Budget Balling - Staying In Bounds

Money:

It's a gas but only when you have enough to get by.

My post tonight is all about 'balling on a budget. There are a couple of videos and reviews out there already that're meant to teach you how to save money while indulging in paintball but I disagree with the typical "bring better accessories to enhance your rental experience" strategy. I'm more of a "make an educated investment and work the numbers angle" sort of guy.

Education:

Get some! No, seriously... Educate yourself fellow 'n00b's.

I can't tell you everything about how to set up your kit, simply because I'm not you. What I CAN tell you for sure are these details:

Proper Propellant:

Yup, this is the title of my last post but it fits here as well. Plain and simple, if you're going to play more than 3 days worth of paintball, high-pressure air is worth the starting investment. Remember folks, it isn't all about getting started soon, it's about getting started RIGHT. If you rush your first kit and buy something that doesn't work for you, or that doesn't have the durability to last then you've just wasted your money. Investing your money into HPA will ensure that you don't have to pay out every time that you want to 'ball just to load up your tank.

For more information on the advantages of HPA over CO2, you can read my post, Proper Propellants.

Masking Mistakes:

You can't shoot what you can't see... Well, a lucky ball might hit someone you couldn't see when you fired it... But that's not what I'm getting at.

A proper mask is going to make sure you don't... Or, well, do the best it can to make sure you don't get nailed by someone you missed due to an uncomfortable mask or a lessened range of vision. Now I'm not much of a mask aficionado but I CAN tell you what the best-rated masks on the market are right now. I'd like to remind you that buying used can always help keep costs low, but if you're like me you'll probably take a certain deal of pride in owning a brand new set of gear for your starter kit. Don't let this mentality destroy your wallet, but it's okay to start off with the strength and assurance of new equipment.

1. Dye Invision Mask: http://www.pbreview.com/products/reviews/956/
2. VForce Profiler Mask: http://www.pbreview.com/products/reviews/2255/
3. VForce Armour Mask: http://www.pbreview.com/products/reviews/432/   

These reviews were not written by me... Rather obviously. Also, I haven't had the time to sift through all of the reviews but having by-far the most reviews, and ranking at or above a 9/10 these masks are the most likely to keep you satisfied and seeing the world as you need to see it.

Whippin' Up a Cyclone:

Cyclone feed technology... A boom for budget ballers.

Okay, so maybe I've got a marker-woody going for the A5's cyclone feed concept, but coming from my friends and professional contacts in the paintball community, the A5's cyclone feed is something damned-decent, especially when you've got cheap-to-reload HPA.

It's not the best deal when you're blasting through CO2 as CO2 suffers under rapid-fire and colder conditions but for HPA it's a perfect higher-speed feed system. The cyclone feed system uses propellant (CO2 or HPA) to rotate the cyclone feeding paddles. The paddles line up your paintballs so each shot advances a new round, preventing you from misfiring and just blowing air. You can look to the inserted image for the appearance and a basic visual explanation of how the cyclone feeder works. 

This will help to improve your game while keeping you on-budget by allowing for a higher, reliable fire rate but at the same time preventing you from having to buy an electronic feeding system. With your fire rate issues solved, here comes the next (and very logical) step to increasing your firepower...

Become a Pod Person:

This one's simple really. If you're in a firefight would you like to have more ammunition or less? Yeah, that's what I thought.

More ammo means more chances to headshot that bugger who's been trying to long ball your ass. More ammo means outlasting your opponent and forcing them into submission when they run dry. More ammo means more fun... Unless you're a mag-fed guy, but since this article is geared towards start-up ballers, ammunition is your friend.

You don't need to blow a massive wad of cash on a pod pack in order to keep your ammo on-hand, so don't get caught up with pricey, flashy packs right now. You can pick up a new, 4-pod + tank-holder pack for around $20-$30 CDN without sacrificing functionality. Remember to keep your goals simple, and in this case that just means bringing more ammunition to the field.

Determination:

You will need to be a very determined shopper to get the best deals, but rest-assured that the deals ARE out there even if you shop brand-new from retailers.

I've had great luck in my search shopping with both www.buypaintball.ca and www.onlinepaintball.ca as both websites have fantastic pricing. If you're looking for a much more personal touch, contact BuyPaintball.ca for your needs. Their website allows you to place orders through PayPal which makes things much simpler when it comes time to order and honestly? Their customer service support is flawless.

A couple of things to remember when shopping at your local retailers thought folks, always carry the up-to-date pricing of other retailers with you, do as much shopping online as possible to research pricing and save time, and finally don't be afraid to make an attempt at haggling. For the most part there are mark-ups, and retailers know it. You can't demand the world, that's simply impolite and inconsiderate but you CAN ask what the best possible deal is based upon other retailers' pricing.

OH! If you want to know more about the A5, get any reviews on it etc, ask Nick Elie at Flagswipe Paintball (info@buypaintball.ca) about it. Please don't flood his inbox but serious inquiries? Absolutely. I've been working with Nick on getting a lot of this information for you guys he loves making sure that new ballers are properly informed.

Get it On! (Your gear that is):

Now it's time to look at getting your kit together. If you're not so sure about the sport, just go to a couple of "walk-ons welcome" fields, rent a marker and mask, and have some fun. If paintball's for you, look into getting your own kit asap. It's rough enough paying for paint, don't keep paying for your gear any longer than you have to.

That's everything I have for you tonight. Remember to keep your wits and wallets about you and as always...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'n00b' Baller

Proper Propellants - HPA vs. CO2

A Lot of Hot Air:

As a beginner I've been trying to get my gear in order (old news) but one very serious stance that my friends and paintball contacts have been taking is that HPA is the best propellant for my circumstances, and that it is the better propellant overall.

