Frequently Asked Questions

What is Paintball?

What is Paintball?

Paintball is, in the final analysis, one of many games people play with balls. In what is basically an advanced version of tag, the balls-gel-encased, water soluble goo-are propelled at up to 300 feet per second by a special, gas powered gun. You eliminate (tag) opponents when paintballs you or your teammates shoot hit and break on them. Simple, right? And, as with any game, the whole point of it is to have a good time in a competitive context. Like football, basketball, and baseball, elements of paintball require players to acquire and practice certain skills. Like these other games, it has rules, some hard and fast and others thats are subject to interpretation. It shares in common with more free form activities, like skateboarding and surfing, built-in enthusiasm for innovation, personal style, fast thinking, and highly individualistic approaches. As the people who played the first game did, anyone can come up with their own version of the game. Once you're equipped with the essential saftety equipment, there is enormous room for having your own kind of fun with this game.

Does it hurt?

In most cases you will not feel more than a thump. Sometimes, however, the game can get heated and range gets low (the players get closer together). When this happens the ball is traveling at a considerable rate when you get hit. The international velocity limit of paintballs is 300 feet per second (fps), this is about 200 mph at the muzzel or end of the barrel. At distance this drops considerably due to gravity and the drag of a ball. Many have stated that it was not as bad as expected. The excitement tends to dull the feeling somewhat and in some cases the player just does not feel the impact, even at close range. Direct hits to bare skin are a lot less comfortable and leads to my next question.

What do I wear?

Check the Interactive Image.

Definitely not your Sunday best. While jeans and a t-shirt are easy to come by, long sleeves offer better protection against direct hits. Most fields do not allow short pants, even in the summer, because of briers and the long amounts of time spent in the dirt trying to become the ground. :) Long sleeve shirts and jackets are also a good idea, for the same reasons, and many fields require these too. When it comes to what kind of clothing it all depends on how much you want to get into it your first or second time. Jeans and a shirt are simple while BDUs can be found at surplus supply stores. A game can be turned on whether the other team can see you or not and really change how much excitement you get from the game. So camouflage is best at outdoor fields and jeans and shirt to match the walls and bunkers of an indoor facility can come in handy.

What equipment do I need?

Check the Interactive Image.

Goggles and face mask are a must! Paintball Quest, Inc, as do all established paintball fields, include these with any paintgun rental. We recommend a personal mask is the best first buy for beginners. Blue jeans and sneakers work just as well as cleats and BDU pants. However, If you are going to play at an indoor facility then sneakers are best due to the better traction on smooth surfaces, but cleats and hiking boots with ankle support are best when playing at an outdoor or wooded field because of the loose dirt and uneven footing

Does the paint wash out?

The paintball is really just some food coloring, vegetable oil, and a thickener (powdered soap) with a shell of dried up gelatin. It is all biodegradable, nontoxic and comes out in the wash.

How much will it cost?

Check out the great prices we have here at Paintball Quest, Inc. Many, OK, all of our customers that I have talked to say we have the best prices and best facilities.

What is the possibility of injury?

Unlike the more popular team sports in America, (i.e. football, rugby, and soccer) paintball has had a very low ratio of disabling injuries. Because of the aerobic exertion and unpredictable nature of a forest floor it is possible to sprain an ankle as players tend to be running on uneven ground. Lack of protection of the eyes is the only major safety hazard. This can only happen if goggles are removed.

Importance of Goggles?

Check the Interactive Image.

We at Paintball Quest, Inc take a very serious and strong approach to playing the game safely. We try to stress the importance of not removing the goggles during the safety briefing so that players are fully aware of any dangers involved.

Typical game?

