So it looks like I may be getting into paintball with some friends to play some weekend type crap in the woods or whatever.

I have been reading some crap on the internet and theres soooooooo much crap to learn from:

gun
hoppers
air systems, nitro c02 etc ?
barrells
gear

etc etc

Anyone sum it up for a nooob? Probably dont want to spend more then $300 to get started, but dont want to get my butt kicked due to lack of having the right stuff.

1. go to local paintball store.

B. talk to the creepy 50 year old guy wearing camo that owns the store.

III. tell him how much you want to spend and he'll go into a 45 minute speech about what you need to get.

4. leave store.

E. go home.

VI. open beer.

7. sit in front of computer.

H. order the stuff from the internet if it is cheaper than it was in the store, if not, go back to store and talk to the creepy guy again.

IX. open another beer.

10. jump out your basement window.

Play in the nude.

If you're just lookin for something average, you can probably bet a decent priced Spyder for 150.. I have a Tippman 98 Custom and you can get that with a hopper/tank/mask combo for about $300-$350. You can fill your tanks at a local Dicks sporting goods or any other type of sporting goods (or propane/gas store).

I recommend going with a 12" add-on barrel for whatever gun you get. It really makes a world of difference. Besides the gun, the other thing you want to spend the most money on is your paint. Don't buy some bulk-item stuff from toys r us. Before you buy any, look inside and make sure none have exploded in the bag and that they aren't too soft. I'm drawing a blank for the kind of paint I usually use, but if I think of it, I'll get back to you in this thread and let ya know. have fun!

Just go with a 98 custom pack you can find them for a descent price at any sports store, and is the most popular woods/scenario sun there is. Seeing how it's your first gun theyre pretty easy to maintain, and just get you're CO2 filled up at any sporting goods store. It's a great gun because you can upgrade to a tourney ready gun if you wanted to, or just keep it stock and have fun with your friends.

Here is the pack: http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/ind...rentPage=family


Just maybe get another 20oz. CO2 and some paint you'll be around 210-250


Also if you would want to learn about it more go to: pbnation.com

I own a Spyder, it's an excellent starting marker. Bought it for around $150 (8 years ago though) and it came with the tank, hopper, and endcap (which is required if you play on a competition field, it's just a brightly colored piece of plastic you put in the barrel). Runs on CO2, which is fine for starters.

You won't need a second tank unless you're planning on firing a couple thousand rounds in a single outing, but the longer barrel is good advice and you should invest in some reloading cylinders (not a spare hopper).

If you really get into the sport (which is pretty easy to do), you'll want to upgrade your marker to an Autococker/Nitrous system, which will run you a pretty penny ($700+ without breaking a sweat). Make sure this is something you're serious about before making that kind of investment.

If you possibly can, I would look into renting equipment (which will be available at any competition field, if you have one in the area) first, since there's no point in spending the money if you're only going to go a couple of times or less.

Happy splatting.

never, and i mean NEVER get an autococker...

1. Don't let them try to sell you a defogger for your mask either.
2. Spyder is a great starting marker - must get extended barrel...MUUUUSTTT
3. Forget the Spyder and just by an Angel marker - 24 shots a second I think...computerized chip...you'll break it in 15 seconds of owning it.
4. You will welt, man up
5. You say $300 to start...you will most certainly walk out of the store having spent over $700 and not even realize it. Prepare

The tipmans is the best way to go. For the money you will not find a better gun. If it tells you anything almost all places you will play that rents guns out has tipmans as their main gun. Also a couple of tips for yea when you get started. Put some paper towels in the bottom and top of your paint storage bottles yes you will need some of these plastic bags dont work. hahaah.

Also a barrel cleaner is a very important thing trust me if your out with your friends a ball breaks in your barrel you will thank me for this bit of advise. And if you dont buy one of these i reccomend figuring a way to clean your barrel. Not being able to shoot back is your friends wish come true. And no matter how much they say they wont shoot you trust me they will.

I think we found a new nickname for Ron Mexico.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5223250





Thanks for the advice so far everyone. So Walmart has the above Custom Tippman 98 for about $153 which includes ...