HPA - High Pressure Air:

HPA is very simply pressurized air... Yup, the stuff you breath in and out all day packed into a tank and used to sling paint at your enemies. This should be your propellant of choice, especially if the climate you're playing in has cooler days.

Functionality:

CO2 actually turns into a liquid when under high pressure and will collect at the bottom of your tank. The liquid needs to evaporate into a gas to be used as propellant but when under sustained burst-fire or in cold conditions, the liquid CO2 can't convert to gas fast enough and enters your marker as a liquid. This can 'freeze' the marker requiring time un-used to allow for it to warm back up, but also chances damaging the internal components. HPA doesn't have this problem and as such, has won the hearts and minds of paintballers almost everywhere.

Let's move onto the focus of MOST beginner 'ballers though... MONEY.

Pricing:

*Just imagine Pink Floyd's "Money" playing in the background here...

HPA tanks are more expensive than their CO2 counterparts, usually starting around $70.00 new for the most basic tanks and moving up from there (compared to CO2 tanks which can be in the $20.00 range for the cheapies) but there's another detail to consider.

Most fields will charge you around $8.00-$10.00 for the day to keep your CO2 tank filled. You don't typically see a charge for getting your HPA tanks reloaded so you can save money in the long run by starting out with HPA. In fact, a number of retailers now have established HPA 'upgrade' packages that you can order alongside a basic marker-mask-CO2 tank kit to replace the CO2 tank, substituting it out entirely in favour of the HPA canister. Sure the cost averages about $40 more over the package with CO2, but if you're filling up at $8.00 a day, you're looking at only 5 days of balling before you've paid off your investment.

Full Up?

Hopefully this has filled your brain with a bit of info dealing with the choice between CO2 and HPA. when it boils down to it my fellow 'n00b's you want something that's going to cost you less in the long run. It might seem painful to drop an extra chunk of change off the break but if you're going to stick with paintball to any extent, you're eventually going to burn a hole in your wallet paying for CO2.

I hope this helps y'all out. Until next time my 'ballin buds remember to...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'n00b' Baller

Respected Retailers - BuyPaintball.ca

Listen Up!

I have something that needs to be said about a particular retailer, and before you go making assumptions, NO I haven't been asked or enticed to write this article. I was inspired to write this review after my interactions with the customer support team who I've come to know as 'Nick' from www.buypaintball.ca.

Buypaintball.ca:

A small, family-owned paintball shop located in London, Ontario (exact details to follow) and I was floored by their service quality and pricing.

Now it typically takes me having some sort of real personal connection for me to mention a retailer on here, my Paintball Weazels post came from my acquaintanceship with Mr. Sarge Morin, but in this case I couldn't NOT write up a review. Having come across BuyPaintball.ca in my search for my very first marker package, they were one of the best prices for the kit that I could find ANYWHERE. I can honestly say that they'll be a staple in my paintball gear search from here on out and that ANYONE looking to get themselves some 'balling gear NEEDS to give them a browse.

If you're a London local, or if you're going through the area, you should definitely check out their IRL (In Real Life) store Flagswipe Paintball. I've listed "buypaintball.ca" but that's just their online operation.

Flagswipe Paintball: "The thrill you will remember!"

529 Philip Street. - London Ontario, Canada.

Phone: (519) 642-0908

Email: sales@buypaintball.ca

Superior Service:

So, a little more about my experience aside from the competitive pricing and generic references about how awesome it was getting to talk to them.

Nick with Tom 'Tomcat' Cunningham
-Not a video, don't be fooled-

I was in the market for a Tippmann A5 marker package (as you guys will no-doubt know from my posts thus-far) and came across Flagswipe/BuyPaintball.ca in my search. I sent an email to them inquiring about the package they offered, what options were available, and I sent this on the SATURDAY of the long-weekend. I then settled in expecting to be made to wait until today to get a response but on Easter Monday I get a bright-and-early email letting me know exactly what they can offer, the details of each item in the package and again folks, all of this coming in on the Saturday... Honestly, I'm barely ABLE to haul my butt out of bed on a Saturday, much less on a long weekend but Nick was ready, willing, and able to help me out.

I'm sure Nick'll wind up reading this and potentially be a little perturbed as to how I managed to snag a pic of him as Google wasn't giving up anything and I couldn't find a "meet the staff" type section of the Flagswipe website. If you want to check out the video I screen-shotted this from and more, you can find them on Youtube HERE or by searching for "Flagswipe Paintball". They're also on Facebook HERE. 

Flagswipe's Calendar of Events - 2013

Honestly fellow 'ballers, You owe it to yourselves to take a look at Flagswipe/BuyPaintball.ca. If you don't, it's your loss and that's not being harsh, it's just the truth. Their facility caters to everyone and anyone, they've got indoor AND outdoor playing areas, paintball, laser combat simulation and airsoft... Short of the kitchen sink there's not much they DON'T have and really, would you want your kitchen sink being on their paintball field? Haha probably not.

Cashing Out:

I can tell you right now that I'll be putting some serious coin into the Flagswipe cash registers (digitally speaking as I don't get to London often) or at the very least I'll be looking to them first for any gear I need. I've never met a retailer so customer-focused in my paintball expreriences. If you're looking to get into the sport, please check out www.buypaintball.ca. It's for your own good. I'd say "Tell'em Joshua sent you" but it wouldn't make a difference... EVERYONE gets the best customer service possible regardless of who you know. Quality service, equality and paintball for all! That's how they play the game.

That's all for tonight readers, just remember...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'n00b' Baller