Since there is already.68 caliber and a smaller.43 caliber, what's the rationale behind producing new equipment that's a different size and not compatible with the mainstream? We may ask, "Do we really need yet another size to deal with?" or "Isn't this confusing enough?"
The fact is different sizes of paintballs are not compatible with each other. In other words, you can't shoot a.43 caliber paintball through a.68 caliber gun and vice-versa. So why a new product?
Most of the industry runs on.68 caliber. Paintball rental guns at commercial parks are all.68, most paintball markers being sold are.68 and there are also numerous accessories for.68 caliber guns. However, recently, there has been a growing trend in the production of.50 caliber paintball markers and paintballs! Why?
The number of people playing paintball (and buying paintball equipment) has been declining over the last 10 years. There are less new players (those just starting the sport) and less already established players continuing the sport. A poll was taken to determine the reason(s) for the thinning numbers and it was found the decline in paintball was mainly the result of two problems. One problem is the cost: the cost of paintball guns, gear and regular expense of paintballs can add up fast, especially if you play at a commercial field with entry and/or rental fees. The other problem that keeps many new players from continuing paintball is the fear of being hit. Getting hit with a paintball stings! A.68 caliber paintball shot less than 50 ft. will even leave a bruise if it hits directly on the skin!
In an effort to rebound the popularity of paintball, a leading manufacturer (namely Kingman Spyder) has developed a .50 caliber paintball. Granted, the new smaller size will require new.50 caliber paintball guns because they will not work in.68 caliber guns, which is the current industry standard. This in itself is a big deterrent for keeping this trend from catching on; however,.50 caliber paintballs solve the two biggest problems hindering the growth of paintball as a sport - they cost much less and don't hurt when they splat!
When it comes to cost, efficiency and sheer fun,.50 caliber paintball markers and gear beat.68 caliber markers in all aspects across the board. The price tag on a box of.50 caliber paintballs is much less than.68. Because.50 caliber paintballs are much smaller and lighter than their counterparts, they are more efficient and cost effective to ship, store and carry. A 2000 count box of.50 paintballs are approximately half the size of a box of standard.68, so you can store much more in the same amount of space and they cost much less to ship.
As for performance,.50 caliber paintballs generally outperform.68! Being considerably smaller,.50 paintballs tend to have fewer defects than.68 so they are a bit more reliable. Since they are lighter, they travel somewhat farther than.68 as well. Four times more air efficient,.50 caliber paintballs offer many more shots per CO2/hpa tank. With Spyder.50 caliber markers, you can get 3500 shots from a 20oz. CO2 tank with.50 balls compared to barely 12-1500 from.68, depending on how high the velocity is turned on your marker.
Since.50 caliber paintballs are smaller and lighter, players can carry many more! A standard 140 round pod will hold 350 rounds of.50 cal paintballs. Since.50 caliber paintballs are more efficient to shoot and players can carry more, players are able to play much longer without constantly having to take refill breaks. More accuracy in your shooting and being able to play longer are benefits that hardcore.68 caliber players can't ignore.
The fact is different sizes of paintballs are not compatible with each other. In other words, you can't shoot a.43 caliber paintball through a.68 caliber gun and vice-versa. So why a new product?
Most of the industry runs on.68 caliber. Paintball rental guns at commercial parks are all.68, most paintball markers being sold are.68 and there are also numerous accessories for.68 caliber guns. However, recently, there has been a growing trend in the production of.50 caliber paintball markers and paintballs! Why?
The number of people playing paintball (and buying paintball equipment) has been declining over the last 10 years. There are less new players (those just starting the sport) and less already established players continuing the sport. A poll was taken to determine the reason(s) for the thinning numbers and it was found the decline in paintball was mainly the result of two problems. One problem is the cost: the cost of paintball guns, gear and regular expense of paintballs can add up fast, especially if you play at a commercial field with entry and/or rental fees. The other problem that keeps many new players from continuing paintball is the fear of being hit. Getting hit with a paintball stings! A.68 caliber paintball shot less than 50 ft. will even leave a bruise if it hits directly on the skin!
In an effort to rebound the popularity of paintball, a leading manufacturer (namely Kingman Spyder) has developed a .50 caliber paintball. Granted, the new smaller size will require new.50 caliber paintball guns because they will not work in.68 caliber guns, which is the current industry standard. This in itself is a big deterrent for keeping this trend from catching on; however,.50 caliber paintballs solve the two biggest problems hindering the growth of paintball as a sport - they cost much less and don't hurt when they splat!
When it comes to cost, efficiency and sheer fun,.50 caliber paintball markers and gear beat.68 caliber markers in all aspects across the board. The price tag on a box of.50 caliber paintballs is much less than.68. Because.50 caliber paintballs are much smaller and lighter than their counterparts, they are more efficient and cost effective to ship, store and carry. A 2000 count box of.50 paintballs are approximately half the size of a box of standard.68, so you can store much more in the same amount of space and they cost much less to ship.
As for performance,.50 caliber paintballs generally outperform.68! Being considerably smaller,.50 paintballs tend to have fewer defects than.68 so they are a bit more reliable. Since they are lighter, they travel somewhat farther than.68 as well. Four times more air efficient,.50 caliber paintballs offer many more shots per CO2/hpa tank. With Spyder.50 caliber markers, you can get 3500 shots from a 20oz. CO2 tank with.50 balls compared to barely 12-1500 from.68, depending on how high the velocity is turned on your marker.
Since.50 caliber paintballs are smaller and lighter, players can carry many more! A standard 140 round pod will hold 350 rounds of.50 cal paintballs. Since.50 caliber paintballs are more efficient to shoot and players can carry more, players are able to play much longer without constantly having to take refill breaks. More accuracy in your shooting and being able to play longer are benefits that hardcore.68 caliber players can't ignore.