How to Choose the Right Paintballs for a Better Game

Choosing the right paintball is very important for a better game, to choose the right one you need to clear yourself first, like what kind of paintballing you want to do, which gun you will be using, because paintballs directly affect shooting speed and accuracy.

Below, we’re going to explain exactly what paintball is, what paintball paint is, that you need to know before comparing the three different types (recreational grade, tournament grade, reusable paintballs). Next we’ll discuss the different caliber options available and how you can make sure you make the right choice.

What are Paintballs?

Paintballs are spherical gelatin capsules containing biodegradable polyethylene glycol, non-toxic and water-soluble dyes, and other substances. These capsules are designed in such a way that they do not break easily, unless they are subjected to a heavy impact.

As the material of the paintballs is non-toxic and considered edible, we would not recommend anyone to eat them. If you get some paint in your mouth during a paintballing game, you are not at risk of serious health problems and can continue playing.

Be aware that polyethylene glycol is a laxative, so paintballs may cause gastrointestinal upset if eaten (keep out of reach of children and pets).

Modern paintballs contain water-soluble substances, and you can easily wash them off most fabrics. Whereas in earlier times, paintballs were made of glass and filled with oil-based paint. Also, keep in mind that the fill color of modern paintballs does not always directly match the color of the paintball shell.

The paintball’s gelatin shell is designed to break on impact, though it sometimes ricochets or is bound off a surface. Once dropped to the ground, a paintball can swell due to condensation or groundwater. Such paintballs can cause the barrel of your paintball gun marker to freeze up and damage its internal workings, so it is recommended not to use them in your paintball marker.

What is Paintball Paint?

Paintball paint is what’s inside the gelatin capsule. It is usually made of several ingredients, including water, cornstarch, polyethylene glycol, and food coloring. Some may also contain calcium, PEG, mineral oil and iodine.

Polyethylene glycol sounds scary, but it really isn’t. It is a common ingredient in many household products, such as toothpaste. However, it can also act as a laxative, so don’t eat paintballs on purpose! (This is emphasized over and over again.)

They are environmentally friendly because they are biodegradable and break down naturally over time, especially when exposed to water. These ingredients are water soluble and can be easily washed off most clothes, skin and other surfaces.

A good paint will be thick and opaque, highly visible and difficult to clean. Paintball paint will also be brightly colored in contrast to your targets, although the pods don’t always match the paint exactly.

What to Look for in Paintballs

One of the most important aspects of paintballing is the type of ammunition you use. It is important to consider some details about the ammunition you are using to ensure greater accuracy and reduce errors.

It is important to make sure that the paintball you have chosen does not break when fired from the paintball gun. A broken paintball damages the gun itself and can create a chaotic, messy situation, and alternatively it’s bad for you and can knock you out of the game.

The quality of paintballs depends on the brittleness of the ball shell, the roundness of the sphere and the thickness of the filler. High-quality balls are almost perfectly spherical, with a very thin shell that breaks on impact and a thick, brightly colored filling that is difficult to hide or clean during play.

Types of Paintballs

Three types of paintballs are following:

• Recreational grade
• Tournament grade
• Reusable paintballs

Tournament grade paintballs are a huge step up. The main difference between tournament and recreational paintballs is quality. Tournament balls undergo strict quality control to ensure uniformity of shape and size.

These are the balls of choice for serious paintball players. They pair well with premium tournament weapons like Azodin Blitz. Buying a high-end gun and then loading it with low-quality ammo is compromising the quality of the gun itself, which is why professionals always choose tournament-grade balls.

The main characteristic of tournament grade paintballs is their thin but strong shell. They will disperse quickly and evenly on impact, which is very important during competitive events. Additionally, better performance can be expected in case of straighter flight.

Although extra bright neon paint is almost universally prohibited in professional events, these balls are often very bright.

Recreational grade paintballs are designed for general play or practice and are perfect for the popular, less complicated tactical markers often used in commercial arena and scenario games.

This ammo type is available in a variety of colors with some fluorescent neon options. They have slight variations in shape that can cause erratic flight patterns, which is why they are the most cheap type of ammunition. This would be a great option if you want to buy paintballs in bulk at a wholesale price.

A reusable or reballs paintball is the same size as paintballs, but contains no paint and weighs slightly more.

These were initially developed by manufacturers to allow practice teams to save money on ammunition. However, some paintball parks today have dedicated reballs fields, which is a good thing. You’ll often see these balls used indoors because they don’t have paint sprayers or require extensive cleaning after play.

The downside to this is that it makes it easier for players to cheat, as there is no visible paint mark to prove if someone was shot or not.

Reballs are more expensive than paintballs, but because they can be cleaned and reused many times, their cost decreases over time. Reballs need to be fired at a lower velocity than regular paintballs to compensate for the fact that they don’t break on impact.

Paintball Caliber

The caliber of paintball depends upon the size of paintball in inches. It is very important to match the caliber of ball with the size of the paintball gun that you are using. If you do not take care of it then you could damage your marker. Normally the caliber of paintball and marker is .68 that is considered standard size of paintballs. Furthermore, .50 caliber is second most popular which is used in low impression games. 

Beside this, there are also some other factors that affect the dimension of paintball’s caliber. If your paintball fluctuates when you fire from your market, it means your balls are not perfectly round and they are moisture and heat sensitive. It is also seen that paintballs get swollen on humid and hot days. 

