Life span of Paintballs?

[M4rk]

I've been paintballing for a number of years now, but one thing i have never got a clear answer for is how long you can keep paintballs for!
I know it depends upon storage temperature ect.

IS THERE A USE BUY DATE?

I bought some Heat paintballs back in March and they fire fine.. So I assume storing them indoors has helped..

 

[I used to good.Honest]

I have some .63 cal paintballs from the early 90's
and i have some zap paintballs still in old pots from 97.
not fired them but i bet i could.

 

[F3Z]

Lower end paints will last longer with less noticeable difference. Higher grades will need better care like turning the boxes etc. But most paint will last a year without too much degradation if unopened and stored at the right temp. But if you haven't used it within a year you probably should get your ass back to a field.

 

[shoaibaktar]

If kept dry and warm most paints are fine to shoot for months .If it's in pots ,either bag it back up or take a few out the top as if under pressure can end up like dice. Top end paint is fine for accuracy ,but gets bouncy .So is fine for training but not great for another tournie .

 

[lettucecheesecake]

Not really, majority of paint is shipped from overseas so it could be a good month before it gets here. I worked for draxxus a good few years ago and the top end paint would last perfectly for ages as long as it's stored properly. For example I found some hell fire that came in the briefcases that was a good 3 years old and it was still perfect. I think the fresh paint thing is a bit of a myth. As long as there's no air or moisture in the bags it shouldn't spoil.

 

[adrian.1994]

Keep them at a cool temperature and they should be good for a while

 

[adrian.1994]

Don't leave them out in most environments

 

[carolinacat]

Cheap paint seems to dimple if its been sitting for a while. Mostly use it for testing guns.

 

[Liam92]

to develop most of what's been said above, paint shouldn't ever really become 'un-shootable' if its been sealed since you got it. What you will find is that the performance of paint will get worse the longer its stored, especially if its been unsealed and then bagged up again. Dimples may develop affecting accuracy, and the paint often won't break as well if its been potted up for a while. The only time I'd say paint becomes completely useless is if its been stored in an uncontrolled environment for a long time (e.g. left at the site all year exposed to summer and winter). Generally these conditions cause paint to break in the gun and fly wonky.

 

[martin-usde]

had some paint balls that i found in the house, i believe they where over 2 years old. shot really well! better then some of the new stuff i've been shooting!