“I wish gellets could shoot a bit farther with more accuracy,” – Jeremy let out a sigh of disappointment as we were reloading our blasters. We were at a gel blaster party, and his blaster was honestly underperforming. As his clanmate, I understood his frustration. A friend had suggested buying a new blaster, but he wasn’t ready to make that investment just yet.
Offering a helpful suggestion, I said, “Well, if you’re not ready for an upgrade just yet, you could always improve your gel blaster by installing a hop-up. It’s a great way to increase your range.”
He looked at me quizzically, so I elaborated, “A hop-up is a simple attachment that enhances your blaster’s accuracy and range. It’s an easy way to get more out of your current blaster.”
Jeremy decided to take my advice and bought a hop-up for his blaster, and the results were impressive. His once-underperforming blaster now had a nice range boost. In case you’re curious about how hop-ups work and whether they are worth your money, you’re on the right page.
What Is Hop Up For A Gel Blaster?
Hop up is actually an abbreviation of “High Operation Power Up”. It’s an attachment used in gel blasters and airsoft guns that allows the pellets to cover a longer distance in a straighter trajectory. In other words, it enhances the effective range of the gun.
Normally, the gellets fly straight for a certain distance before switching to a curved trajectory as it loses speed, eventually falling to the ground. The gel blaster hop-up adds a backspin to the balls, allowing them to stay on the straight flight path for longer, increasing the range and accuracy.
Learn More: Pro Tips To Increase Accuracy Of Gel Blasters
How Do Gel Blaster Hop-Ups Work?
Gel blaster hop-ups are tube-like attachments with small, raised pads (usually made of grippy rubber) inside them. The hop-up goes at the tip of the outer barrel, fitting perfectly as an extension. The rubber pad is positioned on the top, such that it temporarily hinders the top side of the gellets.
Think of football getting kicked while someone has a foot planted firmly on it. It would get a backspin due to the friction at the top, right? That’s exactly what a hop-up does to a gellet. It may also have a pad at the bottom, but the one at the top is more pronounced and produces a stronger hindrance for the top side.
I know what you’re probably thinking – “Why does the backspin even matter for gel blasters? How would hindering the movement of the gel ball help it cover a longer distance?”. It’s a bit technical, but I’ll explain it to you as best as possible.
The backspin results in a phenomenon known as the Magnus Effect, generating lift for the gellet. When a ball is fired from a gel blaster without any backspin, it simply flies straight, and the air in front of it flows around the curved surface to fill the void left behind it. Now, the backspin changes the flow of air by changing the surface speeds of the ball. Here’s what happens:
The air hitting the top of the ball faces less friction as the surface is moving backward in the same direction.
On the contrary, the air touching the bottom part of the ball faces more resistance as the bottom surface is spinning against it.
The air flowing around the top of the gellet reaches the void around it faster than the air at the bottom. As a result, it pushes the air downward rather than straight backward.
As you might be aware of Newton’s third law, every action has an opposite reaction. The downward airflow pushes the ball upward, generating the necessary lift.
Related Post: How Does A Gel Blaster Work?
Types Of Hop-Ups For Gel Blasters
When shopping for a hop-up for your blaster, you’d come across three different types – standard, flat, and R hop-ups.
1. Standard Hop Up
These are the simplest and cheapest gel blaster hop-ups out there, perfect for beginners. A standard hop-up doesn’t require you to make a lot of adjustments. However, it does have a wheel to adjust the pressure applied to the gel balls.
2. Flat Hop Up
A flat hop-up features a longer nub than standard hop-ups, applying a stronger backspin to the balls. This, in turn, increases the blaster’s accuracy over long distances. Those don’t require much adjustment either and are as easy to use as the standard ones. However, a flat hop-up is costlier as it’s a higher quality product and offers a greater boost in effective range.
3. R Hop Up
Lastly, we have R hop-ups – the most powerful hop-ups you can get for a gel blaster. An R hop-up has a rubber saddle running along the length of its chamber rather than a single nub. The prolonged contact with the upper surface of the gel beads results in a much stronger backspin. However, I found these hop-ups to be quite difficult to fine-tune.
