back players - what length barrel?
- Thread starter Rich S
- Start date
Barrel Length
I think it really depends on what type of field you are playing on, for instance I would choose a different barrel length for a 5 man sup'air than for a game on a large hyperball field
personally I use a 14" which its fairly accurate on most fields but then again a lot of accuracy depends on your marker, actual barrel used and the quality of your paint, if your firing crap paint even the best barrel in the world wont help
Davo
Smart as a Carrot
I think it really depends on what type of field you are playing on, for instance I would choose a different barrel length for a 5 man sup'air than for a game on a large hyperball field
personally I use a 14" which its fairly accurate on most fields but then again a lot of accuracy depends on your marker, actual barrel used and the quality of your paint, if your firing crap paint even the best barrel in the world wont help
Davo
Smart as a Carrot
Like Davo I use a 14 inch but also like him, I'd have to say it depends very much on the type of fields you play on.
I used to use 14 or 16 inch in the woods usually & 12 on the old style (pre sup'air!) arena type fields for the smaller profile & increased movement. If you play mostly air fields you might want to go for a 16 inch as you can press it into the sides of the barricade & keep tighter that way, but of course you can't do that on say a hyperball field.
Best bet - get a Freak & an extra front
I used to use 14 or 16 inch in the woods usually & 12 on the old style (pre sup'air!) arena type fields for the smaller profile & increased movement. If you play mostly air fields you might want to go for a 16 inch as you can press it into the sides of the barricade & keep tighter that way, but of course you can't do that on say a hyperball field.
Best bet - get a Freak & an extra front
My 2p
As everyone is saying, depends on the field but I have everything up to 18" for really longballing. I tend to use a 12" for Sup Air and 16/18" for large woodland.
As everyone is saying, depends on the field but I have everything up to 18" for really longballing. I tend to use a 12" for Sup Air and 16/18" for large woodland.
Here's why long barrels don't cut it http://www.warpig.com/paintball/tournament/nppl/2002/chicago/gallery/MVC147S_jpg.shtml
Ok maybe good for the longball bit but when that much of your body is showing.....
PS not picking on the player but it just happened to show (well to me anyhow) why long isn't always that great.
Ok maybe good for the longball bit but when that much of your body is showing.....
PS not picking on the player but it just happened to show (well to me anyhow) why long isn't always that great.
I got an 18" which is fine when I am at the back but if i move up then It is a real nightmare so i recomend getting a little bit shorter than that may be a 14" would be fine for you
I've always been of the opinion that 14" is the ideal barrel length. It offers balance and pointability for a back player's setup. 12" just doesn't point on the same plane when brought to the shoulder quickly, rather tending to dance around a bit and not give as smooth a pointing motion and line of reference. 16" can work, but is too tip heavy on some barrel models and can feel disproportionate.
Why all this fuss and wordy description? Simple. A back player has to shoot a lot, switching targets all the time and quickly reacting to people popping up and moving. Thus, aiming must be instinctual and accomplished mainly by how the gun fits and points naturally. You shouldn't have to make your gun go over to where you're looking--when you hold it up, it should already be where you're looking and thinking. If it isn't, adjust tank size, drop forward length, type of gun (You could even get as nit picky as type of milling, as some styles take off more weight in the back, front, or middle, thus changing the balance of the gun), feed neck (high/low/mid), and barrel type until it does.
More often than not I find that a 14" barrel, Drop Zone II or similar length drop forward, and 88 long or 114 bottle make for such a balance.
Why all this fuss and wordy description? Simple. A back player has to shoot a lot, switching targets all the time and quickly reacting to people popping up and moving. Thus, aiming must be instinctual and accomplished mainly by how the gun fits and points naturally. You shouldn't have to make your gun go over to where you're looking--when you hold it up, it should already be where you're looking and thinking. If it isn't, adjust tank size, drop forward length, type of gun (You could even get as nit picky as type of milling, as some styles take off more weight in the back, front, or middle, thus changing the balance of the gun), feed neck (high/low/mid), and barrel type until it does.
More often than not I find that a 14" barrel, Drop Zone II or similar length drop forward, and 88 long or 114 bottle make for such a balance.
use a 14 inch boomy or freak...anything longer than 16 i guess is worthless...16 is hardly any difference at all, so its better to go with 14...theyre a perfect size, accurate and get great range, and its not so long to where you have to go so far outta your bunker to shoot