kevin asked:


 

What makes a good paintball? Why are some paintballs more expensive than others? Do I have to pay a lot of money for good quality ammo? These are questions that vex paintballers, particularly those new to the sport. Let’s address these issues to enable you to buy wisely.

Do more expensive paintballs perform better than cheaper ones?

In a word: yes. More expensive ammo has tighter quality control regulations than its cheaper rivals. Paintballs vary considerably in quality and you should expect to pay more to enhance your performance.

How do paintballs vary in quality?

Quality ammunition is more consistent and reliable. It resists the affects of humidity and moisture. This results in better performance in extreme conditions. Quality paintballs will be less likely to shrink or swell in extremes of temperature.

Good ammo is strong enough to withstand expulsion from the gun without exploding; it is thin enough to burst on impact, and not before.

Good quality paintballs have a better paint fill, so the paint is brighter in colour and it marks well. It is washable, yet less easy to wipe off on the field.

Good paintballs are more spherical resulting in a straighter trajectory, greater distance and more accuracy.

Where can I buy good, cheap paintballs?

Many people buy ammo at their local field for convenience. This, however, is not a cheap option. There are many different brands of good quality, inexpensive paintballs to be found online. This is, by far, the cheaper option. Take your own ammunition to your local field; if they charge you for the privilege, it is still worth it. If they don’t allow you to use your own ammo, find another field!

How should I store my paintballs?

You should always store your ammunition in a cool, dry place; between 60-85 degrees is ideal, with as little humidity as possible. Paintballs do not have an indefinite shelf-life. They will develop flat spots if left too long which will affect their trajectory. Try to ensure a regular turn over of balls.

In short, there are numerous brands of paintballs available to you on the market. They vary in quality. You must expect to pay more for higher quality ammo. You can buy good quality paintballs online for a good price. Keep them in a cool, dry place and change your stock regularly.

Choosing the right paintball for your marker can affect your performance on the field greatly. Try out small quantities of different brands to see what you get on best with. Match your barrel size to the correct paintball size. Don’t compromise on price; you only get what you pay for.

Hawksbill Paintball

Hawksbill Sports was established by players, for players. Our goal is to give you the products you need to enjoy the sport of paintball. We have low prices and fast shipping and promise the best customer service you can find anywhere. For further information about different paintball gun types, paintballs and accessories, go to:

http://www.hawksbillpaintball.com

 



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Andrea Percival asked:


Emerging technologies have always played a part in the life of this particular paintball business, not least to ensure the smooth running of general operations and to provide an optimum customer experience.

In its infancy, standard issue cash registers were used in order to take and process customer payments, but this was cumbersome, and it was impossible to control stock movement and track business-critical issues such as group spend, shrinkage and customers using their own paint rather than purchasing paint on the day.

A new EPOS system enabled a reduction in paperwork as well as giving the company the ability create in-depth and up to date reports from all sites in relation to customer spending and product movement. The benefits have been huge and far reaching. The introduction of the system has alleviated the stress of manually calculating and handling large amounts of money. Staff are now fully trained in the system, and are able to effectively and efficiently count the takings at the end of each working day and send detailed information to the head office in terms of stock use. All staff have access to live data as it is entered into the system – a huge advantage, as staff no longer have to wait for a till roll and fax from each centre at the end of the working day.

With this streamlined process in place, the amount of paperwork has been slashed dramatically. Faxing costs have also dropped dramatically as the data is now transferred electronically from each centre. This has also allowed the company to compile detailed data in terms of the pricing of specific goods and offer location specific deals to customers with a high spend on any particular day.

Original Epos paintballing article



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Chris Abro asked:


It is important to know the different parts involved in the makeup of a paintball gun. The different elements are crucial to the successful working of your marker, and beginners will often be confused when receiving instructions because of their lack of knowledge of what the basic parts are. Knowing the parts of your paintball gun will also help you have a better idea of what you should be looking at when it is time to clean or upgrade your marker.

