[thebeachbum83]

I know this probably won't help, but hopefully i can solve some problems i'm seeing both with new players and a few of the more experienced ones as well...

here is why speed/velocity, range, and accuracy are the same for ALL, repeat ALL markers

It doesn't matter what marker you buy, whether it is a Brass Eagle Wal-Mart p.o.s. or a DM8, all guns will shoot the same velocity. This is because in paintball, there is a very regulated safety requirement as to the velocity that a marker can safely discharge a paintball. By design, all markers will shoot between 250 and 300 feet per second (fps), most will shoot over 300fps, but it is against safety regulations to shoot that hot. This means that regardless of what marker you buy, you'll be able to get a paintball to go at least 250-300 feet each second.

Knowing this, and a little bit of physics, we can also say that the range a marker is able to shoot will also be the same for every marker. This is because gravity, a force we all know and love, pulls down on every single object at exactly the same rate, 32 fps. This can be proven by dropping any two objects, disregarding air resistance, two objects will fall at the same rate. Drop a bowling ball and a tennis ball at the same time, they will hit the groun at the same exact time because gravity is constant. Same goes with a paintball, if you shoot a paintball and drop a tennis ball at the same time, in ideal conditions (no wind, spin on the pb, etc...) they'll hit the ground at the same time. Therefore, any two markers, we'll say a viewloader brawler ($40) and a DM8 ($1,400), will have the same range. if they shoot at an identical velocity, the paintball will travel the same distance. So if you decide to go with the cheap wal-mart marker you can shoot further using the same method an ego8 user would use, put an arc on the shot, meaning aim higher and let the paintball drop on your target.

As far as the flatline system is concerned, the only reason that the paintball might fly farther is because the flatline puts a backspin on it, allowing it to kind of float even at lower speeds. Backspin basically changes the way the air around the paintball acts upon it. (if you want an explanation of backspin, you can pm me, i dont feel like explaining it now) But, at these lower speeds paintballs generally don't break as easily.

Accuracy is a bit more tricky. Basically accuracy is up to you! Doesn't matter how much you spend on a paintball, no paintball is completely accurate. In order to insure better accuracy, a paint to bore ratio needs to be just right. meaning that your paintballs need to fit inside your barrel just right, not too loose and not too tight. Barrel length isn't all its cracked up to be either, A 21" BARREL WILL NOT MAKE YOUR MARKER MORE ACCURATE. a longer barrel, however, literally puts you closer to your target, but anything above 16" starts to use up too much propellant (co2 or hpa) to get the ball at 250-300 fps.

Hopefully this will answer some questions and make people realize that range, velocity, and accuracy should not be factors in buying a new marker. If there are more questions feel free to pm me.

[martix_agent]

I'm going to sticky this.

[BoBsMiTh]

You are absolutely correct in what you are saying, in "ideal conditions". But as you know we do not play in a vacuum so it's not 100% correct. A more expensive Marker has a lot more tolerance and consistency in the manufacturing process and better materials being used than a Wal-Mart POS (at least you would hope…LOL). They can also be lighter and easier to drag around, helping with fatigue. All that will have an effect on the end result i.e. the ball being propelled down the barrel. The stock barrels of both with not have the same tolerance in the ovality (roundness) and bore ID (Inside Diameter) thus acting differently giving different spins on a ball. Any inconsistency or minor bump on the inside of the barrel will affect the ball. Now you could take a POS and put an awesome barrel on it, but the accrual marker can't be changed. The machining of the air inlet on a more expensive marker would be much closer and smother than a POS giving you better air flow and reducing air turbulence on the inside of the marker (Now that may be splitting hairs, it may make a difference of 1/2".). I don't think it’s as cut and dry as you make it for the real world. But I understand what you are getting at, I am not Flaming this post just throwing out a different view.

[TheAznInvazn]

I have some suggestions

Might want to lable the 250-300 fps as muzzle velocity, as we all know, paintballs doesn't keep gpoing at 300 fps

And to explain the Flatline and Apex systems;
In flight, a wing is shaped as to allow the air flowing on top of the wing to travel faster than the air below the wing. Thanks to Bernoulli and his principal on fluids, we all know that faster fluids equates to less pressure.
Since the air on top of a wing is, again, traveling faster than the air on the bottom, the pressure on the bottom of the wing is higher than the pressure on the top of a wing, creating lift.

Now, how does all this fit into paintball?
The Flatline and Apex system all put backspin on the paintball. Since the paintball has a backwards rotation while in flight, the wind resistance on the bottom of the paintball is greater than on the top, so the air moves faster over the top of the paintball than the bottom, creating lift.

Now, why wouldn't everyone want this? Doesn't it make paintballs go farther?
Well, yes, it does make paintballs go farther, but because of the increased air resistance and the way the Flatline and Apex systems work, they may sometimes shoot at a slightly slower velocity (if using brittle paint and/or higher velocity, the barels may be too harsh on them, causing them to break), and because of the whole Beroulli's Principal thing, the paintball destabilizes in flight. And puff of crosswind could potentially knock the paintballs spinning axis off course, causing it to curve left or right. Also, at the extended range to recieve, you hardly get any paintballs to break on the people you hit.

A combination of those attributes causes most players to stay away from the Flatline and Apex barrels.

And to the above
Yes, you are splitting hairs, this is intended for the noob that is asking these questions, not the experiances paintballer and whatnot