40 replies to this topic

[Tomcat]

SAFETY TIP 101:

Buying a mask or goggles is not enough for safety.  I know sometimes young guys and gals go out and buy a marker at Walmart, etc and take it right out of the packaging and start playing.  A regulation field offers a safety briefing, netting for "safe areas", and the ability to check the velocity of the paintball coming out of your marker.  Some markers can fire at over 400 fps!   Goggles are rated around 330 fps, give or take, so you see why I cringe when I hear about guys running into the woods to play.   When you buy a gun get it chrono'd!   It should be chrono'd every time you  change tanks, especially if you are shooting CO2 or mod the internals.   Normally, if you buy it at a Proshop, they can chrono it for you.   If you purchase it where there is no chrono, go get chrono'd.   If you're stuck playing in an "Outlaw" situation, make sure your 300 feet or more from people not wearing goggles and purchase a small hand held chrono.   It will be worth the investment.

[Camo Charlie]

I agree with TC.  If you're primarily playing outlaw, invest in a handheld chrono.  Either purchase one yourself or if you play with the same people all the time, take up a collection.

When we first started playing outlaw some of the guys I play with were complaining about receiving extremely painful hits (shots made from distances ranging up to 100 feet that felt like the shot was made less than 20 feet way) and the massive bruising resulting from these shots.

Buying a handheld chrono was one of the best paintball investments that I have made.   After receiving my chrono, I brought it to our next game.  It turned out some that some players were (unintentionally) shooting 300+ fps.  The highest velocity measured that day was 337 fps!

BTW... You should also chrono your marker after making upgrades including switching out different type/length barrels.  An example: I switched out my Flatline with a Smart Parts 12" Progressive barrel and the velocity went up 30+ fps (from 280 fps to 310+ fps -- tells you how much of an air hog the Flatline is!)

[crosshair]

well we play at my buddies property and yes we used a chrono. some where over 317  which again they didnt know, so using this chrono puts the saftey back in to the game.

[Tek]

One thing that get me when playin outlaw or even at a regular field is that people dont chrono more then when they first start playing. Most of us here all have stories im sure of some one shooting hot miday. people dont realise co2 can cause velocity spikes during the day as it gets hotter out. When I use co2 I like to chrono when I start, miday around a lunch break & any time I refill my tanks.

[RulesofWar]

Ya one time this was at my local field it was just about middle of the day and i got shot from maybe 80ft. on my thumb, and it was bleeding afterwards.  I couldn't tell who shot it, but I was pissed and I did tell the refs and they started doing a little random checking.  But definetely agreed you should chrono at least twice a day.

[robertseakykr]

I like to play rec ball at regu;atiom fields but I don't necessarily feel "safer". When we play outlaw ball, at least I know who I'm on the field with...and that we all agree on mode of play. I took my kids to "Player Appreciation Day" at a large reg. field last year. Alot of people playing that day but paint was cheap...well cheaper, and you got lunch for free. We were have a good time and I let my kids join a game while I sat out, maybe not great judgement on my part in hindsight. I was wactching the game from some bleachers (attack and defend at Mansion Impossible at WASAGA) And both my guys were doing pretty well, one got out halfway through and the other made it to the end, well almost. The ref started counting down the last ten seconds and five guys came out of the building, obviously a speedball team as thay all wore the same gear. The ref got to 5 secs and one jackass decided to do a run-through. Unfortunately, my 11 year old was his victim and was bunkered and shot 4 times in the chest and twice on his left fingers by this a-hole from about eight feet... with 2-3 secs left in the game! His hand was a mess, took the skin off his index finger and ruined the rest of the day for all of us.

[TekHousE]

This 'chrono' issue has other implications too. Not only is it unsafe for people around you, it is also not very accurate to crank your velocity up. Your rounds will not be going where you think they should. High velocity results in variations is performance.

[Black Six]

A group of my friends from High School used to play in their back yards, they came out to the field that I play at and chronoed, I saw, with my own eyes, one of them was shooting 460. Thats right, four hundred and sixty feet per second. I honestly think he was trying to get it that high too. Chronos are very important

[Tek]

I have seen that alot, where people go out to walmart for example to buy a marker, take it out to the field & they start shooting round 350's fresh out the box. doesnt matter what marker they get, no one at the big chain store tells them anything about goggle safty, chrono limits, barrel blockers... Nothing. I try to send my friends out to the what id call the closest thing to a local pro shop we have here so they get some real help & safty info before they go out to the reg fields or backwoods.

