Have you ever got any flawed shots in paintaball game and then wonder how do I shoot a paintball gun accurately? There have to be some ways to improve the precision, right? Well, to shoot accurately, you need to get yourself better barrels, perfect eye-shoulder alignment, and the best possible shooting stances. Accuracy also requires calculating the variables, and coping with the racing nerves. Study shows shorter barrels are 8% more accurate than longer ones. So, it’s better if you can get a marker with slim and short barrel. You also need a perfect alignment of the gun with your shoulder and eyes.
Then, you should discover the best shooting stance, the variables affecting the shots, and a plausible way to hold your nerve during combat.
Voila! You will get a sniper shot afterward.
How can I make my paintballs more accurate?
It is a frustrating experience to get inaccurate shots in a paintball game, isn’t it? I always thought –how do I aim better in paintball? I was on a journey to find accuracy at any cost. And I have found the following solutions.
- Holding the Gun in Right Position
Well, hitting the target requires a tight grip over the gun. The best way to hold a marker is to keep the tank pressed against the shoulder. The left hand should be on the frontal part of the gun and the right hand should be on the trigger. The left-handed buddies should do the opposite. Make sure to keep the gun and your hands steady while shooting. Tilting your hands won’t give you accuracy, will they?
- Aiming and Alignment
To shoot a paintball gun accurately, you must keep your eyes aligned with the gun. Your sight should be on the same line as the barrel front, though it might be hurdled by the paintball hopper.
The next step is to find out your dominant eye. Some prefer firing with the better eye with the other eye closed. But it leads to a certain angular inaccuracy. So, it is better to keep both eyes wide open and measure the angular discrepancies. I found it difficult to adjust the target this way. But if you can keep the barrel in between your eyes, you shall likely get better precision.
- Shooting Stance
Now it’s time to find out the optimal shooting stance on the paintball field. It’s better if you slightly lean forward your upper body and keep your feet directed toward your target. What I found even better is kneeling and firing on the target. But this can prove worrisome at the beginning. If you are relatively new, kneeling won’t give you close calls. Once you are accustomed to firing, you can get better shots.
- Practicing More
Practice is the best way to achieve precision. You need to practice firing targets of different ranges. Try starting with a close target of 15-20 feet. Then move on to the next targets adding 10 feet distance more. What’s more, you need to practice firing moving objects. Your targets won’t be static, right? It shall give you a real-game experience. Holding the nerves and keeping the gun steady is crucial for accuracy.
- Upgrading the Bore, the Barrel
The size of the barrel and the bore considerably affects accuracy. It is better to get a medium or short paintball barrel. A longer barrel doesn’t give you more accuracy, rather the reality is quite opposite. Next, you need to find out if the bore of the barrel is overbore, underbore or paint-to-bore. But how do you know if it is underbore or overbore?
Well, if you insert a paintball inside the barrel and it passes through smoothly, it’s a overbore barrel. But if the paintball is tightly stuck, it’s a underbore one. And if if the paintball is stuck and it can passes through with a blow of air, it’s a paint-to-bore match. Experts suggest the bore size to be as close as possible with the barrel size. So a paint-to-bore match would give better accuracy than overbore or underbore barrel.
- Getting Better Gun
I always have the prejudice that says expensive items are always better. But the reality is far from this notion. The best paintball gun doesn’t have to be a thousand-dollar frenzy. Try to figure out the suitable marker that goes with your stature. It’ll help you to fire accurately. A heavy marker with a long barrel should be avoided unless you are a Big Show. Action Village, Empire Mini, Spyder MR100, and Tipman Cronus are some of the best ones you can choose from.
If you are a novice, then you should opt for buying semi-automated mechanical paintball guns. They are more precise than others. I personally like Tipman A5 for beginner-level players. Electronic guns are good for experienced players as it allows 3-shot burst, automatic fire, and ramping. For shooting accuracy, adept players should get electronic paintball guns.
- Cleaning Regularly
What paintball players often overlook is the condition of the paintball marker. When a marker isn’t cleaned regularly, dust and debris would enter the barrel, loader, hopper, and whatnot. And this affects the accuracy rate.
To clean the paintball gun, you should take apart the parts. Then use hot water and dish soap to clean each part and let them dry.
Special attention should be given to the barrel. Clean the paintball barrel with rubber squeegee and barrel swab if possible. It’s better if you can clean the barrel after each game. A cleaned gun is more accurate for sure. If you can follow these steps, your firepower will be more precise than before.
Where Should I Aim Paintball?
While playing the paintball game, it would be freaking tough to aim correctly at your targets. But there are ways to aim and get sniper-shot accuracy. You need to aim at the neck of your opponent. Even if the ball weight and the air pressure lower the paint, it will surely hit the body. Moreover, if a target is moving, you need to fire ahead of them. It’s a bit annoying to get precision in such a case. But once you know the target’s speed, you can calculate and fire accordingly.
But don’t aim at the face or the head. It might cause serious injury including eye damage. Statistics from Altmetric.com shows that an estimated 11 998 players were injured between 1997-2001. You must also wear face mask while playing. Never give safety a day off.
How far is a paintball gun accurate?
You probably have heard that a paintball can shoot up to 300+ feet. But the accuracy range for a paintball gun is somewhere from 80 to 100 feet. Well, in some cases, you might get effective range beyond 100, but the chances are too low. Only with high-quality barrels, markers, and paintballs you can think of accuracy beyond 100 feet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are pump paintball guns more accurate?
Pump paintball guns are good for manual shots at close range. For the beginner, pump guns are quite helpful to bring down the enemy target. But pro players would find it irksome because it needs manual pumping after each shot.
How fast do paintball guns shoot?
The speed of a paintball or its muzzle velocity is limited to 300 fp/s. But the average speed is less around 280 ft/s. The lower speed limit is set to curb the chance of injury.
Wrap Up
It’s not an easy-peasy job to be a Pro in paintball games. You need to put considerable time into shooting and improving accuracy. Well, now you know how do you shoot a paintball gun accurately, right? Try to enjoy the game and get the best out of yourself. Accuracy will follow you.
