Buyers Guide

Your key to finding the right gift for the paintball player in your life. These are the things you should look for when buying a gift for a paintball player.

If you know nothing about the sport of paintball it can be a little intimidating to buy a holiday gift for your loved one. There is a lot to know. This guide is designed to help you choose the right gift item for your holiday purchase. It is important to know up front that if you ever need help, the pros at Paintball Mountain are just a phone call away at 888-893-5507. Please don’t hesitate about calling if you have any questions. We would be happy to help make your holiday a little easier!

Some important things to keep in mind while shopping for your loved one this holiday season.

• Know who you are shopping for. You will need to know sizes and favorite colors. It may sound silly but players like to have matching gear. If their paintball marker/gun is blue then they want blue gloves, jerseys, etc. If your player likes to play in the woods, then camouflage, green or dark colors are best.
    
• Some gear needs to match. Players might ask for barrels or other items that may need to be matched to their existing gear. You may need to know this before you go shopping. If you ever have questions about what parts are compatible, just give us a call and we would be happy to help you out.

What’s it all mean?

The terminology used in paintball can be a little confusing to a new comer! You may have heard different terms used to describe the gear used in the sport of paintball. Here I will explain the basic terms used to help your navigation of the sport a little easier. I will also let you know what players are looking for if you might not have a specific item to look for.

Paintball Marker / Paintball Gun: As an industry, the sport of paintball is trying to distance itself from the term “gun” for the negative imagery it provokes. The sport prefers to use the term “marker” instead of gun but both words describe the same thing. A paintball marker/gun shoots a paintball at a target to mark the target.

What to look for with Paintball Markers: If you are buying a paintball marker as a gift there are a few very important things to know. Paintball markers/guns are NOT toys. Do not buy a paintball marker for a minor unless you understand this fact. Paintball players need a safe area to play the sport. Usually players go to local paintball fields or play with permission on private land. Some local areas have specific laws that regulate the possession of paintball markers. Paintball markers can hurt or cause an injury to the unprotected. Do not buy a paintball marker for someone who does not have the minimum needed safety gear (goggles/mask) or allow them to play paintball without wearing their mask. Paintball is extremely safe and a lot of fun but players need to play smart and play safe!

Players want the fastest and most reliable paintball marker they can afford at the time. Many players like paintball markers that they can upgrade by making modifications at a later time. When looking to buy a paintball marker as a gift you may need to ask a few questions to know what they are looking for. Find out if your player is new to the sport or experienced. An experienced player should be able to steer you in the direction of the specific paintball marker that they are looking for. If you are buying a paintball marker for a first time player or a less seasoned player then you might need to find out what type of game they would like to play. Some players prefer to play in the woods while other like playing smaller games on specialized fields. There are paintball markers designed for specific types of games.

Recommendations: (Compiled from Paintball Mountain’s Best of the Best)

• For new or first time players~ I would suggest the Imagine Digital LED by Kingman/Spyder or the Spyder Pilot ACS. The Smart Parts Ion is very popular too!
    
• For players who like playing in the woods~ Tippmann A-5 with the response trigger or the Tippmann Custom 98. One of the hottest and newest paintball markers for woods play is the Smart Parts SP8. 
     
• For the experienced player for less than $500~ Smart Parts Impulse or the Prostock by WGP. The Spyder Electra is new and very popular right now too.
     
• For the experienced player for more than $500~ The Proto Matrix is a heck of a good deal with outstanding performance as is the Smart Parts Shocker. Paintball Mountain’s Best of the Best 2006 winner is the Planet Eclipse Ego, an outstanding tournament level paintball marker that is setting the pro series on its ear.

Hopper / Loader: A hopper is a device that holds the paintballs and is attached to the paintball marker. It is removable and able to be refilled. Most players prefer motorized loaders that actively feed paintballs into the paintball marker but gravity fed hoppers work too. Nearly all hoppers/loaders fit most paintball markers. The only exception to this is with a specific paintball marker, the Tippmann A-5. If your player has this paintball marker you will need a different hopper as the normal ones will not fit it.

Like paintball markers, hoppers can come in different colors. Feel free to match a blue marker with a blue hopper!

Recommendations:

• For New or inexperienced players~ The Gravity 200 Cap Hopper by Kingman is very inexpensive and reliable. For a motorized hopper I would suggest the Extreme Rage Overdrive. It is quick and affordable.
     
