Realistic Accuracy Expectations

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

I feel like we need to re do a bunch of the accuracy tests that were done in the past

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I want to buy a bunch of 100 round bags off ansgear and do just that. Just a hundred bucks would get me atleast a bakers dozen different paintballs.

[Cunha]

Really hard to control the variables.

Probably the biggest variable is the manufacturing variability in a single barrel brand / type. There is no saying that 1 example of an old dye barrel is going to be the same as another (identical looking) example of the same barrel.

Decent barrels shoot decently. The most accurate gun I ever used was a system X NME with its stock .693 barrel and probably .685 paint, but what does that tell you? The other most accurate gun I shot was a blazer probably .685 paint again with a .689 wedgited barrel.

I was disappointed by the accuracy of my merlin autococker with a really cool racegun USA barrel kit manufactured by sanchez.

Then you have paint which is effected by everything

Then you have temperature with has an effect on everything

Then you have the air systems pressure variability based on how much pressure its regulating, the reg itself may have a sweet spot (like 3200psi in tank it is maximum consistent) so how do you deal with that?

And we're trying to measure extremely small differences in accuracy.

[Chuck E Ducky]

Paint is not consistent no matter what brand you buy. There are so many variables in the process of just getting to you that can effect paint. Temperature, storage, moisture, shipping methods, cheap fill over filled vs under filled. You could have a perfect batch that’s shipped or stored improperly and boom you got junk.

Modern electro will shoot just about anything. The makers today are designed for small overall bore paint and are putting a lot less stress on the ball so they don’t break paint much. Unless it breaks in the pod or in the process of feeding it, they will shoot it. Older markers are harder in paint because often they were designed for a larger ball. So a lot more force is required to get that tiny ball up to field speed.

The longer paint sits the more likely the weight of the paint will dimple. Also if it’s not rotated properly or temp goes way up, the heavy part of fill will settle to the bottom adding weight to one side of the ball. As the ball heats up it pushes the air /excess fill “sweat” out of the ball after it cools it pulls in on the shell leaving a dimple.

It not so much age that effects the ball. I have shot super old paint that was stored properly they shot amazing. Actually better then it did when I first got it. Because it was used at a different temperature that expanded the dimples out of the ball. I also rotated it regularly so the fill was mixed up and not sitting this on one side.

Also paint is location dependent. Good paint on the east coast is not always good on the West coast. Due to the amount of variables introduced moving and storing it.

I buy bags. When I get a good batch I buy in bulk and store it properly myself. This has worked well for my limited paint play style. If I’m shooting anything modern I just grab whatever.

I buy a lot of Valken graffiti it’s a harder shell I can shoot down to lower temperatures. It will pass threw a bit of brush and don’t shred on everything. It’s easy to track with the bright shell colors. Fill is thick, consistent, bright, and it don’t stain. I get more bounces but never break paint. I shake my paint up before playing in the bag. I get looks but it works and keeps much tighter groups. I store it out of the sun and keep the leftovers in ziplocks and never leave them in pods and away from moisture. People always ask me why my pumps are so much more accurate then there latest electro, when we are all shooting the same paint. I just tell them because I aim. Lol

Real reason is I take the time to make sure my paint is stored rotated and kept away from the elements. Next time you are out. Before you load up. Just grab a bag and shake it up a little. It makes a difference especially the farther away the ball is traveling. Small variations up close become big variations on the other side of the field.

[muyosn]

I remember back in the early 2000s 32 degrees had team colors (NFL). I loooved san-fran. Red/black with devil yellow fill. You could hit a pie plate at 50 yards all day, didn't break ball for 3 months (led angel). I played a local field today and tried GI sports 5 star, 20% of my paint broke in the barrel, or came apart in flight, awful paint. Used their field paint and it shot average for what is was, but it left the barrel and found it's mark. Paint hasn't been the same.since 2005 if you ask me. The days of RP, PMI and proball are long gone. It's accuracy by volume now.

[Chuck E Ducky]

5* works great just not when it’s cold. Sub55 is it starts getting super brittle.

[muyosn]

It was 65 out. I used a cocker and an ego and it broke in the barrel, loader and pods. I could drop it 2 feet and it would break at the seams. 5* gets 1* is you ask me by that case.

[Tolgak]

Once I bought a Freak barrel and inserts, there was no going back for me. All of the innovations in gun parts and regulators are insignificant compared to properly sizing a ball to a barrel, and that means some having some kind of kit.

I'd say you can reliably hit a specific part on a person's body at 75' with the paint today and a good match. Results may vary based on many other factors.

[Dusty Bottoms]

All of that being said, is anyone ACTUALLY getting good ball on ball accuracy these days, barring that one random oddly sized ball. If so, what barrel/paint are you using. Is it time for me to move on from my trusty stainless boom stick or is memory just more rosy than reality.

Ha, guys I've been to the Field of Dreams were good paint and one ball eliminations became a reality again. A couple weeks ago I played at my local field in Nashville, and instead of the usually crappy GI field paint, they had gotten a fresh pallet of Empire paint. It wasn't premium grade, but it was ROUND and consistent, with that perfect level of brittle shell that breaks easy but not in your marker, which I haven't seen in forever. It was on the small side, around .679-.682, but I used it in my Minimag with a Doc's cocker barrel adapter and a large bore 10in DYE stainless barrel and this stuff shot like laser beams! I knew this paint was different from the first time I chrono'd with it. I took six or seven people out in one good game, almost all with one ball shots from a distance, and that is NOT my normal playing experience with field paint. I never consider myself a crack shot like some of the guys I play with, *cough* The Inflicted *cough*, and it made me realize how much better we would ALL shoot if we had higher quality paint. I never broke a single ball in my Minimag either. I still have half a case of it for next week and I can't wait to shoot it again!

