80, 90 or 95% tungsten: what is the difference?
The tungsten percentage changes how dense the barrel is, and so how slim it can be at the same weight. At the same weight and length, a 95% barrel is about 3% thinner than a 90% one, and a brass barrel is about 40% thicker. 90% is the standard (79% of the DartFit catalogue); 95% is worth it for heavy darts that you want to keep slim.
How dense is a tungsten dart?
Weight is volume times density. For the same weight and length, the barrel’s thickness scales with one over the square root of the density, which is where the 3% and 40% come from.
| Material | Density |
|---|---|
| 80% tungsten | 15.05 |
| 90% tungsten | 17.05 |
| 95% tungsten | 18.05 |
| Brass | 8.5 |
Is 95% tungsten worth it?
For heavy darts, yes: a 26 g dart in 95% stays slim enough for most grips. For a 22 g dart the difference is small, and 90% is usually the better buy. 10% of our catalogue is 95% tungsten.
Are brass darts bad?
Not bad, just thick and usually light. They are cheap and fine to try the game, but at a normal steel-tip weight the barrel gets fat. Most players move to tungsten quickly.
Frequently asked questions
What tungsten percentage should I buy?
90% for almost everyone. Choose 95% if you want a heavy dart that stays slim.
Does more tungsten make a dart better?
It makes it slimmer at the same weight, and usually more expensive. It does not change how the dart flies beyond that.
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