Entry level, Mid level, high-end level paintball markers, what is the difference?

Whether you are planing to buy your first paintball marker or are upgrading one thing remains the same. You want the "best bang for your buck". Right? Of course you do. Unless you are a millionaire and have money growing on trees, or have a blue genie that comes out of a shiny lamp, you want to get the most out of your investment. I like to think that there are around three main questions that need to be answered when you are choosing what is the best paintball marker for you.

1. How often do I play?

2. How much money do I have to spend?

3. How serious am I about paintball?

As paintball markers come in so many variations and prices know the answers to the listed questions can really help you decide what exactly is the paintball marker that you would be the best off with. In this simple article I am going to try to list what some of the feature of the different paintball markers and the reasons that you would want to upgrade to the next level. After all if you are going to spend several hundred dollars on your new shiny toy you have to be able to justify the money spent to yourself and your most caring girlfriend.

So here it goes starting with the entry-level paintball markers.

Just because you are getting an entry-level paintball marker does not necessarily mean that they are just cheap plastic things that spew out these round paint balls that make some wonderful splat impressions on impact. There are some very good entry level paintball markers out there and here are some of the things that you can look for to determine if it is worth the money you will spend on it.

Entry level markers can start from around the sub 100 dollar markers to around 300 dollars.

Some of the things that you want when you are deciding to buy an entry level marker is something that will last and, better yet, customize so that you can improve its worth as you get more into the sport. Also if you are aiming to get an entry level marker this usually means that you probably do not have much gear, using grandma's gardening and outdoor clothes, though sweet, is not enough to play paintball. So when considering your first paintball marker keep in mind to not use all your cash on the marker itself but also on getting a good mask, air tank and paintball capsules. You can still use grandma's gardening clothes.

Some good things to keep a look out for in a marker in this category are: Good regulators, good detents to keep paint balls from getting chopped up, good barrel, a nice trigger and something that would be easy to maintain and clean.

Mid-ranged markers

When it comes to the mid range paintball markers things start to get a bit more fancy and, ...well, gimmicky. There are some sweet paintball markers in this range and there is even a paintball marker in the mid level that professional paintball teams use.

Typically these are all electronic with fancy circuit boards that are programmed to have a variety of shooting modes. These can shoot very fast and could probably be used to help some poor Amish farmer paint his barn in a couple of minutes. There markers get made out of higher quality material than their entry-level counter parts and will include some awesome parts like its higher end brothers which helps in super smooth shooting and gives being trigger happy another whole meaning.

Paintball markers in this category will normally cost from 350 dollars to around 550 dollars. A lot of marker brands that sell in this range will have some great packaging which includes very nice accessories and other spare parts.

When you are thinking of upgrading to the mid range markers make sure that you own a quality loader/ hopper and mask. It would be pointless to have a marker that cost several hundred dollars only to be limited by you other gear.

Things to look for in mid range markers are: Good ASA, nice board, magnetic trigger, and comfortable to use.

The High-end

In this range of paintball markers, where the markers themselves will cost any where up to a couple thousand dollars, things start to get almost crazy. These markers get made out of quality material to make them strong, lighter and more comfortable to hold and shoot. Speed, accuracy and consistency are a the main qualities in this area.

When getting a paintball marker in this category think about all the gear that you have invested in till this point and how you will be able to keep using them on/with your new marker - barrel kits, air tanks, hoppers, etc.

Summery

So when it comes down to choosing a marker make sure that you understand the need for the new paintball equipment as there really is no point in getting a ten thousand dollar paintball marker that can cook you dinner while letting you check your email if you are only just doing this on weekends - though that would be pretty cool.

Know what you need, make sure that you are comfortable with it (you can always rent one first) and have loads of fun! After all that is what paintball is all about.

Now I'm going to see if the old Amish farmer would like me to help him paint his barn.