The paintball can also get hard if they are not used for a long time and these paintballs should not be used because they will not burst when you fire them on opponents. You should use those paintballs that match their calibers with your paintball gun. 

There are also some conversion kits available that upgrade your paintball gun calibers from .50 to .68 and vice versa.

.68 Caliber Paintballs

This calibers is the most famous and continues used size paintball and considered as standard size paintball in the current industry which is mostly used by serious players. .the .68 caliber is a versatile size and used in different games and field styles with perfect speed and slope effect when hit by opponent players. 

The disadvantage of .68 paintball is that it is heavier and it also needs heavy guns for proper working. Because of their slightly larger size, you won’t be able to fit as many rounds in the gun’s hopper. However, expert players don’t find this to be a problem. If you are an expert in paintballing and want some real experience then you should go with a .68 caliber paintball game.

.50 Caliber Paintballs

.50 caliber is another most used option that is used by majority paintball players. This caliber is used in low impression paintball games and usually preferred by beginners, kids, casual field play, indoor fields and other fields where people enjoy the game without any pain. It has a 0.5 inch diameter that does not hurt the people but .68 caliber paintballs hurt the players when they hit the players. 

You will not get much speed while firing it. Small size paintballs can fit more in a hopper and you don’t need to add paintballs again and again while playing the game. Additionally, smaller rounds will enable you to successfully shoot through thick brush. It excels in landscape sports and woodsball. 

The main advantage of .50 caliber paintballs is that they are cheap in price and provide you with a high volume of shots. It could be a most effective option because you don’t need to use much carbon dioxide or compressed air.

How Barrel Bore Sizing Effect Accuracy

There is one problem that you cannot ignore, otherwise your shooting accuracy will suffer, it needs to be fixed at the beginning.

First, it is important to know the reason for the poor accuracy, this is because not every paintball is perfectly round, so there is often a gap between the ball and the barrel of the gun. When the paintball is fired, air can escape from these spaces, causing the paintball to exit the gun at an odd angle or curve, which can decrease your overall accuracy.

The only solution you need to reduce these gaps is to use barrel sizing kits. This will not only increase your accuracy but also improve your paintball speed. 

You will need to do some testing to get your paintball to fit into your barrel.

• For testing purposes, take a paintball and place it on the back of the barrel. If the ball falls completely down the barrel, you should use a shorter barrel.
• If the paintball sticks, the barrel is too small and you need a bigger one.

Repeat this process until you find the perfect barrel for the paintball.

Which Kind of Paintballs Should You Buy?

Now you’ve decided if you should get recreational, tournament, or reusable paintballs and what caliber you need. To buy the right paintballs, you need to choose a reputable manufacturing company keeping in mind your budget. Below are some of the best recreational, tournament, and reusable paintballs.

Recreational Paintballs

Valken Infinity

Valken Infinity has a niche in the paintballing industry that is mostly used for Recreational Paintball, some of the reasons for its popularity are its low and reasonable price, solidity, accuracy and durability. Among its features, its outer shell is very important because it never allows the ball to explode inside the marker.

Veska

For Recreational, Veska is considered a good option. It is expensive due to the few additional features, the accuracy is commendable, and the outer shell is thick and made with clean, smooth seams. Found in two additional colors Pink and yellow. 

May Vary Paintball Pellets

If you are on a tight budget then May Vary is for you, it provides value in every aspect at a minimum price.

GI Sportz XBALL Certified Midnight

This is another strong and versatile recreational paintball from GI Sportz available in the market, recommended by many.

DXS Basic Training Paintballs

An eco-friendly option is DXS Basic Training Paintballs, perfect for recreational beginners and for practice tournament games.

Tournament Paintballs

RPS Empire Marbalizer

The RPS Empire Marbalizer is a paintball that is often used in tournament play mainly due to its superior material and ability to handle extreme environmental conditions.

Valken Graffiti

Graffiti is a top-shelf paintball that is popular worldwide. It has excellent marking properties, high accuracy and reliably breaks on target.

Tiberius Arms First Strike

The Tiberius Arms First Strike paintball uses fin stabilization technology with a unique aerodynamic shape to guarantee 50% more range. It has the most consistent speed and unmatched accuracy compared to its competitors. It has a polystyrene shell which guarantees that it only breaks on target. But it’s slightly larger than your .68 caliber paintball so it’s important to make sure it fits your bore barrel properly or it could cause damage.

Reusable Paintballs

Reball

Reball is the world’s first and best manufacturer of reusable synthetic paintballs. It can be used for social gaming events, corporate activities, parties, and contests. Reball is best used in indoor paintball arenas, but can also be used in outdoor competition arenas.

GXG Rubber

The balls are made of rubber. 68 caliber balls designed to simulate paintballs. They are perfect for target practice without the expense of paint. They are reserved for guns, barrels, and hoppers.

FAQ

Does It Matter What Paintballs You Use?

There is an important difference between the size .68 caliber and .50 caliber paintballs. The one you choose will depend on the type of paintball games you want to play. An important thing is that not all sizes of paintballs will work with your paintball marker. 

Can I Reuse a Paintball?

No, you should not reuse paintballs if they are damaged or wet in any way because they are biodegradable. Even if you find a paintball in good condition somewhere, you never pick it up and put it in your loader. This is because even the slightest blemish on the surface of the paintball can jam the gun.

How Many Paintballs Are Sold in a Package?

Different brands sell paintballs in different sizes and quantities, a standard package containing about 2,000 paintballs (four bags of 500 paintballs each).

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