NationStates Jolt Archive

If you haven't played either then please don't post. I want to know which of the two sports are better and please give some reasons like fun, cost, availability, popularity and dangers.

What is airsoft?

What is airsoft?
Think fully automatic BB guns that shoot vinyl BBs.

http://www.icefire-enterprises.com/

I've dabbled in paintball, but never owned any equipment. I just came in to say that if you wear glasses, most helmets, no matter how you treat them, will fog up, and paintball pellets will leave sizeable welts...they don't feel real good, either.

That said, it is fun!

I've dabbled in paintball, but never owned any equipment. I just came in to say that if you wear glasses, most helmets, no matter how you treat them, will fog up, and paintball pellets will leave sizeable welts...they don't feel real good, either.

That said, it is fun!

You must not have used the good anti-fog spray.


I've never played airsoft, but I've been playing paintball on and off (mostly off) since '98. My best markers right now are my ULE E-Mag (warp right ULE body, X-Valve, Q-Loader), and my Bushmaster (2K3 body, PDS, AKA Sidewinder reg, Lapco vert. ASA).

My favorite events that I've attended have to be Spplat Attack II (William Shatner, Tom Kaye, and Glenn Palmer were there) and the Automags Online: New England get-togethers.

Well, they're different, and each has its pros and cons. Airsoft is easier on the wallet, which is good. I think paintball seems to have better gameplay, though, especially with the fact that you can't really cheat.

Well, they're different, and each has its pros and cons. Airsoft is easier on the wallet, which is good. I think paintball seems to have better gameplay, though, especially with the fact that you can't really cheat.
You can, when running always dive into a muddy puddly behind some cover when being fired on. After having dived through said puddle and mud pile, THEN check yourself for paint;)

You must not have used the good anti-fog spray.


I've never played airsoft, but I've been playing paintball on and off (mostly off) since '98. My best markers right now are my ULE E-Mag (warp right ULE body, X-Valve, Q-Loader), and my Bushmaster (2K3 body, PDS, AKA Sidewinder reg, Lapco vert. ASA).

My favorite events that I've attended have to be Spplat Attack II (William Shatner, Tom Kaye, and Glenn Palmer were there) and the Automags Online: New England get-togethers.


Mags and AO represent! I'm still shooting my decked out black ULE Mag, though I'm loving the Ion I bought last year.

I was at Spplat Attack 2 and 3 myself. Most fun I've ever had in my 9 years of playing. The final battle at EMR was NUTS. I was up in the center of the middle tower, shooting down into Shatner's left flank from the middle all the way to his respawn point. I swear to God I must have had at least 50 kills in the final battle....

But anyways, if you want good goggles that almost never fog, play with the VForce Profiler.

I prefer airsoft because it is much cheaper, more realistic and hurts less(not that important really) however if a police officer sees you gun in public and mistakes it for a real gun then the consiquences could be fatal, but that also applies to paintball, but not so much.
Paintball on the other hand is a more renowned sport. There are fields, televised tornaments and corporate sponsors, not to mention that it is harder to cheat. You can see a bloch of paint on someones clothing but can't see if a plastic BB hit someone, so there needs to be trust with who your playing with.

...and another thing. Paintball guns are expensive, require cleaning after every game and if there is a jam, that means that a paintball broke and requires you to call yourself out and clean (unless you have two) while in airsoft, a jam is much easier to clear. Simply drop the ma and clear the barrel, then reload and your back in the game.:mp5:

Mags and AO represent! I'm still shooting my decked out black ULE Mag, though I'm loving the Ion I bought last year.

I was at Spplat Attack 2 and 3 myself. Most fun I've ever had in my 9 years of playing. The final battle at EMR was NUTS. I was up in the center of the middle tower, shooting down into Shatner's left flank from the middle all the way to his respawn point. I swear to God I must have had at least 50 kills in the final battle....

But anyways, if you want good goggles that almost never fog, play with the VForce Profiler.

I suspected that you were the same AMF from AO, but I wasn't positive. I've got an ION as well, but it's stock and hasn't seen much action.

At Spplat Attack II, I couldn't get the range necessary to eliminate anyone during the last battle. My Bushmaster was acting up (stupid wiring harness), as was my Timmy (again, it turned out to be a bad harness), so all I had available was a PT Extreme that I couldn't get above 200 fps. I was pretty much a paint magnet at the chrono until I ran out of 12g (I lost track of how many times I was hit while in the chrono line).

...and another thing. Paintball guns are expensive, require cleaning after every game and if there is a jam, that means that a paintball broke and requires you to call yourself out and clean (unless you have two) while in airsoft, a jam is much easier to clear. Simply drop the ma and clear the barrel, then reload and your back in the game.:mp5:


Chopping paint is pretty much a thing of the past with today's paintball markers. Almost every electronic marker has anti-chop eyes (an internal laser that detects if a paintball is in the way of the bolt), low impact bolts, and other effective means of keeping paint from gumming up your breech. Even the mechanical Automag has a Level 10 low pressure bolt that is so soft that I can stick my tongue inside and pull the trigger without feeling anything except a little tap.

Chopping paint is pretty much a thing of the past with today's paintball markers. Almost every electronic marker has anti-chop eyes (an internal laser that detects if a paintball is in the way of the bolt), low impact bolts, and other effective means of keeping paint from gumming up your breech. Even the mechanical Automag has a Level 10 low pressure bolt that is so soft that I can stick my tongue inside and pull the trigger without feeling anything except a little tap.
Those guns must be pretty expensive though right?

... not to mention that it is harder to cheat.


I wish that were true. :(

Those guns must be pretty expensive though right?

You can get the Smart Parts ION for like $200. I've shot it since last year, and I have had only 1 chop, due to the eye being dirty from lack of regular cleaning (I get lazy).

It's a fantastic gun for the price. With the trigger adjusted right you can make it shoot crazy fast, something like 17 balls a second. It's also efficient when it come to air use, it can last a long time on a 9 volt and is made from heavy duty composite. And it is very light, weighing in at 2.2 pounds.

Those guns must be pretty expensive though right?

Full electro-pnuematic with break beam eyes: http://www.xpaintball.com/smpaionpagu.html

The one that's the most fun is always the one in which you're the guy with the longest-range sniper rifle.

I just got a STAR/Guarder collaboration m14 sopmod today.

Airsoft is about a hundred times better than paintball, which is for hillbillies and little kids.

Airsoft is Milsim, which is a whole lot of fun. No messy paint, no huddling behind an inflatable raft limpwristing some ridiculous looking paintball "gun."

+1000 Airsoft.

Airsoft is about a hundred times better than paintball, which is for hillbillies and little kids.

LOL! Way to sterotype an entire sport. I guess I could say that airsoft is for cheaters and rich kids who whine and talk shit way too much....

Airsoft is Milsim, which is a whole lot of fun. No messy paint, no huddling behind an inflatable raft limpwristing some ridiculous looking paintball "gun."

+1000 Airsoft.

Paintball is also milsim when played in the woods, and not on tournament fields. I've played with paint grenades, trip mines, paint mortars, ATV tanks, ghillie suit clad snipers with custome markers, etc.

And ridiculous looking "guns", eh?

http://www.specialopspaintball.com/shop/prodimages/1010018.jpghttp://www.specialopspaintball.com/shop/prodimages/1010021.jpghttp://www.specialopspaintball.com/shop/prodimages/1000020.jpghttp://www.specialopspaintball.com/shop/prodimages/1010042.jpg

I think you get the point. I've seen custom paintball guns made into every real life weapon imaginable. Paintball can be just as milsim as airsoft.

it depends on the person. I dont like paintball because its not realistic. The reason i airsoft and am on a airsoft team, is because i love to milsim. Not to mention i look cool a loaded out with my assualt vest and what not :)

Pics?

Airsoft wins.

Weapons generally 100% realistic, with paintball there's always that stupid hopper in the way... It looks ridiculous.

+100000000000000 airsoft.
http://www.wolfarmouries.co.uk/airsoft/bb/bin/image-lib/products/32RTMAK47S.jpg
http://www.wolfarmouries.co.uk/airsoft/bb/bin/image-lib/products/41SMGTMTM1A1.jpg

Wouldn't want to get int he way of this:

http://www.wolfarmouries.co.uk/airsoft/bb/bin/image-lib/products/VULCAN.jpg

LOL! Way to sterotype an entire sport. I guess I could say that airsoft is for cheaters and rich kids who whine and talk shit way too much....



Paintball is also milsim when played in the woods, and not on tournament fields. I've played with paint grenades, trip mines, paint mortars, ATV tanks, ghillie suit clad snipers with custome markers, etc.

And ridiculous looking "guns", eh?

http://www.specialopspaintball.com/shop/prodimages/1010018.jpghttp://www.specialopspaintball.com/shop/prodimages/1010021.jpghttp://www.specialopspaintball.com/shop/prodimages/1000020.jpghttp://www.specialopspaintball.com/shop/prodimages/1010042.jpg

I think you get the point. I've seen custom paintball guns made into every real life weapon imaginable. Paintball can be just as milsim as airsoft.

A) You can say all kinds of inane things.

B) Who would want to get high speed gear covered in that filthy slime?

C) Those are cute, paintball guns they try to make look like real guns :rolleyes:

Have they invented paintball guns yet that dont have hoppers or gas tanks and load with magazines? An alternative to those silly masks?
Wearing a motorcross costume isnt milsim.

Holy *bleep* you can buy an airsoft sidearm for the price of a hopper! Airsoft wins on price.

B) Who would want to get high speed gear covered in that filthy slime?

It's water soluable, and washes off very easily. Because my Automag valve is completey sealed when gassed up, all I have to do is hit it with the hose or dunk it in a bucket of water when I'm done, then throw a drop or two of oil in the valve and it's good for 6 months.

My ION is pretty much the same. I just take the board and eyes out (takes literally a minute), then blast it with water.

Have they invented paintball guns yet that dont have hoppers or gas tanks and load with magazines?

Yes, there are guns that are magazine fed. In fact, those was a very early paintball gun that fired in semti and full auto modes, and was magazine fed. Some guns also conceal the tank inside the butt stock, so there is nothing extra exposed.

Airsoft also wins for realism: gas blowback. Full recoil and satisfying noise, and you can get pump-action shotguns that eject 'spent' shells.

Sniper rifles + gas blowback = shit yourself.

An alternative to those silly masks?

There is nothing silly about protecting your face. I know plenty of airsoft players that wear paintball masks because of the excellent protection.

Wearing a motorcross costume isnt milsim.

You missed the part where I said ghillie suits. Most common type of outift seen at an outdoor paintball game: camo uniform.

Pic (http://shop.com.edgesuite.net/ccimg.catalogcity.com/220000/227600/227664/Products/16004792.jpg)
Another pic (http://www.sniper-zone.com/warsztat/camo/sniper_zee2d.jpg)

Do a search. There is a HUGE market in scenario paintball, which is straight up milsim.

Seriously though, airsoft is cheaper, more realistic and lends itself to a more immersive shoot-the-other-guy experience. If you use gas blowback the only way you can get more realistic is shelling out for a real gun and going on a spree shooting.

What about accuracy?

At wich distance can you shoot a moving/prone target with both?

Realism? If you want to pretend you're in the army.. go join the army...

Paintball is a fun sport. Low cost (If you're into it enough to warrant buying your own equiptment, then the £200+ marker cost dosent matter much)
Or 99% of paintball-sites (sites have to be licenced in the UK anyways) will have equiptment avalible to hire, included in the low-cost of entry to the site
(my local sites charge £30 for an adult, for a whole day, including food/drink, clothing and equiptment hire)

Also depending where you live (as you havent said), there are laws concerning airsoft (replica weapons are illegal in the UK, for example)


Given the choice, I'd go for paintball over airsoft.

Plus its harder to cheat at paintball. Differances being marked by paint.. or having a little piece of plastic bounce off of you

You can legally buy airsoft in the UK. Of course, there could just be a really big open black market thing going on.

A) You can say all kinds of inane things.

B) Who would want to get high speed gear covered in that filthy slime?

C) Those are cute, paintball guns they try to make look like real guns :rolleyes:

Have they invented paintball guns yet that dont have hoppers or gas tanks and load with magazines? An alternative to those silly masks?
Wearing a motorcross costume isnt milsim.
There are guns that are magazine fed and have the gas tank in the stock so you can't see it. Some are also loaded into look alike bullet casings that fly out of the weapon when you fire them. I wear a "silly" mask when I play airsoft.

I take airsoft over paintball, mostly for economics. True that you can get a decent marker for maybe $200 but I can get a decent, realistic AK-47 model airsoft gun for $70. The ammo is cheaper, and if you have an electric or spring, then you don't have to spend more money on Co2 or Nitro. I know that a majority of paintball players play milsim in the woods with combat camo but if your experienced, then you know that constintly washing the outfit because of paint makes it fade much faster, especially the new digital camo.

i have tried both,and in the end,im going with airsoft,its personally more immersive,realistic,cheaper,and cleaner.its used for training in the US military (how i get some of my supplies) and depending on how far you want to go with your money it can get rather intense.

paintball seems to....dinky for me,i dont like the look or feel of the guns,and the ammo carrage is crap for stealth in the woods.Airsoft is more versatile,allows for better gear,has higher ammo capacity,and depending on the gun it hurts more.

As for the comment "if you want to pretend military,join it",the same could be said for paintball,or waterguns,which are all sports that derived from the basic human interest in "playing war" like "cowboys and indians".

Oh, man, first General thread that I've had any interest in in a LOOONG time.

I gotta say airsoft. But not for price. I've dropped $1500+ on a Maruzen Type 96, getting it up to 700+ fps.

If you want cheap little plinkers and crap, sure, airsoft is cheap. The ammo is also cheaper, paintballs are ridiculously expensive.

By the way, someone said they picked up an M14 SOPMOD earlier in this thread -- sexiest American gun ever.

Some people say it's easy to cheat in airsoft. Well, that's why I only play with honorable people, and with guns that are upgraded to at least 400 fps. There's no way to cheat when you get sprayed by .25s and yell "OW!" Where I play, you know when you've scored a hit.

As far as airsoft being played by rich whiny kids -- Yeah, unfortunately, those big events are full of them. Bunch of brats. But that's even more reason to play -- Whoopin the crap out of those spoiled suburban pricks who don't understand that ghillie suits don't work if you're moving. "Ghillie suits rok omfg lol wow kthxbye!!!!111" Like I said. I only play with honorable people until I go to big events. Then I play on the same side as the honorable people and spray some brats. Man, good memories, falling in with a new member of my team who served in Iraq recently, using the basic manuevers he had to use. I'm a big guy, so keeping pace with him double-timing it for a mile or so through the park made me proud.

I wear paintball masks when I play, but I trim them down. When I get a shemagh, I'll get a pair of Bolle T-800 goggles, which do not ever fog up. Ever. A buddy of mine lost a tooth the second time he played. Looking cool is not worth 1200 bucks, so I cover my mouth.

Here's a picture of me during Red Dawn II. If you've seen the movie, you know what the game is about. I was a Wolverine, so I had to wear civie clothes. And that's not my gun. I had just gotten tired of trying to snipe through the forest with an under-powered (only 520 fps) PSG-1, so I borrowed someone's AK:
Red Dawn II, Airsoft Chicago (http://www.airsoftchicago.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=2919&g2_serialNumber=2)

Note the trimmed mask.

My gun (http://teamscarairsoft.smugmug.com/photos/39559583-M.jpg)

Few of the good fellas from way back when. (http://teamscarairsoft.smugmug.com/photos/41232385-M.jpg) That's after several games. Paintball demands a change of clothes between games. Airsoft doesn't. Or, at the very least, it demands a wipe down.

A) You can say all kinds of inane things.

B) Who would want to get high speed gear covered in that filthy slime?

C) Those are cute, paintball guns they try to make look like real guns :rolleyes:

Have they invented paintball guns yet that dont have hoppers or gas tanks and load with magazines? An alternative to those silly masks?
Wearing a motorcross costume isnt milsim.

The "slime" is water soluble, and cleans off easily. Also, if you wanted something that looks, feels, and acts real, why not get the real thing? As to your question about the paintball markers that load with magazines, do you mean this? http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Tiberius-8-Magazine-Feed-Paintball-Pistol_W0QQitemZ7220972736QQcategoryZ16048QQcmdZViewItem


One more thing. The goggles and masks used for paintball are NOT the same as the ones used for motocross. They're tested to a higher standard than the motocross gear. The reason we need to wear them is because the mass of the paintball is much higher than the mass of the airsoft pellets. I prefer to not lose my eyesight because a paintball hit me in the eye.

Finally, what's the cleanup like for airsoft? Are the pellets bio-degradable, or do you have to worry about picking them up to avoid environmental impact? I know paintballs are non-toxic and bio-degradable, so there's no cleanup in the woods or on fields (other than mother nature and the inevitable rain that washes the paint off).

Paintball by a long shot. Airsoft is... fun and affordable. But it doesnt require the strategy or skill needed in paintball, and it doesnt get your adrenaline going as much.

The "slime" is water soluble, and cleans off easily. Also, if you wanted something that looks, feels, and acts real, why not get the real thing? As to your question about the paintball markers that load with magazines, do you mean this? http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Tiberius-8-Magazine-Feed-Paintball-Pistol_W0QQitemZ7220972736QQcategoryZ16048QQcmdZViewItem


One more thing. The goggles and masks used for paintball are NOT the same as the ones used for motocross. They're tested to a higher standard than the motocross gear. The reason we need to wear them is because the mass of the paintball is much higher than the mass of the airsoft pellets. I prefer to not lose my eyesight because a paintball hit me in the eye.

Finally, what's the cleanup like for airsoft? Are the pellets bio-degradable, or do you have to worry about picking them up to avoid environmental impact? I know paintballs are non-toxic and bio-degradable, so there's no cleanup in the woods or on fields (other than mother nature and the inevitable rain that washes the paint off).

They do sell biodegradable BBs, and a lot of parks are starting to mandate that biodegradable be used. But no, there's no huge environmental impact from plasitc BBs. Nor is there any cleanup. With the exception of indoor CQB games (very hard with paintball unless the building is specifically designed for it, and not used for other things), you won't even find any BBs on a field. Played a small small field for over a year, rare were BBs seen from the days of oulde.

The lens on the masks may be of higher standards than motocross, but the rest of the helmet sure as hell isn't.

Beyond that, I play really hardcore airsoft, so we wear the masks anyway. Nasty ass welts on our necks though.

Doesn't require the strategy or skill?

In airsoft, you can (at least properly try to) snipe. You can get traps,and the weapons hurt like buggery. That's enough incentive to get you thinking properly. :D

Doesn't require the strategy or skill?

In airsoft, you can (at least properly try to) snipe. You can get traps,and the weapons hurt like buggery. That's enough incentive to get you thinking properly. :D
I didnt say it doesnt require skill or strategy. It still takes the talent to be the marksmen. But organizing your team and executing takes more skill, at least from what I've gathered in the airsoft and paintball I played.

Doesn't require the strategy or skill?

In airsoft, you can (at least properly try to) snipe. You can get traps,and the weapons hurt like buggery. That's enough incentive to get you thinking properly. :D

My team has also developed land mine, remote controlled mines, many forms of grenades, Estes rocket mortars and RPGs...

And we've got one of the best damn airsoft snipers in the country (USA). Though since there's really no way to determine, since airsoft is still so disparate, you'll just have to take my word for it. He's a freakin ghost and he doesn't miss. 250 feet out, even, windy day. Guy goes out with a 30 rd. magazine at the beginning of the day, doesn't even empty it, since every shot counts.

Oh, man, first General thread that I've had any interest in in a LOOONG time.

I gotta say airsoft. But not for price. I've dropped $1500+ on a Maruzen Type 96, getting it up to 700+ fps.

If you want cheap little plinkers and crap, sure, airsoft is cheap. The ammo is also cheaper, paintballs are ridiculously expensive.

By the way, someone said they picked up an M14 SOPMOD earlier in this thread -- sexiest American gun ever.

Some people say it's easy to cheat in airsoft. Well, that's why I only play with honorable people, and with guns that are upgraded to at least 400 fps. There's no way to cheat when you get sprayed by .25s and yell "OW!" Where I play, you know when you've scored a hit.

As far as airsoft being played by rich whiny kids -- Yeah, unfortunately, those big events are full of them. Bunch of brats. But that's even more reason to play -- Whoopin the crap out of those spoiled suburban pricks who don't understand that ghillie suits don't work if you're moving. "Ghillie suits rok omfg lol wow kthxbye!!!!111" Like I said. I only play with honorable people until I go to big events. Then I play on the same side as the honorable people and spray some brats. Man, good memories, falling in with a new member of my team who served in Iraq recently, using the basic manuevers he had to use. I'm a big guy, so keeping pace with him double-timing it for a mile or so through the park made me proud.

I wear paintball masks when I play, but I trim them down. When I get a shemagh, I'll get a pair of Bolle T-800 goggles, which do not ever fog up. Ever. A buddy of mine lost a tooth the second time he played. Looking cool is not worth 1200 bucks, so I cover my mouth.

Here's a picture of me during Red Dawn II. If you've seen the movie, you know what the game is about. I was a Wolverine, so I had to wear civie clothes. And that's not my gun. I had just gotten tired of trying to snipe through the forest with an under-powered (only 520 fps) PSG-1, so I borrowed someone's AK:
Red Dawn II, Airsoft Chicago (http://www.airsoftchicago.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=2919&g2_serialNumber=2)

Note the trimmed mask.

My gun (http://teamscarairsoft.smugmug.com/photos/39559583-M.jpg)

Few of the good fellas from way back when. (http://teamscarairsoft.smugmug.com/photos/41232385-M.jpg) That's after several games. Paintball demands a change of clothes between games. Airsoft doesn't. Or, at the very least, it demands a wipe down.

Yeah, my new sopmod is both beauty *and* the beast.

Very good point about that little thing called honor. Airsoft is a game of honor, we trust that our airsofting collegues are honorable, and we are honorable in return.

The notion of having to get a splotch of paint on you to 'prove' you got hit is a liiiiittttle foreign to honorable players.

The notion of having to get a splotch of paint on you to 'prove' you got hit is a liiiiittttle foreign to honorable players.
What are you talking about!?! That's indeniable proof, usually instantly noted by a referee. Airsoft players all honorable gah! I've played with a lot of honest ones, but I've also played with a lot of dishonest ones. And you don't have jack to bust them for lying either.

What are you talking about!?! That's indeniable proof, usually instantly noted by a referee. Airsoft players all honorable gah! I've played with a lot of honest ones, but I've also played with a lot of dishonest ones. And you don't have jack to bust them for lying either.


They have to live with themselves and the cold shoulder at games. The airsoft community here is pretty tight-knit. These things get taken care of, and only the honorable people are allowed to remain.

It isnt laser tag we're playing, there arent 'referees.'

i have played a small game or two of both airsoft and paint ball...i am going to have to side with paint ball, in my (limmited) experiance paint ball is way way more accurit. the only complain that i have it the stupid hoppers they really bother me and they make sniping a pain. but thats just my opinion iam not way into eather one mostly becaues i dont have the money and i have no one to play with or against:(

I've only played paintball, but I'd to try airsoft. I think airsoft is for veteran painball players and paintball is for the random idiot who wants to run screaming at the enemy for no apparent reason. good times....

Everybody says paintball guns are so expensive, but thats only cause the custimize till the bleed, and airsoft does not hurtless, paint vs plastic come on? Paintball can acualy be more realistic considering if you want to you can buy paint grenades and mines ext, also it realy is harder to cheat, theres no way to tell if u got hit by a pellet, but it's kinda hard to not see paint, unless your realy slick and some how rub it off b4 the ref sees. Also i think paintballs more populer so your more likely to have more events, feilds, and opponents.

well i prefer airsoft because it hurts less... well i'm cheap. i'll wont buy those really big things you see here here (http://www.airsplat.com). but is also i think better because it seems more realistic becuse paintball in my opicions degrades fire-fights. they all just start running untill they see the other guys in arms distance and they then seem to stand there and shoot untill they get shot.

but airsoft i find that you actually hide and think about what your next move is before you do somthing. and with paint ball how can you upgrade them? just with bigger barrells. larger things of Co2 and a bigger ammo tank. airsoft you can get scopes and tripiods and such more for stratigy.

thats all i have now but i have to go so i'll post the rest later

Everybody says paintball guns are so expensive, but thats only cause the custimize till the bleed, and airsoft does not hurtless, paint vs plastic come on? Paintball can acualy be more realistic considering if you want to you can buy paint grenades and mines ext, also it realy is harder to cheat, theres no way to tell if u got hit by a pellet, but it's kinda hard to not see paint, unless your realy slick and some how rub it off b4 the ref sees. Also i think paintballs more populer so your more likely to have more events, feilds, and opponents.

You can spend as much money on both sports as you want. I've seen airsoft guns run several thousand dollars.

Paintballs are heavier, but they move a lot slower than BBs. So the joules would not be very different in the end, especially if you have a plenty upgraded airsoft gun. I think paintball guns hang at around 200-something fps, but I don't know for sure. Someone verify the average? And an average for AEGs would be 400, although I routinely go much higher than that, 550 fps, or up to 700 fps for snipers. So as for which hurts more? Ain't a whole heck of a lot of difference.

Airsoft gets more distance. Higher fps, and you can get hop-up as well. Heavier ammunition is more accurate though, so paintballs are more likely to go straighter in wind. Longer, tightbore barrels and bore-up cylinders for airsoft can negate this though.

There's an easy way to tell if you get hit by a BB. It hurts, and the person who got hit can be as manly and tough as they want, if the gun that shot them was powerful enough, they'll say ow. Besides, if you're not just spraying blindly, you can see that you hit, and who it was. Cheaters are not hard to spot. Sure, sometimes honest mistakes happen. If you're running through the brush, there's all sorts of things slapping and stinging you, you can't always tell what was a BB. When in doubt, call yourself out, goes the saying. But paintball has the advantage in such cases.

Airsoft has the advantage of medic heals and returning to a game. Paint stays on you, so unless you want to soak your clothes throughout the day, you're not going to have as many games as airsoft allows.

ESPN is actually starting to pay attention to airsoft. It's growing in popularity, and events are very easy to find. Any paintball park will allow airsoft games, and there are usually airsoft associations and teams all over the world. Airsoft also allows for the huge games, like at some retired Army fort (Op: Irene, I think), and this week-long game in Sweden.

Both sports are growing in popularity, and sadly there are stupid brats who wave their airsoft guns around in public, giving it a bad name. Time will tell what becomes of the sport.

Paintball is hands down better they both have the adrenaline rush but Airsoft is like playing guns when you were little its "Bang Bang your dead" "No i'm not"
and the only way to prove that you got them is to show them the welt in paintball the only way to cheat like that is to wipe and that still leaves a paint smear


To inform every one I've been playing paintball for 4-5 years I play Pro Scenario,Tourney,and Woods Ball. I use a Tippmann 98, a Tippmann A-5, and a Intimidator.

For people new to airsoft, check out Redwolf (http://www.redwolfairsoft.com). Click on Products, AEG/AEP. There's the stuff. Classic Army, Tokyo Marui, and a few of the others, but most of them either suck or focus on M16 variants, which bore me.

That way you can get an accurate representation of airsoft, since most American airsoft sites are teh suck.

The indoor field I ref at allows 250fps, while the outdoor field I play at allows up to 280fps. For outdoor tournaments, it is almost always 300fps.

Paintball is hands down better they both have the adrenaline rush but Airsoft is like playing guns when you were little its "Bang Bang your dead" "No i'm not"
and the only way to prove that you got them is to show them the welt in paintball the only way to cheat like that is to wipe and that still leaves a paint smear

Like I said, that's only the case when you're playing with cheap stock guns. Plinkers.

Upgraded stuff -- cheating doesn't happen. In fact, a lot of larger airsoft games have minimum engagement distances (which I personally hate). That shit hurts, and if you're the kind of person who's going to cheat at a game, you belong in paintball anyway. Airsoft isn't for cheaters. You'll be outed very quickly. It's happened all but twice with my team, and the people responsible for it are gone.

The indoor field I ref at allows 250fps, while the outdoor field I play at allows up to 280fps. For outdoor tournaments, it is almost always 300fps.

Do you know how heavy the paintballs are, on average? In terms of grams?

Depends on the brand of paint, but I would say it averages at 3 grams per .68 caliber ball.

Depends on the brand of paint, but I would say it averages at 3 grams per .68 caliber ball.

I don't feel like doing the math, but I'd suspect that Paintball has a higher amount of joules per shot, depending on weight and velocity. It's also spread out of a much wider space than BBs are though, since BBs are smaller, so which would hurt more depends on where you get hit, how heavy the ammo, and how fast the ammo. There's also the ROF (rate of fire) of which I'm certain airsoft is higher.

I would bank on there being little difference between the amount of pain or feeling one gets from getting hit by either.

Like I said, that's only the case when you're playing with cheap stock guns. Plinkers.

