You must be wondering, how much does paintball cost? If this is the case, then you are reading the right article.
There is a lot of hype over paintball, and potential fans are wondering what is paintball? If you already know about it, it’s obvious why you want to know the price.
Paintball is an adrenaline-pumping activity, and it can be a nice way to spend a weekend. Paintball has grown popular, and new arenas and technologies are revolutionizing the sport. Let us get into the details of pricing to see how much this will cost;
How Much Does Paintball Cost?
You can go to a paintball location and rent equipment for less than $30, for which you will get an entry-level gun, tank, hopper, some paintballs, and a mask.
Most places include the entrance fee in the price, but the price might be higher depending on the level of equipment and space you are using. You might pay up to $75 for 2000 round cases, and most places use the number of rounds to determine the price.
Cost Breakdown Of Playing Paintball
Paintball is a fun game, and many costs go into giving you an immersive, safe experience. Paintball requires specific clothing, gear, and a nice location for shooting. It is best to be ready and have everything to ensure a safe experience.
The cost will vary depending on how much you want to play paintball. Your frequency of playing will determine whether you will buy your gear or rent it from a paintball location. Each of these options can be good depending on user preference.
If you are not looking for a regular hobby, then you can try a one-time location. Most paintball arenas will allow you to make a one-time payment to use their equipment on-site for a few hours. You can also rent some of the equipment if you have a more suitable location.
For such places, the fee for one paintball round might range between $10 and $25. On average, you will spend $30 to get all the equipment. Some places require you to purchase field paint.
Field paint is paint you buy at the location rather than in regular stores, which is often more expensive.
You will get field paint for about $40, but the price is lower in stores. You must have some basic equipment before starting a game of paintball.
Buying your equipment will be financially prudent if you plan to play paintball more regularly. If you spend enough money, you can get better quality gear than whatever you will rent.
Big local retailers will sell you a paintball pack for about $40. The pack will have a gun, mask, hopper, and a few CO2 canisters.
You can get a more advanced gun like an electromechanical or a semi-automatic, but you will spend close to $100.
You can buy equipment separately; masks go for about $20, CO2 for about $12, and hoppers cost about $5.
Aside from basic equipment, you might get additional accessories like clothing and high-end guns to make the game fun.
Cost Breakdown For Equipment You Need To Play Paintball
You need the correct equipment if you are to enjoy your paintball experience. Paintball can be an expensive hobby if you don’t get the right approach to using it. Here is a list of some gear you need to start playing paintball.
A paintball gun
First is a good entry-level gun for shooting paintballs. If you were wondering how much do paintball guns cost, well, there are many gun designs to choose from. You can get simple $30 guns or go for guns as expensive as $400.
Some guns are unchangeable, so you have to use them as they are, these are cheap, and you can get them for $100 or less.
Others allow you to upgrade by improving the barrels, adding expansion chambers, and other upgrades.
The upgradability of these guns will increase the final price, and you can pay upwards of $500 for them.
The price of a paintball gun is dependent on the features you get from the gun, power, range, upgradability, material, durability, and more.
A Mask
Another important piece of equipment is a mask. This will protect your face and eyes from the spray and paintballs.
The mask has goggles to prevent paint splatter from entering your eyes, and the rest keeps your face safe from paintballs.
The mask is not too expensive, and you can get a nice-looking one for about $13 on Amazon. There are many customs and designs with additional advantages that cause the price to vary. Thermal lens masks are more expensive, costing about $65.
High-end masks will go as high as $90 since they are lighter and safer, and you can see and breathe more comfortably in them.
They also provide additional safety for your head. There are many custom designs for shooting games like Call of Duty to make it feel more immersive.
A Tank
A tank has compressed air or carbon dioxide, and the tank’s pressure will push the paintballs out. While the gun and mask are one-time purchases, other items, such as air and paintballs, will be recurring, and the cost is considerable.
You can get 3000 psi tanks for $40, $54, or more if you want compressed air. CO2 is cheaper, and you can get a tank for about $30.
These are about 20 pounds each, and they are for intense gamers. There are lighter, high-capacity tanks for $150 and more.
A Hopper and Paintballs
A hopper or loader attaches to your gun and stores the paint before loading it into its firing chamber.
Hopper prices vary depending on the capacity, speed, and features. Simple hoppers come at as low as $10 with a capacity of 200 rounds.
The price increases from there, and high-end hoppers with features like proactive feeding and smart app compatibility cost as much as $200. Such options are high-tech and extremely efficient.
You can get paintballs in boxes of 2000 or buy them in bulk to reduce the price. The cost will be between $30 and $60, depending on the number and paintball sizes. High-end paintballs will be round and fire better.
They also have thinner shells for easier bursting and brighter colors so you can see when you hit an opponent. Such products go for a higher price ranging between $40 and $60.
A Playground
Paintball requires a lot of space to create the best experience, at least the size of a football field. The space needs trees, tunnels, hiding spots, corridors, walls, and other structures. These provide hiding spots to make the game more fun for the players.
The infrastructure you need to pull this off is insane. You need concrete, plastic, a ton of space, and manpower. You will spend about $50,000 to build the arena, then an additional $5000 for licenses and insurance.
Should I Rent Paintball Equipment Or Buy My Own?
After going through the many cost breakdown aspects of a paintball game, you might wonder whether you should rent equipment or buy it. The final choice will depend on your playing frequency, location, and player availability.
If you play paintball several times weekly, buying your equipment is a good idea. The cost of two or three sessions per week is enough to buy equipment. This will save you a lot of money.
However, you don’t need to buy equipment if you don’t play regularly. Rent it whenever you need it and save space and money for something else. It boils down to the activity’s financial feasibility when renting and when you have equipment.
An important aspect to think about is an appropriate location to play. Paintball would be fun if you live close to the woods or have a large area with walls and other obstacles. These will provide cover from fire and make the game more fun.
You should buy the paintball gear if you have a nice location and partners to play with. Abandoned apartment buildings or large empty structures are amazing options for paintball; just make sure it is safe first.
If there isn’t a room where you live, it would be better to go to a paintball place, rent their equipment and use their playing area.
Such places have buildings, woods, obstacles, and other additions that make the game more intense and safer.
An added advantage of renting is that you get to meet new opponents to play with. Some locations offer tournaments and contests, which make for more fun than playing with a few friends.
You should not buy paintball equipment unless you have players to go up against. Paintball is most fun when you do it in teams with objectives and prizes. Buying equipment is an option for someone with a large pool of players to participate in the sport.
Conclusion
You have your answer, how much does paintball cost? Paintball is an expensive hobby, costing about $30 for basic equipment. The price can go as high as $100 if you want to use high-end equipment for a better experience.
You will spend more if you want a better experience with more powerful guns, customized gear, and a larger playing area. For regular players, it is better to buy your customized guns and gear rather than rent equipment regularly.
