Evil Bob
02-11-2003, 10:14 PM
Everyone is clamouring for a lighter marker, "super fly weight", "the lighter the better". You want to know what? Lighter is not necessarily better.
Here's why:
There are several factors that contribute to accuracy when firing a projectile at a target.
1) Recoil
2) How the marker is held
3) How the trigger is pulled
4) Breathing
5) Quality of the equipment you're using
6) Environmental conditions
1) Recoil: Internal moving components (bolt, hammer, springs, etc) that cause the marker to move. Anyone remember the recoil on the old PMI III (later called the VM68 when Sheridan started selling them direct)? It had a heavy bolt with alot of throw, it also holds the record for the marker with the most recoil. Holding that baby on target under rapid fire was a chore and a half, but it could be done. Most of today's markers utilize light weight components in the bolt to make the marker more air efficient (less mass to move = less air used to move the mass). This also results in lower recoil since there is a smaller mass that is being moved. Recoil from moving parts translates directly into barrel movement which results in rounds missing your target.
2) How the marker is held: Three points of contact is ideal for keeping the barrel squarely on target: 1) shoulder, 2) left hand, and 3) right hand. The age old triangle stability formula, that's precisely what your arms should form. Remove one point (fanning with the right hand for example) and you're losing stability. Lack of stability translates into barrel movement which results in rounds missing your target. The more stable your marker is, the less the end of the barrel will move when firing.
3) How the trigger is pulled: Pulling on the trigger too hard will results in your finger actually pulling more then just the trigger, you end up pulling the whole marker as well. This causes, as we have stated above repeatedly, the end of the barrel to move which results in (you guessed it) rounds missing your target. Fanning the trigger is about the worst thing you can possibly do accuracy wise. I've seen guys who really wail on their markers, waving their hand all over the place. Sure you can shoot fast, but you can't hit the side of a barn, the end of their barrel bounces all over the place. If you can hit an 8" paper plate at 100 feet (33 meters) hammering as fast as you can, then you're in good shape. If you miss it more then you hit, you're pulling the trigger too hard. If you don't hit it at all, then you're definitely need to rethink how you play.
4) Breathing: As you breath your chest expands outward, which pushes gently on the bottle or buttstock of your marker, which affects the end of the barrel and results in lack of accuracy. You ribs also expand outward into your arms as you breath, resulting in your breathing causing your arms to move slight, which results in (you guessed it again) the barrel of the marker moving and you missing your target. Soldiers are taught how to breath properly when shooting, espcially long ranges (300 meters +). Exhale fully and hold it, then fire. With time and practice, you can hold you breath and tense your diaphram and stop all chest movment for a few seconds and maintain excellant accuracy. (Note: Precision match shooting and olympic shooting (especially long range contests) take this concept one step further; Your heart beat/pulse rate also causes small movements in the body, this is why long range and precision shooters wear very heavy, padded clothing that looks stupid when shooting, the kind of precision they require is affected by even a few thousandths of an inch of movement in the end of the barrel!)
5) Quality of the equipment you're using: Another part of the equation is what you're shooting equipment wise. Are you using out of round paint? Is it dimpled? Is the fill consistant? Do you have a good paint to barrel match? Does your hopper fall off when you run? Lots of options here. If there is one thing that will limit your ability to play, it's the quality of your equipment. An extreme example here is taking a Ford Escourt to a drag race and expecting to excell at racing. You might get lucky and your opponent may blow his engine and you can waltz across the finish line in first gear. It only goes to show that even the best equipment can't make up for poor judgement and plain old mistakes or bad luck. Your performance is limited by the tools you use and your experience at the game. The best tools allow you to perform at your best, leaving you and you alone as the only limiting factor.
6) Environmental conditions: Is the wind blowing? Is it raining? Is the humidity high or low? The surrounding environment effects long range accuracy greatly, even a slight wind effets paintballs enough to throw off accuracy. Unfortunately, this is one of the conditions that adversely effect accuracy that we cannot control, but we can try to compensate for it. Knowing how your ammunition will perform over various ranges in various conditions goes along way to trying to maintain accuracy.
Synopsys: The first 5 conditions that adversely effect accuracy are completely under your control, the 6th isn't. By being conscious of all 6 conditions, you can greatly increase your in game accuracy dramaticly.
In the US Army, we had an exercise that we used to do to show the soldiers how their trigger pull effects barrel movement. Hold your marker (unloaded and degassed) as you would when you play when you are ready to shoot at a target. Have someone balance a penny on the very end of the barrel and pull the trigger. If the penny falls off, you're pulling too hard. If you can pull the trigger repeatedly without the penny falling off, you're doing all of the above right.
Back to the title topic: So how does a lighter marker adversely affect accuracy? Physics, inertia, mass... the basic principals that effect a body in motion or a body at rest. A light marker takes less effort/less energy to move and bring on target, but it takes more concentration to hold on target. A heavy marker is much more forgiving of small or slight movements, a lighter marker is not as forgiving due to it's reduced mass. Sniper rifles and any weapon that has been "accurized" tends to have a very heavy barrel to reduce the effect of small movements, make the weapon more forgiving of pulse rate, breathing, etc.
A light marker is affected more by recoil then a heavier marker, which in turns affects accuracy.
A light marker is not as forgiving of trigger pull as a heavier marker is. What you could get away with on a 12 pound marker will result in the barrel bouncing all over the place on a 6 pound marker.
Lighter markers require much more discipline to use accurately, you need to be much more aware of how your technique is impacting your accuracy.
