ChoicePaintballGuns

When paintball made its first debut, people were still learning the ins and outs of the sport. They were just becoming used to the various paintball guns and accessories and how to utilize them best in a game of paintball warfare. But before long, people had mastered this new game, and they were ready to take it to the next level. Strategy became an absolutely essential part of the process. And as people became more serious about these tactical and strategic measures, the required equipment increased as well.

As this demand grew larger, the selection of paintball tactical gear expanded greatly. While paintball used to consist of little more than a simple paintball gun, the sport now includes paintball masks, camouflaged holsters, gun bags, riflescopes, and more. All of these accessories and pieces of gear help add a level of intensity and reality to the game that heightens the level of play. Whether you’re playing with your neighbor, your friends, or organized teams, paintball has certainly increased in popularity over the years, and it only looks to continue.

Paintball is totally fun, but perhaps one of the downers of the sport is the constant need for CO2 to power your paintball gun.  If you play paintball, you will soon require a re-fill for your CO2 tank.  If you mostly play at a commercial paintball park or local field, you can get your tanks filled there at any time you want.  However, most players do not have access to these places; there simply aren’t any close enough for most paintballers to use.  Now that Wal-Mart has decided that paintball is not as good as airsoft and quit re-filling tanks - we’re plagued with the dilemna of finding where to get our tanks filled.  Here is a short list of places to try…

Paintball Stores.  If you have a paintball shop in your city, these are the first places to look.  If they don’t fill your tanks, they’re sure to know who will.  You can also stock up on paintball supplies when you’re there.  Find a local paintball supply store via the Internet or your phonebook.
Gun or Firearm Shops.  Many gun and firearm stores will fill up CO2 tanks.  Some gun stores sell air rifles and even paintball guns, so there’s a chance they might also fill tanks.  While few cities have paintball fields or stores, most have gun shops.
Bass Pro Shops.  This is a giant store that may or may not be close enough to you to visit, but they sell and refill CO2 tanks.
Fire Extinguisher Supply.  Find out if there’s a store or company in your area that refills/sells fire extinguishers.  Places that sell or repair fire extinguishers have the tools necessary for refilling a CO2 tank.
Fire Department.  Sometimes your local fire department can/will fill CO2 tanks.  If they do, it’s doubtful they will have the right connections; you will want to purchase a CO2 refill kit before going.  This product includes all the necessary hoses and gauges to refill your tank.
Commercial Air Tank Supply Companies.  Find out where your local hospital gets their tanks refilled.  There is a good chance you will be able to get your tanks filled there as well.

Here’s a short list of things you should practice to become better at paintball.  This is the boring type of practice - not necessarily the practice that comes with just playing and playing paintball; we’re talking about training specific movements and skills to help sharpen your shooting skills and physical ability to move.  There are physical skills you can’t become a great player without. Here’s a short list:

– Shooting with your off-hand (left handed shooting for right handed people and visa versa).
– Snap shooting.
– Learning how to crawl.
– Learning to shoot while moving.
– Sliding into bunkers, trees, and other assorted coverings.

Shooting with your off-hand: This is probably the most important skill a player can develop. Why? If you’re playing the left back bunker and shooting down your left tapeline, you will expose a lot of your body if you shoot right-handed.
How to practice:  Training to develop this is simple…. just do it, over and over again.  Go to the backyard, paintball field or wherever, and practice shooting off-handed.  It will seem awkward at first, but you will get better at it quickly.  Even if you never become as good a shooter off-handed as you are shooting naturally, it’s still better to shoot at seventy five percent accuracy from behind your paintball bunker, than one hundred percent accurate with half your body exposed.

Snap shooting: This is when you can pull your gun up and immediately sight in your opponent, while firing off a string of accurate shots. Snap shooting is a great tool to have when you come to a stop while running, or when playing behind big bunkers, especially when you’re playing in close quarters to your opposition.
How to practice: Set up some coffee cans (or equivalent) about 125 feet from you.  Run 25 feet (to the 100 foot point from the targets), come to a dead stop while bringing your paintgun to the shooting position.  Snap shoot the targets.  Do this until you drop or run out of paint.  If you have several targets, try timing yourself from the start, to the time you hit all of the targets.