• For Players who like playing in the woods~ If your player is using a Tippmann A-5 I strongly suggest the Ricochet R5. The R5 fits the A-5 perfectly and looks great. For paintball markers with standard necks I would recommend the Ricochet 2K. It has the perfect profile for playing in the trees and is durable enough to stand up to the tougher environment.
     
• For Experienced players~ The Halo B reloader with the Rip Drive is extremely popular and very fast. The Halo B comes in many colors too. Other top picks are the Viewloader eVLution II and the Empire Reloader B. Both are fast, attractive and popular with the tournament crowd.

 

Tanks / Bottles: There are 2 major types of tanks (sometimes called bottles) used in the sport of paintball today, HPA and Co2. It is important to know what type of paintball marker your player is playing with to match the tank properly. The age and size of the player may also come into play with the right size of tank (big tanks are sometimes difficult for smaller players to use).

I would recommend calling the pros at Paintball Mountain to be sure you get the right tank for your given situation. We have a huge selection of high quality and affordable air systems.

Paintball Kits: A Paintball kit gives you everything you need to get started in one box. This is a great pick for a new player as it gives them a paintball marker, loader, tank and goggles. Some kits also include cleaning supplies and a few upgrades.

Recommendations:

• Kingman Spyder Pilot Kit~ This kit gives you the wildly popular Pilot paintball marker, goggles, recharger, 200 round loader, 16 ounce Co2 tank and a spare parts kit that includes a barrel blocking device. This is a very nice paintball marker and a great kit for a new or the relatively new player.
    
• PBM’s Tippmann A-5 Kit~ The Tippmann A-5 is the hottest woodsball paintball marker out there right now. Paintball Mountain puts it together with 3 pods, harness, squeegee, tank, mask, spare parts and many other extras. This is a great kit and a great buy!
    
• Smart Parts Ion Kit~ This is another very popular paintball marker in a kit. It comes with a color matched Proto mask and 72ci HPA tank. You will need a hopper but this is still a very nice paintball marker kit.

Clothing: Paintball players like looking the part. Players who play on air fields like wearing the whole get up; paintball jersey, tournament pants and gloves. They usually match. Woodsball players go for the camo and dark colors. New players might find jersey to play in a nice addition and paintball gloves provide added comfort and a layer of protection to exposed skin.

Some keys to remember when shopping for paintball clothes:

• Jerseys should be bought in sizes the player is currently wearing. Jerseys generally fit tight but are not constricting.
• Tournament pants are baggy in nature. A player should wear a pair of shorts under the pants (a lot of players have been caught with their pants around their ankles after a slide). Some pants provide extra storage and added padding in the knees and hips.
    
• Gloves should be bought at the player’s current size and are generally tight fitting. Some players prefer exposed fingers while others like them covered. Most gloves can be snipped if the player wants to change.
    
• Colors do matter! Try to match the entire outfit.

Other goodies: There is a lot of extra stuff you can get too. Pods and packs always come in handy as well as paintball gear bags. Pods are basically Tupperware for paintballs that allow players to carry extra paintball with them during a game. The pods are carried in a harness.

Recommendations:

• Pods are for the most part universal. Players tend to match the pods to the harness meaning that is the have a Dye harness they prefer to carry Dye pods in it. Dye Pods are very popular right now.
     
• Harnesses are sometimes sold as two units. There is the belt and the part that actually holds the pods. Redz belts and Redz Harnesses are comfortable and durable. Dye sells their harnesses as one unit. Smaller players find a smaller harness more comfortable as larger players can carry bigger packs easier.
    
• Gear bags are a great gift item. They serve to protect your player’s investment while giving the player an easy way to carry the stuff around. I tell everyone to get as big as you need and can carry. Some players like to match the manufacturer of their favorite paintball marker to their gear bag. Planet Eclipse has a nice large bag. Kingman/Spyder has a backpack and a smaller single marker storage bag that work very nicely.

 

Gift Certificates ~ When all else fails get a gift certificate! If you are not sure you can let them decide by giving a gift certificate. The staff at Paintball Mountain will give your loved one all the time and attention they will need to make the perfect choice.

 

This concludes Paintball Mountain’s Holiday Buying Guide. I truly hope this helped you. If you ever have any specific questions you can contact the crew at Paintball Mountain at 1-800-741-0204. The pros at Paintball Mountain will be happy to help you select or find the items you need or give you suggestions on the right gift. You are always welcome to email me directly too at Christian@paintballmountain.com. I would be happy to help you.

Thank you for visiting Paintball Mountain and Happy Holidays!