Paintball

[Aprox]

Hello everyone, I played my first game of paintball over the weekend and I really loved it, unfortunately I had to borrow equipment to play so I'm wanting to look into buying stuff for myself now. Since I'm a complete noob (1 kill, 9 deaths, 1 survival ) I'm looking for your guys suggestions on guns, paint, hoppers and anything else you think would help out! I'm not afraid to dump a decent amount money into it, since I have never been the kind of person to buy the cheapest stuff, but I'm willing to buy used to save a bit. Anyways, thanks for any help!

[Azzy]

Rent and see what you like, and then find something that works for you, and stick with it.

[sdawg]

If you decide to take up paintball as a regular hobby, the most important piece of personal equipment to buy is a comfortable, safe goggle system with a thermal (non-fogging) lens. You don't have to spend a lot of money. The JT Spectra 7 or JT Spectra Flex 8 are both fine masks that are durable and that have been widely used for a long time.

After that, you probably want to start out with a Tippmann marker (custom pro or A-5) because they are easy to maintain and difficult to break. Use carbon dioxide as your air source. As for the loader, a gravity loader can be fine to start out with, but if you decide that you want an electric agitating loader (a motor-driven paddle spins in the loader to ensure paintballs feed into your marker), the tried-and-true loader is the Viewloader Revolution 12v. However, you will have to buy 9v batteries to use this type of loader, which adds to the expense of an already expensive sport.

In the long run, paint is the most expensive part of the sport, so try to find a field that sells good quality paint at $35-45 per case or that lets you bring your own paint (if you can find another source of paint at a lower price).

Except for the mask, you can find everything you need used on the internet, which is a great way to save money. I recommend buying the mask brand new because it is your most important piece of equipment and you want to be sure that it is in good condition, especially the lens.

Once you've played for a while, you can decide what other equipment you want/need. Really, all you need to have fun on the field is a good, safe, non-fogging goggle system, and a marker with tank and loader.

[Aprox]

Thanks for the input guys, some good suggestions. I played at a speedball pump tournament and I got to see a lot of really slick setups, I don't know the names of a lot of the guns but I saw some that I really liked in both terms of appearance and what looked like ease of shooting.

So I have some specific questions that I picked up while talking to guy s and listening to others.

It seems there are different calibers of paint, is one better than another or is it just a matter of the gun/barrel you are shooting?

Co2, HPA - which is better? Or, what are the differences and why would someone choose one over another? Cost?

Pump, Mech Semi, Electro Semi - Whats a good place to start? Since I have only played in a pump game thats all I know. (I have shot semi/full before but never in comp) It would be nice for the sake of saving money to have a frame that I can modify to accommodate both pump and convertible back to semi auto play.

Masks - I played with a cheap JT mask and hated the thing. Restrictive glass upfront made for tunnel vision and uncomfortable plastic and foam all around. Any recommendations on a good middle of the road brand/model?

I will have some more questions, but for now thats all I can pull off the top of my head.

Thanks guys!

[Pickle]

Aprox,

First question, where are you located?

Borrow any equipment you can to find what you want. Hold it, wear it, fondle it, use it...to get an idea of what you want.

Originally Posted by Aprox

It seems there are different calibers of paint, is one better than another or is it just a matter of the gun/barrel you are shooting?

There is only one caliber of paint - 68 caliber. However, inside of that the sizes vary from .679 up to .692. I would worry about that later though.

Originally Posted by Aprox

Co2, HPA - which is better? Or, what are the differences and why would someone choose one over another? Cost?

Co2 is cheaper but does not offer the consistency of HPA

Originally Posted by Aprox

Pump, Mech Semi, Electro Semi - Whats a good place to start? Since I have only played in a pump game thats all I know. (I have shot semi/full before but never in comp) It would be nice for the sake of saving money to have a frame that I can modify to accommodate both pump and convertible back to semi auto play.

Purely subjective. I prefer people to start with pumps because they learn the game better that way. After the fundamentals are down they can go to semi and be a better player.

