How To Choose A Paintball Gun That's Right
For You
Two
key factors should influence your decision when purchasing a paintball gun:
1) Your budget, and
2) Your style of play
Paintball
guns cost from $25 on the low-end to over $2,000 on the high-end. Just like any
car you buy will have seats and a steering wheel, any gun you buy will shoot a
paintball. Establishing a realistic budget will narrow your choices for pro-
and con- comparisons.
Your
style of play will dictate whether you need a Land Rover or a Ferrari. Ask
yourself: Are you mostly a woodsball player? Do you play scenarios or
tournaments? Do you like to shoot a lot of paint or do you prefer to one-ball?
Different
types of paintball play include: woodsball, recball, scenario play, pump guns
and tournament paintball / speedball.
Guns built for tournament play are typically lighter and shoot faster
(higher ROF) than woodsball / scenario guns which are typically more durable
and look more realistic.
Entry-level
tournament markers from makers like Azodin
and Kingman / Spyder start around
$100 and max out at around $250.
Mid-range
tournament markers include the Invert
Mini, Dangerous Power Guns and
the Planet Eclipse E-tek and cost
between $300 and $500.
High-end
tournament guns include offerings from Bob
Long, Planet Eclipse and DYE and
cost more than $750.
If
you're looking for a good quality paintball gun for scenario / woodsball /
recball, check out offerings from Tippmann
and BT. If you're interested in
more firepower from a mil-sim style body, check out Bob Long's TM-7.
Featured Paintball Gun Manufacturers
Azodin: Azodin paintball guns are brand
new to the market and they are already some of the most popular products among
beginners. If you're looking for a reliable, low-cost paintball gun, Azodin has
what you need starting at $90.
Bob Long Paintball Guns: Bob Long has a
long history of manufacturing paintball guns, starting with the Defiant, which
was surpassed by the Intimidator, a game-changing piece of paintball
technology, and further refined with the Marq, Victory and G6R. Bob Long
paintball guns are manufactured and built here in the U.S.
BT: BT stands for Battle Tested and the
name is a testament to the durability and reliability of their markers. BT
paintball guns are favorites among woodsball and scenario players for their
realistic look and feel.
Dangerous Power: Dangerous Power is a
new player in the market but has taken off because their markers are easy on
paint, consistent and accurate. Dangerous Power paintball guns are lightweight
and offer many similar features as $1000+ paintball guns. DP guns start under
$300.
DYE: DYE paintball guns are developed
as the result of years of research & development and use by many of the top
professional teams. DYE manufacturers guns around the spool-valve design which
has little kick and is easy on paintballs, but less efficient than other
designs.
Kingman: The Kingman company and its
Spyder line of paintball guns have been around almost as long as paintball. If
you're looking for a good quality, low-cost blowback marker from a reputable
manufacturer, Kingman is your company and the Spyder is your gun.
Invert: The Invert line of paintball
guns, including the Mini, gives you
high-end performance without high-end price. The Mini and other Invert guns are
tournament-caliber markers at mid-range prices.
Planet Eclipse: The EGO series of
markers from Planet Eclipse is one of the most successful paintball markers
ever. EGOs are very efficient and have a very high ROF.
Proto: The Proto Series of paintball
guns are similar to DYE. The companies share ownership and Proto could be
considered DYE's 'budget brand' -- the same technology stripped of some frilly
features and offered at a lower price.
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