OK, now I’m feeling the need to play. I just dropped more cash then I ever have at one time for the game of paintball. I don’t generally get into hype or feel the need to have what the speedball players might use - because I don’t play speedball.

I do, however, play scenario or woodsball paintball. If you have ever played it, or visited Special Ops, then you understand that there are several types of players out there, and they range from forward infantry (usually the faster, expendable guys) to the heavy gunners (think machine guns).

I have spent the last 3 or 4 years playing with my Tippmann 98 Custom, with several modifications (cyclone feed, expansion chamber, car stock, Smart Parts barrel), and a few other markers, such as the Diablo Mongoose Reincarnation. The Diablo’s sucked, big time, but my 98 has held up very nicely.

I have seen the power that the Tippmann A-5 holds, especially when it has the e-trigger. I can be quite the squad buster! The X7 is very similar in design to the A-5, but has the capability to be more customizable. bet and win pokergiochi pc pokerstrip poker on line gratisstrip poker online demosale poker onlinepoker on line multiplayersito pokertavolo multigicotori pokeraces texas holdem multiplayerstrip poker online gratispoker in lineagiochi streep pokergiocare a pokerpoker texas holdem online,poker multiplayer online,poker onlinedd tournament poker,poker tournament,world poker tournamentgioca poker on linecome giocare pokerstrip poker downloadpoker online legalepoker in tourgratis giocare a poker onlinetornei texas holdemdraw poker on linedownload giochi di pokerholdem poker regolepoker superstar gratiscasino texas holdemvideo poker onlinemetodi roulettegioco keno gratis in lineablack jackvideo poker freewarevideo slotscasino online certificaticasino game,casinos games,giochi casinogiochi di casino onlineamerican roulettegioco baccaratvideo poker jack or betterpc game casinocasino on line senza depositoroulette online gratis,giochi roulette gratis,roulette gratisdownload video pokerbetandwin casinoplay keno onlineroulette casinòcasino giocacasino italiani bonusslots comvideo poker machines It can spit paint at 20 balls per second out of the box, but can fire faster with the right modifications. In most cases that is just a waste of paint, but it can lead to fantastic suppression fire.

I have done my homework, and in order to sustain a rate of continuous fire like that upgrade to the cyclone feed are needed, as well as an upgrade board for the e-trigger. The WAS board will allow for a rate of 30 balls per second, but this will decrease the efficiency of the marker, as well as wear out the cyclone feed. For this, the Vortex Mod and the Lightning Rod is necessary.

Like I said, for the most part it’s for show and intimidation, but realistically it’s a waste of paint. Otherwise, it’s nice to know that it can be done, right? These mod will be purchased at a later date. For now I will be using the X7 with the e-trigger and J&J ceramics barrel. That will get me through one season, and give me a chance to figure out what I want to do with it next.

Well, last Saturday we played at one of the NeoDawgs private fields. It was a great day to play, for what would typically be considered one of the last days of the paintball season, if not a little beyond due to cooler weather.

Some things didn’t go as planned. For one thing, the weather was warmer than I expected, though I did go out and purchase some hand warmers, just in case. It was probably in the upper fifties most of the day, and sunny. We had about ten people playing, so the teams were even. But we did lack a chronograph, so we couldn’t measure the paintball velocity. Firing at some inanimate objects, we guessed that velocities were close to normal, or down a little bit, so we wouldn’t injure anyone, but enough to have the balls break.

So in typical Indiana fall fashion the weather was unpredictable, which worked out in our favor. I do plan, however, to try taking the marker out once the temperature gets a little cooler, and testing some warming techniques for the CO2 air system. Something else that was brought to my attention, aside from getting the CO2 bottle warm enough to speed the liqiud-to-gas conversion, was how well it would handle in the marker itself. Many woodsball players use Tippmann paintball guns, such as the A5 and 98. Our teams mostly used either of the two, sporting both semi-auto and automatic, some of the 98s using the cyclone feed (as well as all of the A5s), and some with response. These, of course, use gas (CO2) to operate. Will they freeze in a colder climate?

These are the things I want to find out.

