Paintball for training?

As far as straight flying paintballs, a new producer is coming out with the "first shot" paintball (i think thats what its called...), in cooperation with Tiberius Arms (one of the newer paintball gun manufacturers). Reportedly, it is 10 times more accurate, as it is shaped more like a standard bullet instead of a round ball, giving you better stabilization in flight. I havent seen any on the market yet, but allegedly it is coming very very soon. The youtube shots I have seen are very promising.

The problem with them is that, as they are more elongated, they dont work with any of the current loaders. Tiberius Arms is making an adapter kitfor their own magazine loaded gear, but no word from the rest of the industry on other kinds of loading systems. Personally, it looks unlikely that it will make much of a dent in tournament style paintball, but scenario games would be the target market for it anyway.

As far as effective training, I think it definately gets you used to the idea of having people shoot at you. Working under pressure is always a good thing :) The price is pretty steep though, as a box of 2000 paintballls can cost anywhere from $20-$60, field fees and all-day air up to $20, and a marker rental as much as $30. Then theres all the personal gear if you choose to buy it, with personal markers ranging from $30 to as high as $2000. To be honest, I actually stopped playing paintball and started shooting 9mm and .22lr in order to save money. But then Im also a bit of a junkie on the trigger...



EDIT: hahaha, ok , my ADD kicked in. ITs called "first strike", not "first shot"... whoops
 
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The army also does a lot of training with paintball guns (In fact, Tippmann paintball even made and marketed a new marker specifically for the US Army). Its more to teach unit tactics in the field; getting shot means you where standing and running for too long and the instructor is correcting the error. However, that doesnt keep it from being any less fun.

They also use some kind of paintball claymore in IED scenarios that will really light your butt up. Trust me. If you've seen Jackass 2, you have some idea of the result (albeit at somewhat decreased velocities).
 
I've been playing paintball for about 8yrs now, serious competitions for about 4yrs and love it. Although i dont play in the woods or do much scenario (im strictly a speedball player) i can see where tactics could be practiced. i wouldnt count on it to replicate shooting techniques as the equipment is very different. even the markers that are replicas of the real thing dont produce the same flight path of the projectiles.


And since someone else posted a pic, i feel obligated to do the same:p

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I am sure such games are fun for others, but I have a philosophical problem. I am not exactly new to firearms, and own a couple of guns, but I am of the belief that one should not shoot at another person unless one needs to kill that person. To me, aiming a gun and firing a shot into a living body is not a game, and guns are not toys. Nor do I think it is a good idea to make "hunting" and "killing" other human beings into a fun sport.

I realize that I sound like a "party pooper" and I guess I am. But I wouldn't want to ever draw and fire and kill an innocent person because for one bad moment I thought I was in a game and the gun was loaded with simunitions or paint balls.

Jim
 
I played cops and robbers and cowboys and indians when I was a kid. We had cap guns and rubberband guns and bows and arrows with little suction cups on the tips. I never mistook those guns nor paintball guns for the real deal. Yeah, you sound a little like an old foggy.
 
Training? Training for what, exactly?

At any rate, you should also look into airsoft. If you can pick up the airsoft version of your carry gun, it might aid familiarity with your real pistol.
 
what kind of training?

Paintball does have it training purposes, especially if you have the gear already. But what type of training? Tactically it's good for groups but for individual training you are better off with airsoft.

Simunitions are great but costly and hard to get unless you go at it like a business/training center.

Airsoft allows you to use almost exact replicas of your sidearm or long gun. So you can virtually get almost any gun (pistol and rifle and even shotguns) that have the same weight and action as your "real" firearm. You can even do magazine exchanges.

Tactically for individual training this is the way to go. Yes, it's not cheap either if you go the high end stuff but you can also go very slow and start off pretty cheap ($20) for the springloaded airsoft.

For accuracy you are looking at 100 ft or so for high end rifles and 20-30 feet for pistols. Yes, they can shoot longer but then you get into more influences of the environment (wind) and of course how good the mechanism is that you bought.

Airsoft is catching on but nothing like other parts of the world - well, some of those countries you can even own a "real" gun but boy they make them look and feel so real.

Check out an airsoft store near you and see if they can help you locate a few places to go try it out and shoot.
 
I think paintball is very good for basic techniques, such as the use of cover, firing lanes and angles, shooting while running, etc. These should not be overlooked at all because there is a world of difference between an experienced player and a newbie in terms of those items I listed.

You would think a lot of it is common sense, but apparently its not. If you're playing paintball and you got hit Center of Mass while stationary, you probably weren't making proper use of cover. You'd be surprised how many people get hit COM.
 
Ya I started with airsoft, but IMO it does not have nearly the training value that paintball does. Not saying anything bad about it, but subconsiously you know if you run 25 yards your out of range, it does not hurt that bad, its not too loud, The mask over your face in paintball limits your perception the way adrenaline does, unless you are using fairly expensive guns there are no rapid followup shots. The bonuses of airsoft though are that it does give you a more realistic bullet count, and the guns feel alot more like real guns. I just don't feel like it gives you the combat mentality paintball does.
 
If some of you guys are on the fence, check out "stock-class" play. The guns are limited to 20 rounds on the gun, and one 12-gram C02 cartridge. The feed is also horizontal to the barrel so you have to "rock and cock" like you did back in the Nelspot 007 era.

The downside is the cost-per-shot goes up, but the endless overshooting that you see in speedball goes away.

And let's face it, if you're a total acessory-junkie like most of us ARE, you'll have a blast with it.
 
Stock-class guns make the mommys and daddys on the sidelines feel better about letting little jimmy play alongside the big boys too. One shot to the grill hurts less than 2 dozen to the chest.
 
Paintball for Training

Yes, been there and done it. Started at the local ranges near Atlanta and made my way down to a serious War Games Meet at Camp Blanding in Florida. This is a M.O.U.N.T. Camp at the National Guard facility SW of Jacksonville. A simulated town with 25 buildings, tunnels, 4 story City Headquarters, bridges, streets, school and adjacent woods. Put 125 Team members on two sides of the battle, 125 in town and the other 125 outside and take the town. All the way down to Radio Communications, 5-10 man SWAT teams and it is as real as you can get without real bullets. You can learn lots about cover, shooting on the move, Reloading, and Team Play. The first time I went to Blanding I had a low end gun, the next year I went back and had a Full Auto Shocker Gun. Yes full auto was authorized. At night the game was 20 hostages in the School House and get them out. The other folks did not make it in 60 minutes, my team did it in 20 minutes. We had night vision and almost anything you could name. Fun game to play at any level.
 
I think paintball is very good for basic techniques, such as the use of cover
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Seems to me that it teaches the opposite of good use of cover.

Paintball teaches you that you are safe behind plywood, shrubbery, and huge balloons.:)
 
I kinda figure though. . . if I ever get into a gunfight in an outdoor situation will probably be like my first game of paintball. Scared out of my mind (I was 9, those things hurt) adrenaline pumping, and deciding just to keep my butt down and try to stay hidden and avoid the shooting, while keeping a watch around me to make sure noone noticed me that I did not. In paintball there really was no running, but unless I was defending myself or my family I would be gettin on my way as quickly and quielty as possible.
 
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