Part of the fun of having a Nerf gun is shooting it, and you can’t do that without darts. Usually blue or orange, these Nerf projectiles are made to be harmless to humans and are less likely to damage things they hit. However, since they are made of safe Nerf foam, this also means they aren’t super durable.

Whether you only have the ones that came with your Nerf blaster, have gathered a boatload of them, or have made your own darts, everyone also knows those foam bullets aren’t super cheap. It doesn’t help that no matter how diligent you are, one or two always seem to mysteriously disappear.

A Nerf gun just isn’t as fun if you don’t have enough ammo, and it also won’t shoot well if your darts are all messed up. Well maintained darts are the ones that shoot the best, so here are some tips for keeping your Nerf darts in good shape.

Use the Right Ammo

This might sound like common sense, but make sure you’re using the right type of darts for your Nerf guns. There are four general types of Nerf darts.

Streamlined are the iconic darts most people first think of, with a short tip plug and foam body. Whistler darts are similar looking, but have a harder tip with a slit to create their iconic whistling noise when fired. Suction darts (also called sticky darts or micro darts) have a plastic suction cup head, while tagger darts (for Dart Tag) have a Velcro patch on the tip to allow them to stick to fabric and clothing.

Shape is Important

Don’t let your Nerf darts get crushed, squished, or deformed. Needless to say, letting your pet dog or cat chew on a Nerf dart ensures that it probably can’t be used anymore (although, if you suspect they are chewing on it because they are anxious, you may wish to look at replacing your dart with something like this CBD oil for dogs UK that might actually be able to help them with this). Avoid leaving your Nerf darts out where people can accidentally step on them, and don’t enter a Nerf battle carrying them around haphazardly.

Remember that Nerf darts will perform better and fly more accurately if they are kept in good shape. Stuffing them in your pant pockets might seem like a great idea, but your darts are likely to get bent or sat on in the process. Try to carry your Nerf darts in larger magazines if they are available for your blaster, otherwise utilize a pouch or ammo holster.

Know When to Retire Old Darts

No matter how well you take care of your darts, the fact is that each time you use a Nerf dart it gets a little bit compressed. This is from how Nerf guns work, in that a dart must fit fairly tightly in the barrel so air or spring pressure can build up and propel it when you shoot.

Even if it looks perfectly ok, you can tell when a dart has lost the thickness it needs when it doesn’t perform like it used to.

Protect Your Darts

Keep your darts in a dry place. Since they are made of foam, don’t let them get wet since foam absorbs water and then gets softer. Limp bullets don’t work well at all.

How do you maintain your Nerf darts?

Has anything unfortunate happened to your darts before?

Share your tips or stories in the comments below!