Appliances for sale�.Price - 600.00

   Two year old GE Refigerator, GE Gas Stove and GE Washing Machine in [...]

Read More...

[Source: Paintball - Paintball News, Paintball Information and Paintball Resources. Paintball RSS Feed Available. - Posted by FreeAutoBlogger]

Dye Invision Paintball Mask Review

_____Which mask is really the right choice for me? There are more choices than most people can deal with when choosing paintball masks: hard or soft plastic, small profile or full head coverage, quick change lenses or regular, what color? As a recreational player and a local tournament player I wanted something with a small profile that didn't fog up. Several other local players recommended the Dye Invision, so I picked up a new one at the local field.

_____On first inspection the Invision was much smaller then any other masks I have used in the past. Dye designed the Invision mask so that the lens and face protector would sit extremely close to the face. The sides of the mask are made of a softer plastic that sits close to the head and ears. The Invision meets all the goals of the typical paintball mask; it fits snugly around the face and ears, provides good head and jaw protection, creates a small profile, and gives a field of vision found only in the very best masks. When on the head, the Invision feels small and a bit weak, but safety tests have proven that the Invison can withstand impacts of more than twice the force that paintballs can produce.

_____Personally, I have always loved taking things apart and putting them back together, I do it way too often. I also believe that every player should be familiar with every piece of their equipment So within 5 minutes the brand new Dye Invision was in six different pieces on the table. It is made to break down into six specific pieces; lens, goggle frame, strap assembly, front mask, ear pieces, and visor. The lens is rounded horizontally and vertically to create a wide field of vision, cause less lens distortion, and produce a closer fit to the face. The lens is not easy to remove; this is because of Dye's "Forward Tab Retention System". The goggle is designed to hold the lens more securely than any other mask. Around the lens is the goggle frame which is made of very strong rubber and is colored according to the vents. The foam on the back of the goggle frame is very soft and made of several different layers. The strap assembly fits onto the goggle and can be adjusted to fit any head size, this piece is also color coded with the rest of the mask. The strap is not easily removed and it is recommended by the manual that you don't remove it, oops. The goggle frame, with the strap attached, connects to the front of the mask which is made of hard plastic. This hard plastic is flexible but not to any significant degree. It is fitted with 8 colored vents and a number of small air holes in order to provide better communication. The front part of the mask protects the nose, the mouth, and the bottom of the face. The ear protector is made of soft plastic which molds to the head and has a number of holes for ventilation and hearing. The last piece, the visor, is optional. It keeps the sun, rain, and snow off of the lens. Without the visor you have an even smaller profile, but chances are if a ball was going to hit the visor it would just hit you in the head instead. Well with my Invision put back in one piece I was on to the field for a few games.

_____On the field I fell in love with the Invision right away. The mask is light so when I was popping in and out of bunkers I didn't feel weighed down at all. The soft plastic at the back of the mask is really nice, I didn't have any problem at all hearing through it; the ear piece even took a couple of bounces later in the day. The strap held the mask perfectly still when running and the foam around the lenses stayed comfortable all day. I found that the sun bothered me when I took the visor off and even when I put the visor back on I wished it was just a little bit longer.

_____For its level of protection, the Dye Invision gets a score of 8/10. It gives excellent protection to most of the face, but it fails to offer good protection to the very top of the head. Even with the visor on I would still recommend wearing a baseball cap on backwards to add a little cushioning. If you don't use the visor, then it pretty much cuts off protecting your head from the eyebrows up.

_____I have to rate the lens an 8/10: no fogging at all, excellent clarity, and tons of different options (2 different reflective outer coating colors, 4 different colors that fade from the top down, and 3 different standard colors plus clear). The dye invison loses two points in the lens category because it is hard to remove.

_____I rate the appearance of the mask a 9/10; it comes in tons of colors (yellow, red, blue, smoke, clear and olive), small profile and it just plain looks cool.

_____I give the ability to communicate though the Invision a 10/10; the vents let your voice be heard load and clear, and the soft plastic sits close to the ears but muffles very few sounds from the game.

_____I give the profile a 9/10 for the smallest profile I have ever seen, but recommend that people wear a backwards baseball hat to soften the impact of any paintball hits to the top of the head.

_____I rate the Invision a 9/10 for comfort; you get an extremely comfortable feel around the eyes, where the soft foam of the goggle meets the skin on your face. The head strap is also comfortable and doesn't change sizes when on your head.

_____Everything has a down side, and the Dye Invision has two, first the vents at the front of the mask protect well but if you take a paintball in the center of the vents, a lot of the paint goes right into your mouth. Second, the cost, at $64-$74 the DYE Invision carries a hefty price tag, however you need to consider that you often get what you pay for.

_____Overall, I rate the Invision a 9/10 and recommend it to anyone that is looking for a small profile and a light weight goggle system. Your best option as a player is to go to a local pro shop and try a few paintball masks on, think about how comfortable they are, what kind of size/weight you are looking for, and what your price range is.

Dye Invison Ratings:
_____Protection: 8/10
_____Lens: 8/10
_____Appearance: 9/10
_____Communication 10/10
_____Profile: 9/10
_____Comfort: 9/10
_____Overall: 9/10

Bunkering 101 - Tactics & The Surrender Rule

One thing all of us paintball players run into constantly is the issue of bunkering. This article will cover both the aspects of bunkering and the heated debate between bunkering players or surrendering them, an issue field owners and referees at recreational fields run across all the time.