[delxa]

Amazingly, none of the fields seem to run chronos here in Moscow.  A friend and I just went halves in one as we run our own equipment.   But it's a bit scary to think that someone could come along with their wound-up markers and plug through people's lenses.  We want some of our people to come back and play with us again. It's difficult enough without people getting tagged by hot markers.

[JT]

Unfortunately for their victims, many people don't bother to read their marker manuals unless the marker is not working properly.

I'm sure many, if not all, marker instruction manuals have safety instructions if people would take the time to read them. The BT-4 Manual has them as well as the WGP Autococker Manual that has rules of safe marker handling and warnings on every page, such as to never shoot at velocities in excess of 300 fps, within 200 feet of others not wearing safety equipment and: "WARNING: WPG does not set the velocity prior to leaving the factory. You MUST set the velocity within field and safety limits using a chronograph prior to playing. Always use a chronograph to verify that your marker's velocity does not exceed maximum safety limits."

From the BT Manual:  BT_4_Rules_of_Safe_Marker_Handling.doc   107K   15 downloads

The manual also says: "Always check the velocity of the marker prior to playing paintball. Different playing fields may have different maximum velocity limits. At no time should you shot at velocities above 300 feet per second."

Anyway, READ THE MANUAL and CHRONO, CHRONO, CHRONO.

[Reject]

I play outlaw, but am going to be going to fields alot more now anyways. But I had the 9 guns we had chrono'd it was use your own co2, but $1 for 30 rounds, i got 100 for free for spending so much cash there, lol. the highest was 371fps, but that gun hadnt been used in about 2 yrs. most where around 260-320, now there about 270-300

[metalhead39]

robertseakykr, on Aug 10 2007, 03:04 PM, said:

I like to play rec ball at regu;atiom fields but I don't necessarily feel "safer". When we play outlaw ball, at least I know who I'm on the field with...and that we all agree on mode of play. I took my kids to "Player Appreciation Day" at a large reg. field last year. Alot of people playing that day but paint was cheap...well cheaper, and you got lunch for free. We were have a good time and I let my kids join a game while I sat out, maybe not great judgement on my part in hindsight. I was wactching the game from some bleachers (attack and defend at Mansion Impossible at WASAGA) And both my guys were doing pretty well, one got out halfway through and the other made it to the end, well almost. The ref started counting down the last ten seconds and five guys came out of the building, obviously a speedball team as thay all wore the same gear. The ref got to 5 secs and one jackass decided to do a run-through. Unfortunately, my 11 year old was his victim and was bunkered and shot 4 times in the chest and twice on his left fingers by this a-hole from about eight feet... with 2-3 secs left in the game! His hand was a mess, took the skin off his index finger and ruined the rest of the day for all of us.

So what did you do about it? Were you able to make a big stink? I would have if the ref wasn't going to do something I would have demanded to talk to an Owner/manager about the matter.

[McArthur]

I shoot my marker in my backyard, I have a very safe area to play. The neighbours are about 50m away from where I shoot, but their properties are blocked by a large group of trees and my backyard is down a small gulley, so there is no way a stray paintball can escape unless I purposely shoot the ball up into the sky.

I usually just test new things out, like my E-Grip. When I got the E-Grip I took my marker out and sprayed a good 500 rounds onto my targets in the backyard.
I do it all without a mask.

Would you guys consider this to be "safe"?

[Tek]

With out seein the area I dont know if Id call it safe or not, in regaurds to your neighbours. It does seem from your description that you do have a moderately safe shootin area, but with out using your goggles... it doesnt seem like safe practice to me. I say that cause while test firing I have had a paintball bounce off a tree and land back by my feet. since then I always use my goggle anytime I fire any paint.

[Social Deviant]

When we play outlaw we play critical mass shots only(head shots, and shoulders in to neck to waist).  Thats something i would like to see fields start to pick up on....

[MTS-Cpt.Hustler]

On the chrono issue. Sadly. I was reffing at a local field, and there was a guy and his friend who came in, they both just paid to use the chronograph (which I didn't know at the time) and he was shooting WAY Hot (around 400ish FPS) and I asked him to turn it down, He stated to me that he was only paying to use the chronograph, and was turning his marker to the max FPS it will go, because him and his friend "only play for the pain" I tried my hardest to explain how unsafe it is, But he wasn't having any of it. I Really don't like people like that, they bring a bad name to paintball and are going to get themselves hurt...  So buy a chronograph, Turn your gun to 280, and your set for outlaw play.

[Tomcat]

Yea, remember that goggles are rated around 340 - 350 fps.