Practice Paintballs

Practice Paintballs

Buying Tips For The Best Paintballs

There are basically three different sizes of paintballs; .68 caliber, .43 and .50.  Most paintball markers (90% of them) are .68 caliber and use this corresponding size.  .43 caliber paintballs are much smaller, however used infrequently as there are much fewer .43 paintball guns.  .50 caliber paintballs are very new and there are only about 5 different markers that use them.  Each size paintball can only be used by it's respective gun however; .68 caliber guns can only shoot this size paintball; a .43 cal paintball is too small and would roll right through this size gun.

First start with the correct size for your particular paintball gun; .68 caliber paintballs in a .68 caliber gun.  It seems like it should be this easy, but you will still find that some .68 paintballs shoot more accurately and consistently (in your .68 caliber marker) than others.  The reason for this is each paintball manufacturer uses a slightly different formula to make their product.  Because they make their paintballs differently, the sizes and shapes of each company's paintballs will vary slightly as well.  It is also true that each paintball marker barrel varies slightly in diameter as well.  Because of these two inconsistencies, trial and error is the only way to really find out what paintballs are best for you to use. 

The easiest way to test a paintball is to detach your barrel from the gun and drop the ball into the barrel one at a time to measure how easily it passes through.  If there is no resistance whatsoever and the ball drops straight thru your marker, the paintball is a fraction too small and will not shoot effectively from your gun.  If you have to force the paintball through the barrel, the paintball is too large and will not perform well either.  The paintball should go easily through the barrel with just a little resistance.

Another factor in choosing which paintballs to use is the grade of the paintball.  Different grades cost different amounts and can affect your play as well.  Most companies produce a cheaper, practice grade called recreational paintballs.  These paintballs are cheaper in price because they are less consistent than higher grades due to little defects in their shell.  It is not the best idea to use recreational paintballs in an important tournament as their performance is moderate (but great for practicing!).

Midgrade and tournament grade paintballs are also available.  Tournament grade is of course the most expensive and most reliable and consistent to shoot.  This grade is usually saved for actual competitions or precision sensitive target practice.  For most everyday practice, players choose to go with the cheaper recreational grade.

A common complaint with paintball guns is ‘ball breakage'; this means the paintball breaks inside the gun before it comes out the barrel when shot.  Many times when players have this problem, they assume something is wrong with their paintball marker.  This may be true at times, but usually it's often because they are using the wrong paintballs for their gun.  Some paintball brands have softer shells which bust when shot from an average gun; these are made for more sensitive, higher performance, tournament style markers.  If this is the case, consider trying a different brand of paintball (or perhaps a lesser grade). 

If your gun is still bursting paintballs of different brands, check the velocity of your paintball marker.  You can adjust the velocity on most paintball markers; if your gun's velocity is too high, it may be shooting your paintballs with too much force, causing them to break early. 

When purchasing paintballs it is best to purchase them from a local store.  When ordering paintballs online, you tend to spend as much if not more on the shipping than you spend on the actual product.  This is because the paintballs are so heavy.              If you choose to order paintballs online, the best brand to choose is Karnage.  These paintballs have a shell hard enough not to bust in your gun, but soft enough to cause minimum pain and damage.  These reliable paintballs also come in the three grades of recreation, mid-grade, and tournament grade.  Karnage has even created a winter formula paintball for those players who don't what to be slowed down by the cold.

Taking the time and effort to find the right paintball for your marker will save you time and money in the long run.  You won't lose as much money from paintballs bursting in the barrel and you will save on cleaning time as well.  For the best selection and price for purchasing your paintballs online, shop at ChoicePaintballGuns.com.

About the Author

Dan Levesque is the owner and operator of a successful online paintball retail store, ChoicePaintballGuns.com.  He also owns and operates several other successful businesses and is the treating doctor at a full time chiropractic clinic.  He is also a professional powerlifter and trains several top level strength athletes.

What is the highest quality slingshot for the least amount of money?

I want to buy a slingshot. But there are so many of them that I wanted to save myself from searching online for hours, and just ask you instead. What is the cheapest, highest quality slingshot. I just want to do target practice with it, mostly, maybe I will use it with some paintballs, but I really don't want to spend all that much money. Thanks

This one should work for you

http://cgi.ebay.com/Powerful-Pro-Wrist-Slingshot-Sling-Shot-High-Velocity-/370384794745?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0

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