Why shoot BBs?

[Jaybo]

My CR357 shoots two kinds of ammo: pellets and BBs.  Why should I ever shoot BBs?  Aside from being cheaper than (cheap) pellets, wouldn't they 1) wear down the rifling, being made of steel, and 2) be less accurate than lead pellets?

[CraigH]

BB's; less accurate and IMO more barrel wear.  And there is the substantial ricochet potential if the BB's are not properly captured by a soft target/trap.

[mudduck48]

Yes, steel BB's may ruin your barrel, but these BB's won't. Get the Smart BB's. Copper plated lead BB's.
http://www.pyramydair.com/s/p/H_N_Excite_Smart_Shot_177_Cal_7_4_Grains_Copper_Plated_Lead_BBs_500ct/1273

[rangerfredbob]

I don't think anyone has ever proven the barrel wear thing. I've heard of people that thought their barrel was worn out running some patches through the barrel to find that the coating from the BB's was actually what was filling in the rifling... That said I haven't shot BB's out of something that shoots pellets since I was a kid, but I have a much better ammo supply than I did then

[BillK]

In my "fun guns" 357 ect. I just use the cheap Beemans.  They group as well as the JSBs.
http://www.pyramydair.com/s/p/Beeman_177_Cal_7_2_Grains_Hollowpoint_Coated_500ct/625

I have "heard" BBs ruin the barrel but as r-f-b noted I have never read of any "evidence" of that happening.  I just don't use BBs because I like to hit what I'm shooting at.

[ped]

I shoot lead ball out of my 357 -1077 and Shiloh mainly as it's easier to load but is quite cheap
wish I could get it in .22 and .25 in the UK