X-Valve/Boomstick Inconsistency???

[abartjc]

Thanks for all the help,
I have come to the conclusion that indeed it is the paint to barrel match. The premiums that I was shooting were a lot smaller than ones that I bought at a local store. I guess the batch Blue/Yellow with Yellow fill premiums that I bought online were just one of those cases where they came out smaller. I bought a case of premium purple/gold with gold fill at a local paintball park and they fit perfectly (no rolling out the barrel) and the velocity was pretty consistent. Would it be that hard for everyone to use the same size paintball and barrel?!?

abartjc

[Plazmic]

I can't believe you have Premiums that are the wrong size! I wonder if those were Premiums at all.

[abartjc]

Try measuring your premiums with a ruler. I measured one of mine to be about 1.6mm. They are indeed premiums, as least I would hope so, because it says premium on the box.

abartjc

[lloyd_kinky]

Would it be that hard for everyone to use the same size paintball and barrel?!?

Yes, it would be very hard, and expensive.

We all shoot .68 caliber paintballs, but the production of a "gelatin type" projective(paintballs) can only be so accurate. Also, different manutacturers have slightly varying balls sizes. I'd say the window for actually paint size could be from .675 to around .695. I may be wrong, I'm just putting some numbers out. The standard Boomstick has a bore of .688 I believe. So, average paint is often great in a boomstick, but when you reach eith extreme is size, you'll see problems. Thats why we are shifting to barrel systems. You have several options so if ya need to buy a different brand of paint, for example, you have a barrel to match it. . Also, a given bag of paint from the same batch could be, say, .679 on a cool dry day. On and warm humid day, that same paint might measure .690, let's say(probably an exageration). You barrel, made of metal won't expirience even close to that same amount of diameter change in normal temperature changes.

~Parker

Also, you can't measure paintballs accuratly with a ruler, you need a set of calipers, or better yet, and bore gauge, I think WDP makes one.

[Plazmic]

Very good discussion, Lloyd. I hadn't even considered temp changes.

I use a J&J Ceramic, which is somewhat sensitive to large bore paint, so I've never had a problem with a ball being too small in that barrel. Premiums have measured on my ball sizer have always been the same to within .005. I've never had a batch of Premiums be so far off that they didn't fit the same sizer setting without adjustment. That's through 4 cases in the last 4 months.

I also have used Big Balls a lot. There is a little bit more variance on those, but only very slightly. Maybe I am just storing them well or something.

[trains are bad]

I'm happy if my paint falls through my barrel. Less breaks that way.

To be honest I do not see a big improvement when I get paint that fits my barrel. I just have a few barrels and use one that's closest. JMO

[Plazmic]

Actually, I'm right with you, there. I have two barrels that I use: the J&J Ceramic and an All American. If the paint is tight on the J&J, I use the AA. If I try to squeeze larger paint through the J&J it breaks like crazy. If it's a little small (rare on the J&J) it is still very accurate. Together the two barrels cost me about half of what a Freak system costs and I couldn't be happier. Up to this point, I haven't broken a single big ball or Premium since I put in the level 10 and got the J&J. That's 4 months with not a single ball break! My shot groupings are very tight, so I can hardly justify moving to any other barrel system than the two one piece barrels I have now.

[ghideon]

Originally posted by Plazmic
Actually, I'm right with you, there. I have two barrels that I use: the J&J Ceramic and an All American. If the paint is tight on the J&J, I use the AA. If I try to squeeze larger paint through the J&J it breaks like crazy. If it's a little small (rare on the J&J) it is still very accurate. Together the two barrels cost me about half of what a Freak system costs and I couldn't be happier. Up to this point, I haven't broken a single big ball or Premium since I put in the level 10 and got the J&J. That's 4 months with not a single ball break! My shot groupings are very tight, so I can hardly justify moving to any other barrel system than the two one piece barrels I have now.

Exactly, no need to get a new fangled barrel system when you can pick up used barrels for $25-35 a pop. Got an E-Mag barrel, a Lapco AS, Lapco Bigshot and a J&J Ceramic that way to compliment my older style All American.