From time to time I plan to post some how to articles covering the basics in paintball. I want this site to be information rich, but not geared entirely to the veteran scenario players. Newer players need the support and the tips that those of us who have been in the game for years can provide. Some of these articles will be reprints of a column I wrote for the now defunct Outdoor Sportsman. Here’s one on the basics of developing a good shot. Please post your own comments on techniques you’ve learned that have helped you along the way.

Shooting in paintball differs considerably from other types of shooting. You’re forced to deal with a spherical projectile that has a solid shell and a liquid center, creating all sorts of difficulties. Add to that propulsion with inconsistent gasses (in the case of CO2), and speed limits on how fast your ball can travel, and your old shooting skills hardly seem applicable. Thanks to constantly evolving technology, paintball guns are more accurate than ever, and the balls themselves are, on average, more consistently round and of higher quality construction than they’ve ever been. Yes, they only fly a little farther than 150 feet, but when you learn the technique, you can hit what you’re aiming for every time.
The first thing you should master is the basic shooting stance. You’ll want to use your air tank, either CO2 or HPA (high pressure air) as a stock, resting the base firmly against the cup of your shoulder, not on top or beneath your arm. If you’ve installed a big dropforward, you’ve decreased the overall length of the gun, but in order to shoot you’ll need to cramp your wrist in an uncomfortable position. It’s better to set your gun up in a longer, more natural-feeling configuration. Sight down the barrel, keeping both eyes open, and track your first shot so you can adjust your second one for accuracy. After practice you’ll be able to better predict the placement of the first ball. You may also want to rotate your hopper slightly towards the center of your body, which will help hide it behind your cover. Remember, when shooting you should expose as little of yourself as possible. One of the best ways to check your stance is to practice at home with a mirror. Take cover behind a doorframe or the edge of a piece of furniture, and look at how much of your body you expose in the mirror. If you can see more than a side of your mask, your barrel, and a bit of your arm, then you’re showing too much. Correct yourself and practice until you naturally fall into that pose.
The next stage is to work on your snapshot. A snapshot means breaking cover for a split second, firing a few balls, and hiding again. You should expose as little as possible and only for the time it takes to fire two or three times, in other words, less than a second. To accomplish this, line up your barrel with your target while still behind cover. Visualize the flight path of your ball. You should never have to acquire a target during the snap – that will slow you down. Then lean out while triggering a few times, and tuck in again, all in one fluid motion. Coming out to the side will expose far less than shooting over the top of your bunker.
The snapshot is a great way to establish position. When you’re in a gunfight with another player, snapshoot a few times but vary where you emerge from your bunker so you won’t be predictable. If you don’t hit your target, you’ll probably “put him in” which means he’ll be forced to take cover. Then you can “post.” Posting is when you remain out, focused on a single shot. When your opponent breaks cover to snapshoot, you’ll already be posted, ready to eliminate him with a well-aimed shot.
These shooting skills will work in all types of settings, from the woods to urban environments or the inflated concept fields of tournament paintball. When you’re ready to develop your shooting technique, head to your local organized paintball field to put these tips into practice.