On a more semi-humorous note, during the prep for one match, while we were waiting for the opposing team to get ready, we heard three shots. They were NOT from a paintball marker. They were from a shot gun, from some hunters that were bird hunting. So you can imagine the conversation that took place when we heard it…

Or is it? The last time I tried playing paintball when it was cold out, we all experienced problems with a sharp decrease in velocity. Now this would make sense, as CO2 expands (converts from liquid to gas) better in warmer temperatures. Playing when the temp gets chilly, such as the 40s, 50s or colder, would then, in theory, cause CO2 to expand far less rapidly.

Can an improvement be made to this? Well, I’m going to try some of the suggestions that I have seen on the Internet, depending on what I have time to get together. One of the things I plan to test is running my CO2 bottle under my jacket, but outside my shirt. I want to see if my body heat, by itself, will make an improvement.

I also plan to try wrapping my CO2 bottle in a sock with chemical hand warmers, as I have seen this discussed.

If I can come up with anything else that I can try, I will. I will post when I have tried it, what I tried, and how well it did, or didn’t work. Got suggestions? Post them in a comment. If it’s not too nuts, I may try it!

When people first start playing, many hear these terms and it doesn’t make much sense, because they sound so similar. They are related, and if not correct, can get you into trouble on the field due to violations.

Let’s start with the Velocity:
The velocity of a paintball gun, or marker, is the speed of the paintballs as they exit the barrel. Velocity is a very important safety issue. It is measured in fps (feet per second). While low velocity means less chance of the paintball hurting you or breaking, higher velocity can cause more painful injuries, or even break goggles. The maximum velocity of a paintball should not be greater than 300 fps.

Rate of Fire
A paintball gun’s rate of fire is the number of paintballs that are shot from a marker within a period of time. This can either be based on how fast a player pulls the trigger, the use of the response trigger or an automatic / eletronic marker. Some players can pull the trigger as fast as an automatic. A double-trigger helps to increase the speed, since you can use two fingers for firing.

Obviously the rate of fire can be very slow, while it can average 15 balls per second, or bps, for an automatic. Upgrades to automatics can nearly double that rate of fire, though going much beyond would continuously chop the paintballs.

Ramping
Ramping is based on the rate of fire, and may not be legal on paintball fields. It makes use of the programming in the electronic board to set an automatic rate-of-fire speed once you have fired a determined number of rounds, at a set speed.

All of these items are good to know, though learning to play safe and fair is best, and then take it from there.

One of the biggest questions for those getting into paintball: Should I use CO2 or HPA?

If you’re asking, then answer this: What was your marker designed to use? What climate will you be playing in?

Many high-end markers are designed to be used strictly with HPA. The primary advantage from HPA is consistency. This is most evident in colder weather, when CO2 pressure drops due to ambient temperatures. The only reason I can see to modify a marker for HPA is if you’re playing during colder weather. It can also make your shots more consistent, and therefore more accurate.

Tippmanns and some of the low-end markers are designed to run on CO2. Using CO2 with an expansion chamber helps to regulate the flow by creating a chamber to give the CO2 a chance to change from liquid to gas. This does two things - it helps reduce the chances of liquid CO2 from entering your marker and freezing or damaging it, which really sucks. It also tends to make your velocity more consistent, which helps make your shots more consistent and can influence your shot pattern to also be more accurate.

Notice that both scenarios involve accuracy. While it will help, if this is the reason that you choose one or the other then you’re better off starting with higher quality balls and barrel improvements. Most pros use HPA, but the markers they use require it. When you spend a couple thousand dollars on a marker, you don’t mess around with something that will reduce the quality of, or damage, your marker.

Often it comes down to cost and availability. The lower cost and most available is CO2, which can also be more challenging to fill. HPA bottles are much costlier, as well. It’s often harder to locate a fill station for it.

The bottom line is that CO2 is often the way to go when starting out. HPA has definite advantages, but it will cost you a bit more to get going.

Okay, this guy is old. But he still knows how to have some fun, doesn’t he? Does he take testosterone shots, or what?!

