USD. It can even be free. Generally, games in Europe tend to be cheaper as there is no need for expensive insurance.
Yet, if you are to go full-on low-cost, you can attend a ‘free’ game by playing out in the woods with your friends. However, be aware that this is mostly illegal. Therefore it’s always best to be responsible and join a legal game. Regular ones cost around 10 bucks each in the EU and 30 bucks in the US.
If you go twice a month, this makes up for 20 EUR in the EU or 60 USD in the US.
The first year of airsoft: cost breakdown
So, let’s say you decided to pick up airsoft today and play twice a month for the following 12 months. Here is your bill:
- Initial gear purchase: ≈300 €/$
- BBs: ≈120 €/$
- Game tickets: ≈120 €/ ≈360 $
💰 Your TOTAL in the EU: ≈ 540 €
… and in the US: ≈ 780 $
Take these estimates with a grain of salt, though. Situations may differ, you can find a cheaper field, and you may get a great deal on your gun… But this makes up for a decent ballpark if you ever consider the costs of airsoft.
For more details, you can find a huge amount of info in our Start Airsoft Academy:
