whats best for low level paintballing Co2 or Air? and other bone questions

[gez's]

Hi all, sorry in advance for possible bone questions;
I'm thinking of getting a few used sets (6-10 sets) of paint balling gear to use in some woodland i have access to (15 acres) what the best value for money and easiest to look after fill and service, can the bottles that use compressed air be filled from diving bottles?as Ive got one (12 litre)for a PCP air rifle i have. if not how are they recharged, whats the method of CO2 recharging, how long does a bottle last on average., cost etc. dont want to spend a lot and it doesn't have to be the latest tech. anyone know a good contact i could speak to?

 

[essx]

Hi all, sorry in advance for possible bone questions;
I'm thinking of getting a few used sets (6-10 sets) of paint balling gear to use in some woodland i have access to (15 acres) what the best value for money and easiest to look after fill and service, can the bottles that use compressed air be filled from diving bottles?as Ive got one (12 litre)for a PCP air rifle i have. if not how are they recharged, whats the method of CO2 recharging, how long does a bottle last on average., cost etc. dont want to spend a lot and it doesn't have to be the latest tech. anyone know a good contact i could speak to?

Co2 is a dead system really, slow awkward, and inconsistent!

you can use dive bottles to fill your bottles from with the right rig!

when you say access to the woods....is this complete private land.with no public access as if not its not gonna be a good idea in sooo many ways!

 

[BaconDude]

Air will be the cheapest. You can fill them from a dive bottle. They last for 25 years from the birth date (some are lower such as Stako bottles), but need testing every 5. Prices will be about £80-100 for second hand, and £160 up for a brand new bottle.

On another note, don't use some woodland you have access to. I'm guessing this is not private land (sounds like the woods over the back of your house where people walk dogs and people ride horses to be quite frank), and even if it is there could still be unwary people around. You'll probably find yourself meeting your county's Finest. Keep the paintball to a paintball site

 

[Liam92]

As has been mentioned above air is definitely the more popular system nowadays. the bottles don't have to be as expensive as essx mentioned since this aims at buying good quality bottles but if you want to buy a standard 0.8L 3000 psi bottle these are a bit cheaper to buy new and if you can find enough second hand would be even cheaper again.

for normal use air cylinders are perfectly suitable for servicing yourself since the most you'll be doing is replacing a burst disk but all air bottles need sent to specialists for safety testing when the bottles are due for inspection.

as both lads mentioned above its VERY important that no member of the public even have the possibility of straying into these woods for their safety and for your own criminal record! however if its enclosed private land which the public cannot easily access then it's fine for you play here. it cannot be stressed enough though that you MUST make sure the public are at absolutely no risk. ideally like Mr Bacon said its best if you can just use a paintball site which is purpose built.

 

[BaconDude]

I said prices... I also forgot about the steelies...

 

[Tom]

Note - paintball air cylinders do not have a life of 25 years.
Fibre wrapped cylinders have a maximum life of 15 years, but have to be hydro tested every 5 years
Stako fibre wrapped cylinders cannot be retested so have a life of 5 years
Aluminium cylinders (often called steelies) are much cheaper at under £40. They have an unlimited life if they pass hydro tests every 5 years. BUT unless you can arrange retesting with no postage involved it is cheaper to replace them

To run your own games on land you have access to brings liability for you & the landowner
It can also be illegal even on private land depending on circumstances


Either get information on setting up your own site, or use existing sites

 

[Tom]

Please note - regarding filling from a cylinder, if your main cylinder is at the same pressure as the paintball cylinders you are filling you either cannot fill to the maximum as each one will get a lower fill, or need to fill at a lower level to maintain pressure.
Eg don't fill steelies to 3000 psi, only go to 2500 / 2700

If your source is higher eg 4500psi then you can only fill with great care or with a rig that will regulate the output.

You won't get very far playing a game with a few markers and only one scuba fill source

For co2 the correct way to fill is by weight. You ought to drain a part use co2 cylinder the weigh the empty and fill to the correct weight

You need advice and the appropriate equipment for either method

 

[Tom Allen]

Note - paintball air cylinders do not have a life of 25 years.
Fibre wrapped cylinders have a maximum life of 15 years, but have to be hydro tested every 5 years
Stako fibre wrapped cylinders cannot be retested so have a life of 5 years
Aluminium cylinders (often called steelies) are much cheaper at under £40. They have an unlimited life if they pass hydro tests every 5 years. BUT unless you can arrange retesting with no postage involved it is cheaper to replace them

To run your own games on land you have access to brings liability for you & the landowner
It can also be illegal even on private land depending on circumstances


Either get information on setting up your own site, or use existing sites

While "most" fibre wrapped cylinders have 15 year lives, there are bottles out there with 20 year life spans.

 

[Biscuit]

talk too Steve Bull at the UKPSF he will tell you everything you need too know
find his details on here www.ukpsf.com

 

[Missy-Q]

'bone questions'?

You sure you have the right site?