While still new, airsoft competition has been enjoying a large rise in popularity the last few years and is quietly approaching the popularity levels of paintball.

But compared to paintball the people who are active in an airsoft competition tend to take their activity very seriously and therefore you need to be prepared to do battle, or you will be nothing more than a moving target for them to practice on. The following guide lists some must have equipment in order to be successful on the airsoft play field.

Must Have Items For Success

A Good Gun: A good airsoft gun is the most important item the warrior can take into the contest. Not only will a better weapon shoot farther but it will also be more accurate. If you want to have fun and be competitive with airsoft do not try and cut corners on your weapon. Choose Metal gearboxes and bodies over their plastic counterparts. The metal series Airsoft guns have greater range, accuracy and durability.

Competition grade BB’s: These are practically a necessity when competing in a soft air gun contest. The standard BB’s that come with the gun are to lightweight and full of imperfections. The lightweight and poor surface quality make accuracy and velocity suffer greatly. The higher grade BB’s however are perfectly round and super smooth as well a slightly heavier. This allows a much flatter, repeatable flight path and higher accuracy. BBs range from .12 up to .3g. The standard weight for competition is .20g.

Accessories: The airsoft warrior can add to the fun of the game by using grenades that shower your opponents with hundreds of BB’s, this definitely adds to the realism of battle. Airsoft Claymore mines are also another very fun and realistic item that lays down a large spread of BB’s to take the maximum number of opponents out of the game fast.

Safety Equipment: Although there is nothing to exciting about safety equipment it is absolutely required. The power and speed the ammunition travels from these guns could easily damage any sensitive body parts. Eye and face protection are required items on the Airsoft play field.

While it may seem like child’s play theses air gun contests are taken very serious by the people who play them. So always go in prepared or get ready to get shot out fast.

By: Darin Sewell

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Paintball is a high energy sport that attracts over ten million players per year. The use of paintballs first started in the 1950′s when the forest service used them to mark trees. They were also used as a temporary alternative to branding cows. It wasn’t until the mid 70′s that two friends, who were trying to recreate the rush of hunting buffalo, came up with the idea of using paintballs to simulate a game of survival. They invented the rules and in 1980, a writer for Sports Illustrated played their game and wrote about the sport in the magazine. It was the start of a phenomenon that has increased in popularity year after year.

Getting started in paintball is simple. To play, you must first have the proper equipment. The fundamental concern of any paintball player should be safety. All players are required to wear a helmet called a mask. This protects the eyes and ears which could be injured during the game. In addition to a mask, each player must also have a paintball marker and paintballs. Paintball markers are simply guns which are designed to shoot paintballs. Many paintball facilities have paintball guns for sale. You can also purchase them through an online paintball store. Beginning players will typically rent their equipment first.

Paintball is actually one of the safest sports there is, and that is largely due to the presence of very specific safety rules. All paintball markers must maintain a speed of less than 200 mph, although some facilities require an even slower velocity. If a person is in close range, typically the rules permit you to simply tap them with the barrel of your gun because paintballs can be painful when shot at close range. When players are not active in the game, their paintball markers must have a barrel blocking device which will catch any paintballs that are accidentally fired.

The rules of play vary depending on the particular game, but the general objective is to eliminate players on the other team. To eliminate a player, you must hit them with a paintball which leaves a visible mark of paint. If a player is hit by paint that hit another object first, they are not eliminated. In some games, a player is eliminated if paint hits any part of their gear or anything they are carrying as well. If there is a question of whether a player should be eliminated, they can call for a referee who does a “paint check” to see whether the player should exit the game.

Paintball can be an enjoyable one time activity, but many people enjoy participating in paintball leagues or competitions. There are even paid professional paintball players. Paintball is slowly gaining acceptance as a legitimate sport.

By: Natalie Aranda

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