Speedball Equipment for Beginners

   Alright, after seeing very few speedball i'bles, and the ones that are here not very good, I have decided to make my own.

   Now the first thing you should know is that speedball is very different from woodsball.  Woodsball is not as fast paced, and in my opinion, as exciting as speedball.  Woodsball involves semi-automatic mechanical guns (I know you can get e-triggers and the like, please dont post about small things like that), while speedball guns are incredibly fast shooting, and are electronic.

  So, because speedball is much faster, and requires more complicated equipment, it is much more expensive than woodsball.  Starting guns go for about $150, you can go lower, but it isnt recommended.  Hoppers are also more expensive, because you need electronic ones, and you shoot a lot more paint.

  So if you're thinking about starting speedball, read on!

Step 1: Get A Feel!

Before you go out and buy your own gear, play with rentals at local fields for a while, and once you know (not think!) you want to buy your own gear, read on!

However, many people make the mistake of rushing and buying their gear, without doing any research.  This is crucial because the equipment in this i'ble can be obsolete in as little as a year.  Not only that, but only consider buying gear once you have enough money.

Comments

[xXxMattThePossumxXx]

I feel it should be noted that if you buy a high end, electronic speedball gun, DO NOT USE CO2, the insane low temperature created by what is effectively dry ice can seriously screw up your electros. Your first upgrade. period. should by HPA

[BOOM5601]

True. In fact it's better to have HPA no matter what. Its just an absolute must for electros.

[Hitman227]

For upgrades, like the guy below me said get either HPA, a more acurate barrel or a electric hopper. I started out with hpa, and it turned out well ( my tippy's a real air hog).

[Da Person who plays paintball.]

All true... except a "more accurate barrel" all barrels have the same accuracy.

As proved true by a very loyal TechPB'er.

http://www.techpb.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=152223
I am not trying to be rude, but I find it saddening when people believe that a certain barrel is "more accurate". Barrels can only effect efficiency.

[Hitman227]

What I ment was the barrel will affect your acuracy to a certain extent depending on paint to bore ratio. Many professional teams are now using .695 barrels so they can have a better paint to bore match with the majority of paintballs. If you measure the paintballs at the fields you most often play at with calipers and get the average, and buy a barrel that is slightly larger, that barrel will on average be more accurate than another barrel with a larger or smaller bore size.

[Da Person who plays paintball.]

No, that is not true, the person posting the thread earlier has done extensive tests, and... and and and, think of this. When a ball comes out of a barrel that is a paint to barrel match, it flies as straight as its quality will allow it. (and how clean the barrel is) But when it has an overbore, the air flows around it, creating a cushion of air to keep it straight.

So, bore, barrel length and all those myths have nothing to do with accuracy.

But, yes, an insanely overbored barrel would make it less accurate, but I don't think you can buy one that overbored.(unless you use .50 cal)

[BOOM5601]

A cushion of air? When air is flowing past the paintball, it creates a low-pressure zone where the gap and therefore airflow is, causing the paintball to swing to that side. This closes up the gap, but just to create another on the other side, which is now a low-pressure zone, and the paintball swings back to the other side. This reciprocation inside the barrel can do all sorts of things, such as unwanted spin and the ball coming out of the barrel itself slightly skew. Apex barrels add spin to the balls, and they demonstrate that accuracy is indeed dependant on bore size, if only by using a pad to replicate the effects of a large bore.

[Da Person who plays paintball.]

Did you even read the post?

He says all guns have the exact same accuracy, unless the barrel is unclean, or its bad paint.

Unless you have a huge overbore.

Which is almost impossible to get.

[Hitman227]

Are you talking about the techPB thread or my post?

[Da Person who plays paintball.]

the thread

[Hitman227]

Ok never mind.

[BOOM5601]

Not before, because I couldn't be bothered reading about what I assumed to be a single test in the midst of a very big forums of thousands saying the exact opposite. Now that I look at it, he is simply stating "facts" without tests or studies to back any of his claims out. I even noticed that one claim he made using physics was flat-out wrong. Not only that, but he is one person without evidence against the thousands without evidence that say the exact opposite.

[Da Person who plays paintball.]

One word, PunkWorks.

They are an organization dedicated to the science of paintball.
They did the test.

Here is a link.

http://www.techpb.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=184551&st=140

*make sure you are on the last page, around the bottom there will be a question on this topic of discussion.

[Da Person who plays paintball.]

And, forgot to add this on my last comment, I would not reccomend getting the Azodins or sppyders, they are both great on the mech side, but have a bad record when it comes to electros. (I owned a Kaos, it was great)

[Molybdenum]

For a new marker under 300, GoG eXTAcy takes the cake. Its like what the Ion XE should have been.

A g4 does have o-rings. They just aren't on the bolt. Instead they are inside the diameter of the body, where they are much more difficult to access. Still a decent gun.

Buying used is a great way to save lots of money. For example: gen 3 Minis are going for under 200 shipped on both PBN and Techpb. Older model super guns (dm6,7,8 Ego 6,7,8 old intimidators etc) can be had used for the price of a new mid end, but they sill shoot like a super gun. Better yet, if you buy used, when you sell you likely won't lose much, if any, on your investment.