The Best Gel Blaster Hop-Ups
There are several high-quality gel blaster hop-ups available on the market. Here are some of the best options that I have tested on my blaster guns:
Warinterest Metal Hop-Up: Made of durable metal, this hop-up offers greater precision and control over shot placement. It is designed to fit most gel blaster models and can be adjusted for different types of gel balls.
Ausgel V2 Hop-Up: This hop-up is designed to improve accuracy and range by creating a more consistent backspin on gel balls. It is compatible with most gel guns and is known for its reliability.
LDT Hop Up: This hop-up is known for its consistent performance and reliability. It offers improved accuracy and range and is compatible with most blasters.
Acetech Lighter S Hop Up: This hop-up features a compact and lightweight design, making it easy to install and use. It is compatible with almost all gel blasters present in the market.
Rizer V2 Hop-Up: This hop-up is designed to provide a more consistent backspin and increase the accuracy of gel balls. Rizer V2 is compatible with most blaster guns and can be easily installed. It is known for its durability and precision.
Ultimately, the best hop-up for your gel blaster will depend on your specific needs and preferences. You can buy these hop-ups from Zhenduo, Geltactical, AKgelblaster, Gell Ball Undercover, etc. Be sure to research different options and read user reviews before making a purchase.
How To Install A Hop Up On Your Gel Blaster?
Installing a hop-up in your gel blaster can be a bit tricky, but with the right tools and a little patience, it can be done easily. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to install a hop-up in your blaster:
Step 1: Remove The Blaster’s Tip
To install the hop-up, you’d first have to remove the colorful tip at the end of the blaster’s barrel. In my experience, the easiest way to remove the tip without damaging other parts of the gun is to dip it in hot water to break down the glue. Then, unscrew the tip and remove it.
Step 2: Assemble The Hop Up
You’d now have to assemble the hop-up unless you received it pre-assembled. The kit usually consists of the hop-up’s body, inner tongues, and screws. One of the tongues is smooth and straight, while the other one offers friction for the balls. Insert the tongues into the hop-up and put the set screws in place, but don’t turn the screws all the way in yet.
Step 3: Attach The Hop Up To The Blaster’s Barrel
Now, put the hop up over the end of the gel blaster’s barrel, making sure the side with the nub stays on top. The hop-up should also be perfectly straight – otherwise, the balls will curve away rather than following a straight path. Tighten the screws, securing the attachment in place.
Once the hop-up is installed, you need to mark the blaster as a toy gun – that’s what the original tip did. You may either paint the hop up with a bright color or install another colorful tip at its end.
Here is a video guide to installing a hop-up on the gel blaster:
How To Adjust The Hop Up To Achieve Better Accuracy?
Adjustable hop-ups typically come with a wheel to adjust the backspin. Turning it clockwise gives the balls a lightly upward trajectory while turning it counterclockwise results in a more downward curve. While a downward curve is obviously to be avoided, an excessively upward trajectory would make you miss your target.
For the best results, I always fine-tune the adjustment wheel perfectly so that the balls take off with an upward trajectory and then maintain a straight flight path for as long as possible before curving downward. Getting it right might take a few tries, even for experienced gel blaster players like me.
Also See: How To Use A Gel Blaster Properly?
The Takeaway
A hop-up would definitely be a good addition to your blaster, especially if you play in large arenas or take part in competitive events. A powerful gel blaster should already give you an effective range of more than 100ft. but in case yours doesn’t shoot far enough, you now know what to do.
In this context, you should also know that these hop-ups cannot only be used with blasters but are also compatible with the other toy gun variants like Orbeez guns and splatter ball guns.
I’m always keen on trying out different gel blaster attachments. While I don’t usually need a hop-up, I love to put them on when playing as a sniper. I hope you found this guide helpful and can now get a suitable hop-up for your blaster.
