Best paintball loaders according to redditors

So you've got 250ish for a package for your son? Instead of buying that one I'll make one for you!

GoG Enmey Gun $125

Proto Primo Hopper $14

Ninja 48/3000 HPA Tank $50

JT Proflex $63

For the around $250 mark you will not get a better deal.

Looks like a Tippmann cyclone feed. They make a bunch of paintball guns that share some similarities to AR style guns.

https://www.amazon.com/GOG-eNMEy-Paintball-Guns-Racer/dp/B00N328OBY

https://www.amazon.com/Proto-Primo-Paintball-Hopper-Loader/dp/B01F1H1OCE

http://www.ansgear.com/Ninja_Compressed_Air_Tank_w_Adjustable_Regulator_p/ninjatank-48.htm

Then try an assortment of masks and see whar you like

I'm working hard on my own design, but some shortcut notes (hopefully this helps, as I've purchased a dozen paintball hoppers, all of which was wasted money for the most part)!

1. Very few paintball hoppers fit HIR's (without expanding the shell or cutting the feedneck). The Tippman cyclone hoppers are larger than HIR, so they can be reduced.
   
   
2. This hopper was featured in an MTB video, but requires cutting of the feedneck:
   https://www.amazon.com/Proto-Primo-Paintball-Loader-Hopper/dp/B0036FHJLE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480181082&sr=8-1&keywords=proto+hopper
   
   
3. wide mouth hopper (requires reducing of the feedneck to feed):
   https://www.amazon.com/Tippmann-Low-Profile-Cyclone-Hopper/dp/B000X04RJM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1480181136&sr=8-5&keywords=tippmann+hopper
   
   
4. Atlas is a really good blaster for gravity feed (with air feed, etc to feed). You have to shake the blaster so much when priming to begin with, that it helps a lot with gravity feeding.
   
   
5. Here's my current build (photo). It's airfed, with a switch on the prime to automatically activate the fan for each feeding prime cycle.
   https://www.instagram.com/p/BNM7oA8DBP6/?taken-by=outofdarts

Buy Both. I picked this set up a few weeks ago and used it last weekend. Thinking about getting it again for my 2nd gun.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FVP506/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here ya go; http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008G4UGYC?cache=61b7619bac973d9162859a37f1c86151#ref=s9_simh_gw_d5_g200_i8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=mobile-1&pf_rd_r=16BD6AF1HYPNPG0420MY&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1634797062&pf_rd_i=507846

Some really solid advice. As it turns out, Full Auto isn't allowed on the course I played on last weekend, and I'm not sure if we're going to get to do any woodsball this summer (I live in Alaska, so it's a short season), so I guess I'll focus on Speedball and consider a woodsball marker for next summer if I can find a game.

I prefer to purchase things on Amazon so would you mind looking over this list to make sure I'm getting the right things?

Halo Too loader
http://www.amazon.com/Invert-Halo-Loader-48ci-Combo/dp/B003FVP506/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_1

Mask
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005R4O0PU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&smid=A32DO2WY2M0IZT


Pack (decided I liked this style vs the vertical ones)
http://www.amazon.com/GenX-Global-Horizontal-Harness-Black/dp/B003MZKTM4/ref=sr_1_24?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1345691239&sr=1-24&keywords=paintball+pack+gen+x

Tank (Do I need a cover? someone said that you should have a cover to protect a carbon fiber tank)
http://www.amazon.com/Ninja-Carbon-Fiber-Paintball-Tank/dp/B001UYIDZY/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1345691561&sr=1-3&keywords=hpa+carbon+fiber

Gun
http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Eclipse-Etha-Paintball-Gun/dp/B005VQZFQC/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_2



A note about the gun: I am really hesitant to splurge on the Ethas, because while it comes pretty highly recommended, I just can't get over the fact that it looks like a toy. Also, it seems that it's more suited to speedball, and I particularly want to maintain the delusion that I'll be able to find some woodsball games. Am I going to have any issues with trying to woodsball with the Ethas?

Nice!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009G63VQO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_inwAub0Q0YEZJ


Did it come with the table clamps?

your most important piece of equipment is the mask. everyone loves talking about guns because they are more interesting but i think they can all agree that a fogged up day of playing is horrible.

go to a local pro shop for paintball (not a generic sporting goods chain) and see if they have any masks for you to test fit. i usually recommend these things to look out for:

1, comfortable. it's pointless if it's not. you'll find that masks starting from mid end will use better quality foam that doesn't itch you like walmart masks do.