Crawling: This is a skill you need whether you play arena type of ball or in the woods.  In the arena (airball, Hyperball, etc.) you will need to crawl, especially if you play the snake.  If not in the snake, from low bunker to low bunker, at least from time to time. 
How to practice: Get on your belly and practice.  You’ll want to learn to stay low and move quickly.  Also practice shooting on your belly.  Practice drills where you’re crawling, shooting and then get up quickly and immediately snap shoot.

Shooting on the move:  The game has gotten too fast and the playing field is too small to not have this skill in your toolbox.  There will often be times where you are shooting on the move - with the initial runout, at the game’s end and in one-on-one situations.
How to practice: Practice this like the snap shooting drill, but shoot during the run.  This is one you’ll get better with quickly; you should see an improvement within the first hour of practicing this.  Realistically, you’ll wonder how you ever got by with your average skills.

Sliding into bunkers:  This is actually not that easy; it’s common to slide right out of bounds, lose your feet or get hurt sliding.
How to practice: There’s no trick to sliding, but practice doing it at first without your gun.  Practice sliding feet first and head first.  Add the gun later.  Be careful, these movements can be dangerous, so stay within your physical abilities.  Paintball jerseys, pants with padding or at least baggy clothing will help protect you from getting hurt when sliding, diving or crawling.

Don’t approach buying your paintball gun lightly.  There are many factors that you must consider before investing in a paintball marker that you will be satisfied with and will last.  First of all, determine how seriously you take the sport.  If you’re a casual player who only plays every now and then, consider starting off with something cheap, but of course reliable.  If you’re on the other end of the spectrum and take the sport like it’s a real war (but without the casualties), then a realistic military replica tactical paintball marker is for you.  Perhaps you’re somewhere in-between?  

When starting out, a low end paintball marker will suit your purposes.  Most brand name paintball guns have starter models that are relatively cheap.  If you’re not sure whether or not you will even like to play, you don’t want to spend a lot of money.  If you’re really unsure, it’s best to go to a commercial paintball field where you can rent equipment; this is the lowest committment.  However, if you’re a full on paintball warrior, nothing but the best will suit you.  These players end up using top of the line paintball gun packages - decked out with all the trimmings.  Perhaps a sniper rifle with a precision scope and bipod or realistic M4 carbine with an electronic trigger will suit your appetite. 

If you’re in the middle, just make sure you get something sturdy, good quality, has a warranty that won’t break your bank.  Tippmann is a great company and has several different models to choose from.  Their basic model guns are geared toward a younger player and thus are perfect for someone who is not looking for something that is packed with features.  They’re also the most customizable markers on the market, so many players keep their Tippmann’s and upgrade them with accessories as their skill levels increase.

If you have been paintballing for years, you probably know exactly what you are looking for when you are shopping for paintball guns. For newbies, however, the wide range of markers available can make the buying experience rather daunting. When purchasing a new paintball gun, there are a few specifications to always consider.

One of the most important things is the muzzle velocity. Most paintball guns are around 300 feet per second; too much lower, and your gun won’t be up to snuff; any higher, and the marker may be dangerous. It is always advisable to go with a reputable manufacturer as well, such as Spyder or Angel.

Many paintballers hang up their gear for the winter, but some of the more hardcore fans play all year long.  Playing in the cold, however will require you to use certain paintball equipment.  CO2 tanks tend to freeze up after shooting your marker repetitively; this causes inconsistencies in the temperature of the gas, making your paintball gun’s shooting less reliable. CO2 tanks will freeze up much faster in cold temperatures; so a better choice is to use High Pressure Air (HPA) tanks for winter-time paintballing.  HPA tanks deliver the same temperature air more consistently and your marker will shoot better.  When playing paintball in winter, it’s also important to use ‘winter formula’ paintballs.  These are made by a company called Karnage and make a huge difference in being able to play in the cold. Regular paintballs get warped, become harder to break and may fly inconsistently in cold weather.  Winter formula paintballs act like regular paintballs in normal temperatures.  Playing in winter will force you to dress warmer and heavier too - this will give you more protection for when you get hit.

I’m very impressed with the collection of sniper paintball guns on your website, but I’m new to paintball.  I was a sniper for the police department from 1984 - 1997; retired but now I just want to have fun.  The T68 is a great looking rifle but how well does it react?  What’s the distance I can get with a calm day?

