
2.If you are a bigginer start with lower cost equipment.
3.Do not stay in an open area for a long time.
4.Wear clothes that cover arms and legs.
5.Do not fire from a distant location, it will give away your position. Try to get close.
You have checked out the guns, seen the web pages, heard the stories, and now you want to play. However, a few questions remain: Where do you get started? Should you buy an equipment package? If so, what should you get?
What else do you need to play the game other than a gun and goggles? Most importantly, where do you get this stuff?
As a first-time paintballer you might want to hold off on buying a gun for the first couple of times paintballing. You want to make sure it's something you like well enough before spending hundreds of dollars on equipment. There are some things you will want to have before you play. Find out what field you're going to, and what kind of terrain they have. After you have found out what type of terrain you will be playing in, you may or may not, need to have camouflage. If the field is a junkyard or urban setting, old clothing (especially shades of red, blue, gray, and black) will do just fine.
If it is an outdoor setting, you may want to go with generic tri-color U.S. Camouflage. If you have the cash you may want to look into terrain specific camouflage, such as "chocolate chip," heavy woodland, urban, tiger stripes, etc. Most of these styles can be found at a military surplus store. A BDU outfit with pants, belt, and jacket will cost you around $50-80, probably double it you want all new clothing. Cheaper (and more expensive) camouflage can be purchased from a sporting goods store, with an equally good selection. Full one-piece suits can be as low as $30.
Also, don't forget gloves! Just some cheap $5 camouflage gloves will work fine, and paintball-specific gloves can be picked up for around $15. Head cover is also a consideration: Bandannas, or bavaclavas can be purchased for just a few dollars, and baseball caps worn in reverse work well to keep your goggles from slipping down on your face. Be comfortable! Make sure the camouflage you pick out is comfortable to wear - eight hours of running around and getting shot at is a long time. Beginner and novice players often overlook footwear.
Many new players go for the combat boot look, although you can plan on having sore feet if you're not used to them. Invest $50-70 in a good pair of hiking boots or black cross-training shoes. I prefer a low-cut hiking boot, which is very comfortable and easy to run in along with providing excellent traction. It's probably a good idea to get something that gives you ankle support as running on rough and uneven ground can lead to twisted or broken ankles. If you are going to rent your equipment there are a few things you need to look out for. The most important is to ALWAYS inspect your equipment before playing, especially the goggles.
With the goggles you will want to make sure they cover your entire face, and are not cracked anywhere, especially on the lens. Check the gun to make sure nothing is loose or incorrectly fitted, and that it is relatively free of debris. Take care of the rental equipment as it is not yours and others will be using it another day. Treat it as if it were your own.
If you're looking to buy your equipment you will first want to decide, "How deeply involved in the game am I going to get?" If you think you definitely want your own equipment, but do not plan on tournament play, then you will most likely want to look at the low-to mid-range semi-automatic paint guns (also known as paint markers). If you really do not know how involved you want to get, or think you might like to get into some serious play later on, you will definitely want to look at the mid-range semis or possibly some high-end guns. If you're sure you want to be in tournaments or just really need the best gun on the market, then it's a high-end gun for you. Goggles, $40-100
Goggle choice is more a matter of taste than markers are, as they all accomplish the same thing with only minor practical differences between different brands. Goggles are generally under $100 with a standard full face/ear protection setup running you about $60. Thermal lenses add about $15-20 to the price of the goggles, but drastically reduce fog buildup on the lenses, which is a BIG advantage on the field. Fog blurs what you see and makes it more difficult to spot camouflaged persons, and is otherwise just plain annoying.
If you've experienced this problem, it would be a good idea to fork out the extra cash for the lenses (not to mention that you can get some pretty cool colors too.) Two of the best goggle manufacturers are Scott and JT, both of which have been making goggle systems for other sports for years now and are very reliable. JT offers my current favorite, the Spectra 260. The goggle offers superb peripheral vision and comes with either thermal or non-thermal lenses. Although it costs around $100, the extra visibility is definitely worth it. A very nice addition to your goggles is a visor. Some goggles come standard with them, and if not they can be purchased for around $10.
The visor not only keeps the sun out of your eyes, but also offers forehead protection and reduced glare from the lenses. Here's a nifty goggle trick for you: Most goggles come in either standard black or drab olive. Simply remove the plastic guards from the goggles and using some paint pens, (your choice of colors) add some camouflage to your goggles!
Low-end guns, $100-200
Low-end guns generally do not lend themselves to customization, and if they do, it is usually just adding a better barrel. They have a slow rate of fire and many feature plastic parts and frames. The lowest-end gun there is currently in the semi category would be the Daisy Stingray. The gun is mostly made of plastic with metal valves and chambers and a thin metal insert for the barrel. The gun comes standard with a 50 round hopper. It is actually fairly accurate due to its long barrel, but will only fire around five shots per second without breaking balls.
One of my personal favorite manufactures and guns is the Indian Creek "cat" series. There are currently five Indian Creek guns in the $150-300 range. They would fit into the mid-range category if it weren't for their price. All are made of aluminum frames and feature high rates of fire, usually over eight shots per second. They can all be upgraded to tournament quality. Barrels can, of course be added, along with firing bolts, expansion chambers, new grips, remote systems, new feeders, and trigger assemblies. In my opinion they may be the beginners best choice in weapons.
Mid-range Guns, $200-350
Mid-range guns feature decent barrels, fast ROF, metal frames and parts, and are quite usable right out of the box. This category of guns has the most options available for customization, and can be made into high-end guns with little work. One of the most popular manufactures in this category is Tippmann Pneumatics. Their Pro Series is one of the most widely used group of guns in paintball today, with a style fit for almost all people, from beginners to experts. Tippmann guns are very reliable and easily customized.
Another type of gun, the Kingman Spyder, is quickly gaining in popularity and it is very customizable. Anything you can do with the "big boys" can be done to a Spyder. You can add valve systems, barrels, stocks, firing bolts, grips, and anything else you can readily think of. Spyders were originally notorious for valve problems, but have gotten a lot better in the past year.
High-end Guns, $350+
High-end guns are the toys of the elite and tournament players. The two most recognizable are the Automag and Autococker. The basic guns in each series are roughly in the same price range, at about $400, while others by the same makers are in the $500-1000 range. Many high-end guns are actually mid-range guns that have been highly customized. So if you are not sure about spending the cash on one of these you can always go for a mid-range gun and upgrade it over time.
Pump Guns, $60-150
Despite their slow rate of fire, pump guns are normally very accurate and well made. Their slow ROF puts them at a severe disadvantage in amateur play; however, as volume of gunfire helps make up for lesser playing ability. On the other hand, there are some tournaments and fields where only pump guns are allowed. Pump guns are inexpensive and can be upgraded to some degree, usually just barrels. Pump guns make a nice addition to any paintball gun collection, although I generally do not recommend starting out with one, as the faster-firing semi-autos dominate today's fields. All in all, playing with a pump gun increases the challenge and is a good way to brush up on your skills.
Now that you have figured out what kind of gun you want, then the next thing is where to find it. You have two basic options: You can find a pro-shop in your area or you can order the gun. There are many paintball distributors with websites and most offer deals on complete packages (gun, tank, hopper, and goggles) for great prices. Shop around for the best deals and find the one that suits you best. Use a Simple Plan: Simple because the more complicated a strategy is the more likely it will be to get off track.