Sight Position
Well, it's not really the position of the
sights as it is the position of your head when you bring the 'marker up to
use the sights. The stock or the constant air tank may get in the way of your
face mask. (You ARE wearing a face mask.) There are two ways to solve this.
One, is to put the tank on a "bottom-line" setup. This raises the
'marker up as you put the tank to your shoulder. The second way is to raise
your sights. There are several raised sight rails to choose from.
Weight and Distribution
A seven-ounce tank weighs slightly over
one pound. A full two hundred round loader doesn't weigh that much, but it's
not directly over the 'marker. The lighter your 'marker is, and the better
you can distribute the weight, the easier it will be on your arm and shoulder
muscles. I find vertical bottle setups are good for redistributing weight.
Remote systems remove weight. I use twelve grams, so the point is moot for
me. A vertical fore grip will help counter the off-balancing of the loader.
For the most part, 'markers are pretty light weight. (With the exception of
Snipers, Autocockers, VM-68s and KP-3s.) When you start putting loaders, tanks,
sights and the like -- it all adds up.
Grip Angle
There's a reason why it's angled, you know.
This is not only important for accuracy, it is also important for comfort.
If you are having problems with aches in your wrist and forearm, it may be
from your grip. There are a lot of after-market grips, for M-16 replacement,
and additions to fixed frames like W'Orr Games markers and Automag frames.
Make sure the company you buy them from have a return policy. If the new grip
doesn't work, you can send it back.
THE BEST WAYS TO IMPROVE ACCURACY
I suppose you figure I’m going to talk about
how to hone your barrel? Nope! You suppose I’m going to tell you about barrel
lengths? No way! How about muzzle brakes, venting, spiral porting, rifling,
power tunes? Nope. Nope. Nope. And nope!
Get thee to the range! That’s what I said,
the RANGE! Invest your money and some time for some target practice. I don’t
mean ten quick shots at the biggest and closest target, but hours and hundreds
of shots.
In addition to shooting aimed shots, you
should practice “snap” shooting. This is shooting without using your paintmarkers
signs or bringing it to your shoulder.
Fast Fact: Did you know that when you point
at something your index finger flawlessly lines up with what you are looking
at? This is why you sill hear someone say a paintmarker “points well”. This
means the paintmarker’s grip is at an angle where the index finger lines up
with the longitudinal axis of the barrel. The ideal angle of the grip is 110
degrees. Luckily, most paintmarker grips are at this angle.
When shooting you must squeeeeeze the trigger.
If you jerk, or pull, the trigger your paintmarker will move, ever so slightly.
This will send your shot off somewhere else, which is not good, especially
if you only had one shot.
You should also know WHEN to shoot and not
just HOW. You can be the best shot, west or east of the Pecos, but all the
time on the range won’t make up for the fact you are shooting at the wrong
times.
If you are shooting when players are moving,
or completely behind cover, these are the wrong times to shoot. Sometimes
you may have no choice to shoot at a moving target.
AIMING AT A MOVING TARGET
Well, they key to paintball is movement,
any your intended target may very well be moving. Many people will say that
when engaging moving targets you have to 'lead’ the target. Leading is moving
your sights along with, but ahead of, your target.
However, if you have an idea where the target
is heading, you don't have to lead. All you have to do is shoot at where the
target will be. For instance, say an opponent is running to a bunker from
your right to your left. You shoot at the right edge of the bunker if you
time it right (and this takes playing experience) your opponent's momentum
will carry him into your paintballs.
Shooting "Tricks”
Okay, you've got an opponent popping up
from behind cover (a bunker or what-have-you) and giving you grief. Here's
how you draw a bead on him, without the aid of his presence. Watch here he
pops up, and make note what was directly behind him. Line your sights up on
that object, so when he pops up, you're lined up on him. It's an old trick
I learned on my Advanced Sniper Course when I was in the infantry.
When shooting at an opponent who is popping
in an out, aim as close to the cover as you can. The reason for this is that
if you aim at their elbow, for example, they'll pull in when they hear your
shot. By the time the paintball gets there, they're halfway behind cover,
and the elbow you were aiming at, isn't there anymore. If you aim close to
the cover, and he moves when he hears your shot, when he's halfway behind
cover, your paintball will connect.