Paintball is fast. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for the ball to hit some incredibly fast players.
If paintball were moving slowly, players would have had the privilege of running away before the ball hit them. So now, this brings us to the question. How fast is a paintball?
We’ll answer this question and share more tips on making paintball travel faster. You’ll gain a lot from this post as an avid paintball player.
So, are you ready? If yes, let’s dive in!
How Fast Is A Paintball? – FPS
Most average paintball markers can fire at 300 fps. Fps means “feet per second,” and it’s used to measure paintballs because of the marker’s short range.
However, it is important to mention that some paintball marketers can shoot below the 300 fps discussed earlier. So, it’s down to the paintball you’re using and other factors we will discuss shortly.
Why is the speed that a paintball can travel important? The simple answer is safety. The faster the paintball marker can shoot, the greater the paintball impact will be when the ball eventually lands on your skin.
So, for safety reasons, most playing fields only permit paintballs that can travel at 280 fps or below. By the way, the purpose of paintball is to hit the target, not harm an opponent.
A 280 fps marker’s ball can reach its target within a range of 80 to 100 feet, approximately one-third of a second. Now, this is fast, but the reason paintball is not hurtful.
A Handy Tip: Before a paintball can be used in a paintball field, it must be tested in a chronograph.
Why? The reason has to do with safety. The field owner wants to ensure you’re safe.
So, most fields permit the standard speed between 240 fps to 280 fps. With this speed, the ball won’t break one’s skin or break the marker itself.
The 280 fps paintball travels have been set for safety reasons. This speed ensures the ball travels fast enough to hit the target and bursts but doesn’t hurt the target.
When a paintball field owner asks you to “chrono” your paintball, remember that this action will benefit you and other players. Players are also requested not to exceed the shooting speed once tested at the chronograph.
How Fast Is A Paintball – Miles?
We have mentioned how fast paintball travels in fps. Now, let’s find out how fast it travels in miles.
The truth is, people don’t commonly associate speed with fps. They are more conversant with metrics like mph and km/h.
So, how quickly does a paintball travel in miles? Paintball travels 200 miles per hour. Let’s do the math quickly.
1 FPS = .68 mph
MPH = FPS X .68
That’s how to calculate the miles per hour a paintball can travel. Just provide the fps and multiply by .68 to get the miles.
How To Improve Paintball Gun Accuracy
Playing paintball is fun. No one can deny that. But it will be more fun to aim at targets and hit them accurately.
If you had days when you fired multiple shots but couldn’t even hit a single target, you’d understand the importance of accurately making the paintball gun shoot.
So, what can you do to improve your paintball gun’s accuracy? Follow the tips below.
1: Choose the right paintball marker:
The first tip to improve accuracy is picking the right paintball gun. But, of course, the “right paintball gun” means a good quality paintball gun.
Now, understand something. A high-quality paintball that can shoot accurately doesn’t have to be expensive. You can get a good quality paintball for a reasonable price.
However, avoid low-quality and extremely cheap paintball guns. Why? Most of them are likely poorly made. You may find some imperfections that will make getting accurate shots a miracle.
Another reason to avoid low-quality paintball guns is durability. The barrels could break during an action, making you unable to compete.
2: Store paintball neatly after use:
It is important to store your paintball gun accurately if you want it to maintain its accuracy. In addition, you don’t want dirt to get into the barrel and obstruct your gun.
3: Ditch old paintball guns:
If your paintball gun is old and weak, chances are its accuracy will be greatly affected.
So, know when to replace your paintball. If you notice the marker is aging and accuracy is diminishing, start saving up to get a brand-new one.
Note that competing with an old paintball gun is a waste of time. You stand no chance against an opponent using a brand-new paintball gun that can shoot accurately.
Of course, one’s skills will determine how accurately one shoots. But then, the quality or state of your paintball gun matters greatly.
3: Use appropriate bore size barrel:
Another thing you can do to improve your paintball gun’s accuracy is to utilize the ideal bore-size barrel that fits the paintballs.
So, how can you ensure your gun bore-size barrel and the ball match? You can do this in several ways.
You can either overbore, underbore, or even do what they classify as the paint-to-bore match. This implies matching the paintball’s bore size to the gun’s barrel bore size.
What’s underboring and overboring?
Underboring is when the paintball gun barrel’s size is under the paintball’s bore size.
Overboring is the opposite of underboring. This occurs when the paintball’s barrel size is over the paintball’s bore size.
However, some have argued that the paint-to-bore match technique is the most effective way to fire accurate shots. Others claim that underboring and overboring techniques are the most effective.
What is the paint-to-bore match? Here is how this technique is done.
Note that this technique is useful when determining your paintball barrel bore size. It is the paint-to-bore match technique.
Here’s how it is done. First, drop the ball down the barrel. Then observe the ball’s movement in the barrel. If it gets stuck, try blowing it away with a tiny breath of air.
If the ball goes off with a small breath of air from your mouth, you have successfully matched your paintball and barrel bore sizes.
4: Ditch Co2 For HPA Tank:
Have you considered using an HPA tank, or do you still prefer your Co2 tank? If you want to boost accuracy, HPA tanks are your best bet. Why is this so? HPA’s output pressure is more stable than Co2’s. Thus, you’ll enjoy a more consistent performance.
HPA is compressed air. It’s the air we breathe daily. Co2 is carbon dioxide and involves the transformation of liquid into a gaseous state.
HPA’s initial cost is high. There’s no doubt about that. But in the long run, it’s the cheapest. Furthermore, you can also use HPA tanks in all weather. These include winter and summer. The cold doesn’t affect HPA tanks, as it affects Co2. In addition, compressed air (HPA) is less volatile and cleaner than Co2.
5: Consider barrel upgrade:
The quality of your marker’s barrel will determine whether you require an upgrade. And even when an upgrade is needed, it will decide whether it will be a small upgrade or a massive one. Why is this so? The simple reason is that most paintball markers come fitted with quality barrels. Thus, you can’t get a better option in the market.
The only paintball gun that features upgradable barrels is the entry-level one. However, you can still find professional-grade barrels that aren’t up to par. The best solution is to inspect the paintball gun. Is the quality good enough?
How do you inspect and identify a good-quality barrel? First, check the honing located by the barrel’s side. Is it smooth or rough?
If the honing on the barrel is smooth, you’re good to go. The smooth honing signifies that the gun’s accuracy won’t decrease. As a result, it can deliver stellar performance consistently for years. However, you should have some concerns if the honing is rough and boasts metal splinters.
The rough honing is an indication that the barrel is of poor quality. Thus, its accuracy will decrease over time. The possibility of the barrel breaking is also there. So, start considering an upgrade.
Upgrading a poor-quality barrel will not only improve your accuracy. It will make your paintball gun look more appealing and sound for the game. Imagine having a poor-quality paintball gun while the rest of your team is using quality guns; you’ll be the one others will blame when things don’t go right.
Another reason you’ll need an upgrade is the bore size of your barrel compared to that of your paintballs. If the paintball’s bore size doesn’t match your barrel’s, an upgrade on the barrel is necessary.
Conclusion
How fast is paintball? We hope you understand how fast paintballs can travel and why the chronograph test is necessary. Paintball can travel as fast as 300 fps, but most fields ensure paintballers chronograph test their paintball guns before bringing them on board.
The reason for this is to ensure players don’t get hurt. The faster the paintball travels, the more painful it will be when it lands on your skin. We also discussed how to make paintball guns accurate. You can take a clue from there to improve your gun’s accuracy and performance.
