Paintball

[Stevanj1993]

I just thought about playing paintball and it seems likealot of fun what type of gun should i get under 300 bucks but i needs to be aquality gun i heard of tippmann's and ions. But ive heard syders are not a good investment

[John Satclaire]

Buy a used, stock Angel LCD and learn it inside and out. Do NOT take it off semi for the first two or three years.

Next.

[KoolKat]

Go to you local field as use a rental marker for a few outtings. Lets you see if this actually a hobby you will enjoy and allows you to try out a marker or 2 before you drop cash on one. If the field has different types markers to rent try each one if you can.

[spawnsharks]

All depends on what style you want to play... pump, mech semi or electro. Woodsball, I'd recommend an Automag. Solid, dependable, upgradeable but shoots well from a base model. For speedball or airball... I'd recommend an Invert Mini or DP Fusion in you rprice range.... then, pump is it's own monster... $300? a dropout phantom is a great choice... simple, light and accurate.

[Mayvik]

There are no paintball guns that are a good investment, with a very few exceptions which aren't in your price range. They are like cars, all lose value over time. Also, you are going to need more than just a gun; a good mask is the most important piece of equipment you'll buy (budget $50), and you'll also need a decent hopper (budget $30-$60) and depending on your gun, a CO2 tank (budget $15) or a HPA tank (budget $75). You also need to have money left for field fees, air fills, and paintballs, which will vary drastically depending on where you live (e.g. paint in Canada is like 33-50% more than what it costs in the states).

The best gun is the one you feel comfortable using. Go to a local pro-shop or field, and hold (and dry fire or even play with) as many as you can. You have a ton of options and which one is best for you is completely a matter of personal preference. Also, do not listen to what anyone tells you if you go to PBNation, unless they tell you what I just told you. People over there consistently say "this gun is best because I have one" and will try to get you to conform.

I also highly recommend not buying equipment until you have played a few times and are sure you like it and want to continue to play. You -will- lose money if you decide to quit after playing twice and realize your $300 gun is now worth $150 because it's used. Paintball is super amazing fun, but it's also a huge money sink.

[Chachi]

Welcome to the boards!

As far as what to get, there are a lot of quality guns out there for under $300 these days. A lot of it comes down to personal preference.

I assume that you haven't played before at all? you might want to find a friend to borrow a gun from for your first few games to see if you actually want to make the investment. I think it's safe to say that we all love the sport, but I've seen people drop some serious change on equipment, and after their first or second time out figure out that paintball isn't for them.

Here are some qustions you should answer (as well as other advice you should consider) first before making any purchases:

Do you have $300 to work with for all your PB equipment, or is that just what you have budgeted for your gun?

Go to a local store, and buy a mask first. Try them on, and find one that suits you.

Are you mechanically inclined, and do you take care of things that you own?

Do you want to use CO2 or High pressure Air? (some gun valve systems have a preference, and there are cost factors to consider with HPA)



All that being said, Tippmanns are good starter guns, the SP1 and Vibe by Smart parts might be good choices as well. Automags are very reliable, and can be had inexpensively. Autocockers can be had for a song, but I'd recomend that you read everything you can about them before deciding to purchase one. they can be very fun, but also a pain in the *** if you don't know what you're doing with them.



Answer those questios, and we mgiht be able to more accurately stear your choices.

[Stevanj1993]

if you know aronmsmith87 hes my cousin he told me co2 isnt very reliable because the gas seperates from each other and makes the gun fire at different speeds.

[Chachi]

Originally Posted by Stevanj1993

if you know aronmsmith87 hes my cousin he told me co2 isnt very reliable because the gas seperates from each other and makes the gun fire at different speeds.

That not really the case in a true physics sense. CO2 is much more temperature sensative than HPA, and that can cause inconsistant velocities. Some guns are more affected by this than others, due to their valve systems, and what the owner of the gun has done to route the CO2 in a more consistent matter.

[Mayvik]

CO2 works differently than HPA but a properly set up marker can use it effectively. The properties of the gas change more with temperature than HPA, which can cause unpredictable results in very hot or very cold areas, or if you shoot your marker very very fast.

It's much cheaper for new players in general ($10 tank vs $50 tank), and is usually available at all fields. Some fields do not offer HPA fills, so it's a good idea to check out where you'll be playing to find out what they can and cannot fill (CO2, 3000psi HPA, 4500+psi HPA).

[Garbageman705]

Get a VIKING make sure it has a WAS board and never look back.