If you are thinking about taking up a firearm sport, chances are you are considering airsoft versus paintball. Both sports can be a lot of fun and will get your adrenaline pumping, but there are some critical details that make the two very different experiences.

Paint ball guns (also known as paint ball markers) use expanding gas to propel paintballs at the target. A completely assembled paintball gun consists of a body, barrel, gas system and hopper (i.e. the loading mechanism) and is available in pump action, semi-automatic and fully-automatic. A paint ball gun feels and maneuvers like, well, a paint ball gun. Even blindfolded, no one would ever mistake a paint ball gun for the real thing. Likewise, most paintball games are less concerned with realism and usually take place in an obstacle course type environment. It will get your adrenaline pumping, but it’s not really hyper authentic.

Airsoft guns on the other hand, are highly realistic replica firearms that fire small plastic airsoft pellets (6mm or 8mm). These firearms look and operate like the real deal, and for this reason airsoft guns are very popular among the competitive firearm gaming and military simulation set. In fact, airsoft guns are so realistic in design, weight and maneuverability, that they are also used for professional police and military training. Likewise, an accomplished airsoft player who has perfected their shot through diligent target practice, will also be able to carry that skill over to real firearms. Conversely, paintball guns are so different from the real thing that an accomplished paintballer will have to learn a completely different set of skills to become an accomplished marksman. It is this authenticity is what gives airsoft its edge and separates it from the paintball community. There are a wide variety of airsoft guns styles available, from pistols to shotguns, sniper rifles and even high power airsoft electric guns (AEG’s) that shoot between 300 and 450 FPS (feet per second). You would select your firearm based on the type of airsoft skrimage you planned to participate in.

How Much Will It Cost?

Obviously it will depend on the specific gun you select, but in general, airsoft guns are less expensive than paintball markers. Very high end paintball guns can set you back as much as three grand, but you can get a good quality starter gun for around $300. Thanks to its growing popularity, airsoft manufacturers have been producing very affordable, high-quality guns in the past few years well below the $200 mark.

But Does it Hurt?

As far as pain is concerned, yes, being hit with either a paintball or an airsoft pellet can be painful. It will depend on a number of circumstantial variables including where you are hit, the distance of the shooter, whether the hit is against clothes or bare skin and the FPS of the firearm. In both sports, you should wear protective eye goggles and I personally recommend a face mask and some sort of wrap to protect your neck, because that’s where it can really sting.

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Shooting one another has always been in the minds of boys. Nevertheless, these desires for shooting each other have not reached the point of wanting to kill each other. This is the same reason why first person shooting games are popular with men. In spite of that, there are still those who wish to feel the adrenaline pumping in their veins as they shoot others try their hands at paintball.

Paintball is a game you along with other teammates as you try to shoot the members of another team with capsules full of paint in order to mark players of the opposing team. The paint will “kill” the people who have been hit, making the team with most players standing the winner. To play this game with ease, you will need to find paintball shops that sell good gear.

You may need to scout around different paintball shops to find what will suit you best, though they usually carry the same gear at varying prices. Look for paintball guns that you like and will use for a long time. Air systems that are attached to guns come with either Nitrogen or CO2 systems. Goggles should be worn at all times so that you can protect your eyes from paint balls, and good armor is also essential so that bruises will be prevented. Nevertheless, paint balls are also quite necessary as part of your paintball gear.

There are many paintball shops online and offline. The advantage of online shops is that you can get the store to deliver your order right at your doorstep. The disadvantage, however, is that you need to put your trust to the online store to deliver your goods in a good condition. The advantage of offline stores, or retail stores, is that you can first check the item for errors and damage before actually buying it. You can also ask the store inquiries about the sport itself.

Whether online or offline, paintball shops are a good place to start your paintball adventures. Be sure to ask for the top gear that your money can buy because you need to keep in mind that these are investments and not just mere toys.

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Paintball is an interesting and fun sport which can keep a group of people entertained for hours or days even. It is usually played between two people or two teams where their main aim to eliminate the members of the other team by hitting them with paintballs fired from a paintball marker. It has now reached a stage where the sport is organized and played on an international level as a professional game. Paintball technology is also used by the military to train their armies in simulated conditions. The guns used in paintball are known as paintball markers because of the negative impression and the picture of violence it portrays.

