After winning many paintball games, you feel that now is the time for you to buy personalized markers. Since you have used different markers throughout your playing career, they seem too mundane. Different markers prevent your from taking your game play to another level.
If it’ll be the first time for you to buy paintball markers, follow the following guidelines to make sure that you don’t make any rookie mistakes.
1. Have a Budget
Before you make the purchase, create a budget and stick to it. The market is flooded with markers of different prices, and you can get easily confused if you don’t control your spending – some sell for as little as $40, while others go for more than $1000. Do your research and find out which markers are highly recommended, then write down their prices. Then, come up with a budget based on these prices.
2. Know Your Style of Play
Are you a risk taker or someone that prefers to take their time when playing paintball? If you love to charge into the battlefield, look for a marker with a fast shooting speed since it will help you hit the target before they get to you. Alternatively, if you are a ‘slow player’ search for a marker with high accuracy so that you can hit your target from any position.
3. Location
Before you purchase your first paintball marker, know where you’ll use it. If you frequent a paintball site with strict guidelines on the markers used, it is wise that you check in with them before buying the product. Doing so allows you to use your marker without any restrictions. Furthermore, you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a marker, only to leave it at home when you go to the paintball site.
4. Filling Your Paintball Tank
Not all paintball markers are filled up in the same way. There two main ways to fill up your markers: through compressed air or carbon-dioxide (CO2). Luckily, your local paintball site can fill up your marker without any problems. Therefore, before you make the purchase, find out whether your site uses compressed air or CO2 for its markers. If you don’t do so, you might end up with a marker that you can’t fill up because there’s no one to do it for you.
5. Marker, Balls or Both
Depending on your budget, you can decide to buy the marker plus the balls or by itself. It’s not surprising that the marker plus balls sells at a discount, and it can be to your advantage. Such a purchase will help you avoid extra ball fees at the paintball site. However, if it doesn’t fit with your budget, avoid taking the entire package.
6. Maintenance Costs
An important thing to know before buying the marker is that it’ll break at one point and you have to be ready to fix it when that happens. For example, find out how much it would cost to replace your marker’s air hose in case it spoils. There’s no point in buying an expensive paintball gun, only to have it cost more to fix. Buy something that can accept parts from different manufacturers to lower your maintenance costs.
7. Accessories
Find out whether the marker you choose needs additional equipment to function properly. For example, some paintball guns need regulators to work better. Others, like electro-pneumatic, need electronic hoppers instead of gravity fed hoppers. Therefore, choose your gun wisely.
8. Shop Visit and Product Testing
Once you have identified the type of paintball marker that you want, go to the seller’s premises and check out the item. Hold the gun and have a feel. Is it light or heavy when fully loaded? Some people like their markers light because that makes it easy to handle. Others like their markers heavy out of personal taste. Have a feel and discover your preference.
9. Make the Purchase
Once you are satisfied with the how the marker feels and functions, you can buy it. Find out if there are any special offers on the product, for example, warranties and free servicing for the first year.
Since buying your first paintball marker is important for your gaming needs, you have to do it right. Talk to an expert if you feel stuck at any point during your decision making.