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How To Use A Paintball Gun
Paintball is a team game that requires gun skills, tactical awareness and the ability to work as a team. Videojug went to Mayhem Paintballing in Abridge, Essex, to find out how to operate a paintball gun properly, so you can shoot as many enemies as possible, and win game after game.
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Step 1:
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Holding the gun
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Tuck the butt of the gun into your armpit on your dominant side. Then use your dominant hand to operate the trigger, and the other hand to steady the barrel. Once you are confident doing this, you should try to switch arms, so you can fire with your non-dominant hand as well. Keep practising this key skill, as you will find it much easier to use barricades if you can shoot with both hands. You won't have to get as far out into the open to shoot at enemies.
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Step 2:
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Aiming the gun
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It may be tempting to close one eye while aiming the gun, but this will affect your peripheral vision, and leave you vulnerable to attack. Instead, try and position your head directly over the barrel of the gun, so that you can judge your aim with both eyes open.
If you are firing at a moving target, try and fire a stream of paintballs in front of them, so they run into them. This is much more effective than firing at where they are now.
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Step 3:
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Firing the gun
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A bog standard paintball gun is accurate to about 35 metres. It will fire further than that, but you will lose accuracy. The gun uses gravity to feed the balls in the hopper down into the firing mechanism, up to a maximum rate of 3 or 4 balls per second. Every time you pull the trigger, one ball will fire.
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Step 4:
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Solving problems
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If the gun won't fire, check the safety button, if it has popped out, then push it back in. On top of the gun there is a cocking pin. If that has dropped forward, pull it back.
If your paintballs aren't firing very far, it is probably a lack of air pressure in the canister. A marshall will be able to top up the pressure for you.
Is there paint in the elbow? If you can see paint in the elbow of the gun, between hopper and barrel, then a paintball has burst in the gun. You need to call a marshall to fix this. As broken balls will clog the firing mechanism.
To call a marshall, shout out and raise an arm to show your whereabouts - this also shows players that you are out of action - and they won't shoot you - hopefully! Be loud and insistent, and a marshall should assist you. -
Good luck playing paintball
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