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One question that we get asked pretty often is; how much does airsoft cost to play? This is a pretty tricky question to answer because it depends on what you are looking to get out of the sport. If you are playing competitively, then expect to spend hundreds of dollars per month. If you are looking for the odd game, you may be able to spend nothing more than $80 per month, once you have bought your guns, that is.
On this page, we are going to try and break down the expenses of airsoft a little bit. That way you can see how much, on average, you should be looking to spend. We are only going to be giving guideline prices here based upon interviews with many airsoft players. Your needs may be slightly different from what is mentioned here!
Can you Rent Airsoft Gear?
Absolutely! Although, if you are planning on playing regularly, then it isn’t really something that we suggest. The cost of rental can really start to add up. We suggest only renting your airsoft gear if you are not sure whether the sport is for you or not. Once you have decided that it is, then buy everything that you need. You will save money.
Most airsoft fields will have some sort of rental booth there. However, always check in advance, just in case!
Cost of an Airsoft Game
On average, you can expect each airsoft game to cost between $25 and $35. This cost is most likely going to form the bulk of your monthly expenditure for airsoft.
You will probably need to factor in the travel costs here too. A lot of airsoft arenas are quite a bit of the way because they need lots of land. Most people say that they are spending $10-$20 per session on transport to get where they need to go. This cost can be cut a little bit by car pooling.
Starter Equipment
To get started, you will need the following:
- Airsoft gun
- Gas or batteries for the gun
- Charger if you have a battery-powered gun
- Eye protectors (vital!)
- Thick clothing
- Cleaning accessories for your gun
For a basic ‘starter kit’ that is actually worth playing with, expect to spend at least $200 here. Try to ensure that you buy the best eye protectors that you can afford. Do not ‘cut corners’ and get something cheap. You only have one set of eyes, after all.
This will be an expense that you only need to be shelling out a couple of times per year. If you are not playing regularly, then you may be able to get that gun to stretch to a year or two lifespan. However, do bear in mind that the older the gun gets, the harder it becomes to use.
Make sure that you buy a proper airsoft gun cleaning set here. It will ensure that your gun is cleaned properly, which will help it to last as long as possible. Spending a few extra dollars on a proper cleaning set could save you hundreds in the long term.
Extra Equipment
You may also want to purchase some extra equipment for airsoft. However, none of this is really necessary at the start. It can include:
- Tactical vests
- Grenades and flashbangs
- A sidearm
This may cost you an extra $150-$200.
As you start to play more and more airsoft, you will probably want to expand your gun collection so you have something for a variety of different situations. It can also allow you to take on a different role in the game. For example, if you are normally going for the all-out assault, it can be nice to chill a little bit further back on occasion with a sniper rifle. However, this is all down to you and your aims with the game.
Accessories for Every Game
This is where it becomes a little bit tougher to say just how much you are looking to spend. This is because it is all about the way that you play airsoft.
Take ammo, for instance. There are some people that are playing every single week and spending $12 per month on ammo, while there are others that play the same amount but spending $30 per month on ammo. It is all about how you are using your gun. If you tend to hold back and be a little bit more discriminatory when you take your shots, then it is likely that you will be spending less money than somebody that loves to run into the fray on full auto.
If you are using a gas-powered airsoft gun, then expect to be spending between $15 and $30 per month on gas if you are playing every single week for a session. Some people may be spending a little bit more than this. However, once again, it is all going to be about your playstyle. If you are going to be firing more ammo, then you will get through more gas.
Those that have electric airsoft guns will likely need to have a few spare batteries with them. Thankfully, this is not going to be a regular expense. Most players seem to carry around 2-3 extra batteries with them. This will ensure that they are never ‘caught short’. This will likely cost you $30 per battery. However, most batteries will last over a year.
You may also want to carry some grenades and smoke grenades on top of this. Again, that is something that may cost $20-$30 per month, depending on how much you try to work this type of thing into your tactics. There are some people that would never take grenades, smoke grenades, or flashes onto the field because they do not know how to use them in their game plan, and that is completely fine. If you cannot work them into your play style, then you can eliminate that expense!
As you play more and more airsoft, you will start to get a feel for what you should bring along. For newcomers to the game, we suggest ‘overbuying’ at the start. This way you never run out of ammo or gas when on the field. Later on, you can tailor your loadout to your play style, and this will end up saving you a ton of cash!
How Can You Save Money Playing Airsoft?
While airsoft is never going to be a really affordable sport to play, there are a few ways that you will be able to cut costs.
Since your main expenses in airsoft will be your guns, you will need to make sure that anything that you do own is maintained as much as possible. Taking the time to give your airsoft gun a deep clean after a match is going to be fantastic for its lifespan. You may be able to make an airsoft gun last over a year if you do that. We have seen some people not clean their airsoft guns, and they often have to clean them in mere months.
The same goes with your airsoft gun batteries. Treat them with care. Let them discharge before you charge them again. Make sure that you use a smart charger so you do not overcharge the batteries. This will all help to increase the lifespan of the battery, saving you a lot of money.
If you can buy your ammo in bulk, then do that too. Yes. There is going to be a larger upfront cost to buy tons and tons of ammo but, in the long term, you will be saving a lot of money. If you are playing airsoft every week, you could easily save a couple of hundred dollars over the course of the year just buying everything in bulk.
If you have a gas-powered airsoft gun, then you may be able to save money by buying gas in bulk too. However, we don’t really find this to be necessary. It will only save you a few dollars over the course of the year as most people that play weekly may only get through 2-3 cans per month, which is only a little over $35 in most parts of the country.
Finally, if you stick to always playing at the same venue, you may find that they have some sort of membership scheme that you can join. This will give you discounted sessions. Obviously, this is not going to be a thing at every airsoft location, but many of them will offer discounts to regular players. After all, they rely on repeat custom!
How Much Does Airsoft Cost To Play Final Thoughts
As long as you are not spending a lot of money on guns each month, airsoft won’t cost you that much in the way of cash. Most people, exclusive of guns, could be looking at spending $100-$150 per month, which is reasonable for a hobby like this. If that does seem a little too much, then there are ways of cutting costs a little, however, do bear in mind that it will require a great upfront amount of money to save cash in the longterm.
I hope you enjoyed our how much does airsoft cost to play article. Hopefully you now have a better idea on how much it’ll typically cost your to play airsoft. How much do you typically spend on airsoft per month? Let us know in the comments below and feel free to checkout our blog here.
