Paintballs 101

The most important item in playing the game paintball is probably the "paintballs". After all what would paintball be without these little balls? Before you don that protect clothing, put on those headgear and body straps and arm yourself with your paintball marker, let us take five and scrutinize what these tiny little balls are all about.

What are paintballs?
Paintballs, or more known among paintball players as "paint", are small, spherical gelatin capsules that contains primarily of polyethylene glycol and liquid dye. When it hits a target at enough speed, the paintball breaks up and the liquid inside the paintballs leaves a mark on the target. The liquid inside the paintball and the paintball itself is non toxic, biodegradable and water soluble. The paint has no effect on a person if the person accidentally swallows the paint.

Early paintballs are made up of glass and is packed of inedible oil-based paint. On the other hand, modern paintballs can easily be washed off on most clothing and causes lesser pain upon impact. Most paintballs are portrayed as 0.68 calibers. Nevertheless many aspects affect their exact dimensions. Large majority of these are much larger than a 0.68 caliber. Most of these paintballs come up or go beyond a 0.69 caliber.

Paintballs are sensitive to heat and moisture. As a matter of fact, a paintball would be disfigured and the paint would swell if it is left out in a hot day. Paintballs should be kept away from the sun and moisture. It must be stored on a cool and dry place. When out on the field, store them on a cooler to prevent any paint swelling and deformity. A deformed paintball may lead to paintball marker jam and malfunctions.

A high quality paintball is more expensive than cheap ones. Expensive ones tend to have more rigorous manufacturing processes and quality checks. Their size are more consistent that the cheap ones. These aspects are essential for the accuracy of the paintball markers. An expensive paintball has higher quality loads and their shells are easily broken. This decreases the chance of bouncing. It also increases the breaking of the paintballs for more kills.

Caring for your paintballs
To lengthen the storage lives of a paintball always buy them fresh. When buying always check the shipment date, a paintball with high quality are better balanced and constructed than cheap ones. Do not store your paintball marker ammunitions in the car, hot attic or a damp basement. Store it on a room where the temperature does not fluctuate too much. Always bring what you need whenever you go out to play. Lastly, store used paintballs in a resealable container or bag. Always keep them out of dirt and humidity.
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Corrie Duana, an expert in Extreme Sports, is a writer for SportsArticles.com.