The game is usually played outdoors with natural or artificial terrain. Generally, wherever the sport is played, it requires you to wear an armor of sorts along with a protective mask, so that you don’t end up injuring yourself in some way. Most countries have made the sport legal. There are few countries though, that are trying to ban the sport with little or no success. Most countries require the players to be of at least 18 years of age before they can play. But there are few places where the legal age to play the game has been lowered to 15 years or even 12 years.

Paintballs were initially made of a mixture of food coloring and gelatin. Now, however, paintballs are made of a special non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble mineral oil. Not all paintballs created are equal. There are many differences between high-end and low-end paint that is used to make them. A good paintball is one that is perfectly round, not too hard or too brittle. When buying, one should choose the right kind of paintball; otherwise there is a chance of injury or severe pain. The best kind of paintball is one that splatters upon impact and uses a myriad of bright colors so that it is easily distinguishable.

Paintball has a variety of rules and numerous variations wherever it is played. But the basic concept, which is to attack the opponent team or accomplish some goal without being shot at with paintballs, remains the same. When the player gets hit, he is out and has to leave the game. When a player is hit by paintball, there is a splatter of paint wherever he gets hit and that is usually the deciding factor if he is out or not. If he gets splattered with paint when there is an impact on something or someone else, then usually that doesn’t count. The splatter has to be from an impact that happens from a hit to the player directly.

In the early days, paintball was a crude sport which was played using Nelspot pistols which held only 10 rounds and was rather difficult to load. Since the number of rounds was limited, shooting used to be rare. Nowadays, there are many companies which manufacture paintball markers. Tippmann is one of the largest brands, which offers a variety of markers and other paintball gear for a buyer to choose from. The markers they make are durable, long lasting and they give you your money’s worth. You also have semi-automatic and automatic markers which can hold a lot of rounds and make playing a whole lot easier.

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Whether for real or fun, games are played to win. So there will be party or individual who will win against their opponent. So there are two sides to a game the winner and the loser. But everybody plays to win. So like any other games playing Paintball Shooting is about winning, it is about eliminating your enemy so that you emerge as a winner. But to become a winner you will have to be good at what you are playing then only you will be able to beat your opponent(s). So all of us try to get the better of our opponents in whatever game we are playing: paintball shooting game, football or other forms of games.

In a Paintball Shooting game the objective is to shoot the enemy. You will have to shoot and splash paint on your enemy so that he/she is eliminated. This sound pretty cool and easy, isn’t it? But do not be fooled by what you have just read as it might sound easy shooting your opponent while you read, but if you are in the actual paintball shooting battleground shooting your enemy will prove to be a difficult task. So you will need shooting tactics to eliminate your enemy.

In a Paintball Shooting, the paintballs don’t fly straight. Moreover if your opponent is far away from you, you need have to maneuver your aims. Sometimes the paintballs does not break even after hitting the target and the paint will not splatter. The paintball will break depending on the speed it travels and the hardness of the target being hit. So get closer to your target to ensure that you hit him/her and break the paintball splattering the paint and eliminating the enemy. So do not get excited when you see your target faraway and do not shoot, but try and get closer to the target and then shoot.

But a surefire way of improving your kill and eliminating your enemy in the Paintball Shooting game is to improve your aiming. But do not try shooting when your target is faraway from you otherwise your chances of hitting it will be remote. Try getting as close to the target and then hit. When you aim at the target make sure that you are aiming at the hardest part so that when the paintball lands there it break. If you follow these two rules, the paintball will break and the paint will splatters eliminating the opponents.

In the Paintball Shooting game you must know the surfaces that are hardest in your target. Obviously the headgear will be the hardest so try and aim at the headgear if you are confident of hitting it. Other areas that you can look for hitting are the elbows, knees and shoes. But remember these targets are small so you will have to be absolutely sure that you are going to hit it.

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On a fine fall day who doesn’t love to see paintball grenades explode or the sound of grenades being launched. It makes the heart beat faster.