Hopefully, this pallet of Empire paint my field had wasn't some freak anomaly of high quality, but I wouldn't be surprised. Multiple regulars, including me, told the field staff that it was the best paint we'd used in forever. It was like being in a flashback of 15-20 years ago when high quality paint was widely available.

[iamthelazerviking]

Interesting. I hope it wasn't a fluke either, maybe Empire is onto something. Or paint is getting better in general?!?!

[glaman5266]

iamthelazerviking Empire paint = GI paint. GI owns Empire.

The last two times I used Empire Evil the stuff shot pretty darn well. But it's GI, so I wouldn't be surprised if it shot like crap next time I find some. I never expect much from GI paint. That way I'm not disappointed.

[Ecapnation]

After a return to playing last week I've come to the conclusion that paint some how got worse.

Two year old GI shot better for me than fairly fresh valken graffiti.

I actually had to over bore because the valken was so out of round on the seam it was .692 on the perpendicular it was .684..... Simply terrible.

The old GI was uniformly small but I couldn't run it do to event paint only.... Granted it was the fields paint but magtards required you run the graffiti.

[MuKen]

I mean, yes everyone is right and paint got worse. So take it into your own hands. When I go to the field, I don't just settle for whatever paint's coming out of the bag, I manually inspect every round and toss out anything that isn't totally round, and then run them through sizers to make sure everything has a snug fit in my freak barrel. That's the great thing about running stock class, I'm only bringing a few dozen rounds into the game, so I don't mind taking the time to do that.

And the times I'm not running stock class, I don't really care much about the reduced paint quality, I'm going for accuracy by volume just like everybody else anyway.

[iamthelazerviking]

I have different bore sizing options, but I don't spend too much time trying to underbore since that doesn't make sense for lesser quality paint, which is 90% of paint, so overbore is the way to go always. Not massively but overbore and don't think about it anymore, shoot people, have fun, the end.

[Otreese]

I recently returned to playing after a 7 year hiatus. Picked up an emek and was ready to have fun. 3 different weekends, 3 different fields, 3 different paint brands, Hk, GI, valken.

not hittting the broadside of a barn was an understatement. Rentals were smoking me while I was sending left and right hookshots at them.

I was so frustrated, and I could not believe that paint has become a problem. I would have marker issues back in the day before I had issues with paint. I remember if I splurged for marbalizer or hellfire I would be shooting laser beams guaranteed. 75$ a case 35$ a case. They all shoot terrible, over, under, match bored.

I just kept trying different brands, different levels, trying to find something that would go in a general direction. I bought a case of graffiti and finally found something that broke and shot relatively straight. It’s been my go to for the past few months, it’s no guarantee though.

My local field had a case of valken vpc tournament grade that really surprised me for a few reasons.

Same price as graffiti 75$ a case. Green shell, neon yellow/green fill. Broke dropping from waist height, every single one. No chops, no barrel brakes in the emek. Biggest insert I had was .682 and I was still a tight fit. I think because of how oblong they were, they looked like they sat in the heat and shifted on a slant, and had a few flat spots. I thought crap this will shoot really bad.

The weirdest part is the shell had an even dimpled surface all over. Like orange peel in car paint, not sure if it’s intentional but I have never seen anything like it. It shot so incredible, just like the good stuff used to shoot. I was getting incredible shots,
I was shooting players out just laying cover fire. Putting people in just to move turned into eliminations.

I can’t find it on valken website, it looks old to me I wonder if they’ve discontinued it.

[sniper97]

About 2 years ago, GI 1 star, 679 and round, shooting darts. Nailing hands, masks, markers. Didn't make it out last year. I think the fields do not properly store the paint. I found out over the years, the field paint shoots better than the "high end paint" because it is fresher. Another option is to size all your paint, this takes alot of time. I mostly play pump, but occasionally have played stock class and this really helped.

[Siress]

See the link in my signature for variables related to the paint itself.

Regarding barrels, bore fitment matters more than anything. I'd take a slightly curved barrel with good fit over a straight one with rollouts.

[Vince]

I just go through my barrels until one of them shoots the balls decently and some days I have to do this more than once. For some reason my old massive Dye barrel and a stock Axe barrel shoot the best, regardless of paint and the weather. I have no idea why but I stick to what works.

As for the companies selling this shit, well...

[PlawB]

I got to play a few months ago with some paint from Russia. I was super skeptical but that has been the best paint I've seen in a decade. I was getting ball on ball accuracy and putting paint through 30 square inch openings at over 50 feet.

[Toestr]

I got to play a few months ago with some paint from Russia. I was super skeptical but that has been the best paint I've seen in a decade. I was getting ball on ball accuracy and putting paint through 30 square inch openings at over 50 feet.

Artlife? I got some of their lower grade stuff and it's quite good. The roundest stuff I've seen in a long time, and their shell and fill colours are excellent. The most interesting thing is that it has the 'exact' bore size of .685 on the box. I haven't actually spec'd it out but I just thought it was interesting.

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