Originally Posted by Aprox

Masks - I played with a cheap JT mask and hated the thing. Restrictive glass upfront made for tunnel vision and uncomfortable plastic and foam all around. Any recommendations on a good middle of the road brand/model?

I recommend any of the V-Force masks. Just bought the Grille and love it. It is expensive but it also allows you to see, play and keep those eyeballs intact.

[Kraus]

Most players that I've seen that start with pumps normally seem to develop and learn the game much faster than those that start with a semi. Playing pump you normally learn other things, such as how to move and shoot first, and then once you know those you can pretty much do well with whatever you shoot.

[Aprox]

I was kind of thinking that, in the 10 rounds that I played I learned a lot. Especially in the first 3 - 4, I went from being taken out in under a minute to lasting most of the game and making better shots and pinning opponents. Being that it was pump it taught me to make my shots count and use a lot of tactics, A style of gameplay that I prefer anyways.

But I would still like to find a gun that I could do a conversion on that would be a good all around gun. I have no problems with the mechanical expertise required for job like that, its just a matter of finding out what frame is a good place to start, and whats worth the time.

[WilD]

It seems there are different calibers of paint, is one better than another or is it just a matter of the gun/barrel you are shooting?

.68 caliber is the standard. In reality, the sizes can easily range .684 to .690 due to the manufacturing process. You'll find some paint brands run small, others larger. This is why there are different bore barrels and "barrel kits" with sizer inserts. A good paint barrel match is good for performance, and is especially important for pumps. There are/were other sizes (.50, .62 etc.) but .68 is the standard for paintball today and you may never even see the others.

Co2, HPA - which is better? Or, what are the differences and why would someone choose one over another? Cost?

CO2 stores more energy per unit volume but is more volatile and will absorb a lot of heat during the phase shift from liquid to gas causing frost and freezing conditions in/around the marker. It is also possible for liquid to enter the marker valve causing pressure spikes and hot shots. A good inline regulator eliminates most of the drawbacks. HPA is more consistent but you get fewer shots per unit volume and generally has a higher initial cost because a more expensive bottle and regulator are required. Both work well in general, but some markers may require or simply run better on one or the other.

Pump, Mech Semi, Electro Semi - Whats a good place to start? Since I have only played in a pump game thats all I know. (I have shot semi/full before but never in comp) It would be nice for the sake of saving money to have a frame that I can modify to accommodate both pump and convertible back to semi auto play.

This is an area of great debate these days (has been for some years now). You certainly do use less paint and are forced to learn skills to be competitive playing pump. Many of us who have played paintball for a decade or two started on pumps, which were previously more common. These days, playing walk-on at a public field can be challenging with a pump when everyone else is shooting fast semis. It really boils down to preference though.

Masks - I played with a cheap JT mask and hated the thing. Restrictive glass upfront made for tunnel vision and uncomfortable plastic and foam all around. Any recommendations on a good middle of the road brand/model?

As has been suggested, the JT Spectra or Flex 7 series are good (I think there is a Flex 8 out now too). The key is to get the "Spectra 270" series masks. They have a significantly wider angle of view than the older JT "Elite" lenses. I currently use a Flex 7 and it offers great visibility and is also light and comfortable.

[El Gringo]

Originally Posted by Aprox

It would be nice for the sake of saving money to have a frame that I can modify to accommodate both pump and convertible back to semi auto play.

Only gun that can do this in an Autococker. You can swap out the "semi" components and throw on a pump in about 5 minutes. Problem is that the Autocoocker requires a bit of maintainence (timing the "semi" portion)

edit* alittle more expensive but you can also do a Blazer and add a pump kit

[sdawg]

A good way to learn a lot about the markers that are out there is PBReview.com. The reviews are horrible and generally not to be trusted, but it is nonetheless a pretty good catalog of the paintball equipment on the market.

Wow, I wish there was a field near me where I could play regular pump speedball games...