Post by Travis on Jan 31, 2013 10:23:08 GMT -3.5
WORK IN PROGESS! MORE TO BE ADDED!
Anyone with questions, or looking for more information PM me!
This was copies from a previous post I made on our old forum. Some info (such as prices, guns and companies) may be outdated
Common Paintball Myths/Advice
So I plan to address some of the common misconceptions and myths regarding paintball, as well as throw in my personal opinion on some situations.
- Myth #1
Woodsball/Speedball/Mil-Sim Markers:
(What marker should I buy for woodsball?)
- Myth #2
”Marker A is more accurate than Marker B”
What affects accuracy, and how to improve it.
- Myth #3
Longer barrels are more accurate
Barrel kits are more accurate
- Myth #4
Electronic markers will break if they get a little wet.
How to protect your gear against rain/water
Playing in the rain
- Myth #5
“Marker A Shoots at a higher velocity than Marker B”
- HPA vs CO2
- What Position Should I Play?
First up:
Myth #1
Woodsball/Speedball/Mil-Sim Markers:
(What marker should I buy for woodsball?)
There is no such thing. All paintball markers are designed to do the same thing. Shoot balls filled with paint. They do not magically perform better or worse depending on their surroundings. They are all tested inside a factory before going anywhere else. And they all have flaws. Look at the Pulse loader for example. You could hammer nails in with it, but if you turn too quickly the feedneck can crack off. Everything breaks.
You often hear things such as “A 98 custom is the best marker for woodsball!” Not true.
Yes Tippmanns, and some other markers are made to be next to indestructible. Yes you can put them under water, run them over with a car, and even use them as a hammer. But how often are you going to do that? ALL MARKERS WILL BREAK! Tippmanns, Spyders, and $1500 egos, they all break. Yes a tippmann might be a little more durable than an ego, but how often do you throw your marker at rocks, and fully submerge them under water? Except for the rare occasion where I may throw it in anger, not very often.
This is the ONLY advantage Tippmanns/”woodsballs” markers have over any other marker. Think about it. Would you rather carry around a loud, heavy, slow, basic, inefficient “woodsball” marker or would you rather carry around a light, fast, quiet, efficient “speedball” marker? If you’re looking for a marker that will PERFORM well, that will make you play better, then forget about where you’re playing. Forget about trees and balloons. Which marker is going to b faster, lighter, easier to move with, break less paint, and overall PERFORM better? Now lets go out into the woods. Which marker is going to be easier to run through trees with? To carry around for a couple hours? The 2lb “speedball” marker, or the 10lb ak47?
No matter what kind of paintball you play, a marker such as a vibe, sp-1, ion, mini, etc will perform better. Yes 98 Customs, A5s, X7’s. and BT’s are great markers, very durable, and a mechanical marker does have fewer things to go wrong. But ion, sp1, etc will perform better. Plus it is not like you are going to go swimming with your marker.
So, are you a newer player looking to play mainly only woodsball? Wondering what marker you should get? Well here is my opinion:
If you want a marker that you can make look like a real gun (Mil-Sim), and that means more than actual performance, then yes, a tippmann, Bt, or other tippmann-clone is a good option.
If you are looking for a marker that will perform well, yet is simple, and still hard to break I would go with:
$50-$150
A PMI Piranha Is a good option. They will perform roughly the same as a Tippmann, but they are much smaller, lighter, and easier to take apart. A great marker for any beginner. Another option would be a Kingman Spyder. They make a lot of different models, but I would STRONGLY encourage you to avoid them. I have seen MANY people have issues with spyders, and they are not nearly as reliable as piranhas. They may sound good, look good, and in some cases perform well, but they are fairly unreliable.
$150-$250
In this price range I would STRONGLY recommend going with something made by smart parts. Some people hate them, and they have somewhat of a bad name. But there is no reason for this. Smart parts is a very good, reliable company. People will say bad things about their products, but most of it is not true.
Vibe: A simple, beginner-friendly marker. These markers can shoot up to 11bps, have a true low-force bolt which actually does reduce paint breakage. They are also small, light, and even reliable enough to be used by many fields (including Frontline) as rental markers. This is the BEST beginner marker made. NOTHING in the price range compares. You can even upgrade it with eyes and a new board to perform as good as much more expensive markers.
