Poor Man's Paintball Chronograph
by Thumper Jan 16, 2009

Chronograph that marker: When you play paintball, make sure some one brings a chronograph and every one checks their markers at least a few times each day. 280fps is a good maximum field speed.

If you don't have a Chronograph, and are insistent to play anyway, you should know a few things. I've played quite a lot since 1991 - and in that time Ive knocked out two players. One I hit in the temple at around 80 feet with an unchronographed VM68 shooting as hot as it would go. The player stayed unconscious for maybe 5 minutes. Later he was ok. Just this past year shooting 260 fps with a chronographed marker I caught a friend behind the ear and he went down - and stayed woosy for around 5 minutes. I rechronographed immediately and it was still 260ish. My range to target was around 30 feet. Many of the masks we use are rated at 300fps when new. Trying to intentionally shoot hot is pretty stupid. First, it destroys your accuracy and you will spooge a bunch more in your breach - further messing up everything. Second, you very well could put one right through your buddy's lense.

Here is a design for the Poor Man's Paintball Chronograph.

Get a tape measure and mark off distances of 0 ft, 100 ft and 130 feet.

Stand at the 0 ft mark and while standing shoot perfectly flat down range a few times. If your ball lands close to the middle between the 100 and 130 ft marks, you should be good to go play - around 280 fps.

A marker shot perfectly flat while standing at 280 fps will fit the ground at 113ft. (thats a grown man taking 45 normal strides)

• 240 fps = 40 strides (100 ft)
• 260 fps = 43 strides (107 ft)
• 280fps = 45 strides (113 ft)
• 300 fps = 47 strides (118 ft)
• 320 fps = 52 strides (130 ft)

source for data : http://home.comcast.net/~dyrgcmn/pball/trajectory.html

***There is no excuse for stupid***