Daiwa Ballistic Reel Review (One Year Of On-The-Water Performance)
- By: Wyatt Parcel
- on
Want a reel that will easily pull in big redfish, speckled trout, snook, flounder, and countless other saltwater species?
If so, the Daiwa Ballistic may be the reel for you.
I’ve been using this reel for the past year, so I finally have enough experience with it to put together a full review.
In this video, you’ll learn:
- The specs of the Daiwa Ballistic spinning reel
- Pros and cons of this reel
- Features that set the Ballistic apart from the competition
- And more.
Check out the complete on-the-water review along with our “reel room” talk below!
Daiwa Ballistic Spinning Reel Review [VIDEO]
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Daiwa designed this reel to be their flagship inshore reel.
They wanted it to be the lightest, strongest reel on the market.
Well, they nailed it!
Daiwa Ballistic Pros & Cons
Pros
- Offers more than the competition (see chart below)
- Zaion material creates an extremely strong frame
- Drag system: ATD (Automatic Tournament Drag) and Digigear for smoothness and strength
- Magsealed
Cons
- Price is a little higher (but very fairly priced compared to other reels in its class)
- The lightweight body may feel underwhelming against big offshore fish
Sometimes when fighting larger fish (think sailfish), you may not feel that extra weight and balance that you’re used to when fishing with large, full metal bodied offshore reels.
But the smooth hooksets and a drag system that applies the right amount of pressure when you need it, more than make up for this.
And of course, the Magseal seals the deal when going up against the competition.
Daiwa Ballistic 2500 D-XH Specs
Daiwa Ballistic (2500D-XH)
- Gear Ratio: 6.2:1
- Weight: 6.3oz.
- Braided Line Capacity: 250Yd/10Lb
- Max Drag: 22Lb
- 6+1 Bearings
Daiwa Ballistic vs. Shimano Vanford
Conclusion
If you’re targeting inshore game fish, we don’t think there’s a better reel out there.
From the drag system to the Magseal, the Daiwa Ballistic spinning reel packs a big punch in a lightweight body.
And you can get this reel from our shop here:
If you want 20% off this reel, as well as all of the other gear in our shop, click here to join us in the Insider Club.
Have you tried out this reel yet?
Let me know down in the comments!
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You guys obviously have Daiwa in your pockets. Your reel room has nothing but Daiwa boxes and you consistently review Daiwa gear and rate above others.
We recommend Daiwa reels because they have consistently proven to have great reels at all of the main price points. And we sell mostly Daiwas simply because that’s what we use and recommend most often due to how well they have performed in our tests.
As you’ll see if you go through our reel page (https://fishstrong.com/collections/reels), we only offer a select few models from Daiwa as well as some other brands because they have proven to fit a unique need… if we were sponsored by Daiwa, we’d have to carry all of their models.
Note: If you have any particular reels in mind that you feel are better, please let us know and we’ll be sure to check them out.
Tight Lines!
Hi I have a Bullbay stealth sniper 7ft med heavy rod lying around, and I am looking for a new reel for it, I have been deciding between the Diawa bg mq, ballistic mq, Stradic fl, and the vanford, all in 3000 sizes. I need some help from experts on deciding which one!. I fish for bass, red fish, snook, baby tarpons, trout. I hope you find time to respond to me. Thanks!
Hey Shep, my apologies for missing your question when it was posted. All the reels you listed would fit nicely with that rod. I’d personally go with the BG MQ because it has proven to be a great all-purpose reel that can handle a lot of abuse from big fish and exposure to salt spray.
I had a custom setup with the 3000 Ballistic LT on it and loved it. Unfortunately, it fell overboard. I am getting a new inshore trout/redfish rod made and looking to put another Ballistic on this one. However, I have heard good things about the Shimano Vanford as well and now I can’t decide which reel holds the edge. Seems like Mag Seal is ideal for saltwater environments but the Vanford is just as smooth and comes in slightly lighter but the Ballistic blows the Vanford’s line capacity out of the water.
I took out the bushings and put ball bearings in it like it was supposed to have like the New Mq model change it to carbon fiber drag put bearings in the handle. My bell spring was weak. Tried to stretch it for more pressure didn’t work put a aftermarket Bellspring in it. It’s a good real now.
I can’t find any information on how the Ballistic compares to the SS Tournament. I have my reel purchase decision boiled down to Daiwa, but need some idea between those two Daiwa’s, any information would be appreciated, thanks.
I have 5 Shimano Stradic CI4 reels that I use for inshore fishing. I got a Ballistic a couple of months ago and it has become my favorite. I especially like the bail and the strength of the frame.