Sp-1: Basically a vibe in a new body. This cam be made to look like a real gun, so if you want a realistic gun without sacrificing performance this is for you.
$250-$500
There are MANY markers in this range. I will just pick a few I think are the best after 4 years of play, 2 years working at frontline, and owning 30+ markers.
Ion: I don’t care what people say. For the price, these are very nice markers. Everything a high end marker has, just at a less extreme level.
Mini: These markers are fairly good, but I have seen some break a lot of paint, and many come in for repairs. But if you know what you’re doing, and can maintain your own gear, then this is a fantastic marker.
G3: These are basically a mini with all the problems fixed. Very nice markers worth looking into.
SLG: The early slg’s had a lot of issues. The new 09 slg is a totally different marker. Fast, light, shoots smooth, and fairly simple. A very good option.
So, that was by far the most important topic that I thought deserved the longest section. The rest will not be this long.
Myth #2
”Marker A is more accurate than Marker B”
What affects accuracy, and how to improve it.
Not true.
No marker is truly more accurate than another marker. A $200 vibe is just as accurate as a $1800 ego under the same conditions (paint, barrel, gun stand)
Yes, there are some exceptions, but for the most part they are all the same. Here are some exceptions to this.
- More expensive markers have better barrels. This will improve accuracy.
- Some marker have less “kick” or “recoil” then another. So when shooting more than one ball, the marker with less kick may seem more accurate
-Some markers are more consistent than others. This means each shot will be closer to the same FPS. A marker shooting 5 shots at (280fps, 282fps, 278fps, 279fps, 281fps) means all paint will follow roughly the same flight path. A marker shooting 5 shots (260fps, 299fps, 275fps, 297fps, 250fps) will cause some balls to go further, some to drop off sooner, and mean they will not hit EXACTLY the same spot.
- Paint. Better paint = better accuracy
- The person shooting the marker. A kid that has never shot a marker before, will be less accurate than someone who has been playing 8 years.
So in the end, if you take a $200 vibe, and a $1800 ego, put both on a gun stand, give them both the same barrel, same paint, and set them to the same velocity, they will be roughly the same as far as accuracy goes.
Here are some tips to improve accuracy:
- SHOOT GOOD PAINT
- Get a decent barrel
- Proper stance (marker in the middle of your face, tank against shoulder)
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!
Myth #3
Longer barrels are more accurate
Barrel kits are more accurate
NOT TRUE!!!!!!
The length of the barrel does not affect accuracy very much at all. A longer barrel will actually decrease performance. After 16” a barrel will require more air, which can cause paint to break, be pushed off course, and make your marker less efficient.
The only advantage a longer barrel has it that it is easier to “aim” with.
So what is the best length barrel to get?
8-14 inches.
A paintball takes 5 inches to get up to its full velocity. The other 3 inches would be ported (holes in a barrel are called porting). This will release air from the barrel. So when the ball comes out, there is not a whole wack of air pushing it in another direction.
8” may be a little hard to “aim” with, so 12-14 are the most popular.
BARREL KITS
Barrel kits are not more accurate than your average barrel in most cases.
Barrel kits are designed to give you a good paint to bore match. You try to get a ball to just barely get stuck in the barrel to prevent it from “wobbling” around, yet not too tight that it breaks.
This will not make cheap paint shoot better.
Cheap paint is not round, not all the same size, and not accurate. If you try to get cheap paint to fit perfectly in the barrel, you will run into a few issues. Cheap paint is not the same size, so if one ball fits perfectly, but the next is too big, then it is going to break in the barrel.
If the ball is dimpled, it is going to cause the ball to curve anyway. After all, the barrel doesn’t affect the ball once it leaves the barrel.
So barrel kits work much better with good paint. However, good paint is going to shoot straight no matter what. So yes, a barrel kit will help, but no, it is not needed.
Some good barrels for a good price are Smart Parts all-american, and Any Custom Products barrel. No need to spend a fortune on a barrel.
