can some one give me some advice?

[ant290]

are you looking to play tournament paintball or woodsball??
to me. the best thing i can suggest is get a simple and easy to look after first gun.
i would also suggest second hand as a first... but at the same time its best to have someone who can help you if they go wrong... which you will get with a manufacturers warranty if you buy new.
do you have a local site with a few regulars who have their own kit?

 

[onasilverbike]

p.s onasilverbike when you say they can tailor a package to my requirements does that mean a discount?

Usually when they put a package together there will be a bit of a discount involved, Jon & Chris are good like that. Tell them what you want to play, what you think you need and what your budget is and any preferences in kit, colours etc. and they will look after you. They send everything next day delivery, if they are out of stock for anything they will usually send it out the day the get it in stock.

 

[shoddydragon]

Where are you located Mr Dragon?
I suggest you follow onasilverbike's advice but get to a walk on at your local paintball field too. You will be able to talk to own gunners like yourself and see their kit and then make some more informed opinions as you have seen the gear in the flesh [so to speak].

my local site is weekend warriors although hotshots and skirmish are near me too i live in cholsey near wallingford and if u still dont know where that is its near didcot.

 

[ant290]

ur real close to the reading venue for nspl then??
if you havent decided by then it may be worth dropping by and talking to the guys on the trade stands or just the players there in general.

 

[Devrij]

If you’re going to buy all that gear brand new, then stop and turn this thread into what should I buy thread.

the reason I say this although the ion xe is an excellent marker, most people buy one then within a few months look about at what everyone else has and wants one of those. Trying to sell one second hand is almost impossible at the price you’re going to buy it for. (Sorry to which ever shop you’re going to buy it from).

The main parts of your gear are gun, hopper, bottle and mask.
I shoot planet gear so I’m going to lean towards them.

All second hand gear available from the sales section.
Guns
Most will be pimped already or don't need pimping. You get more for your money this way.
Etek
Ego 7
Pmr
Dm6/7
£90-300

Bottle
Anything that has about 2 years or more on it and is not alli or steal would be good; second hand you may get a bottle cover in for your cash.
£60-90

Hopper
Everyone has experience with different hoppers; I found the velocity to be about the best from owning every other one and always going back to it.
£40-75

Mask
Again same as the hopper. It took me ages to find the mask I liked but for what you looking to do I would use a dye i3 thermal. Cheap because of the i4's release but a good mask for long stints in the woods.
Other masks
i4s
Grillz
Jt flex
Proto switch
£30-60

Bottom end I’ve spent £220
Top end £525

its up to you bro but its my opinion, the one regret I had when I started was I brought brand new gear and changed every other month and sometimes as much as my pants. At the end of the day you'll make your own mind up but if you want advice there are some really good guys on here.

p.s. v35 is just a flashy upgrade board or was now its kind of a stock board for the halo.

This post has the best advice for you, my friend. When you start playing you will quickly outgrow beginner markers and feel the need for something better. Investing in good quality 2nd hand gear that goes for half of its original price is a good way to get established and save money in the long run. It means more questions, more research, and a bit of faith, but will serve you better if your budget is tight. If you take that route I'd be happy to answer any questions you have when they pop up or let you know whether you're looking at a good deal or not when you find something you like. Alternatively, the guys up at LiPS are really excellent and will sort you out with the best your money can buy.

PS: break-beam eyes detect whether there is a ball in the breech of the marker before allowing it to fire. This prevents the bolt from cutting a paintball in half while it falls into the breech("chopping"). the "eyes" send beam across the breech, which the ball breaks when it lands in the breech. Chops and barrel breaks make your paint go in every direction but the one you want so eyes are very good things

 

[x RENAGADE x 91]

Woody and onasilverbike hit the nail right on the head, if you want good gear at a cheap price go second hand alot better value for money, but i always say try before you buy. But if your looking for brand new lips will sort you right out, ive been using lips for gear for 3 years and never had a single problem with them.

For goggles i highly reccomend JT Flex's, they never steam up, you get so many bounces off of the faceplates and they just look sooooo cool haha.

If you need any second hand gear take a look here

http://www.p8ntballer-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=122954

 

[onasilverbike]

As intimated before, I have reservations about brand new players buying used kit. OK if you have someone close to check it over, set it up, sort out any issues you may have. Not so good if you don't, turning up on the morning of a days play with a broken gun/loader etc. ain't so good as most people seem to have enough to sort out with their own kit/paint etc. before they can lend a hand fixing up other peoples. Mostly there will be someone willing to help, maybe not on your timescale though.

Most new players have kit issues, simply due to inexperience and lack of familiarity with the equipment.

Buying new alleviates this problem, LiPS offer a great service and are probably the closest actual retail outfit to you (about and hour and a half away i would guess), unfortunately paintball shops are not dotted around in handy locations throughout the country.

As mentioned above, popping down to the NSPL in Reading on the 21st wouldn't be a bad idea, there are likely to be trade stands from LiPS, BZ and Warped in attendance, plus you can get to talk to people face to face (if you want to talk to me just ask almost anyone, most know me).

Directions to the site are on the NSPL website http://www.nspl.co.uk/round_4_2009.php all I would advise it that you turn up some time in the morning; the trade have families too and like to pack-up and leave at a sensible time. You won't necessarily find all the stuff you are looking for on one stand, they tend to bring the stock that players will need throughout the day rather than everything, but there should be a good spread of equipment on display.

 

[shoddydragon]

is there an admittance fee to the nspl for spectators?

 

[Vox900]

Nope

 

[chuckwood]

my local site is weekend warriors although hotshots and skirmish are near me too i live in cholsey near wallingford and if u still dont know where that is its near didcot.

Coolio,
I would really talk to fellow walk-ons at those fields and see what you think about the kit they use. Buying new or second-hand is up to you at the end of the day and there is good and bad points for either of course.