Speedball vs Woodsball marker

[big JME]

ok so i've seen many website stating that a large number of players are going to speedball markers for playing woodsball. I currently own a BT Omega but the marker isnt great atall as im having issues with range. The marker is being stripped down and checked over by a paintball shop this weekend which may solve my problem but i think i may go for an upgrade in September but i want plenty of time to research before buying something without any knowledge.

i need a marker that is preferably accurate at long distances as i mainly play support but can get into the action often. I dont wish to go for first strike due to price. I currently use rec balls but im willing to go to tournament balls. I dont wish to play speedball but would like some good efficiency. The site i play at only allows semi-automatic when playing with others but does offer own gun days and i may consider entering tournaments at a later stage so i want something perhaps that i can carry from one type of play to the other.

i was discussing this subject in another area of the forum due to a topic going off point so i am moving the post to here. If i have missed anything please ask or let me know. I will consider both woodsball markers and speedball and dont really want to spend anymore then £400-500 on the marker. Im currently looking at perhaps an etek4 however as their new i havent seen much.

I will be trying the feel of some speedball markers soon as i work with some tourament players and have never used one before. Im rather tall so i dont want anything too small. If anyone can help that would be great . This topic will most likely be open a long time as i like to cover all bases before investing. I currently use a HPA 0.8L 3000psi tank so if i can get very efficient and save on upgrading my tank that would be awesome

 

[Jim Jam]

Get a marker with a regulator this will increase how many shots you get out of a tank. Also Speedball markers are like F1 cars they are fast and flashy but cost a lot for the best. Woodsball markers are like a Lancer Evo it can do what you want it to do and is quite rugged but mainly suited for one purpose, rallying (or in marker terms woodsball/recball.) If you want more shots your best bet is to get a bigger air tank in my opinion and if you have £400-£500 to spend on a marker you could get a Demon/Creed/Ego9/10/Geo(2)/Axe for that price all good markers all slightly different but i would persnally see if you like tornament markers to begin with as you don't want to pay £450 for a marker you don't like. If you like Mislim go for a Etha and buy the Emc kit for it then you have the best of both guns (torny speed and regulators.) Emc kit for the milsim look. Also if you search in Youtube Etha torture test you will see a little rain won't effect the board of marker at all! Hope this helps.

 

[big JME]

huge help i want to see what people recommend and prefer before going and asking all the martials to bring them down. Most run with teams so have top end markers, some are even sponsored by Dye so are bound to have top end dye markers for me to have a look at. I've looked at a lot of milsim markers such as the X7 phenom, tiberius T9.1, bt TM15 but from the other thread they all run low pressure but no regulator. I will be upgrading my HPA tank but everything i can save on the tank (i.e. getting a smaller size) will be more beneficial. I did see a video on the net where the owner dumped his marker into a stream of running water and then shot after so i know that rain wont have much of an effect (it was e-grip)

i was looking at reviews, the axe is rated high but looks horrible (sorry to those that own them, i like visual). If possible i'd like to buy new, and the main paintball sites i know are justpaintball and phoenix who i work for. I personally love the look of the milsim but may be swayed by the feel of the speedball, and im more likely to compromise my current likings for something that is much better. Most speedball markers around the range im talking all seem to have regs built in along side a lot of extras not in milsim markers. Heres a link to the new Etek4 im looking at for those that havent seen it

http://www.planeteclipse.com/site/paintball_markers/etek4

before i make any main decision i will be trying the feel of others markers but i want to know opinions first to see if anyone feels it is even worth it and if its worth me spending that sort of money

 

[Tom]

Speaking as a scenario player I'd support you in going to a 'speedball' marker if that is the way you want to go in the end.
Paintball is paintball., whether in the woods, indoors or on an inflatable field its all about putting paint through your marker towards the opposition.

Historicaly 'woodsball' markers were blowbacks in gun style bodies, but manufacturers have cottoned onto the market and put 'tactical' bodies onto so called 'speedball' markers.

The only true need for 'tactical' bodies in the current UK Scenario scene is when we get night time or CQB environments in which case a light can be attached. Otherwise we have the habit of turning markers into Swiss army knives.

A so called 'speedball' marker is at home in the woods and in the scenario community.
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Firstly see if you can get your Omega sorted. You should not be getting the drop off.
You mentioned in the other thread that you have a requirement on the firing modes at the site you play. It may not be an issue with a 'speedball' marker if you can set a fair mode, but it would be frustrating to bring your new marker then have play with a site marker.