Myth #4
Electronic markers will break if they get a little wet.
How to protect your gear against rain/water
Playing in the rain
Electronic markers will not suddenly break as soon as a little bit of water gets on them. In fact it actually has to get fairly wet to cause any damage. Most boards have a water proof coating. If not, it still takes more than a drop of rain to break a board (look at pro players, they play in pouring rain and theirs work fine). Besides, if it does break, most times if you call the company and tell them you have a faulty board, they will replace it!
Besides the board, there isn’t much else to damage in most paintball gear unless you try to clean it in the bathtub. I have played in the pouring rain and am yet to have an issue with any of my gear.
So, playing in the rain? Want to help protect your gear? Here are some tips:
- Use a lid for your hopper. Speedfeeds will just get your paint wet.
- Make sure your grips are sealed good, and all your screws are in good so there are no gaps between parts.
- Use a visor for your mask! Most people just throw theirs out. But in the rain they help!
- DO NOT TAPE UP THE PORTING OF YOUR BARREL!!!! If rain gets in the barrel, rain gets in the barrel. Its going to happen anyway. Taping up the porting will just cause your marker to be horribly inaccurate. Almost all barrels have porting, and its for a good reason. So don’t do it!
Myth #5
“Marker A Shoots at a higher velocity than Marker B”
THIS IS NOT TRUE!!!
A 98 custom that looks and sounds like a sniper rifle is not “more powerful” than a quiet little vibe.
Yes, some markers MIGHT be able to shoot A LITTLE faster than another, but…WHO CARES!
After 300 fps you begin to run the risk of damaging the marker, and also breaking a lens. It is very dangerous to play above 300fps, and should never be done. After 290-300fps you even start to lose accuracy. So any imperfections in paint will be more noticeable.
SO DON’T DO IT!
HPA vs CO2
HPA
Pros: Cons:
-More efficient - More expensive tank
-It is regulated (constant output pressure) - Less shots per tank than co2
-It is better for your marker - Larger tanks
-Not affected by temperature
-Cheaper to fill
- Virtually all markers can use it
CO2
Pros: Cons:
- Cheaper tanks - Hard on marker
- More shots per tank - Affected by temperature
- Not regulated
- True electronic markers can not use it
- More expensive to fill
HPA is all around better performance, and better for your marker. However, most beginner markers will run fine off CO2.
Common misconceptions:
- Neither will cause your markers velocity to increase
- Nitrogen and HPA are the same thing (as far as paintball is concerned)
What Position Should I Play?
Often newer players wonder what position they should play (back, front, or mid). Really, there is no easy answer.
Front: Faster, smaller players.
You are going to be right up there. You cant be afraid to move, or afraid of getting shot. You are going to be moving a lot, getting shot at a lot, and have to react quickly.
Most people think that front players are normally the best players on your team. In some cases this is true, but in most it is not. A front players main job is to get up the field quickly, get a couple of kills, and to take out key players on the other team. This often involves running up the field to get someone, and getting shot in the process. Front players rarely last long in a game.
Back: Being fast and small helps, but it isn’t as important as anywhere else.
Back players need to communicate to their team where players are, where they are shooting, when the move, and they need to work with their front players. People often think back players are the worse players on the team. Not true. Back players are often the best players. Without a good back player the front players cant really do much. Back players control their team, control the other team, and need to be doing 100 things at once.
People who are afraid of getting shot usually play back as well. If you don’t like getting shot, DON’T PLAY PAINTBALL! Back players are also usually the last players left on the field. This means they may have to deal with 2 on 1’s, or even 3 on 1’s. They need to be able to close on a game, and be prepared to get bunkered if they are the last player on the field, which they normally are.
Mid: Still need to be fast, and being small helps.
One part of a mid players job is to fill in for front players. When a front player bumps up, or gets shot, a mid player has to know if/when to fill that position. If a back player gets shot, then they also need to know how/when to fill that position. Mid players have to make many decisions like this.
So how do you decide where to play?
GET OUT THEIR AND PLAY! You will find what works best for you once you play enough. Change it up. Play front one game, and then back the next. This will teach you how to handle every situation, and will prevent you from being predicable. So get out there and play!