The body of the marker is the largest part of the gun. The body refers to the area of the gun that incorporates the trigger frame, the valve, and the bolt. All of these pieces can be detached from each other in order to incorporate new equipment, but only experts on their guns should attempt this. Makers of paintball guns have a fairly standard approach when it comes to the body of the gun, with the main difference being in the placement of the trigger and the barrel. Pushing the trigger frame forward shifts the balance of the gun and thus makes it easier to handle with one hand. It will also cause the body to have a lower profile, which is crucial when players are involved in games where hopper hits count towards elimination. The difference is plain when newbies and pros are present in the field, as the rental guns provided by most outfits have huge and bulky bodies that present a lot of hit potential.

The hopper is the part of the gun that holds the rounds of paint. No matter how high end, manufacturers have not perfected a hopper which prevents balls from breaking in containment. These breaks will often lead to jams of the feeding mechanisms and the gun itself, which in turn may cause more balls to break. Gravity-feed hoppers are especially prone to ball breakage while still in the hopper because of their jamming problems. Aside from gravity-feed, there are also agitation hoppers, force feed hoppers, and stick feed hoppers.

The tank is the part of the gun which contains the type of gas that propels the ball forward down and out of the gun’s barrel. Markers use either CO2 gas or high pressure air as propulsion material. The CO2 gas is the original, but HPA is preferred as it is more reliable than CO2 and does not require an evaporation system in order to fire.

Finally, the barrel of the marker is what the ball travels down when the trigger is compressed. The barrel is responsible for the speed and the accuracy, as well as the distance, at which a ball travels, and is thus arguably the single most important component of the gun. Longer barrels will fire quieter than shorter models, but a marker owner should remember that no matter what length of barrel, the paintball can only travel a set distance in order to break. While really long barrels may look intimidating and offer better accuracy, they also are prone to be ineffective since they require a larger burst of air to propel the ball faster to make up the distance within the barrel itself.



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Kangaroo Jack asked:


The key to all effective outdoor paintball gun strategies is practice. Every professional paintball team spends many hours going over their paintball gun strategies. Practice allows you to have individual skills and enhance teamwork. There are four steps you should use when practicing outdoor paintball gun strategies.

Discussion

Before you even being training it is best to go over the various field plans as a team and decide on the best paintball gun strategies you should use. Consider the different situations you may run into and the plans you can use. Before you actually set foot on the field you want to make sure everyone is clear on what to do.

Dry Training

In this step you want to take the time to walk through all your paintball gun strategies. You don’t have to do this on the actual field, especially if you don’t know where its going to be. You can practice in your backyard if necessary, just make sure everyone knows what your paintball gun strategies look like when they are in progress.

Half-Speed Training

In this training method you will actually use paintballs. Go through all of your paintball gun strategies, but go slowly like you did with dry training. Don’t rush and use soda cans as targets. If you can hit soda can during training, you will have no trouble hitting your opponent during the game.

Full-Speed Training

Now you will be running through the field and using paint as if you were playing against real opponents. It is a good idea to do this first on the speedball field where you can get a feel for your paintball gun strategies and how the team works. Then you can do a practice run in the woods before you are ready to face your opponents.

Practice is a long and important process. By following the four steps of practice you can be successful every time you step on the field. However, some keys to successfully completing your paintball gun strategies include knowing the terrain; having good communication and teamwork; and being able to move effectively.

Know The Terrain

Study your terrain well and look for any advantages. If there are hills you can slowly climb up at a crouch. Then when you reach the top you can pop-up for a quick look before dropping to your stomach for protection. This way you can quickly and easily see what targets are available.

If the goal is to protect your flag then you should look for a tree that gives you good protection while allowing for movement. It may be a good idea to try sitting in the tree and suprising your opponents from above.