Paintball Grenades Tournament leagues and play do not allow grenades to be used. But the grenade is found in recreational and scenario play. There are two kinds of grenades being used by players.

Non-explosive grenades are very much like a water balloon. The most common grenade is a rubber tube sealed at one end and more loosely at the other end with an arming pin. When the pin is pulled it loosens even more that end. The tube is filled with paint under pressure by a syringe. When the grenade is thrown against hard surface, the loose end of the tube is unsealed, and paint is sprayed over a wide area of play. The chances of the paint hitting some of players is very good. Another hand grenade device is using a container of paint and surrounding a small compressed CO2 tank with the paint container.

Explosive Grenades are power by a small black powder “banger”, tipped with a small black time-fuse. A small plastic bag of paint is then wrapped around the “banger”. Then the whole assembly is contained in a fiber case. The idea of this grenade is to look like a WWII grenade. The end of the fuse sticks out from the top of the casing and is covered with a friction sensitive material. The idea is for the top to look like a tip of a match. Then the whole top is covered removable cap. This cap is a safety devise. When the grenade to ready to be fired the cap comes off. And it’s match tip like surface is struck against the fuse. After being ignited the grenade is thrown, the fuse burns down to the tightly packed end that is holding the black power. Then in two or three seconds the grenade explodes. The grenade paint and the normal paintball paint is a different color. If a player gets hit by the spray of a grenade paint, that player is considered a kill. Under most rules, any mark from a paintball grenade is to count as an elimination.

GRENADE LAUNCHERS Paintball grenade launchers are used in recreational and scenario paintball games. The launchers will launch the grenades. They are more accurate then throwing a paintball grenade. Tippman products such as the marker X7 are able to have a grenade launcher attached to it, so this gives the advantage to Tippman when buying a marker.

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Paintball is a sport that has gained popularity in recent years because of its fast paced action and competitive edginess. Players form teams or play solo and navigate different obstacle courses and areas firing balls of paint out of specially designed, high powered rifles at each other. Paintball games are usually played until only one person is left on the field or a certain number of hits have been recorded. Let’s take a look at some of the equipment you’ll need to purchase to get started in the world of paintball.

Paintball Gun: Paintball guns fire the paintballs from their chambers using some form of compressed air or carbon dioxide. Refillable tanks of air are available for rental or purchase for your paintball gun and are a necessary component to make the gun operate. Atop the paintball gun is what’s known as a “hopper.” The hopper holds the paintballs that the gun uses to fire. Because paintball guns operate with balls instead of bullets, a hopper is a better choice for a semi-automatic paintball gun than a traditional rifle magazine. A hopper can hold a few hundred paintballs at a time and is designed to help the gun rapid fire multiple balls a second. Entry level paintball guns can be purchased for around $100, but more accurate guns that are capable of firing at faster speeds and using air more efficiently can cost much more.

Protective Clothing: Because paintballs leave the end of the barrel at close to two hundred miles per hour, there is the potential for skin bruising or tissue damage. To prevent the sensitive areas of the body from being injured, regulation paintball courses require that players wear full facial masks to protect their eyes and face from getting hurt. While competitive players purchase full body equipment and uniforms to prevent themselves from getting hurt, casual players can get by with wearing long sleeve shirts and pants that cover all areas of exposed skin.

Paintballs: Last, but not least, players of course need paintballs. Paintballs are available in a variety of different colors that can be chosen by the user. Cheaper balls have a tendency not to explode on impact, which may make or break a game. Paintballs are usually sold at a price of about $50 for 2000 balls. Averaging about 200 balls a round, that means you can get quite a bit of use out of a box of paintballs when you hit the field. If you’re just looking for a bit of fun for the day, cheap balls are all you need, but if you’re more serious about your paintball playing, investing in better quality balls can give you a leg up on the competition.

Paintballs are designed to explode on contact, so upon getting hit with a paintball, the explosion of paint on a player’s clothing will be evident. This paint stain signifies a kill or a point, and depending on the rules of the game, it may mean that the player has to then sit out until the round is over.

