Any magazine can tell you how to spend the big bucks on the latest marker, but here at TangoAlpha2.com, we show you how to get the most out of your paintball experience and game with minimal expenditures. Okay, maybe that’s because we CAN’T afford the big buck markers, don’t have deep-pocketed corporate sponsors and are a bunch of miserly tightwads, but all that aside, we’re not bad people!

Cereal Killer

One of the best tips someone gave me was to buy a plastic breakfast cereal container to store your paintballs in. It’s more protective than the plastic bags they come in out of the box and more compact. If you get one that the snap-down mouth/lid is the same size as your pods, it makes for fast refills. Target carries a Rubbermaid one that has the perfect size cap for a little over $5.00. 

Roll Tape!

Another relatively cheap improvement is some leafy, 3D camouflage tapeto wrap your hopper and gun. I have a Halo hopper which sits high on my SP-8. The damned thing is so shiny, you can see the sun shining off it across the field. Plus it is solid black and there’s not a lot of solid black in nature. Plus your hopper is a very unnatural and recognizable shape to the eye. Nothing moves more than your marker in the woods and the human eye picks up movement. So, head to Bass Pro Shops (in the Charlotte area, there is one at Concord Mills Mall) and pick up a roll of 3d camouflage tape. It’s in an aisle by between their camo and firearms.

The tape is sticky and/or magnetic on one side and the leafy texture masks the silhouette of your marker and hopper to hide one of your most easily spotted parts. It costs about $11 per roll, but you can camo your marker barrel and hopper numerous times from a single roll. It peels off cleanly and with a little rubbing alcohol, your hopper looks better than ever. As an added bonus, it also helps cut down on the ball rattle noise inside your hopper.

Pod Silencer

I haven’t tried this yet, but heard it works great. Cut a one inch circle of foam and glue it to the inside of the lid of your paintball pods and this will quiet the rattle of your less than full pods when running around. You might also try and take a barrel squeegee and push a piece of foam into the bottom of the pod to cushion tho bottom as well. If you try this out, let us know how it works.

Cool Your Balls Off!

In the summer, store your extra paintballs indoors in the air conditioning. A friend recently handed me a container of paintballs that he stored in his car for a few weeks (remember those 100 degree days?). I took them and kept them in my closet for a week. They looked fine, but when I went to pour them out, they had melted together and I got a big chunk of paintballs the shape of a brick. Ever try to get a brick down the barrel of your marker? Cold weather in the winter will distort and freeze your balls and make them either impossible to get down the barrel or hard enough to send someone to the hospital. Which no matter how much fun it might be to send your brother Joey to the emergency room, you don’t get credit for the kill, because the frozen paintball didn’t break on his shiny little head. It did leave a nice contusion though. Joey gets a concussion and you get an ass beating from Mom. Even if you are 40+ years old. Weeks from now, he will still be bragging about the ambulance ride!

The bottom line is, keep your paintballs in a cool, dry spot with a mild temperatures so they don’t distort or melt.

Lose Your Ammo!

Play hopper ball. Use only what paint you carry inyour hopper. Take off that tactical vest or harness and do NOT schlep those extra 1000 rounds of paint into the woods. Fill up your hopper and use it ONLY for an entire round of play. This teaches you better fire discipline and cuts your paintball costs. You will make sure each round counts when you only have a limited amount. You can also safely bet that you will turn that full auto off on that fancy marker as well. You’ll want to wait until your targets are closer and you will focus more on stealth than throwing buckets of paint at them from 100 yards. This is a win-win. You will become a better player and spend less money doing it. Go through an entire day and see how LITTLE paint you can shot and still make effective kills. 

Ref A Round

If you have a good relationship with your local paintball field and his insurance will allow him to do it, ask if you can ref a few rounds for them. Make sure you know the rules and get out there and watch everything. This helps your game because you get the benefit of seeing maneuvers from a different, impartial perspective without the pressure of playing. You learn a lot. You also learn how tough a referee’s job is trying to determine if a guy was really hit and making tough calls. You walk away with a lot more respect for the ref and will be more understanding when you go back to playing. It gives them an extra set of eyes on the field, you learn a lot about being a better player and it’s something you can do to improve your game for free.

Lighten Your Kicks

Military style boots are protective, cool looking and provide great ankle support. However, they are heavy, hot, expensive, heavy, and don’t provide all they great of traction. Did I mention heavy?. For about $12 at your local Wal-Mart you can get a cheap pair of black cleated shoes that are light weight, keep your feet cooler, are easier to run in and give you ten times the traction, especially in muddy hillsides. They don’t provide much ankle support, but are you playing paintball to be SAFE?

Swap Positions

If you normally play the hyper-aggressive point man who is out there running and gunning, switch positions with the guy who normally plays defense. You can learn a great deal about how to better attack a bunker or base by trying to defend one. Watch what the attackers do and try to spot their weaknesses and look for those same weaknesses in your own game. It also makes you a more valuable player to your teammates if you are willing to “take one for the team” by hanging back and let someone else have a turn at the glory. Is it as much fun?  NO. But it is a way to hone your skills and IT’s FREE!

Send Us Your Tips!

Use the Comment box below to add your hints and tips on how to save money or be a better, more valuable, paintball player.