Anyone with questions, or looking for more information PM me!
This was copies from a previous post I made on our old forum. Some info (such as prices, guns and companies) may be outdated
Common Paintball Myths/Advice
So I plan to address some of the common misconceptions and myths regarding paintball, as well as throw in my personal opinion on some situations.
- Myth #1
Woodsball/Speedball/Mil-Sim Markers:
(What marker should I buy for woodsball?)
- Myth #2
”Marker A is more accurate than Marker B”
What affects accuracy, and how to improve it.
- Myth #3
Longer barrels are more accurate
Barrel kits are more accurate
- Myth #4
Electronic markers will break if they get a little wet.
How to protect your gear against rain/water
Playing in the rain
- Myth #5
“Marker A Shoots at a higher velocity than Marker B”
- HPA vs CO2
- What Position Should I Play?
First up:
Myth #1
Woodsball/Speedball/Mil-Sim Markers:
(What marker should I buy for woodsball?)
There is no such thing. All paintball markers are designed to do the same thing. Shoot balls filled with paint. They do not magically perform better or worse depending on their surroundings. They are all tested inside a factory before going anywhere else. And they all have flaws. Look at the Pulse loader for example. You could hammer nails in with it, but if you turn too quickly the feedneck can crack off. Everything breaks.
You often hear things such as “A 98 custom is the best marker for woodsball!” Not true.
Yes Tippmanns, and some other markers are made to be next to indestructible. Yes you can put them under water, run them over with a car, and even use them as a hammer. But how often are you going to do that? ALL MARKERS WILL BREAK! Tippmanns, Spyders, and $1500 egos, they all break. Yes a tippmann might be a little more durable than an ego, but how often do you throw your marker at rocks, and fully submerge them under water? Except for the rare occasion where I may throw it in anger, not very often.
This is the ONLY advantage Tippmanns/”woodsballs” markers have over any other marker. Think about it. Would you rather carry around a loud, heavy, slow, basic, inefficient “woodsball” marker or would you rather carry around a light, fast, quiet, efficient “speedball” marker? If you’re looking for a marker that will PERFORM well, that will make you play better, then forget about where you’re playing. Forget about trees and balloons. Which marker is going to b faster, lighter, easier to move with, break less paint, and overall PERFORM better? Now lets go out into the woods. Which marker is going to be easier to run through trees with? To carry around for a couple hours? The 2lb “speedball” marker, or the 10lb ak47?
No matter what kind of paintball you play, a marker such as a vibe, sp-1, ion, mini, etc will perform better. Yes 98 Customs, A5s, X7’s. and BT’s are great markers, very durable, and a mechanical marker does have fewer things to go wrong. But ion, sp1, etc will perform better. Plus it is not like you are going to go swimming with your marker.
So, are you a newer player looking to play mainly only woodsball? Wondering what marker you should get? Well here is my opinion:
If you want a marker that you can make look like a real gun (Mil-Sim), and that means more than actual performance, then yes, a tippmann, Bt, or other tippmann-clone is a good option.
If you are looking for a marker that will perform well, yet is simple, and still hard to break I would go with:
$50-$150
A PMI Piranha Is a good option. They will perform roughly the same as a Tippmann, but they are much smaller, lighter, and easier to take apart. A great marker for any beginner. Another option would be a Kingman Spyder. They make a lot of different models, but I would STRONGLY encourage you to avoid them. I have seen MANY people have issues with spyders, and they are not nearly as reliable as piranhas. They may sound good, look good, and in some cases perform well, but they are fairly unreliable.
$150-$250
In this price range I would STRONGLY recommend going with something made by smart parts. Some people hate them, and they have somewhat of a bad name. But there is no reason for this. Smart parts is a very good, reliable company. People will say bad things about their products, but most of it is not true.
Vibe: A simple, beginner-friendly marker. These markers can shoot up to 11bps, have a true low-force bolt which actually does reduce paint breakage. They are also small, light, and even reliable enough to be used by many fields (including Frontline) as rental markers. This is the BEST beginner marker made. NOTHING in the price range compares. You can even upgrade it with eyes and a new board to perform as good as much more expensive markers.
