Could someone explain this to me?

[NJPaint]

Okay, I've thought long and hard about this for a while and I just don't understand the idea behind paintball gun ranges. As a Physics Major, it has me baffled and none of my mentors can help me, so I open up to the AO community for help.

How can different guns shoot different distances? The muzzle velocity of every gun must be the same, or at least less than 280 fps. Once the ball leaves the barrel it is going 280 fps (lets think ideally here), no matter what gun you are using it is going at 280 fps. So, the gun can't affect the ball at any point past it leaving the barrel... Why do people claim that their guns will out range another persons? Isn't that impossible? Or do they have the same "hop up" effect that the flatline barrel has? Someone want to explain?

[askman]

you are correct. all markers will have same trajectory, given same initial velocity. Accuracy can be improved by bore/paint match, and to an extent quality of barrel surface. but due to vortex shedding, true pintpoint accuracy is impossible. flatliner is an exception.

[NJPaint]

ah ok, thats nice to know...

[rehme]

i think it is just a way for fields to sale more guns to newbies

[Phil]

The main reason for such differing viewpoints on the subject is that there are so many variables. Also, no one has done an actual unbiased scientific study (and published it) of the life of a paintball. Just off of the top of my head; speed, barrel porting, wind, gun action, barrel bore design, paint consistancy... You are right. All things being equal several objects traveling at the same speed would be pulled to the ground by gravity at the same time. The problem lies in that things are never equal. Paintball guns never shoot at the same velocity from shot to shot. The paintballs can vary in shape and possibly even the amount of fill. It would be nice if someone would do a study on the subject.

[Miscue]

Back spin and resultant Magnus force will give slightly greater distance... a denser paintball will give greater distance... that's about it.

[NJPaint]

Originally posted by Miscue
Back spin and resultant Magnus force will give slightly greater distance... a denser paintball will give greater distance... that's about it.

but thats the paintball, not the gun right?

[Shawn at suny oswego]

Warning
There are some people that will never belive the laws of Physics.

For those of you that don't, ask Tom

http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8958

http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8945

http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8954

[Miscue]

Originally posted by NJPaint


but thats the paintball, not the gun right?

Yeah... the paintball. The gun just gets it to 300fps... end result is same with any gun... slingshot... etc.

[Miscue]

Originally posted by Shawn at suny oswego
All things being equal (consistency in: paint size/shape, amount and PSI, of air expanding, and barrel smoothness) NO gun will shoot any farther or more accurately than any other. To prove my point: remember that all of the body of the gun is just there to release a contestant amount of force on each ball. The barrel will effect desistance; if it is too long friction will slow the ball down, effective barrel length only goes to where your porting starts. You only need about 8-10 inches of barrel. A flat line will increase distance do to the back spin it puts on the ball.

Well... the barrel doesn't effect distance if you chrono the gun to 300fps. It can however effect your efficiency, having to crank it up higher to hit 300fps.

[askman]

yes, there are many variables, biggest being the size and mass of the paintball. (small heavier is better) As far as barrel is concerned, porting mostly effects the sound and gas efficientcy. From what I've seen 10-14" barrel length is optimal, which means most of the acceleration has occurred in first 8 to 10 inches (most barrel have porting past this point) Any longer, and it is less gas efficient. trade off being longer sight plane vs efficientcy. Frankly, bore to paint match, and consistentcy of paint is more important to accuracy. Frankly, the whole issue with low pressure/high pressure, close bolt/ open bolt is mute point for real accuracy.

Now, recoil will make a difference for practical accuracy. lower recoiling marker will be easier to shoot consistantly than higher recoiling marker (true for firearms as well) but this does not mean that marker is less/more accurate. machine testing and several studies have proven this out. warpig did a study on close bolt/open bolt.

If you studied the effect of vortex shedding on paintball, you will find this to be culprit for poor accuracy. Worse, there is no control that we can exert over this, and it is completely random effect. this is pretty big force acting on that paintball. Look this up in the deep blue section. there is a good discussion about it.

[TheBigRaguPB4L]

What are you talking about? Low pressure makes the ball soar. And my closed bolt cocker adds at least 50 feet. Especially when i put my shroud on.

[RRfireblade]

Urban Myths Rule !!

This is funny.I'm playing with my younger brother(15),whom I have instilled nothing but fact over fiction and science over sociology.He fully versed in all the classic mag v. cocker arguements.Well,He's got his mag and I'm using my Cocker(just slumming it for the day,LOL)We're playing 1 on 1 on like a 200' field.We start off and I fire 1 shot off and run for my bunker.He tells it like this..."I'm watching the paintball fly at me the whole time and I'm thinking,no way it's gonna reach me,it's like ten feet off the ground.But it doesn't fall it just keeps on coming.By the time I realize it,it's to late and it nails my in my upper thigh!!"
Now he's TOTALLY convinced that my Cocker has magical range and there's nothing I can say to change his mind.Oh well,some things will never die as long as perception is tainted by myth.

Funny but true.

Jay.

P.S. Yes,I cronoed both guns prior and no I can't explain it,I never really saw the shot.

[askman]

well, 200' field will get covered by paintball in under 1sec. .8 sec or so approximately.

we it would have dropped about 21' due to gravity. Assuming that you fired at 3' height,and hit his leg at 2' height, it peaked about 13'. (that corresponse with his observation, thinking it was at about 10' most of the way)

It is called a lucky shot. you had a perfect trajectory to hit him where he was, and like deer in the headlight, your brother stood at ground zero..

[RRfireblade]

Lucky? It's a freakin' Cocker Man!!