Also, you mentioned a DYE gun with an "accelerating bolt". Every gun has that. If they didn't, the bolt wouldn't move.
The self cleaning eyes you mentioned are actually due to the "eye pipe" which is a removable breach insert that covers the eyes and can be cleaned easier because of this.

A new board is unnecessary unless the stock one can't do 15bps or has bad eye logic, which pretty much only applies to smart parts guns.

Barrel length is completely preference, and bore size does not affect accuracy, but bore matching is the least consistent over the chrono. Underbore for best efficiency, overbore for ease of use.

Bob long is great if you are willing to pay premium for a gun that is very well though out and lovingly engineered. They are also known for efficiency. A Marq with a proficiency engine can supposedly get a case off a full 68/45.

The rotor holds 180, the prophecy holds 220 ish. The fasta is internally identical to the pinokio, except for rubber arm coverings. Eggys are crap. vLocities are available for about $30 now because they are outdated and have unexceptional battery life. Halos can also be found for cheap.

I'd love to contribute to an article about gun posture and snap shooting. Shoot me a PM and I'll link you to some good info.

(and you thought I only played airsoft...)

[BOOM5601]

I think what DYE means by an accelerating bolt, the bolt only accelerates to the max bolt speed near the end of its movement, so that it is going slower when it passes the feed tube. I only mentioned self-cleaning because DYE mentioned it somewhere in one of the gun descriptions, I've never stripped a DYE gun before.
Also, I think the barrel issue hasnt been proved using a proper test.
I have used a vLocity (select) for a few days before, and I wouldn't recommend them strongly because of the battery issue.
Thanks, I'll reread the sections you mentioned and edit if necessary.

[Molybdenum]

Its true, the barrel test run by punkworks were pretty sketchy, but think about it this way: Paintballs can vary by 0.002 or more. If your test ball fits a .689, subsequent balls may be underbored or overbored by different amounts and in random order. If you get the bore big enough or small enough, the paintballs will always seal or always have full clearance, thus improving FPS consistency. Yes?

The accelerating bolt thing is probably like smart part's "seal forward" technology.

[BOOM5601]

But if you go too tight, you're going to get barrel breaks, too big, and your efficiency will decrease, and (whether you agree or not) the accuracy will suffer.

[Molybdenum]

I agree with you about the efficiency, and you can get pretty small without increasing breaks. Accuracy, however, is pretty much dependent only on the paint, and in very extreme cases bore size/finish and reg quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCSQgX4cFdg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYHA8yiLEQ4&feature=relmfu
(he's kinda long winded skip to 1:42)

So use a super efficient gun and a .700 back? I dunno. Realistically, the difference is so negligible (especially in speed ball) that you might as well use the money you would have put into a barrel kit into better paint.

[hg341]

what do you think about tiberius http://www.tiberiusarms.com/
a friend told me they were the best you could get

[BOOM5601]

Just be careful with Tiberius. They are NOT speedball guns, they are for woodsball (most likely mechanical, so semi-automatic, and trigger is harder to press than an electronic one, and there will be a fair amount of blowback). Tiberius really only sells gimmicks (like all the things you see in infomercials) that do not work that well. If you are going for woodsball though, get a tippman, you won't regret it. Maybe a custom 98 or an A5.

[Molybdenum]

First strike rounds are most unquestionably NOT gimmicks. FS rounds from any gun can be devastating in scenario games at long ranges.

If you want to be a "paintball sniper" FS rounds in a t9.1 is probably the single most effective setup possible.

[BOOM5601]

I had the FS rounds in mind specifically when i mentioned gimmicks. What tiberius is trying to sell with FS is the whole idea of a sniper, which simply does not exist. By the time you're are in range of the enemy, regular paintballs will work just as well, just launch off three or four and at least one should hit. That as well as the price of the FS rounds and the conversion kit, and the TINY size of mags is the reason I am opposed to FS.

[Molybdenum]

No. Due to the shape, FS rounds actually have a better coefficient of drag than a normal paintball, so they actually fly farther then a normal ball. Body shots at 100 yards are much more than hype.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qZB9mYlHfY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q88Q-tcxQtc&feature=fvwrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKFI0d-sfLs

[lolnoobistink]

You forgot about Bob Long

[BOOM5601]

Make sure you actually read the whole thing before you criticise.

[huckduck]

WD. this will be relevant for a while actually. until the etek 4 comes out whenever that is.

[guitarmaster101]

Dont really like your posture..I hate using the tank against my shoulders cause I use a 24 oz tank and it gets heavy after a while. I perfer to use mil tactics even in speedball

[BOOM5601]

Well, if that's how you want to play, although I seriously recommend you get and air tank

[guitarmaster101]

eh...

[BOOM5601]

What gun(s) do you own?

[guitarmaster101]

Tippman Alpha Black,CYBRID,Tippmann 98 custom with mods

[BOOM5601]

Not bad, I'm more speedball, Although woods is still fun if you want that milsim feel.

[BOOM5601]

Its gonna be a pain to update this for new stuff...

[mg0930mg]

Seems like a really good job. I'm writing a guide for beginners right now. If you want to help and collab pm me.

[BOOM5601]

Maybe.