Where you have mentioned you could get the opportunity to play with 'better' tournament paint, it is still a matter of preferenceand what gives you good results. The 'best' tournament paint might not be suitable in the woods if it is designed to bevery fragil and is broken by a blade of grass on its way to your opponent, but you won't need the 'toughest' recreational paint so it survives getting out of your current marker.

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You appear to have good contacts and an opportunity to seek out a deal via Phoenix. Dont let this cause you to rush into a purchase tough. You get to see high end markers but your needs could be met by a lesser 'tournament' marker, or you could get a good second hand price.

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Remember to factor in a good hopper to your marker change.
Air is not an essential upgrade, the more efficient the marker you get the longre any air will last.
A fibre air cylinder will give you the largest capacity, plus potential for higher fills when 4500psi is available. But a speedball marker will run just as fine on a 3000psi aluminium cylinder.

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Your size. Dont be concerned about speedball markers being 'smaller' as you a big guy.
If you can hold and fire the marker with your main hand, and tuck the cylinder into your shoulder then it will be fine. The positioning can be fine tuned with dare I say 'drop forwrds' or 'drop backwards' from the old days, or more recently a 'Gommie kick up ASA'. A different cylinder size can adjust that as well.

 

[big JME]

thank you. i use a remote line with a belt so i would really only have the marker in my hand. Im going to be using the other martials at phoenix just to see if i like the feel of the speedball markers as i've only really played with my omega. I wont be playing with any of them hence the need for what people think on here i know most speedball markers will be fine on 3000psi especially with some running as low as 150psi using the internal regulator. Currently i get roughly 600 shots with my omega which is slightly low as i can do that in a single match easily so if i can get more efficient and save on the tank i will (its only a cheap steel tank cost me £35)

speedball isnt an area i'd like to go into and im not really interested in add-ons such as red dots so going to speedball markers is no issue. Especially since i play during the day, have nowhere to snipe from so no need for a stand, and couldnt get close enough to use a sight with my I4 on so their all a waist for me just look nice.

im not looking directly at higher tournament markers, what ever i can use accurately will be my choice but i dont want to buy a cheaper marker to find i will upgrade in another 5 months (which i tend to do sadly). And the paint im using the celtic paint so its either rec paint or druid so i will try out both and just see what i think is best.

the field requirements i've seen many marker videos with them having semi-automatic modes and tourament locks to prevent me flipping to another which of course i wouldnt anyway due to risking being able to go there.

I will sort out my omega and then see how much it improves, unless it does a lot i wont be keeping it. May be a backup or my brothers birthday present since he has been moaning he wants one since i got it. i also may get a dye rotor purely for their durability which i found a video for. I've seen a lot of cheaper loaders with tape all over them because they have been cracked open or the plastic has split when it was hit.

for anyone interested in the durability video here it is

 

[Gee Tee]

The Eclipse Etha gets good reviews and excellent value for money. Looks wise it also covers the Woods/milsim/tournament scene too, and in time there's sure to be upgrades available. Something like the Etha plus a 68ci 4500 fiber wrap tank, and a good hopper should see you sorted for a while. If you are set on sticking to a mil-sim look, the Tippman phenom looks like a great package as well.

Me... I just shoot what I'm comfortable with regardless of game type

That's mainly old school stuff like Eblades, Intimidators, Automags, a mint DM4 or selection of pumps

 

[big JME]

if you had to pick between the etha and the etek which would you choose? the etha is over £80 cheaper then the etek4 but the etek looks much nicer to me.

from the specs the etek processor is much faster, and the marker seems to have a lot more features then the etha, and at only £80 isnt a lot for the extra features if i may need them at some point

a review from justpaintball that i saw

Q: would i be better off with an etek or an etha​

A:The Etha use a different technology.​

The Etha isn't as high performances as the Etek​

 

[onasilverbike]

The largest difference between the Etec and the Etha is that the first is a poppet valve marker and the second is a spool valve. As a general rule, poppets are more efficient while spools are quieter and smoother. There is no right or wrong, different players have different preferences. A curacy and range are more a function of the paint (roundness and seam construction) and the barrel (bore size and quality) rather than the marker itself.

You may find with a remote set-up that no having a stock on a tournament marker a hindrance, though I have seen players adapt stocks to fit.

 

[big JME]

Thats the main thing that has been putting me off as my milsim i can rest it against my shoulder. Using speedball i wont have that and would just be holding the marker

 

[niallist]

You use the bottle as a stock, I'd get rid of the remote line if i was you. I have a kick up fitted to my Etek 3 and Ego 10 that angles the bottle up so I'm looking straight down the barrel when I raise the marker.

If I had £400 burning a hole in my pocket I would get the Etek 4 in a heartbeat. Can't go wrong with Planet Eclipse.