Marker Features:
8-1/2" Quick-Thread anodized barrel
.68 caliber receiver with open bolt blow back
All aluminum die-cast receiver for durability
Quick-release feeder elbow
Removable front grip to accept Expansion Chamber & Vertical Tanks
200 round hopper
Fully compatible for CO2
Compressed air or nitrogen

PowerPack Includes:
Marker
9 oz. CO2 tank
Maintenance pack
High performance goggles with anti-fog lenses

Seems like a decent deal. So if I bought that I would need to buy a 12" barrell and maybe a little bigger C02 tank? Maybe a fast loading hopper?

In this order: bigger CO2 tank > barrell > hopper. Honestly, I don't see much need for the fast loading hopper with that marker.

First you have to be sure what you're gonna be playing. My friends and I started out playing in the woods, but we started so close together it turned into speedball real fast. I decided to start playing at a speedball field soon after.

Anyway, if you're gonna be in the woods, a Tippman 98 is the way to go. It's very sturdy and will stand up to being dropped, getting wet, etc. All you'd need for a hopper would be a gravity feed.

If you think you're gonna get into speedball, an electronic Spyder or Piranha would be a good start. If you're mechanically inclined and not afraid of a challenge, a Smart Parts Ion is a better starter marker. It has better speed, and you'll need an electronic hopper... but it's a giant step up from a Spyder.

All of these will get you called a n00b. Don't worry about it, paintball is full of snobs.

No matter what kind of marker you get, you'll want to use nitrogen as your air source. (if you can find a place to fill them) Nitrogen, not nitrous.

Pros and cons on co2 vs nitrogen:
Pros: co2 is usually easier to get filled, the tanks are cheaper.
Cons: co2 is effected by outside temperature causing the pressure to spike, it's bad for you marker. (It's a dirty air and leaves moisture in you marker)
Pros: Nitrogen is not effected by temperature and will give you more consistent pressure which helps with accuracy. It will not harm you marker.
Cons: Nitrogen tanks are expensive and can be difficult to find a place that fills them.

Hoppers:
A gravity feed hopper is fine for any marker shooting 10bps or lower. If you get any kind of electronic marker though, get an electronic hopper. A Viewloader "Egg II" is decent but fragile. A Halo B is really the best bet. (There are newer, faster models, but a B will do the job well)

Masks:
A lot is personal preference. I like JT Proflexes. Never had a problem with fog. If you buy a kit that includes a mask... trash the mask, it's crap. A good mask is more important than a fast marker.

Packs:
Again a lot of personal preference here. I like NXe.

I'll be glad to answer any other questions. And help debunk any myths people throw at you.

Ignore all the ZOMG 36bps!!! crap you'll hear. If you just want to have a good time, 8-10bps is fine.

fyi ... Dicks Sporting Goods website is dickssportinggoods.com not dicks.com .... SOAB!

Unless they've seriously upgraded the masks they give out with those things... a new mask would be my first purchase. (and not just because of the PM I sent you lol) A new barrel is not that big of a deal right off the bat, but it is a good idea. The hopper is fine. A bigger tank is a must, you'll barely empty the hopper on a 9oz tank. (that's an exaggeration, but close enough) Get a 20oz and look for a place that fills nitrogen and upgrade to a nitrogen tank as soon as possible. Scuba shops will often have the necessary equipment and some of them even have paintball fields.

the place we are going to play is a buddies farm and he has 2 100# c02 tanks and a filling station that he pays $6/month for so we can give him 50 cents or a buck to top off our CO2 tanks.

That's really cool. In that case I'd say go with the Tippman and a 20oz. A 16oz at least, but a 20 will give you time to play for awhile between fills.
You don't want to run an electronic on co2, so just stick with the Tippman. co2 is crap in an electronic marker.