Communication and Teamwork

Communication is essential to outdoor paintball gun strategies. Make sure you have your movements planned so that everyone instinctively knows where to go and what to do just by watching each other. In outdoor paintball games communication doesn’t necessarily mean the verbal kind. You don’t want the other team to know what you are doing so silent communication is important. Choose a leader and base your reactive strategy off them. Choose your leader based on tactical experience, military sense and nerve.

Movement

The most important part of outdoor paintball gun strategies is movement. If you want to rush through the woods it is best to stay on uncluttered ground. When you are in the woods the spot you step on will have an impact on how loud you are. It is best to have comfortable hiking boots especially if the area is muddy and the ground is unlevel.

Another key to silence in outdoor paintball gun strategies is your hopper or paintball pods. If they are half-filled they will be as loud as baby rattles. You should choose pods that are about half or 3/4 the size of your hopper.



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Mike Lang asked:


Have you ever wondered how those thin yet sturdy shells were made that contain paint and can be shot out of a gun to splat all over your opponent? The process for making paintballs is pretty interesting and you might be surprised at what is used to make them.

Paintballs are made of a thin skin of gelatin that will break upon contact. They are filled with non toxic, water soluble ingredients that are colored by a dye. The paint is biodegradable and will come out of clothing or off human skin with just water. When the paintball hits a person it splats color signifying they have been hit.

Paintballs are made on special machines that aren’t available to the public as the process is too intricate and the machines are extremely expensive. The following process is a rather complicated and lengthy one that only manufacturers of paintballs can do.

To make the hollow shell of the paintball, the gelatin is melted down and other additives are introduced while color is added and blended in. This mixture is run through an encapsulation machine, the same type of machine that drug companies use to make gel caps. The machine forces the gelatin onto a cooled drum which produces a thin sheet of gel called a ribbon. Two ribbons each pass over their own rotating die, or mold, that forms each half of the ball. The dies press against each other as they are rotated and eventually align to meet and seal making a round ball by placing the two half shells together. Once that happens the shells are filled with paint injected into them. You can usually see a seam on each paintball. This is where the dies came together. The paintball is sealed and comes out of the die being dropped out of the machine. The shells are very soft and bouncy at this time. The balls go down a conveyor belt and are then put in trays to dry. During the drying period the gelatin shrinks around the paint making them less soft and bouncy.

The paint that goes inside the two shells is made by combining polyethylene glycol, which is also found in cough syrup, thickened with wax.

Two tone or Dual Colored paintballs are made the same way except there are two colors of gelatin being introduced instead of one. One side will be one color and the other side will be another.

After the paintballs have dried they go through a counting machine and into bags and cartons for you to purchase.

The quality of paintballs depends on the quality of the ingredients used to make them. Some companies make excellent quality paintballs but they are very expensive, up to $100 per 2000 round count. These should be left to those playing in tournaments since it could be detrimental to the game to have a defective paintball break inside the barrel of the gun. Other paintballs can cost around $50 to $60 per 2000 round box and still might be too expensive for practice. Practice balls can be purchased in a 500 count for about $16. That is a little more affordable, but they won’t be the same quality of the ones you pay more for. Find the paintball that is right for you by trying several different varieties.



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Paintball Sniper asked:


What do you need in order to be a successful paintball sniper? You have basic personality needs, equipment needs, and the proper strategy. All of these combined will give you the tools you need to become a paintball sniper but you will have to put all of these together on your own to really be triumphant.

First you need to make sure you have the basic traits needed to be successful. You need to be patient. There are many matches that will have you stuck in positions for long periods of time before the perfect shot comes into focus. You will also be playing alone for the most part so you should be comfortable being in that role. This really can take out some of the basic fun of paintball which is the camaraderie but if you can get through this then you will be ahead of the game. You also have to be a confident paintballer. You will be waiting for long periods of time by yourself waiting on the perfect shot and you need to be sure that you can make it when the time comes because you usually only have that one shot.

