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Paintball is one of the most entertaining team sports in the world where players shoot at eachother without anyone actually getting hurt. A paintball gun is what is used to play this fun sport, but since recently a lot of people have been using slingshots to shoot paintballs. This might sound like a fun thing to do, but I don’t ever recommend doing it.
So, why you must never shoot paintballs with a slingshot? The main reason I don’t ever recommend shooting paintballs with a slingshot is because a slingshot has the ability to shoot paintballs at a higher speed than paintball guns. And because of this the paintballs can cause serious injury to the people you shoot at.
With that being said, in this article we will be discussing everything you need to know about why it is not safe to shoot paintballs with a slingshot and why you should avoid doing so. You’ll also learn a few safety tips that you can consider when playing paintball.
Table of Contents
Why You Must Never Shoot Paintballs With a Slingshot
Before we list 7 reasons why you must never used a slingshot to shoot paintballs, you should first know that paintball guns have to be calibrated to a safe shooting velocity. What this means is that if a paintball gun is shoot at a very high speed, the paintball can cause serious injury to someone or even damage anything that’s in its path.
With that said, here’s why you should never practice using slingshot to shoot paintballs:
- Shooting with a slingshot will allow the paintballs to go at a much faster than recommend speed.
- You don’t have the option to set the slingshot to shoot at a specific velocity; you cannot fully control your shots.
- A field owner will never allow you to use a slingshot to shoot paintballs since it’s not supported.
- Shooting paintballs with slingshot can cause serious injury to someone or something because of the speed.
- Most of the time the paintball will eventually break before you shoot it.
- Using a slingshot to shoot paintballs will definitely take the fun out of the game.
- Paintball insurance will not cover any injury or damage to a property caused by people using slingshot to shoot their paintballs.
Things You Can Do If You’ve Been Injured By a Paintball Shot From a Slingshot
As mentioned earlier, using a slingshot to shoot paintballs can cause injury to someone because of the fast speed the paintball is traveling at.
Although if you get minor paintball welts and bruises they may resolve on their own in a couple of days or even weeks, it is necessary to treatment to soothe the pain and reduce the swelling.
Here are a few things you should consider doing if you get hit by a paintball shot by a slingshot:
Clean the Affected Area
The first thing you can start by doing is clean the affected area and you can easily do this with warm soapy water before applying the treatment. This helps to eliminate all debris, dirt and blood sitting in the wound. Cleaning the affected area also helps to prevent any form of wound infection from happening.
After you’re finish you should also dry the wound gently with a piece of cloth. Also, try your best not to apply excessive amount of alcohol to the open wounds, as it can hurt the tissue causing pain.
Apply a Hot or Cold Compress
Another effective method is applying an ice pack which will eventually help to constrict the blood vessels in the affected area. This action will literally reduce the flow of blood to the area and swelling. Once the swelling is reduce, you should apply a hot compress to soothe the pain and reduce inflammation.
Take Over the Counter Pain Medications
If the injury is considered to be severe and is painful, then we think the best option would be to take over the counter pain medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Make sure to follow the instructions on the packaging closely to ensure that you get the right dosage.
Soak in an Epsom Salt Bath
You can also take the time out to soak the affected area in a bath of Epsom salt water for about 15 minutes. This simple remedy is extremely effective and helps to reduce inflammation.
Although soaking in Epsom salt water won’t directly get rid of the bruises, it will certainly help in reducing the pain that is associated with the bruise.
Elevate the Affected Area
You can also try keeping the affected body part in an elevated position. By simple doing this you will reduce the blood flow to that specific area, thus minimizing inflammation and swelling.
The best way to get the job done is by stacking pillows on top of each other and place your arm or leg on top of them.
Is it Possible to Shoot Paintballs With Anything Besides a Paintball Gun?
It is possible to use a slingshot to shoot paintballs, but we don’t recommend doing it because it is considered to be very dangerous, as mentioned above. As you can see, the paintball gun is the only required tool to use in shooting paintballs.
A paintball gun also known as a “paintball marker” is a piece of equipment primarily composed of grip, barrel and trigger as its primary components. Paintball guns are considered sophisticated toys though they are not as complicated as a real gun.
Paintball Safety Tips You Must Follow
Here are a few safety tips you must follow especially when on the field shooting paintballs with a paintball gun:
Always Wear a Mask
You must practice to wear your mask at all times. This is by far one of the most important safety measures that should not be overlooked. Base on research, some of the most severe injuries in paintball usually happens after someone removes their mask at the wrong time. You should only remove your mask when you’re not on the playing field.
Don’t Fire Blindly
Don’t shoot your paintball gun unless you are firing at an target. This behavior is very common among many paintball players but you should definitely avoid taking part in this if you want to stay safe while on the battlefield.
When you fire paintballs without looking, you have a high chance of hitting the referee or someone leaving the playing field.
Don’t Play Under the Influence of Alcohol
We’ve seen this many times with players, we don’t think it is a good idea to play any sports if you have taken alcohol, illicit drugs or prescription medications. The best thing is to wait until you are sober before taking part in the sport. One of the most important steps is to stay safe at all times and only play when you are in your best state of mind and physical well being.
Adhere to Shooting Speed Limit
You should only shoot velocity at under 309 fps. What you can do is use a paintball chronograph – to time your gun speed, which is normally available at most pro shops. Shooting with a paintball gun that has a velocity of 280 fps may cause minor bruises. Anything that travels at a faster speed than that is likely to cause severe injuries.
Make Use of a Barrel Plug
Whenever you don’t have a paintball mask on, you should block all guns with a barrel plug. Although safeties are very useful and should always be taken into consideration, there are times that they do fail. This is why physical protection from a wayward paintball becomes important.
Also, it is not a good idea to remove barrel plugs unless you all have your masks on.
Conclusion
As you can see, you should never use a slingshot to shoot paintballs because slingshot usually shoots at a faster speed that can hurt the opposing players. While using slingshot to shoot paintballs might seem fun and entertaining, you need to follow the rules and only use a paintball gun that has been made to shoot at a safe velocity.
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About Alwayne
Alwayne is a Pro Paintball Coach in profession. He has a long experience as a Paintball Coach. Now, Alwayne is sharing over 10 years of experience of all tips and tricks about paintballs. The reviews and guide are elaborate at its best!