There are hundreds of ways to play the game of Paintball. I will give examples of three ways that are commonly used at our field.
The Center Flag Game: Two teams of equal size and experience are placed in starting stations. A single flag is placed in a center flag station at equal distance and difficulty from both start stations. It is then the object of each team to get the flag to the other teams start station. If the flag carrier is marked, then the flag is "live" and is hung in the nearest tree. This game is usually 15 minutes long.
The Two Flag Game: Two teams of equal size and experience are placed in starting stations. A flag is placed in each starting station with the teams. It is then the object of each team to get the other team's flag back to their original starting station. If the flag carrier is marked, then the flag is "dead" and is returned to the start station it was removed from. This game is usually 20 minutes long.
The Elimination Game: Two teams of equal size and experience are placed in starting stations. No flags are used. It is the object of each team to eliminate more players off of the other team before the time runs out. This game is usually 20 minutes long.

What are the best guns, and what do they cost?

Check the Interactive Image.

Coming soon to this site will be a ranking of every gun I can get my hands on. :)
My first advice is to buy quality equipment. These guns will just stand up to heavy usage.
When you decide you want a gun of your own you must ask yourself a question which will determine the gun you acquire.
Do you want this gun for:

1. low frequency recreational play?
2. high frequency recreational play?
3. to go into tournament paintball?

What is the best paint, and where do I get it?

I will post my findings on Paint brands and makes as I get the cash to buy them, any donations are appreciated. :)
As in buying an airgun, you need to stay away from discount store brands as it will defiantly impact on your enjoyment of the game.
Otherwise, any paintball is sufficient to play the game with. Of course each paintball has it's own peculiarities, and works best in different guns. This I can not go into here. I suggest you visit with two or three people who have the gun you are looking into getting. I say more than one because everyone has a favorite brand. We at Paintball Quest, Inc favor pink paintballs because we can see them go down range and they make a nice bright mark on the target. We use and sell many brands of paint at the field. It works well in our team guns of choice and we take it to tournaments. Check our pricing for the paint, then check around and you will probably find we have the best prices. [If you find any better prices please let us know, as I would like to get some myself!]
The last thing to watch out for when buying paintballs it to stay away from the red. This fill is indistinguishable from blood at a distance.

What is the difference between CO₂ and N₂?

Check the Interactive Image.

One of the major noticeable differences is the lack for the need of an expansion chamber on your airgun or bottle. The CO₂ is bound by the Ideal gas law. A quick drop in the pressure of the tank, from shooting your airgun fast, will drop the temperature in the bottle to a point where only liquid CO₂ is processed into the expansion chamber. (Or maybe you just poured liquid into your expansion chamber by holding the bottle upside down -- this is known as gravity.) Eventually the expansion chamber, if you have one, will be filled with liquid. Well this first causes an increased amount of CO₂, in the form of liquid, to flow into the gun. As this liquid expands behind the ball it has more pressure than normal. In most airguns this will cause the ball to go out of the airgun more than 20 fps faster than usual, in other guns it may cause lock up or even damage.

Why do you freeze CO₂ bottles before filling?

The best explanation comes from the Ideal gas law, or PV=nRT. Shortened for this to PV=T. Which states that the Pressure in a Volume is equal to the Temperature. The volume is the tank and the temperature is reduced to less than 32 degrees my a common refrigerator/freezer. The tank's volume does not change noticeably, so that by reducing the temperature you also reduce the pressure in the tank. The 40 lbs large tanks that we use to fill from now have a much higher pressure than the small 12 oz tanks that we are filling. Once the valve is opened, the gas seeks to equalize the pressure. Thus we move 12 oz of CO₂ from one tank to the other. Without cooling the bottle off the pressure would equalize sooner and we would not get 12 oz.

Is there supervision?

Yes! We at Paintball Quest, Inc are aware of the importance of proper supervision. Our Referees are trained and maintain a constant vigilance against unsafe play.

What is the minimum age?

Our insurance carriers require that the age of all our players be at least 10 years old. However, anyone under the age of 18 years old must get a consent form signed by a parent or guardian.

Will my 10, 11 ,12 yr. old be playing with the "big boys?"

We understand that many of the younger clients have difficulty playing against adults. We at Paintball Quest, Inc attempt to limit the impact of the age difference. Going to such lengths, when reasonable, as to separate the younger (10-12yo) into a separate group. We do allow rental groups of 20 or more to close their games, so long as we have received at least two weeks prior notification.