You will not need much extra equipment other than your basic paintball needs. You will of course need a marker (gun) if you do not already have one. Most guns shoot the same distance because of industry guidelines keeping the speed of the paintballs exiting the barrel at less than 300 feet per second. So it is more important to find a marker that is comfortable to you so you can be your most accurate and consistent when the times comes for the shot. If you do have a marker you are comfortable with then you can simply purchase a paintball sniper kit that can convert your marker into a paintball sniper gun or buy the sniper gun parts separate such as a barrel or scope. You can get a paintball sniper barrel that will put more backspin on the paintball and slightly increase range but it is very difficult to increase range and not lose accuracy. You also need to match the paint you use to the barrel. A paintball sniper scope can also help some. High powered scopes are mostly useless in paintball because the markers will not have the range to make good use of this type of scope. I prefer a simple red dot scope cause of its ease of use and effectiveness at short and long range. Clothing can also enhance your effectiveness as a paintball sniper. One of the main keys to being a great sniper is stealth and a good camouflage outfit can greatly decrease your visibility. Some paintball snipers prefer a ghillie suit which are the best but can be pricey but you can do about the same with a camouflage suit that matches your surroundings. All of this equipment will help but will mean nothing if you don’t use your head.

Thinking through the match calmly, using your teammates, and having the proper strategy are the attributes that will separate you from the rest of the paintball snipers. Some of these you will have already and some you may have to develop. You need to be able to find a good hiding spot where you can be comfortable. Then you need to be able to use your teammates to help in putting targets in the proper position to get a good shot. You will also have to use your head to know when it is the proper time to take the shot. If you are lacking in one of these areas, practice time can help you get better. Practice will make you comfortable with your surroundings which will calm you down and allow you to use your teammates to implement the strategy you are using.

Be patient once you find a hiding spot (your suit will hide you), use your teammates to implement your strategy (always be thinking), then use the proper equipment and be confident that you will make the perfect shot at the perfect time and make that one shot kill.



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davemathews asked:


There are quite a few different opinions that are out there when it comes to how to make paintballs yourself at home. You might also get a few questioning glances about why you even want to bother taking all of that time to make your own paintballs. You need to remember to make your paintballs small enough to fit into the barrel of any of the paintball guns out there. Make no mistake about it you are going to be much better served by making reusable paintballs out of modeling clay (because it is durable) that you can use over and over again (for a while at least).

Some would say that making your own reusable paintballs is more economical; while others say that the single use paintballs that are commercially available are the best. If you are making your own paintballs according to the popular how to make paintballs guides and articles many will advise you that Crayola’s Model Magic Modeling Clay is the best thing to use to make a reusable paintball that is durable and workable; while other guides will advise you to create a shell out of silicone tubing or another easy to work material (like the gelatin based material that commercial paintballs are made from) that you would fill with paint that is both water-soluble and friendly and messy colorful enough to really make their presence known, seen and felt when you get hit by them. Firing any of these types of paintballs out of the popular paintball guns is easy to do.

The paintball that you make yourself is not going to be as perfect as those that you can buy that are commercially made; yet that is the beauty of it as well. If you already have some type of mold made to shape the shells of your paintballs you are halfway there. You need to remember to make the paintballs the right size to fit into the barrel of the paintball gun that you are likely to be using. You also need to remember that there are different sizes and calibers of paintball guns just like there are in regular guns that shoot bullets. It has been said (and easily proven by doing a search) that there are so many different how to make paintballs articles that you could refer to so that you have a better idea about how to go about making your own paintballs.

Making your own paintball mold is pretty easy (or so some of the available how to make paintballs articles and guides state) and does not take that much time or cost that much. Those of you that have paintball guns and want to get involved with all of the excitement of the various paintball tournaments and get into some pretty wicked paintball fights with your friends need to remember that paintball come in as many sizes as the guns themselves do; and are measured in calibers (just as bullets are). Too large a paintball will not fit in your gun; and too small will not go anywhere.  



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