[awdcivic]

got my first paintball guns as a trade yesterday and i got a smart parts ion and a Alpha black gun. i like the alpha black way more because it has sights on the top. i was thinking i was gonna keep the smart parts but i hate how the loader sits on the top. i was just wondering what all guns are like the alpha black with sights on the top. The alpha feels cheap and plasticy lol so i kinda wanna sell it but i would want one with sights on the top and the loader off to the side like on this one.
Im used to real guns maybe thats why haha.

[gamer565]

Paintball markers do not follow the same "bullet" psychics as a real rifle.

With paintball markers you aim by looking down the side of the barrel and follow the paintball as it travels.

Scoops/sights are worthless and are good for nothing more then looks. But if you wish to keep the milsilm look into tippmanns.

[eforce]

You have a few options.

1. Purchase a marker with an offset feedneck (Spyders, Autocockers, Tippmanns, etc)
2. Purchase a loader system that runs a hose to the feedneck instead of holding all the paint up top, such as the warp feed or Q loader.
3. Learn to aim the proper way and look down the side of the barrel.

[MstrKey]

Sights are meant for long range shooting. The problem is paintball guns don't shoot far, and usually on most paintball fields you can't get a full long range shot anyway. Add that to the fact that at the out limit paintballs are very inaccurate, and you pretty much eliminate any benefit to having them. In other words, at long range the paint won't go where you aim anyway.

Couple that with the fact that while you're sticking out to aim you become a target and will get shot if you're out too long. Targets don't shoot back, paintball players do.

The best thing you can do is practice free shooting. You just look at your target down the barrel and watch where the paint flies. Then adjust. Remember to look at the target. Not the feed neck in the way. In time you'll be placing shots pretty accurately.

Now I suppose if you wanted to slap a dot site on there to "snipe" during bigger games it might help you make a few shots here and there. There are kits that allow you to side mount, or barrel mount them. Most likely they will just get shot or broken off anyway.

Remember the gun is the tool....not the focus. Proper movement and practice will help more than anything you can ever add to your gun.

[Gyvanth]

Paintball guns aren't accurate; they're consistent (if you don't use crap). Basically, paintballs aren't going to hit right where you aim, but the paintballs usually end up close to the one that came out before it. So you aim by following the path the first ball takes and adjust accordingly.

[dps093]

To sum up what everyone else said, sights are pointless performance wise, and are just mainly for looks.

[MstrKey]

Originally Posted by dps093

To sum up what everyone else said, sights are pointless performance wise, and are just mainly for looks.

I just thought of something..........I suppose if you use first strike rounds some type of sights may be more useful, since those things can be a lot more accurate at range than a normal paintball. Even in the wind they shoot pretty nice sometimes. Still the most I would do is get a nice dot or holo site that will let you find a target quickly. This is for rec/scenario play. If you're playing on an airball field don't bother.

[Paper_Cut]

Sights are bad for three reasons:

1. Paintballs don't travel very far. They are moving too slow and hitting far away things requires you to arc the gun so high that if you attempt to shoot at what your reticle is pointing at the ball will more often than not fall short. There is a reason the term "rain paint on them" is used, because most distances where a sight would be necessary are most likely arced to a decree that the paint is coming almost from above.
2. The reaction speed required to hone in on your target and fire then duck down to avoid the reply from the other player are so fast that you won't have time to use the scope
3. It's paintball, I tried a red dot sight once and I kept having to clean paint splatter off the lens. Even when a paintball doesn't hit you, when it explodes near you it throws off little dots of paint that collect on the lens. If you don't believe me take a look at your mask after a game and you will notice little dots of paint on the lens.

[dps093]

Originally Posted by MstrKey

I just thought of something..........I suppose if you use first strike rounds some type of sights may be more useful, since those things can be a lot more accurate at range than a normal paintball. Even in the wind they shoot pretty nice sometimes. Still the most I would do is get a nice dot or holo site that will let you find a target quickly. This is for rec/scenario play. If you're playing on an airball field don't bother.

This is true, but the only case where a sight might be useful lol

[Mini_Legg_Parker]

If scopes dont work then how does this guy do it?

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/83068307/

[The Inflicted]

With a little work or a custom body you can put offset sights on an Ion that work pretty well.
I did.
The overall unit will be a lot more compact than a Tippmann.

[parasyte]

Originally Posted by Mini_Legg_Parker

If scopes dont work then how does this guy do it?

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/83068307/

Two things:
A) He's using First Strike rounds in a gun that accepts them. These are finned rounds that spin themselves to keep stable while in flight. They fly further and faster as a result, and are more accurate (but are not round like normal paintballs, so they need a gun made for them, or a conversion kit made to accept them, and they can't be loaded with a hopper).

B) You can see that his sight is adjusted to compensate for the drop as the paintballs rain down on the people he hits.

[Mini_Legg_Parker]

Originally Posted by parasyte

Two things:
A) He's using First Strike rounds in a gun that accepts them. These are finned rounds that spin themselves to keep stable while in flight. They fly further and faster as a result, and are more accurate (but are not round like normal paintballs, so they need a gun made for them, or a conversion kit made to accept them, and they can't be loaded with a hopper).

B) You can see that his sight is adjusted to compensate for the drop as the paintballs rain down on the people he hits.

I agree with what you are saying. but i just wanted to put it out there that scopes do work on paintball guns with a little creativity lol

[rgvbrutal]

I would recommend an x7 or x7 phenom piccatanny rails are standard on them so you dont have to buy them separate for example if you had an a5. Then you can buy an offset hopper or even tac caps but they hold way less paintballs . Or you can look at magfed markers for example milsig or rap4 t68.

Example:Tippmann X7 Phenom

[neo2000x]

The only really useful type of scope is a red dot sight. This will line up the barrel pretty well on the horizontal axis however the vertical could be off as paintballs drop after a certain distance. My friend uses one on his X7 and he's pretty good with it.

With that being said, I'm a true believer of speedball gun setups. They can be aimed just as accurately with proper setup/technique, which involves having the proper sized tank, holding the tank against the shoulder, and lining up the nose with the back of the gun. Once you lock this position in place, the gun will always be aimed to where ever you turn your head. This allows for faster aiming than a red dot site and is better for running/gunning. This setup is also a lot lighter than the Milsim guns that take sights.

[MstrKey]

Exactly. Sights are for long range shooting. There is no real long range with normal paintballs. It's kinda like COD or BF3, sure you can spend your time looking through your sights but when they get up close...the guys who are good at shooting without sights(from the hip in video games, using proper form in paintball) will rip you a new one.


If I had to pick one to use.....I'd get one of those big square holo sights. Something that will allow me to point as quickly as possible with two eyes open.

[Sirriko]

Shooting for accuracy is dependent on the paint, weather conditions, and the "FEEL" of it. Aim down the side of your barrel.