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The paintball barrel is just as crucial as the paintball gun itself used to propel the paintball through the barrel. Without a proper suitable paintball barrel, a player, regardless of his experience and good aim, will find it very hard to hit the target within time. A high quality barrel and paint to bore match will significantly increase the accuracy and the ball on ball precision, very important in the world of paintball. With this article we will offer a few tips regarding how to choose a paintball barrel.

1. Set up a budget and stick to it. You need to know that barrels can be bought as a single barrel or as a kit. The first ones cost around 40-50 dollars while the kits go from 75 dollars up to 175 dollars for the complete models.

2. Now, choosing the barrel type. You need to answer yourself the following question: do you need a single barrel or a barrel kit? The kit will allow the player to match the size of the barrel bore. The bore is the distance inside the barrel. The paint size varies from.683 to.696 which means that the correct paint to match the barrel will give you the much needed maximum accuracy.

3. Choosing the length of the barrel. A shorter barrel will give the player more mobility while the longer barrels will provide more accuracy. Most of the paintball players use 12″-14″ barrels. Of course, there are some players that enjoy using a 16″ barrel in woods, but you need to know that these types of barrels require more gas to propel the paintball. More than 16″ is overkill, at least in our opinion and there is a great drop in accuracy in a 10″ barrel. The choice is up to you of course.

4. Barrel kits. Such kits allow the paintball player to chance back bores and front lengths. The more experienced paintball players use these kits as they provide the best accuracy with any given paint. Here are some recommended barrel kits that paintball players use on a regular basis:

a) Powerlyte Sceptor (2000 series);

b) JJ Edge;

c) Smart Parts Freak (stainless steel inserts);

d) Dye Ulralite;

e) TI Longbow.

5. If you consider that a barrel kit is out of your price range, you need to start looking for a reliable single barrel. Here are a few examples of good single barrels:

a) J&J Ceramic – has a Teflon/ceramic coating to help the barrel clean better through ball breaks;

b) Lapco Bigshot – a rather loud to some but a great barrel for the price;

c) CP.689 – a rather popular barrel by a good company.

6. If by any chance you find someone that has the barrel you are planning on purchasing, give it a try on the paintball field. You must check for accuracy and marker balance.

7. The last obvious step would be to purchase the desired product. Check at your local paintball store, online shops and in paintball forums.

Good luck.

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A game that was played for the first time in New Hampshire in 1981, Paintball is played using paintball guns. Used to eliminate the opponents by hitting them with the paint capsules coming out of it, the gun is also used for military training.

Origin and Evolution of Paintball Guns

Way back in the year 1976, Hayes Noel, Bob Gurnsey and Charles Gaines joined hands and brains to create the game. Initially a Nel-spot pistol was used for firing paint balls. First game that was introduced was “capture the flag”. Quickly; the game gained popularity and evoked national interest. Paintball guns started becoming common feature in the adventurous gaming world by 1984. Outside United States, European countries and Australia started taking to the game in a big way.

Use of Paintball Guns

Known also as paintball markers, these guns are used to fire capsules containing paint. It is not only used in the game of paintball, but also by the military for training. Another use is during riots for non lethal suppression of the dangerous suspects.

Playing Paintball Games

Usually the paintball games are played indoor or in outdoor fields of multiple sizes. Multiple natural or artificial terrains are created in the field to facilitate the game. While rules vary widely, the common feature is capture of flag and elimination of opponents. Defending or attacking particular terrains is also a part of the game. For giving the game a realistic touch, at times bigger guns cloning grenade launchers are also used. A game could end in seconds or last for days, depending on the background used.

Varied types of practices are used for playing the game. In areas where the game is well regulated with game rules, protective mask wearing is mandatory for the players. Such masks are necessary for avoiding injuries to eyes.

Basic Paintball Gears

Depending on the type of paintball game that is played, multiple types of paintball markers and gears are used. While financial considerations are important in deciding the type of equipments, there are a few that are indispensable for the game. Paintball marker that is attached to a loader or hopper; paintballs that is used as ammunition, and mask or goggles used to protect the eyes from being harmed, are essential for the game.

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