Upgraded stuff -- cheating doesn't happen. In fact, a lot of larger airsoft games have minimum engagement distances (which I personally hate). That shit hurts, and if you're the kind of person who's going to cheat at a game, you belong in paintball anyway. Airsoft isn't for cheaters. You'll be outed very quickly. It's happened all but twice with my team, and the people responsible for it are gone.

Thats a load of crap most paintballers dont cheat and if you think they do then you dont know jack now. Ok the first time I tried the sport of Airsoft I hit the guy in front of me and he played on and the next the same thing happend again and againg and again you call us cheaters look at your sport!

Well I've been hit by a paintball .. it's enough to let you know your ass has ben hit and possibly cause a bruise. I'd probably choose the paintball.

they are both really fun, but paint balls run around 2000-2500 fo $50 and bb's will be about 3000 for $15. all though paintball is more organized with leagues such as NPPL and UAPL while airsoft is fragmented, local teams have freindly skirmishes but thats about it, also, while travelling at virtually the same speed, paintballs hurt across a field and leave a mark for a week, bb's can only do that much damage from about five feet otherwise they will hurt for a little and leave a mark for about six hours, acrros the board though airsoft is cheaper, so it all comes down to your intrests, but you are pretty much better off trying them both
and nordeia airoft is only a fraction of a joule i did a report on the two for school but i don't know about paintballs and about cheating i do beleive paintballers do it more, ie shootin someone too close, wiping, freezing paintballs, and hiking ball fps

they are both really fun, but paint balls run around 2000-2500 fo $50 and bb's will be about 3000 for $15. all though paintball is more organized with leagues such as NPPL and UAPL while airsoft is fragmented, local teams have freindly skirmishes but thats about it, also, while travelling at virtually the same speed, paintballs hurt across a field and leave a mark for a week, bb's can only do that much damage from about five feet otherwise they will hurt for a little and leave a mark for about six hours, acrros the board though airsoft is cheaper, so it all comes down to your intrests, but you are pretty much better off trying them both

Stand in front of an airsoft vulcan and we'll see how long the mark lasts...

Thats a load of crap most paintballers dont cheat and if you think they do then you dont know jack now. Ok the first time I tried the sport of Airsoft I hit the guy in front of me and he played on and the next the same thing happend again and againg and again you call us cheaters look at your sport!

Pay attention.

I said if anyone wants to cheat, they can play paintball. Airsofters won't have them, and as we've all agreed, it's harder to cheat in paintball. I wasn't calling paintballers cheaters, I was saying that cheaters need to play paintball so they can't pull that bullshit. If that guy you mentioned did that around us, we'd kick him out.

they are both really fun, but paint balls run around 2000-2500 fo $50 and bb's will be about 3000 for $15. all though paintball is more organized with leagues such as NPPL and UAPL while airsoft is fragmented, local teams have freindly skirmishes but thats about it, also, while travelling at virtually the same speed, paintballs hurt across a field and leave a mark for a week, bb's can only do that much damage from about five feet otherwise they will hurt for a little and leave a mark for about six hours, acrros the board though airsoft is cheaper, so it all comes down to your intrests, but you are pretty much better off trying them both
and nordeia airoft is only a fraction of a joule i did a report on the two for school but i don't know about paintballs and about cheating i do beleive paintballers do it more, ie shootin someone too close, wiping, freezing paintballs, and hiking ball fps

Again, I didn't say paintballers cheat more. I said airsofters won't tollerate cheaters, and paintballers have a much harder time of cheating. And beyond that, the airsoft groups I play with have no fps limits, and no minimum engagement distances. There are a lot of people who won't play with us, because it can get dangerous. A 550 FPS 650mm tightbore barreled Classic Army M15 MOSFET'ed with a 12v battery that brings the ROF up to 700+ rounds per minute can do some damage.

It can be a big fraction of a joule though, in fact, we regularly go over a joule and a half, so it's not inconsiderable.

Besides that, I've lost skin playing airsoft, so I don't know what you mean airsoft not leaving marks. I've got scars, and I've seen people with the BBs stuck in their skin. The smaller rounds tear up the skin, the larger ones from paintball bruise it. It's the difference between bludgeoning and stinging.

http://www.metroeastairsoft.com/albums/20041120-Rogue/IMG_0328.sized.jpg
I'd hit it!