The T68 models are some of the most realistic military replica paintball markers on the market right now; there are many snipers in this line as well. The T68 is magazine fed and also has an option called the ‘SplitFire’ that offers both magazine and hopper feed.  They also offer the option of a ‘Flexi-air’ buttstock system; this allows you to carry the gun’s air tank inside the buttstock, making your tactical marker look that much more realistic.  One thing you should realize about paintball markers…. most paintball guns start losing accuracy after 250-300 ft. - no matter what gun you’re using. You can turn the velocity up on most guns and this helps you get a bit farther; you may also get a bit farther with a sniper but beyond this don’t expect to have real precision with a paintball gun.  It’s because you’re shooting a round ball rather than a bullet.  Many of the sniper guns we carry have rifle scopes on them; honestly, the scopes can see much farther than the gun can shoot.  As far as the way a sniper paintball marker ‘reacts’…. there are generally so many variables with the equipment itself - paintballs that are not ‘fresh’, warped, have moisture or react to different environmental temperatures; whether or not the barrel on your gun is rifled, etc.  Since you’re not going to get anywhere near the precision with a paintball sniper gun than you would with a real sniper rifle; most players don’t have much to say about how their gun reacts on a calm day.

Use a little discipline with your trigger finger and you’ll not only save paintballs but you’ll also keep your opponents guessing!  You cannot win without regular shooting at your opponents and stay focused on avoiding getting shot yourself at the same time - it has to be one or the other (and both at the same time!).  This is why practice is so important.  Remember not to always come out of the same bunker in the same spot; vary your positions to always keep them guessing on where you’re at.  Otherwise your opponent may catch on to your pattern and use it against you.  It takes a lot more than just dodging a few paintballs headed your way to win the game.  If you’re not moving forward, you’re not winning.  You have to be able to move, shoot and be able to hit your target - all at the same time.  Obviously, the more accurate your shooting is, the more quickly you will eliminate your opposition.  Practice your accuracy by trying to hit moving targets as well as still ones.  To get the most out of practicing, it’s essential to have a reliable paintball marker that has a straight shot in a high rate of fire.  Practice shooting targets all you want but the best practice is doing - the more paintball you play, the better you get at playing paintball!  Schedule in a set amount of time each week that you can devote to practicing and improving your skills.  Practice drills can make all the difference if you take your practice time seriously.  Have one of your buddies coach you to help point out your strengths and build up your weaknesses.

Knowing different techniques is what will seperate you from the other players on the field.  It’s important to not only have a knowledge of  different playing strategies, but to be practiced in them as well and make them your own.  One good way to eliminate opposing players is by using a technique called sweet spotting.  This is when you shoot extended fire at high traffic areas such as bases and bunkers without aiming.  This method works best in games with time limits because you know at some point the opponent will have to come by that area.  When he does, he will have a very good chance of getting eliminated.

Shooting while you are moving is another important skill to master.  You should practice shooting your paintball gun as you walk, run, and even rushing out from behind bunkers and such.  Experienced players can come out from behind cover with their marker at eye level, ready to fire.  Using this skill along with keeping good communication with your teammates will not only help avoid accidental shootings, but will also keep you informed about what your teammates are doing.  This will also make it even more difficult for your enemies to eliminate you or your teammates.

After watching and being involved in paintball for over 7 years, I’ve watched the sport grow and advance.  I guess you could say I’m a purist and I dream of advancing paintball technology so the game becomes as close to real war as possible.  Imagine how real the game will be when everyone on the field is using military replica tactical paintball guns fueled by a hidden air tank and loaded through magazines.  Actually, with paintball guns from RAP4 and MilSig, I’ve found out that this is not that far from reality.  In fact the T68 gen6 by rap4 is so close to the real thing it’s scary.  These guns are not only magazine fed, but the flexi-air systems are ultra cool - this is what allows you to hide your air tank inside the buttstock -  it’s by far one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.   It’s also amazing how many different options there are to choose regarding what type of weapon you want…. There are multiple snipers, CQB, AK47 and carbine combination packages available; seriously there’s like 60+ different customized T68 guns to choose from.  If you want to take your tactical game to the next level of realism, get a T68 and I’ll meet you on the battlefield!  This gun is transforming the sport of paintball!  
Matt Kresch,  Team Trinity