[tcostell]

Most paintball guns are either pumps with larger magazines (50 shots or so) or semi-autos. They are so wildly innacurate that trigger control means nothing. Better to pull the trigger as fast as you can in several shot bursts. After a few shots, the pressure begins to drop and the range and accuracy drop off significantly so you need to let the gun have a second or two to re-pressurize. (more advanced guns have attachments to diminish this issue but you'll probably be using lower end rented equiptment)

Other than that the best advice I can give is wear a facemask instead of goggles because theose paintballs will not only leave marks but will hurt like the devil if you get hit in a sensitive place like the ears.

West point has a team of upperclassmen that play paintball in the spring and fall and I had the pleasure of playing on pick-up team agains them about 10 years ago. Their strategy was pure advance to resistance then flank. If you keep the pressure on it's hard to combat.

It's really great fun. I hope you enjoy it.

[mrjeff]

Lucky you. Paintball is my favorite outdoor activity. You will have a blast.

All modern paintball guns have hoppers that usually hold about 200 balls. Don't worry about the fancy breathing or finger techniques you learned in shooting class. Paintball guns are quite innacurate beyond about 50-75 feet anyway.

There are three rules for successfully play:
1. Teamwork. Pick 2 or 3 of your team mates and stick together. Communicate a lot. Cover each other. Spread out to get multiple angles on your opponent. When moving, always "leapfrog" (one moves forward while the other cover, then rear-most guy moves up, etc.)
2. Be agressive. The most agressive team wins, always. Neophytes always think that it is easier to play defense than offense. They hunker down and end up tagged. The key is to move, move, move.
3. Volume of fire. Because the markers are so innacurate, when you finally close on an opponent, open up. Never shoot one shot at a time. Three shot bursts are minimum. If they are in heavy cover, rain paint in there.

Hope this helps. Have fun.

[Conan the Librarian]

Get hold of Rommel's Book on infantry tactics. It is the book on single man and small group actions.

[dawn53]

I don't do paintball, but my husband and our son love it.

To listen to my 15 year old tell it, the most important piece of equipment you need, besides the full head mask and a good gun is a paintball squeegee (They are relatively inexpensive, maybe a couple bucks). I'm not sure why the squeegee is so important, something to do with a problem that happens if a paintball explodes in the barrel, but thought I'd pass on the information.

[Quilla]

I'm invited to play paintball with my son and husband on a rather regular basis. The first time I joined them, I got the bright idea of climbing into a tall tree that would provide me with excellent cover and a good view of the playing field. Whatever you do, DO NOT climb into a tree. They found me and I got nailed.

[IronJack]

Paintball guns (the industry prefers the term "markers") are NOT firearms. Their accuracy and range are highly limited because they project a .68 caliber spherical gelatin ball with compressed air or C02. So don't expect hair-splitting shots at 100 yards. Concentrate more on exploiting angles and teamwork to trap an opponent and "pinch" him in his bunker.

Oh, and don't get shot yourself.

Other than that, just have fun. Paintball is one of the most exciting sports on the scene today.

[Silvermont]

Here in south Louisiana, just north of New Orleans, is a large paintball field that has been opened for the past 2 years. Each weekend hundred of players from a 100 mile radius come and have the time of their life. Mostly 10 to 25 years old. Girls, older boys, men, collage students,
law/police groups, military groups, church groups, corporation/company outings, birthday party groups come out to play. They come as a single as you quickly neet new people. Mothers drop their children off for the day knowing that they are safe and in a professional envirement. Its safe. Each first timer is given a 10 minute safty speech. In the staging area ALL MARKERS (guns)
must have a barrel plug inserted into the barrel. 5-10
paid refrees see to the safty at all times. There is one entrance to the 4 different themed paintball fields and as
pass thru you must have on your full face mask and not removed until the game is over and you pass back to the staging area. The refs are with the players at all times. Each marker(gun) is calibrated to shoot at a reasonable speed. 99% of the times you get hit you will not feel as you wear long sleave shirts and pants and hits are from a long distance (50 to 150 feet), of course you know yor're been hit by the brightly paint splater. There is a large 20' high netted area from being hit by flying paintballs where mothers, fathers, girl friends, children and the public watch all the action going around them. It is a blast!. The players have a great time. Paintball is the next supper sport. It is growing all accross America and around the world. It is safe (1 sprained ancle and 3 or 4 tick bits) in the past 2 years with thousands of players and millions of paintball shot. Great exercise for the young, the not too old, the fat.....and besides.....where would your child be if he were not playing a sport like Paintball. Maybe inside behind a computer eating junk food ??.