How to Shoot a Paintball Shotgun Correctly – 6 Pro Tips

Paintball games can be very competitive. As soon as you step onto the field to play, the mood changes. The most important skill to have for playing paintball is how to shoot a paintball shotgun accurately. Having a basic knowledge of how a paintball gun works will benefit you if you are a newbie and give you an edge over your competitors.

If you are new and heading out to your first paintball game ever, don’t worry. We have you covered. Check our essential guide for newbies to play paintball, grab the paintball jerseys, and make sure you have a spare CO2 cartridge and enough chalk balls for the game. And don’t worry, you can learn to shoot a paintball shotgun quickly with our six pro tips.

 

Vision Counts a Lot

One essential piece of equipment for this game is your goggles or paintball mask. They not only protect your eyes, face, and ears but also give you a clear view of the battlefield. Make sure you are fully aware of how to use your goggles for better aiming and shooting paintball guns.

Foggy goggles and sweat interfere with your aim, impairing your vision, and you end up hitting away from the target. Before putting on goggles, make sure you have listened to the instructor about maintaining the goggles while playing. They usually brief you on managing your clothing to minimize sweat.

Tie the goggle strap higher on the back of your head to keep the foam around the nosepiece of the goggle level to your skin. It is better to keep it leveled to keep the goggles from fogging up. Ultimately, a shotgun has a wide spray of paint so it’s important when you learn how to shoot a paintball shotgun that you have a clear and wide field of view.

Tips on How to Shoot a Paintball Shotgun Correctly

While on the paintball field, some players can get very competitive. The only difference that would set you and those players apart is strategy. Aiming or shooting a paintball gun is about how strongly you hold it, regardless of whether it’s a Spydry Victor or Magfed paintball gun, a semi auto, or a model from Tiberius Arms. With the following tips, you can learn the basics of a paintball shotgun and how to use it correctly.

1. Have a Strong Stance

The game is all about the power stance and how you place your feet on the ground. As mentioned earlier, the key to accurately shooting paintball pods is to hold the shotgun firmly.  This is even more important when you learn how to shoot a paintball shotgun due to the recoil. Your lower body should provide support to your upper body. Your upper body should stay stable, and your lower body should do all the movement.

So, if you are running or moving your head, keep the gun glued to your shoulder and use your lower body to approach the target. Keep your head behind the gun and move while looking around for the other team members.

This way, you can learn to move your lower body while maintaining a solid stance. Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart and kneel for better aiming and shooting the paintball marker.

2. Hold the Shotgun Straight when Learning how to Shoot a Paintball Shotgun

Understanding the basics of a shotgun is important as it helps you aim and shoot better. In addition to this, it also guides you on where to align your eyes when aiming and shooting. However, if you do not have a consistent manner of holding the gun, your aim will keep on changing, and it will affect your game.

There are two basic ways of holding a paintball shotgun. One of them is to keep your gun pressed or glued in front of your shoulder, like holding a rifle. You move around with your gun quickly. The other is keeping the tank on top of your shoulder. This position can be tiring if the game goes on for a long time. It is more of a situational position where you can change the shotgun position when required.

Keep the shotgun pressed in front of your shoulder, so you only have to move your lower body to move around.

3. Aim with Both Eyes Open

Make sure you keep your eyes open while aiming with a paintball shotgun. It is important where you align your eyes. Shotguns have built-in iron sights. We usually recommend using the barrel of the paintball and your body to create a reference point.

With your eyes open, you can aim for a target, adjusting your aim after each shot and moving closer or farther. If you miss it, keeping your eyes open will help you judge where and how far the paint is going.

One of the tips is to keep shooting and drag the paint until you hit your target. This way, you will better have an idea about your aim and where your paint lands or hits. By keeping both eyes open, you better know the range of the shots.

Do not, at any point, drop down your shotgun and instead pull it up or lower it down while keeping your stance strong.

4. Use Finger to Point and Shoot

Using your finger to point and shoot is another easy way to train your brain for better shooting ability. You can use your index finger to point to the target, line your eyes up with the target, and use the middle finger to pull the trigger. Using this technique, you can have the double advantage of using both your fingers and your eyes.

The strategy is getting popular. Using this technique will help you get the shots close to your targets and learn how to shoot a shotgun more quickly. Using the shooting method above, you can utilize this technique for better shooting and aiming. However, you would need time to get used to this.

5. Do Not Hold the Gun in Front of You

Holding the gun in front of you and then shooting is not recommended. It puts stress on your body. Moreover, some paintball pistols have a slight recoil effect that might impact your aim in some cases.

It is usually recommended to press the gun against your shoulder to hold it tightly.

6. Do Not Hold the Gun Sideways

Holding the gun sideways is exhausting. You carry the load while running, walking, or approaching the target, which might mess up the game.

Make sure you do not hold the gun sideways and try to shoot. It can impact your strategy and winning probability.

Have Fun at the Game when Learning How to Shoot a Paintball Shotgun

The game is all about fun and excitement at the end of the day. You should have all the essential equipment for a safe experience. With these tips, you should now know how to shoot a paintball shotgun correctly, but if you struggle with precision, the key is not to stress and enjoy the battlefield. Invest in some safety equipment, like paintball elbow pads, paintball gloves, paintball knee pads, and a paintball mask to feel more comfortable and have fun out there.