Paintball Epiphanies

[Cyberpyr8]

A field is only as good as the ref you have.

I am no longer able to run as fast as I think I can.

A true paintball Epihany.

Sorry, I couldn't resist!

[martix_agent]

I forgot how ugly those things are. yuck!

[iamthelazerviking]

This is what I immediately thought lolol

[Jsc5150]

Had mine 15ish years ago:

Electro tournament paintball at a D3 and higher level is impossible to referee accurately or fairly. The game is just too fast, and the refs have no actual shot.

I wondered why i loved tourney practice more than tournaments, and it was bc practice had the highest level of play, honesty that made reffing inconsequential, and way better vibes than any tournament Inever played.

[gabe]

As it turns out, paintball isn't really my style.

This pretty much lol.

Paintball for me is a nostalgia sport and not much else. Fun to play for the memberries, not fun to play as a serious hobby

Stock class is dead. Maybe I just cant move as fast but it's just not fun

Open class pump against newbies is an equal playing field for me

[Jonnydread]

I imagine living in one of the coldest areas would limit the viability/pleasure of stock class play.

[k_obeastly]

We were shooting 20bps 20 years ago, tell me again why you need the latest hopper to shoot 10.5.

[JeeperCreeper]

So I can fill a 10 round tube in under a second

[Myrkul]

As time goes on I find more and more that I'm only really interested in guns that have Jerry Dobbins behind them.

Sure tolerances may be loose here and there, and final fit and finish is up to the end user, but everything that man put out absolutely has it were it counts, as long as you put the elbow grease in.

They just feel "right" in a way other guns don't, and because you have to do all the final tweaks anyway you can set them exactly to your taste.

It helps that they are all pretty inexpensive too. It lets you burn through a couple different versions of a platform to get to exactly what you are wanting out of one.

[Ecapnation]

I do agree... Lots of smart designs. I don't even hate the advantage! It looks neat, shoots good enough. Only gripe I have is I wish it was the same thread as all the other line si stuff

[Myrkul]

I've never had my hands on an advantage, but ya, they look cool as hell. I bet double action would be a blast to actually use on the field.

It's just staggering to me how much stuff he put out, and just how damn GOOD all of the guns are once finished in and tuned up a bit.

For pumps you have have the Bushmaster & the PRP. The Bushmaster has more then one world titles under it's belt if I'm not mistaken.

For mech semi-autos, you have the cat line, unquestionably the highest form factor for any blowback ever. If you want to get fancy there is always the desert fox, basically a MUCH improved classic automag that is actually gentle on paint.

You get into electros and it's the same story. The Bushmaster hit the market a full two years before the impulse did, and it's still smaller, lighter, and faster, and cheaper. I still regularly run mine and it still turns heads because of it's RATE OF FIRE. The damn thing is a 26 year old electro set in semi-auto, and people come up to me asking what the hell I'm shooting because it's so FAST.

Still figuring out freestyles, they definitely are a little more fussy, but the few I have finished have had that "oh holy shit" shot quality.

Basically any style of play you want, if you want it done right, Jerry Dobbins is the man. I low key suspect that the real reason they left paintball wasn't because of the SP lawsuits, it was because their were no worlds left to conquer. They already had the best in class at ridiculously reasonable prices for every single play style.

The only reason they aren't more popular is because most people are allergic to elbow grease and don't bother taking the time to really dial them in to perfection.

[$L!mBo]

maybe too obvious/common to be an 'epiphany' , more of a rule, but:

"grass is always greener/never meet your heroes/ if it aint broke, dont fix it"
(unless youre willing to FAFO)


the guns and gear you idolize and end up impulse overpaying for will disappoint you 11 times out of 10



UNLESS you make the 1,000 iq power moves to chop them up (the purists will say you ruined them) and make them what you wanted

[JeeperCreeper]

What worked yesterday doesnt always work at the field. Bring reliable gear. When I first got back into paintball, I would bring crap and would end up teching markers at the field and missing play time. Now I bring at least 2-3 reliable markers, and one to tinker with in between games to keep my hands busy.

Big games are typically poop shows. Theres fun to be had, but you have to go in with low expectations and stay classy.

Single shot is the most fun way to play paintball. You can try to argue this with me, but any games we all run single shot, theres nothing but laughter and smiles the whole time. Big moves, bold plays, and it gives you the Slight of Hand perk once you master it. (Wheres my OG Call of Duty MW2 people at?)

The most satisfying way to fill 10 round tubes is with a force feed hopper. I put a drop 10 on my Eggy, and it fills them so nicely.

[Grendel]

I just plain like to play paintball all the other stuff (tech, collecting, talking,...etc.) while interesting is immaterial to my enjoyment.

[coyote]

Players that refer to their subculture as "hardcore".

