[Jaysun]

I have recently met up with a group that gets together a couple times each month for some paintball in the woods. I have absolutely no experience with paintball which means I am more than slightly confused with the majority of what is discussed on this board.

I've read the sticky on looking for purchasing a gun, there is some great information in there so I'll be doing some shopping. My other questions are:

1. How long will a CO2 cylinder last (generally speaking), should I have more than 1 and if so, how many? Where would I get them filled?

2. Are all paintballs (ammo) created equal? If not, what should I be looking for?

3. What accessories aside from some form of eye protection would be considered a neccessity?

4. Would you recommend purchasing a marker package that comes with all kinds of accessories or would you purchase the product seperately?

I apologize for asking questions that have probably been beat top death. If this is covered in some kind of FAQ section, feel free to send me the link.

[Mr.McManus]

1. it depends on the size of the tank, a 20oz Co2 tank would be a good investment, if youre not palying at a field where they can be refilled (they usually fill them at local fields and almost every pro shop will fill them) then a spare 12oz may be good too.

2.generally in terms or manufacturing yes, but there are different densities in the shells (the thickness of the outer part of the ball itself) and different thickness of the paint inside. Any employee at your local shop would be able to give you more information and help you choose a good paint that will fit your budget and gun/barrel set up.

3.depending on weather or not you plan on sticking to woodsball (palying in the woods) or maybe playing speedball ( a faster paced form of play generally played on a smaller more flat ground with an abundance of bunkers close to eachother) what is considered a need may vary. you should invest in an electronic hopper and a harness to hold spare pods of paint regardless of what you will be playing and if you have the money a pare of pants and or jersey may be nice. most pants have padding built into them and jerseys are generally easier to play in because they are so flexable and breathe well. you should get a mask that has anti-fog lense (there is anti-fog spray but it generally doesnt work) and a barrel cleaner (swab, or pull through will work, having both is nice) again you will find these at your local shop and an employee can help you choose something you like.

4.sometimes its cheaper to buy a package deal but it depends on the gun you are interested in, many packages come with the bare neccessities that you will eventually replace due to quality so once more take a look around your local shop and see what they have to say.

hope this helped. and have fun getting into the sport, you'll love it.

[TannyDanner]

Well welcome to the forum, and even larger, to the world of paintball. You'll never be able to leave us now....mwha ha ha......ahem sorry. Anyways, I don't know if these topics are covered somewhere here, i'm sure some if not all are because the guys on here are very good with creating the ground work for all that have questions. I'll give you a run down of some possible anwsers though.

1). If I can remember back to my woodsball days, I think a 20oz Co2 tank would last me almost a case(2000) if not the whole thing(Co2 owners feel free to give exact details). Depending on how you and the group will be playing, you may want to invest in an extra bottle as well, maybe smaller like a 12 or 9oz just because playing out in the woods, it's
not fun to run out of gas with no fill station around. You can fill your Co2 tank at any local field/shop around you. Also some places, like fishing/tackle shops have fill stations for thier scuba tanks and will fill for you as well(not all though, and you should check with the place to see if they have done this before, some places around me do fill)

2). No. Not all paintballs are created equal. As far as I know, the mixture's are all basically the same, some are thicker then others, but for the most part, only size and strength of the shell will vary. Before jumping into a case of paint, it's always good to ask an employee at a shop about the paintballs, also let them know what you will be shooting them through, because it's important to get a good barrel to paint match.

3). As far as gear needed to play, the mask being numero uno, the only other item you might find extremely helpful would be a harness or pod pack of some sort. These will come in handy in longer games or when you've shoot a lot of paint. They are a quick on the spot refill. The pods can hold about 100 to....140? 140 I think....man...thats sad I should know this. And they also come in different sizes and styles.

4). I would highly recommend investing in one of the marker packages that many compaines offer. Just starting out, I know Tippman's always sold when I worked at National and they give you everything you need to get started. I don't know the exact specifics, but normally they include the gun, a Co2 tank, a hopper or loader, a squeegee to clean out any broken paintballs in your barrel/gun, a mask(some) and maybe a barrel blocker. Plus oil for the gun and extra parts. These packages are usually the best way to go for an introduction to the sport.

All in all, the main thing is to be comfortable with what your playing with. Take some time to shop around, maybe even go to a shop and shoot some markers your interested in buying. I hope I helped you out man. Have fun ballin'.

[TannyDanner]

Wow, I just typed this as you posted....haha....all well....

[Jaysun]

Would a 20 oz. tank attach directly to the gun or would that be one you would put in some kind of pack/harness.

[Jaysun]

Found a Spyder TL-X package for $140 shipped.

Includes
- X-Type Goggle System
- 12oz Java C02 Tank
- 200 Round Hopper
- Jerk Squeegie

Extra 20 oz. bottle is $25 shipped.

Seems like a good deal, any objections?

[gsu_paintballer]

No. You can get mechanical spyders much cheaper.

[martix_agent]

Originally Posted by gsu_paintballer

No. You can get mechanical spyders much cheaper.

it depends on what his friends are playing with.
In my opinion, if everyone is using mechanical markers, there's not need to get an electronic marker.

I'd also suggest a different hopper on top of that package. A viewloader revolution (or evolution if you get a electronic spyder) is a good match, It's an agitating hopper, it's important because normal gravuity hoppers jam up and you have to shake them to get paint to feed out of them...pretty annoying if you ask me.

If you want an electronic spyer, a spyder imagine can be had for around $85-$100. A used revy hopper(revolution costs about $25 and a used eggy about$45(evolution) on top of that, get a mask that has an anti-fog lens, you'll never forgive yourself if you don't get that feature. A good squeegee is a paintballers best friend also. Shooting with paint in your barrel is no fun at all.

[Mr.McManus]

Originally Posted by Jaysun

Would a 20 oz. tank attach directly to the gun or would that be one you would put in some kind of pack/harness.

the tank itself would screw directly into to the gun or a drop forward conected to the bottom of the handle of the gun. for it to connect to a harness you would have to get a remote line which would generaly get in the way.