Sp-1: Basically a vibe in a new body. This cam be made to look like a real gun, so if you want a realistic gun without sacrificing performance this is for you.
$250-$500
There are MANY markers in this range. I will just pick a few I think are the best after 4 years of play, 2 years working at frontline, and owning 30+ markers.
Ion: I don’t care what people say. For the price, these are very nice markers. Everything a high end marker has, just at a less extreme level.
Mini: These markers are fairly good, but I have seen some break a lot of paint, and many come in for repairs. But if you know what you’re doing, and can maintain your own gear, then this is a fantastic marker.
G3: These are basically a mini with all the problems fixed. Very nice markers worth looking into.
SLG: The early slg’s had a lot of issues. The new 09 slg is a totally different marker. Fast, light, shoots smooth, and fairly simple. A very good option.
So, that was by far the most important topic that I thought deserved the longest section. The rest will not be this long.
Myth #2
”Marker A is more accurate than Marker B”
What affects accuracy, and how to improve it.
Not true.
No marker is truly more accurate than another marker. A $200 vibe is just as accurate as a $1800 ego under the same conditions (paint, barrel, gun stand)
Yes, there are some exceptions, but for the most part they are all the same. Here are some exceptions to this.
- More expensive markers have better barrels. This will improve accuracy.
- Some marker have less “kick” or “recoil” then another. So when shooting more than one ball, the marker with less kick may seem more accurate
-Some markers are more consistent than others. This means each shot will be closer to the same FPS. A marker shooting 5 shots at (280fps, 282fps, 278fps, 279fps, 281fps) means all paint will follow roughly the same flight path. A marker shooting 5 shots (260fps, 299fps, 275fps, 297fps, 250fps) will cause some balls to go further, some to drop off sooner, and mean they will not hit EXACTLY the same spot.
- Paint. Better paint = better accuracy
- The person shooting the marker. A kid that has never shot a marker before, will be less accurate than someone who has been playing 8 years.
So in the end, if you take a $200 vibe, and a $1800 ego, put both on a gun stand, give them both the same barrel, same paint, and set them to the same velocity, they will be roughly the same as far as accuracy goes.
Here are some tips to improve accuracy:
- SHOOT GOOD PAINT
- Get a decent barrel
- Proper stance (marker in the middle of your face, tank against shoulder)
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!
Myth #3
Longer barrels are more accurate
Barrel kits are more accurate
NOT TRUE!!!!!!
The length of the barrel does not affect accuracy very much at all. A longer barrel will actually decrease performance. After 16” a barrel will require more air, which can cause paint to break, be pushed off course, and make your marker less efficient.
The only advantage a longer barrel has it that it is easier to “aim” with.
So what is the best length barrel to get?
8-14 inches.
A paintball takes 5 inches to get up to its full velocity. The other 3 inches would be ported (holes in a barrel are called porting). This will release air from the barrel. So when the ball comes out, there is not a whole wack of air pushing it in another direction.
8” may be a little hard to “aim” with, so 12-14 are the most popular.
BARREL KITS
Barrel kits are not more accurate than your average barrel in most cases.
Barrel kits are designed to give you a good paint to bore match. You try to get a ball to just barely get stuck in the barrel to prevent it from “wobbling” around, yet not too tight that it breaks.
This will not make cheap paint shoot better.
Cheap paint is not round, not all the same size, and not accurate. If you try to get cheap paint to fit perfectly in the barrel, you will run into a few issues. Cheap paint is not the same size, so if one ball fits perfectly, but the next is too big, then it is going to break in the barrel.
If the ball is dimpled, it is going to cause the ball to curve anyway. After all, the barrel doesn’t affect the ball once it leaves the barrel.
So barrel kits work much better with good paint. However, good paint is going to shoot straight no matter what. So yes, a barrel kit will help, but no, it is not needed.
Some good barrels for a good price are Smart Parts all-american, and Any Custom Products barrel. No need to spend a fortune on a barrel.
Myth #4
Electronic markers will break if they get a little wet.