It can be done, with lots of time and practice. Work on the basics: How you hold the marker and how you pull the trigger, etc. and your accuracy will improve greatly.
-Evil Bob
Here's why:
There are several factors that contribute to accuracy when firing a projectile at a target.
1) Recoil
2) How the marker is held
3) How the trigger is pulled
4) Breathing
5) Quality of the equipment you're using
6) Environmental conditions
1) Recoil: Internal moving components (bolt, hammer, springs, etc) that cause the marker to move. Anyone remember the recoil on the old PMI III (later called the VM68 when Sheridan started selling them direct)? It had a heavy bolt with alot of throw, it also holds the record for the marker with the most recoil. Holding that baby on target under rapid fire was a chore and a half, but it could be done. Most of today's markers utilize light weight components in the bolt to make the marker more air efficient (less mass to move = less air used to move the mass). This also results in lower recoil since there is a smaller mass that is being moved. Recoil from moving parts translates directly into barrel movement which results in rounds missing your target.
2) How the marker is held: Three points of contact is ideal for keeping the barrel squarely on target: 1) shoulder, 2) left hand, and 3) right hand. The age old triangle stability formula, that's precisely what your arms should form. Remove one point (fanning with the right hand for example) and you're losing stability. Lack of stability translates into barrel movement which results in rounds missing your target. The more stable your marker is, the less the end of the barrel will move when firing.
3) How the trigger is pulled: Pulling on the trigger too hard will results in your finger actually pulling more then just the trigger, you end up pulling the whole marker as well. This causes, as we have stated above repeatedly, the end of the barrel to move which results in (you guessed it) rounds missing your target. Fanning the trigger is about the worst thing you can possibly do accuracy wise. I've seen guys who really wail on their markers, waving their hand all over the place. Sure you can shoot fast, but you can't hit the side of a barn, the end of their barrel bounces all over the place. If you can hit an 8" paper plate at 100 feet (33 meters) hammering as fast as you can, then you're in good shape. If you miss it more then you hit, you're pulling the trigger too hard. If you don't hit it at all, then you're definitely need to rethink how you play.
4) Breathing: As you breath your chest expands outward, which pushes gently on the bottle or buttstock of your marker, which affects the end of the barrel and results in lack of accuracy. You ribs also expand outward into your arms as you breath, resulting in your breathing causing your arms to move slight, which results in (you guessed it again) the barrel of the marker moving and you missing your target. Soldiers are taught how to breath properly when shooting, espcially long ranges (300 meters +). Exhale fully and hold it, then fire. With time and practice, you can hold you breath and tense your diaphram and stop all chest movment for a few seconds and maintain excellant accuracy. (Note: Precision match shooting and olympic shooting (especially long range contests) take this concept one step further; Your heart beat/pulse rate also causes small movements in the body, this is why long range and precision shooters wear very heavy, padded clothing that looks stupid when shooting, the kind of precision they require is affected by even a few thousandths of an inch of movement in the end of the barrel!)
5) Quality of the equipment you're using: Another part of the equation is what you're shooting equipment wise. Are you using out of round paint? Is it dimpled? Is the fill consistant? Do you have a good paint to barrel match? Does your hopper fall off when you run? Lots of options here. If there is one thing that will limit your ability to play, it's the quality of your equipment. An extreme example here is taking a Ford Escourt to a drag race and expecting to excell at racing. You might get lucky and your opponent may blow his engine and you can waltz across the finish line in first gear. It only goes to show that even the best equipment can't make up for poor judgement and plain old mistakes or bad luck. Your performance is limited by the tools you use and your experience at the game. The best tools allow you to perform at your best, leaving you and you alone as the only limiting factor.
6) Environmental conditions: Is the wind blowing? Is it raining? Is the humidity high or low? The surrounding environment effects long range accuracy greatly, even a slight wind effets paintballs enough to throw off accuracy. Unfortunately, this is one of the conditions that adversely effect accuracy that we cannot control, but we can try to compensate for it. Knowing how your ammunition will perform over various ranges in various conditions goes along way to trying to maintain accuracy.
Synopsys: The first 5 conditions that adversely effect accuracy are completely under your control, the 6th isn't. By being conscious of all 6 conditions, you can greatly increase your in game accuracy dramaticly.
In the US Army, we had an exercise that we used to do to show the soldiers how their trigger pull effects barrel movement. Hold your marker (unloaded and degassed) as you would when you play when you are ready to shoot at a target. Have someone balance a penny on the very end of the barrel and pull the trigger. If the penny falls off, you're pulling too hard. If you can pull the trigger repeatedly without the penny falling off, you're doing all of the above right.
Back to the title topic: So how does a lighter marker adversely affect accuracy? Physics, inertia, mass... the basic principals that effect a body in motion or a body at rest. A light marker takes less effort/less energy to move and bring on target, but it takes more concentration to hold on target. A heavy marker is much more forgiving of small or slight movements, a lighter marker is not as forgiving due to it's reduced mass. Sniper rifles and any weapon that has been "accurized" tends to have a very heavy barrel to reduce the effect of small movements, make the weapon more forgiving of pulse rate, breathing, etc.
A light marker is affected more by recoil then a heavier marker, which in turns affects accuracy.
A light marker is not as forgiving of trigger pull as a heavier marker is. What you could get away with on a 12 pound marker will result in the barrel bouncing all over the place on a 6 pound marker.
Lighter markers require much more discipline to use accurately, you need to be much more aware of how your technique is impacting your accuracy.
It can be done, with lots of time and practice. Work on the basics: How you hold the marker and how you pull the trigger, etc. and your accuracy will improve greatly.
-Evil Bob