Bunkering 101
Bunkering can be defined as eliminating an opposing player at close range, usually within 7 feet of each other. As simple as this may sound, the concept of bunkering and tactics involved in actually performing this maneuver can be quite complicated and exciting. This section is designed to give you, the experienced reader, some tips on performing this maneuver, or backing someone up who is attempting to bunker an opponent.

Back Player Strategies:
Always keep an eye on the target of whom your front player is aiming to bunker. As the bunkering is about to commence, make sure to keep a steady stream of paint to the side of your rushing front player to keep the receiver of the bunkering down. Another, more effective strategy, is attempting to keep the target busy. Keep popping out of your bunker and distracting the target, let him attempt to shoot you out. While he is busy working on marking you, your front player can hurry to the opposite side of the players bunker and shoot the target on his blind side. Always keep in mind that if the target has supporting players, have your other teammates try keeping them down so your front player will not get shot out while on the run to bunker one of your opponents. The most important tactic in supporting your front player is to keep in oral contact with him. Shout as much information as you get to him, and cue to him when he should run up. Of course though, do not make obvious comments such as Go for it! Bunker the dude in the dorito NOW!, or you may be more of a disadvantage than an advantage.

Front Player Strategies:
As the front player, you obviously hold the most important position in bunkering someone. You should be close up in the action, near the center of the field named the 50. Always keep your eyes open and do not develop the horror in paintball known as tunnel vision, where you concentrate only on a single point, and ignore your surrounding, which can and probably will lead to you being eliminated from the side or getting bunkered yourself. Always expect to be rushed up on, and be aware of what is happening. You should always be talking with your supporting back player, and popping out the bunker and shooting at the opposing teams back player to keep him down, to prevent communication between the other teams back and front players, which can help prevent yourself from getting bunkered and your team trampled upon. When getting prepared to bunker your opposing front player, expect the other teams back players to lay paint on you. Stay low when running and NEVER keep your gun down. With experienced players, it is not be a good idea to shoot a steady stream of paint at their bunker while running up to bunker them, as they will usually recognize this sign and get ready to counter you. Stay low and quiet, and run as fast as you can. When reaching the bunker, try to hit the opponents blind side. Many players tend to fire off a certain point of their bunker for a minute or two during the game. Look at their patterns and try to intercept them while they are looking in a different direction. Going over the top of their bunker to bunker them can be very useful too when you are being shot at constantly by the opposing back players. In all cases, one of the most important things to remember is that you are just as vulnerable as your target when attempting to perform a bunker.

Bunkering vs Surrendering
Recreational fields where weekend warriors can get away from the hassle of daily life often face monetary, hiring, and other important aspects of running a field. The most common rules controversy between recreational fields is the decision whether to use the surrender rule or play without restrictions, and allowing bunkering. The surrender rule has the very simple concept, but often tedious execution of not allowing players to shoot each other within 10 feet of each other, but rather yelling surrender at them to avoid close-range shots which can often be painful and discouraging to newer and younger players alike. The problem with the surrender rule is the lack of a player having a built-in distance sensor in their brain. Yes, this may seem a bit absurd, but players cannot always tell the distance they are from the other. In a related anecdote, I was recently playing at my local indoor field, which had the surrender rule in play. After going around an inflatable bunker at the 50-yard line and screaming for my neighboring enemy to surrender, I promptly received a shot to the goggles. The player was new, and did not quite remember the rule. So what should have been done here? Both the player and I who shot me were pulled from the game and counted as being eliminated. In a related story, at the same indoor field, I attempted a few games later to surrender a player by screaming surrender! at him from 11 yards away (sorry, no sensor in my brain), and of course, got shot. After consulting the referees of why I was pulled from the game, they told me that I was just a tad too far away to surrender the player. I had tried to show mercy on the new player that game as he had his entire side of the body exposed to my paintball marker. It is my belief that until a universal rule is established that can be easily followed by everyone, such being no rule at all (bunkering not prohibited), that incidents such as these can be avoided. If players are afraid to be shot from close range, they should select another group of players to play with that can follow and acknowledge the surrender rule immediately. Many fields now are resorting to splitting up groups of players between a bunkering group for the more experienced players, and a surrender group for the less experienced, which is for now the only solution to this problem.

Are Paintball Sniper Guns point and shoot?

Are Paintball Sniper Guns point and shoot?. This can be reasonably effective at shorter ranges, but not at any distance. If you have or pick up a good rifled sniper barrel, then your aim starts to get much more accurate. With a decent sniper gun and rifled barrel, a scope does actually work. Think making a good clean shot at distances that would catch most players by surprisal. The more powerful your gun and better your barrel, the more high powered of a scope you can use, and the farther off you can pick off your opponents. Groupings within 3 inches at 60 feet are possible and more than enough to hit your mark.

Masks and goggles can get in the way of course when seeking to use a scope. There are some really good offset scopes and mounts available that help this problem considerably. An offset scope is just one that allows the scope to be off to the side of the gun, allowing you to aim without your mask getting in the way.

Special of the nicer guns also come with a red dot site for shorter targets and quick aiming as well a scope for lengthier distances. You can even get a laser pointer, and see where your shot is going to hit. Of course without a good rifled sniper gun or barrel, where you aim and where it goes will be erratic. If you want to do any real sniping, you definitely need the right equipment. Sniper Barrels are relatively cheap and you can get one to exchange the barrel on most existing guns. If you want to get a serious paintball sniper gun, there are some out there, like the T68 Extreme Sniper with 3-12x50 Scope Kit. This one even has magazine feed paintballs and a silencer.