For less then $300 total, I would suggest a Tippmann Model 98 like others have already mentioned. You can get the gun, mask, and tank, and still have some money left over for a case of paint.
If you can spend a little more, say about $450ish, you can get a set up that is a much nicer. I would check out the Smart Parts Ion or Diablo Wrath (each is about $200). They will need to be run on compressed air (they start at about $60) instead of CO2. If you are playing at a friends house, they may not be able to fill compressed air, so check on that before spending any money. If you go for the Wrath or Ion, you'll need a hopper. I would suggest a Halo B (about $100)

Whatever you do, get a thermal lens with the goggles you buy. IMO the best, least expensive goggles are JT flex 7 (www.pbgear.com has then for $40). I used only JT goggles until recently, and the only complaint I had was that changing the lens is more difficult then it has to be. Without a thermal lens, you will fog up about every 6 seconds. I can't stress this enough, if you plan on playing more then once, spend the extra $15-$20 to get a nice, comfortable mask instead of the cheapest thing Walmart has.

If you check the buy/sell/trade section of www.pbnation.com you'll find an amazing amount of kids trying to sell all kinds of gear mommy and daddy worked hard for, at prices only someone who didn't work for the money would consider selling it for.

If you have any other questions that don't get answered here, PM me and I should be able to answer them for you.

good stuff shady, thanks

thanks for the pm dog, i'll let you know too.

Cool.

I just skimmed this thread....but I didn't see anyone tell him to PM dna4ever for details?!?!?

I thought paintball was a Canadian thing. You guys can legally own and shoot real guns!

I've only been hunting twice but it was such a difference experience holding an object of death in my hands.

I know you mean nothing by it and I mean nothing by laughing at it... but "object of death" is funny to me.

It's interesting how being raised in a different culture can affect one's perception so much.

And please, nobody turn this into a debate.

Good info so far i'd just add a couple things.

Get a chronograph to measure the speed at which ur guns are shooting and try to keep it around 300fps just to be safe. It is a lot more fun not worrying about huge welts.

Get to know how to maintain and troubleshoot whichever gun you buy. One gun that doesn't work can hold up the whole game.

There is nothing like that adrenaline rush so have fun.

Excellent advice, I feel bad for not mentioning this myself. It sounds like dna's friend has a nice set up, renting the air tanks. Hopefully he had the idea to get a chronograph also.

OK so after everyones advice and stopping by the paintball store yesterday I have decided on the following package:

Tippman 98 Custom $150
14" barrell $35
Standard gravity hopper for now - $0
20 oz CO2 - $30
JT Proflex Thermal Mask - $50
Remote - $45
Generic 4+1 - $20
Squeege - $8
Finger Gloves - $15

$350 ish

Will look into chrono.

May add stock and Halo B hopper if we really get into this on a regular basis.

The Halo is awesome, but it will be overkill on your Tippman, unless you plan on getting a Response Trigger. (Oh boy, the addiction of upgrading your marker begins, lol)

Also, I'm against remotes. You need to be able to switch hands quickly and a remote makes that difficult. It also gets tangled up in brush if you're playing in the woods. You'll end up snatching a connection loose. That's just an opinion though. Try it out if you think you'll like it.

good advice, i havent bought everything yet, going tonight so i may stay away from it. i was gonna get your mask and 4-1, but we are playing this weekend so just no time. thanks for the help

The prices are decent. You can do a little better online, but usually the support from local stores makes up for the little extra cost.
What 14" barrel is it? For that price unless it was a J&J ceramic, a CP (Custom Products), or some older stock left in the store like a Lapco Big Shot or Dye Boomstick, you can do better for about the same price. There are so many cheap, useless barrels that really aren't going to make a big difference, its best to be sure you are getting the best you can the first time. It might just be me, but I'd rather spend $75 on a barrel the first time, then spend $35 for a POS, then go and spend $50 the second time for something a little better.
The gravity hopper and 20 oz will be the best for you right now.
The Proflex is a great choice. Its better then the flex 7 I suggested originally, but only marginally. Its basically the same design, just using different materials. The lower section (over your mouth and nose) is softer. This makes it more likely for a ball that hits there to bounce instead of break. The Proflex also has soft ears, its a thin foam, instead of the hard plastic ears of the Flex 7/Spectra. While this is also more likely to get a bounce, it is more painful when you get shot in the ear. Its a trade off, possibility of staying in the game longer vs temporary pain. Most recreational players would prefer less pain. Myself, I'd rather get shot straight in the ear with no protection then leave the game.
I agree with Dog that a remote is more likely to get in the way then help. I've never liked the idea, but some people do.
A cheap pull through squeegie comes with the Model 98. With a pull through, you need to take the barrel off first. Its only a few seconds but it can make a difference. A would suggest a stick squeegie over the cheap one Tippmann includes, or any aftermarket pull through. A stick squeegie lets you put in in the barrel without taking it off.
I'll see if I can find a pic of the last time I was shot in the hand. It was from about a foot away, nice and bloody...That was last summer and I still have the scars. Gloves are a good idea. It seems like I never get shot in the hands, unless I am not wearing gloves, then I ALWAYS end up bleeding.

