Bolt differences, pros/cons?

[WanderingRonin]

Hey all,

did a quick search but didn't see an answer, sorry if I missed it.

I bought a couple mags recently and have a few different bolts. One is an ANS Venturi - I know these are kind of meh and this one already has wear on the lip. The other two are both foamie-less LVL7s I think - one has a nose flush with the bolt tip, the other is a long nose. So my question is this: is there a functional difference between the long nose vs the shorter nose bolts?

[rawbutter]

I think that the long nose bolts are the best. (We're talking about this one, right?)

93696

They seem to hold paintballs more consistently, in the right spot. The venturi bolts (with the concave tip and lots of holes) can allow paintballs to roll back slightly.

Level 10 bolts are similar as well. When the foamie is installed, the bolt is lengthened ever so slightly, like the long nose bolts, which is part of the reason why I think those are the best.

Of course, this is all circumstantial musing based on casual observations over the last few years. I've never done any scientific studies on the subject. And my results are somewhat skewed because most of my Automags are used with either Level 10 bolts or force feeding loaders, which also greatly reduce breaks. So if you have your mag set up the right way, I doubt that the bolt type matters much.

[nak81783]

My experience has been, fresh field- to mid-level paint with a forcefeed hopper will cause no issues regardless of bolt type. Avoid the higher end thin shelled paints with anything but a Level 10, which has a slower acceleration / lower impact on the paintball.

[WanderingRonin]

Thanks!

[vintage]

the difference is that the short nose came out first but as paint started shrinking double feeding became a problem and the long nose version was invented to combat the problem.

[blackdeath1k]

I was always on the understanding that the long nose came from trying to design the bolt in a way to cut down on air escaping in to the ball stack and puffing the balls up. Which was a real potential concern in the days before FF hoppers.

[vintage]

I was always on the understanding that the long nose came from trying to design the bolt in a way to cut down on air escaping in to the ball stack and puffing the balls up. Which was a real potential concern in the days before FF hoppers.

I read that in a post on here in the last couple of years. know real idea which is correct. i'm sure one of the experts will correct me if i'm wrong which is one of the reasons I like this place.