# Two Types of Air Rifle Ammunition

Part of the Rifle Shooting Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/rifle-shooting/guide/index.md)

*2. Option B — Air Rifle*

> **2bc.** Identify the two most common types of air rifle ammunition.

The two most common types of air rifle ammunition are **BBs** and **pellets**. They are different in shape, material, and intended use—and they are not interchangeable.

## BBs

A BB is a small, round steel ball (historically made of lead, now typically steel with a thin coating). Standard BB diameter is 0.177 inches (4.5mm).

- **Common use**: Smooth-bore BB guns designed specifically for BBs. Multi-pump pneumatics and CO₂-powered BB guns.
- **Shape**: Perfectly round.
- **Material**: Steel (most common today); sometimes copper-coated or zinc-coated.
- **Distance for this badge**: 15 feet (or 5 meters).
- **Accuracy**: BBs are less accurate than pellets at longer ranges because they are not spin-stabilized (smooth bore) and their round shape is not aerodynamically ideal.

**Do not use BBs in a rifled pellet rifle barrel.** Steel BBs can damage rifled barrels and may cause dangerous pressure situations in some designs.

## Pellets

A pellet is a diabolo-shaped lead projectile with a narrow waist and flared skirt. The skirt expands slightly when fired and grips the rifling grooves, imparting spin.

- **Common use**: Pellet rifles with rifled barrels. These are the type used in Olympic air rifle competition.
- **Shape**: Diabolo (hourglass with a flat or domed head and a cupped skirt).
- **Material**: Lead (most common). Lead-free tin alloys exist.
- **Common caliber**: 0.177 inches (4.5mm) is standard for most training and competition. 0.22-caliber pellets are used in some hunting-oriented air rifles.
- **Distance for this badge**: 33 feet (10 meters) for 0.177 pellets; 25 feet for some configurations.
- **Types**: Wadcutter (flat head, cuts clean holes in paper—best for target shooting), domed (round head, better ballistics for longer range), pointed (hunting applications).

## Key Distinction

| | BB | Pellet |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Round ball | Diabolo (waisted, skirted) |
| Material | Steel | Lead |
| Barrel | Smooth bore | Rifled |
| Accuracy range | Short | Moderate to long |
| Competition use | Limited | Yes (Olympic) |

![Side-by-side comparison of a round steel BB and a diabolo pellet at the same scale with key shape labels](https://ik.imagekit.io/doulacoop/tr:w-800/mbu-assets/merit-badges/rifle-shooting/guide/bb-vs-pellet-diagram?v=7311ebbc)

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- Previous: [Safe Storage and Handling](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/rifle-shooting/guide/req2bb/index.md)
- Next: [The Five Fundamentals of Shooting](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/rifle-shooting/guide/req2bd/index.md)