How to protect your gear against rain/water
Playing in the rain
Electronic markers will not suddenly break as soon as a little bit of water gets on them. In fact it actually has to get fairly wet to cause any damage. Most boards have a water proof coating. If not, it still takes more than a drop of rain to break a board (look at pro players, they play in pouring rain and theirs work fine). Besides, if it does break, most times if you call the company and tell them you have a faulty board, they will replace it!
Besides the board, there isn’t much else to damage in most paintball gear unless you try to clean it in the bathtub. I have played in the pouring rain and am yet to have an issue with any of my gear.
So, playing in the rain? Want to help protect your gear? Here are some tips:
- Use a lid for your hopper. Speedfeeds will just get your paint wet.
- Make sure your grips are sealed good, and all your screws are in good so there are no gaps between parts.
- Use a visor for your mask! Most people just throw theirs out. But in the rain they help!
- DO NOT TAPE UP THE PORTING OF YOUR BARREL!!!! If rain gets in the barrel, rain gets in the barrel. Its going to happen anyway. Taping up the porting will just cause your marker to be horribly inaccurate. Almost all barrels have porting, and its for a good reason. So don’t do it!
Myth #5
“Marker A Shoots at a higher velocity than Marker B”
THIS IS NOT TRUE!!!
A 98 custom that looks and sounds like a sniper rifle is not “more powerful” than a quiet little vibe.
Yes, some markers MIGHT be able to shoot A LITTLE faster than another, but…WHO CARES!
After 300 fps you begin to run the risk of damaging the marker, and also breaking a lens. It is very dangerous to play above 300fps, and should never be done. After 290-300fps you even start to lose accuracy. So any imperfections in paint will be more noticeable.
SO DON’T DO IT!
HPA vs CO2
HPA
Pros: Cons:
-More efficient - More expensive tank
-It is regulated (constant output pressure) - Less shots per tank than co2
-It is better for your marker - Larger tanks
-Not affected by temperature
-Cheaper to fill
- Virtually all markers can use it
CO2
Pros: Cons:
- Cheaper tanks - Hard on marker
- More shots per tank - Affected by temperature
- Not regulated
- True electronic markers can not use it
- More expensive to fill
HPA is all around better performance, and better for your marker. However, most beginner markers will run fine off CO2.
Common misconceptions:
- Neither will cause your markers velocity to increase
- Nitrogen and HPA are the same thing (as far as paintball is concerned)
What Position Should I Play?
Often newer players wonder what position they should play (back, front, or mid). Really, there is no easy answer.
Front: Faster, smaller players.
You are going to be right up there. You cant be afraid to move, or afraid of getting shot. You are going to be moving a lot, getting shot at a lot, and have to react quickly.
Most people think that front players are normally the best players on your team. In some cases this is true, but in most it is not. A front players main job is to get up the field quickly, get a couple of kills, and to take out key players on the other team. This often involves running up the field to get someone, and getting shot in the process. Front players rarely last long in a game.
Back: Being fast and small helps, but it isn’t as important as anywhere else.
Back players need to communicate to their team where players are, where they are shooting, when the move, and they need to work with their front players. People often think back players are the worse players on the team. Not true. Back players are often the best players. Without a good back player the front players cant really do much. Back players control their team, control the other team, and need to be doing 100 things at once.
People who are afraid of getting shot usually play back as well. If you don’t like getting shot, DON’T PLAY PAINTBALL! Back players are also usually the last players left on the field. This means they may have to deal with 2 on 1’s, or even 3 on 1’s. They need to be able to close on a game, and be prepared to get bunkered if they are the last player on the field, which they normally are.
Mid: Still need to be fast, and being small helps.
One part of a mid players job is to fill in for front players. When a front player bumps up, or gets shot, a mid player has to know if/when to fill that position. If a back player gets shot, then they also need to know how/when to fill that position. Mid players have to make many decisions like this.
So how do you decide where to play?
GET OUT THEIR AND PLAY! You will find what works best for you once you play enough. Change it up. Play front one game, and then back the next. This will teach you how to handle every situation, and will prevent you from being predicable. So get out there and play!