Your friends hopefully already have a chrono. If not, I personally probably wouldn't play with them. Its the second most important piece of safety gear, and if they aren't taking that seriously I would have to wonder what else they are slacking with.

Also, no matter what...*NEVER TAKE YOUR MASK OFF* on the field (or in a safe zone if someone doesn't have their barrel plug/condom in/on. INSIST they put it on immediately!). Don't trust your eye sight for the rest of your life to anyone. Even smart people do stupid things now and then, and bizarre accidents happen. I've seen "unloaded" guns fire a ball that was stuck in the feed neck after dry firing it 12 times, I've seen mechanical safeties fail, etc....

Sorry this turned so long. I have too much free time...

So I guess the answer to the original question asked in the thread title would be...

"Yeah, a few people."

Good stuff there, Shady.

Talking about taking masks off while playing... that's why I stress getting a better mask than the cheapies that are included in kits. The cheapies will fog up and you will be too tempted to lift it and wipe the fog off. Then splat, there goes your eyeball. Next to that, the Proflex is so comfortable, you'll forget you're wearing it. The cheapies will dig into your cheekbones.

Also, I insist on barrel condoms over plugs. A plug can become just another projectile, where a condom, even if the strap breaks, is going to slow the ball or bust it.

Gloves are preference, but I always wear them. I have the trigger fingers cut out and of course I get shot there, but meh.

14" is a bit long on the barrel, but it will be ok. If somebody told you longer barrels mean more accuracy... pimp slap them. 10"-12" is perfect.

On that gear I had for sale, if some of your friends are interested, let them know. I'll deal with anybody you vouch for.

Dog, how long have you played for? Do you mainly play woodsball or speedball?
What gun(s) do you have?

I used to play but got some crappy stuff..
If anyone here uses a spyder and wants an old dye boom stick let me know.

I don't play anymore. I started in the woods, but we only started about 50yds apart and rushed each other. I moved to speedball soon after.
I started out with an electronic Piranha, when I quit I was using an Ion.

I was full on addicted but only getting to play about twice a month. Then the field I liked shut down. There is another field close to my house, but it's kinda ghetto.
I decided to focus on poker. It's cheaper and I can play more often.

I would go with an ion, because if you get into this, your are going to end up moving away from your 98, becasue they are nice but after awhile they just dont do it. you can get a sweet Ion set up for around 400 it will be easy to operate and it allows you to go automatic,semi,single,3shot,6shot, or ramping mode. it works good for woodsball and great for speedball. Also you can upgrade to compete with just about any gun out there.

couldn't have said it better, myself

OWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

About 4th game in a fellow fcp'er zackallen somehow managed to get a shot straight up my mask and busted my chin and cheek all to hell. Cant wait til these turn purple.




I'm soooo in next week!

A lot of pain, but when your playing you hardly notice. I mean it hurts but its like dang I got hit. If you play like we used to you have to give up before you were out. We usually got hit quite a few times before we would quit. Plus the guys I played with had not moral dilemma when it came to just shooting you up for no reason. hhaha

yup same deal. you werent out until you called yourself out. maybe i wont be such a 'tough guy' next time lol

lol enjoy the questions all week about WTF happened to your face.
Did they have a chronograph?

Back in the day, they used to shoot a tree, and if bark came off, the gun was shooting too hot (velocity too high) and had to be turned down. Thats just sick..

Good times, dna... good times.