That word is an excuse to bring a bad attitude to; tourney ball, woods play, the pump scene, mag fed, whatever.

[Magmoormaster]

One other epiphany for me, that happened 5-6 years ago.

After my second or third attempt trying to get a group of friends who don't really play together for some games, I realized I really don't like trying to organize games with friends. If they have their own gear, or are renting, fine. No problem with that. But trying to get gear together, air fills, batteries, etc, all the logistics of it make it too stressful for it to be fun for me. And to date, nobody I brought played beyond the games I put together, so it's not like it was worth it from a "growing the sport" perspective.

That's definitely a factor for why I only have one gun now.

Also I like how this thread has basically turned into a "unpopular opinions" thread

[iamthelazerviking]

What's your one gun now?

[Magmoormaster]

My trilogy of course!!

Technically I still have my TIppmann 98 Pump, but it's very much in unfinished project form so I don't count it.

[dano_____]

Spool guns haven't really improved since 2015, pump guns haven't since 2000, and half/midblocks are the only way any cocker should be built.

[Meleager7]

My Epiphany is regarding my current collection, and realizing I don't need high end expensive guns. Take Autocockers for example, I realized I can't stomach dropping the big $$$ on a high end cocker, when my parts bin, half 90's era parts, half modern parts 96 minicocker can rip it easily fast enough!!! I haven't had to time this gun since i first set it up in 2018 !!

Also my collection is mostly done , the only grails I think i would add at this point , if given the opportunity at an affordable price are a Brass Eagle Golden Eagle, and a Montneel Mega-Z

Edit: also , a double triggered Palmers Blazer in RF !

[Meleager7]

Fixed!

[Bow]

I sold my golden eagle a while back. Big giant hunk of aluminum that one was. Cool piece for sure.

[The Jayster]

"My Epiphany is regarding my current collection, and realizing I don't need high end expensive guns."

Pretty much few people do. The expensive guns in my own current collection are due to pure personal preference, opportunity, (and dare I say vanity?) etc. But need? Absolutely not. Give me an Emek with a fast trigger and valve and I'll be throwing ropes anywhere.

[ChillswitchEngage]

I feel like I like the "idea" of paintball more than actually playing majority of the time. To expand; having a sense of belonging to one of the few sports I am actually decent at, and the associated gear & gun collecting/whoring.

[Rickfactor2]

Debbie Downer one for you.

I realized that I really don't enjoy playing anymore.

There are no more mountains to climb. I have played 3 man, 5 man, 7 man, 10 man, X-ball, scenario games, mag fed, pump, mounds and hyperball. I played behind inflatable bunkers when we still had tubes running in between them with fans and saw the introduction of compressed air. I have played PSP, NPPL and many forgotten leagues. I have been to World Cup multiple times, played in the sand on Huntington Beach that first year. I have played against Impact, Avalanche, and players form Dynasty during the days of uncapped semi and 15bps ramping. I have played against Bob Long and Lasoya, met Keely and Bonbon in person. Budd Orr himself fixed my autococker right in front of me threw my aftermarket parts away and made fun of my micro-line.

Everyone that I have played with over the last 30+ years, no longer plays and I maybe get out once per year now. I can't physically play like I once did either. The nearest field is about to have a road built through it and the local scene is a mouse fart in the wind of what it once was.

The golden years of paintball are long gone and the nostalgia from those years is made worse by seeing the decline of the game over the last 15 years.

[martix_agent]

Debbie Downer one for you.

I realized that I really don't enjoy playing anymore.

There are no more mountains to climb. I have played 3 man, 5 man, 7 man, 10 man, X-ball, scenario games, mag fed, pump, mounds and hyperball. I played behind inflatable bunkers when we still had tubes running in between them with fans and saw the introduction of compressed air. I have played PSP, NPPL and many forgotten leagues. I have been to World Cup multiple times, played in the sand on Huntington Beach that first year. I have played against Impact, Avalanche, and players form Dynasty during the days of uncapped semi and 15bps ramping. I have played against Bob Long and Lasoya, met Keely and Bonbon in person. Budd Orr himself fixed my autococker right in front of me threw my aftermarket parts away and made fun of my micro-line.

Everyone that I have played with over the last 30+ years, no longer plays and I maybe get out once per year now. I can't physically play like I once did either. The nearest field is about to have a road built through it and the local scene is a mouse fart in the wind of what it once was.

The golden years of paintball are long gone and the nostalgia from those years is made worse by seeing the decline of the game over the last 15 years.

Not me be offensive, but it kinds seems like you got older, and have other priorities in life now; so have the people you used to play with. It's been slowly happening to me too. As stated earlier in this thread, paintball isn't as fun unless you like the people you're playing with.