I have a friend that is a reel repairman and has seen the inside of thousands of reels that have been exposed to salt water. He’s a very big fan of Magseal.
A possible con: does Magseal have to be replaced by Daiwa?
The ballistic or the MQ? And how do they stack up against a stradic FL?
In terms of Body Material/Construction—-Both the BG MQ and the Stradic FL are Aluminum bodies, but the Ballistic LT is made out of a proprietary material called Zaion (a high-density carbon composite) that makes it 1/3 lighter than Aluminum but 2/3 stronger under compression.
In terms of Sealing—–Ballistic offers MagSeal Technology, but the BG MQ and the Stradic do not.
In terms of Power/Gearing—-The BG MQ has a significantly thicker Main Gear, by about 20%, than the Shimano Stradic and the Ballistic LT. This thicker Main Gear allows for less resistance when turning the handle under load, meaning it is designed for handling larger fish with a smaller reel.
At the end of the day, I’d rank it like this:
1st Place: Ballistic LT (Sealing, Smoothness & Power are all incorporated here)
2nd Place: BG MQ (Very Smooth, Good Sealing, Incredibly powerful Main Gear)
3rd Place: Stradic FL (Also Very Smooth, Good Gearing, Decent Sealing with hydrophobic coating)
I have both van ford and Ballistic both are excellent reels but I like the the Vanford feel much better sooooo smoth.
I hear ya Marshall! Both are neck and neck when it comes to overall smoothness. I will say this: Shimano uses their “Hagane” Gearing system (essentially a cold forged aluminum gear that is coated/anodized) combined with a Micromodule System (that’s their Cam Gearing that has small, refined teeth for smoothness). Both of those features are what contribute to Shimano’s overall smoothness. The Ballistic does also incorporate a solid Aluminum Main Gear that drives the overall smoothness, but given the details applied to the Shimano, there might be a slight advantage offered to the Shimano Vanford…..although it might be hard to tell the difference, the two are SO CLOSE to one another in that regard. I will say that the Ballistic would have the Vanford beat when it comes to sealing (MagSealed Vs. X-Protect), no contest.
I’ve also been reading a lot of websites and they all say the Ballistic casts further than then the Vanford, if that helps any.
Let’s hope their internal design has improved from the 3000 BG series. I bought 3 of them a long time ago when they first hit the market. Within a year, 2 of them came apart internally. Running 15 lb. braid set at 6 lbs. of drag. ( with an electronic scale) I have tied into a few 38’s & 39’s redfish. I now run the Shimano XG FL 3000’s.
The current rendition of the Ballistic LT is nothing like the EX models of prior years. I did own 2 EX 2500 Ballistic, and they were rather clunky by comparison. When you have a chance to check out the series of LTs, I think you’ll be really impressed.
Great review, guys! I’ve been using the Ballistic 3000 size reel on the Salt Strong Bull Bay custom rod for a few months now and I really love it – it’s a super light combo and I’m casting better than ever! It’s very smooth and can handle anything inshore you hook up with. I’ve caught some really nice reds and a 35″ snook and had no issues or worries on handling them. I used to use Shimano CI4 reels and I definitely prefer the Ballistic as it’s smoother and just feeIs more solid. I also agree that the Mag Seal is a differentiator that is worth it.
I couldn’t agree more! It’s ridiculously light but that Zion material makes it feel like it’s as strong as steel… the ergonomics of the design feels very balanced, which was something I didn’t mention in the review because I felt it could have just been viewed as a personal preference. Glad to see that someone else feels the same way!
How do the 2500 and 3000 Ballistic compare in size to the 2500 Penn Battle III?
I bought the Penn from SS a few months ago and like the size. I’ve had some old Shimano 3000’s that I thought were really large compared to the 2500 Penn.
I may be looking to get a Ballistic and would choose between the 2500 and 3000.
The Penn Battle III is 9.7oz, which is a whopping 3.5oz heavier than the Ballistic LT 2500D-XH. That weight difference is substantial (it wouldn’t make much of a difference if it was only 1oz or closer). In terms of line capacity, both reels are about the same (~250yds of 10lb. Braid). But all things considered, the Ballistic LT is in a much different class than the Penn Battle III.
Thanks Justin,
I am wondering about the physical size compared to the Battle III. Is the Ballistic 2500 close in size or is the Ballistic 3000 closer in physical size? I know that they’re completely different reels but just want to know what the Ballistic will be like to hole and use. What I need to do is look at them in the local store.
I know the reel sizes differ between manufacturers.
Since I’d like to get a Ballistic I would like to know what size to get between the 2500 and 3000.