Paintballs are gelatin capsules filled with a water-soluble
marking dye. The dye inside is non-toxic, meaning that if you
swallow it, it will not hurt you. However, the taste is not very
pleasant.
Paintballs are manufactured by many different companies. As with
most things, paintballs can be either low quality, or high
quality. Of course, paintballs also come in a variety of colors.
Paintballs can also be bought in many different quantities, with
just as many variations of prices.
Most paintball fields require you to purchase and use their
paint. This is how they make their money. Therefore, in most
cases, brand and quality of the paint will not be deciding
factors.
The best way to determine which brand/quantity/quality of
paintballs you should buy is to know how you will be using those
paintballs. If you are using the paintballs for practice, you
naturally will want to go with the cheapest paintballs. Quality
will not matter much in this instance.
If you will be using the paintballs for rec-ball, again, quality
is not quite as important, and you may want to go with the
cheapest price. However, if you will be using the paintballs for
tournament play, quality matters a great deal. You want
paintballs that will not break easily inside your gun or in
transit. At the same time, you do want paintballs that will break
easily when they hit an opponent. Many tournaments will require
you to use the paint that they are selling. Tournament grade
balls tend to be resistant to “wiping”, meaning that the paint
is harder to wipe off. This discourages cheating.
You must also purchase the right size paintballs for your gun.
Paintballs sizes are measured in calibers. The most common
caliber of the barrel on a paint gun is .68. However, it is
important that you check the documentation that comes with your
gun to make sure you know the correct caliber of your gun’s
barrel, therefore enabling you to purchase the correct caliber
paintballs.
Both paintballs and paint ball gun barrels range in sizes from
.67 to .71 calibers. Just because your gun requires a .68 caliber
paintball, does not necessarily mean that this is the best
caliber for your gun. Paintballs are not perfectly round. You
will need to experiment with different sizes, close to the
caliber your gun calls for. It may be that a .67 caliber
paintball works best in your gun, even if your barrel bore is
.68. An easy test to see if a paintball will work in your gun is
to put the ball in one end of the barrel. If it rolls out on its
own, it is too small. It is a good fit if you can easily blow it
out of the barrel. If you cannot easily blow it out, it is too
big.
When choosing the color of your paintballs, it is necessary to
consider the playing environment. If you are playing in the
woods, bright colors may be preferred, as it is easier to see
the paint. Some paintballs glow in the dark. If you are playing
at night, this may be what you want.
A few brands of paintballs that are made for cold weather
playing. They are designed for better performance during the
winter months.
Occasionally, paintballs will break inside the barrel of your
gun. If this is happening on a regular basis, there may be a
problem. It could be the gun. You may have your velocity set to
high. The ideal setting for your guns velocity is about 280. You
may also bust balls in the barrel if you do not keep it clean.
Having too much oil or not enough oil in the barrel can also
cause the paintballs to break. Often, too much air pressure, or
uneven air pressure, can cause the paintballs to break.
If the problem is not the gun, it is the paintballs. The most
common problem will be the size of the paintballs you are using.
Try using a smaller size. Dirty paintballs can also cause them to
break. If your paintball hits the ground, do not use it in your
gun. Take the loss.
Cheaper paint breaks more often than quality paint. Old paint
breaks more often than new paint. Extreme temperatures also have
an effect on your paint. Unless your paint is especially made
for cold temperatures, avoid using it or storing it in such
conditions. High humidity can also cause problems, by weakening
and warping the paintballs. You should throw out paintballs that
you have had for three or more months. Paint may also break if
you are shooting the gun faster than what your hopper can manage.
This is called over shooting the feed.
When storing your paintballs, keep this in mind. Higher quality
paintballs last longer than low quality when kept in storage. You
will need to store your paintballs in a dry area where the
temperature does not vary too much. Store paintballs in a sealed
container or bag to keep dust and dirt out.
It is a good idea to purchase low quantities of different
quality/brand/priced paintballs and try them out to see which one
works best for you and your paintball gun.
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