If you look close in the video, you will notice

that his jersey bears the ensignia of the Federation of Planets. Yes, I am a trekkie, and I know this. Forgive me…

Mancow is on the opposing team, as well. It looks like it would have been a hell of a game, though the contrast of the ghillie suits (with the red underneath) may have been a problem.

It’s quite surprising Just how many people don’t utilize the strength of flanking your opponent. Sometimes it’s a numbers game, other times it’s the element of surprise. Whatever the case may be, often it’s playing smarter, not harder.

Think about it: You’re head-to-head with a opposing player, and you have numbers on your side, say three-to-one. You can already imagine this joker, if he’s smart, will wait you out and hope that you run out of ammunition or try to take you one person at a time. In the meantime he will stay behind a good shelter and tease you, trying to get you to shoot at him, again trying to get you to use all of your paint.

If it comes down to numbers two or three people should be able to flank one, sometimes more. A decoy often helps to give you cover fire as you make an approach, preferrably from both sides of the opponent(s). The shleter they have chosen to use can dictate how easily this strategy can be pulled off, but keeping their focus to one direction will allow this move to succeed between you and your team mate.

A very similar tactic works well between just a couple of people and a squad when in the woods, as a few players can take to the sides of a commonly used path and lie in wait. A recon agent is often best to determine of the enemy is heading your direction. Placing one or more people on each side of the path, and having them stay well-hidden and quiet, wait for the opposing team to pass so their backs are towards you. This will disorient them as your decoy starts to fire on them while a player or players from the other side of the trail then follows the lead by showering the group with paint from behind. This style of move can be a squad buster, or can cause them to divide, either way reducing their power of numbers.

Remember that flanking works with more than one person, and it requires teamwork. If there is no plan, it will lead to failure. If it fails, then it was expected so it will be time to rethink your tactics. Never underestimate the honor of the decoy, or the power of ‘Taking one for the team.’

So the NeoDawgs and myself went to Fort Knox, in Winamac, IN. This is one of my favorite fields. If I didn’t have to pay for it, I would probably play there all of the time! Everybody needs to make a living, though…

FKP has improved the fields since I was there a year ago. They have added an airball field, for all of you speedballers. For me, though, they have added a new castle. The castle is more fortified than the fort, but any attacking enemy with the right vantage point can make a clean kill, as I found out!

They are also adding a ‘Miners’ Town’ to the field, which will be really nice for close-quarters combat scenario. In the end it will have 16 buildings on an intersection. Here is one of the pictures taken from a little while ago. It come along since then:

The good people there are planning on having an opening blast in August for the down, though it won’t be complete until opening in 2008.

I have more current pictures, and will post them when I have time. All the same, if you live in the area, and play paintball, stop by FKP. I doubt you’ll come away disappointed.

The title petty much sums this one up, and it’s funnier than hell! Some people just play the part so well…

Paintball is frequently demonized as a sport that promotes violence through the use of gear and tactics that represents violent acts. Over the past decade, much has been done to turn that image around, to help people realize that it can be a true sport.

Once in a while, though, there are incidents that bolster the sentiments that speak the darker tale. Generally these are true accidents, often from lack of safety, or knowledge. One example is in the video below. In this case we have a kid looking over his paintball marker to determine whether or not it is jammed. Notice that he is wearing NO safety equipment (goggles), there is no barrel bag and the marker is not on safe. Given the same circumstances, and let’s assume this were a traditional firearm, would one look down the barrel to evaluate the situation?

In another incident, a woman was struck by a CO2 bottle as it was being removed from the paintball marker. This has become a widely known problem, but to those that are unfamiliar it can be quite dangerous when a player unscrews the bottle from the marker, but doesn’t realize that the bottle is being removed from the valve, rather than the bottom line. This creates an uncontrolled circumstance where all of the liquid CO2 in the bottle is suddenly exposed to the warmer air, and the bottle becomes a missile. This is now prevented by putting a mark across the bottle and the valve. Doing so will allow the user to see if the mark separates while unscrewing it from the bottom line.

In most cases only common sense is needed. Then if sense were truly common, more people would have it. That being said, just be smart, or try to be, about how you use your equipment.