2, thermal lens. these dramatically lower the chances of fogging. they are double paned, with a ring of usually black foam around the perimeter to attach the 2 panes together. the inner layer smudges easily so take care not to let anything touch it. i say again, these are double paned, the single pane ones with "anti fog coatings" are generally useless.

3, well-stocked replacement lenses at wherever you buy so you can easily find replacements when it comes time to swap out your old lens either from age or from being hit, so if you find a local store close to you, you should probably look at what brand lenses they stock.

a mid end mask is usually fine. they run about $50. proto has that "switch" mask and empire/jt has a whole line of masks that use the "spectra" lens frame. empire has an e-flex as well. but really, just choose one that's comfortable. forget how it looks.

you'd have about $200 left for gun, hopper and tank. using that little money to buy all 3 will probably end up with crap gear. i'd suggest buying 2 and renting the 3rd.

i suggest buying a hopper, it'll be a transferable piece of equipment onto an future gun you may buy. i suggest finding one that has electronics to "agitate" the paintballs, that also has some kind of sensor, either infrared or sound. it's usually infrared but iirc empire makes a few that are activated by sound (i think initially to avoid patent issues).

there are also battery-free versions but you run the risk of the balls getting stuck and you having to shake your setup during a game to get the paint to load again. this is only a minor convenience but there's no reason to put up with it especially when you're still a beginner. only buy these if you're extremely strapped for cash.

among the electronically powered ones, there are also constantly agitating ones that just spin constantly. they lack sensors of any kind that tells them the paint is properly fed and they can stop in the mean time. this results in a very annoying whirrrrrrrrrrrrrr sound that constantly come out of the hopper. they're for suckers, i'd rather have one of those battery-free ones. avoid these.

at the higher end there are force feeding hoppers but you don't really need those yet. they run way expensive anyway.

this would be one of the electronic hoppers i can recommend: http://www.amazon.com/JT-Revolution-Classic-Loader-Black/dp/B00BAWPLV0/ref=sr_1_27?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1395531163&sr=1-27 it has infrared sensors (eyes) that tell the paddle to stop when the paint is properly loaded into the feedneck, and only start stirring for a few seconds after you shoot.

i don't know what kind of gun you want, but for under $200 you get to choose a more expensive electronic gun or the cheaper mechs. people are going to recommend the gog enmey, but i think you should also take a good look at azodin kaos or spyder xtra. they're both mechs and don't perform as well, but are usually friendlier toward new players who want to learn how to maintain their own equipment. if you want to spend more for a fancier electro that's fine too but i think a new player should test the waters with a mech of some kind just to get used to maintenance without the risk of breaking something expensive, even if they are more prone to chop paint.

i'd just rent a tank. most fields here give you all day air if you rent a tank and vice versa anyway. with what cash you have left, the tanks are usually heavier than they have to be.

I've bought a mask already - I did a bunch of research (a lot on this sub) and quickly realized that should be the first thing I invested money into. Especially since I wear glasses - I won't have any fun if they won't fit under the mask. The first time I went out I bought one with thermal lenses that can be changed out. I don't remember the brand. But it fits my head perfectly and has only fogged up once. The rentals they had were nasty, quite frankly.

I've been poking around amazon and found this hopper. I've read that no matter the marker, an electric hopper is the way to go. This one seems to be a reasonable price and people seem to like it as well.

I suppose I should also add that my boyfriend and I are splitting the cost of that haul since there are two markers. Mostly. He's putting in 50 I'm putting in 75 - I'm taking to the sport more than him so I see myself using everything more. We've already talked about buying new tanks and feeders for it. And the field we go to rents tanks as well - which is great because that is still cheaper than renting all the gear.

Within the next 2-3 paycheck's I'll probably buy the GoG. I think I'm still going to throw down for this haul - I have a few friends that I could maybe drag along if I had the extra gear to help them out. Haha.

I know it's lame but I really like the look of the Tippmanns. I like the more rugged look than the sleek fancy contours of the GoG! But I once I get better I know I'm going to prefer something that performs well.

here ya go man, it's the bomber steel variation.

http://www.amazon.com/Dye-Precision-Rotor-Paintball-Loader/dp/B002MF932C/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1458007270&sr=1-1&keywords=dye+rotor

The Ion should still hold up very well, just give it the routine maintainence that it probably needs after not being used in so long. I don't know the exact condition of your tank, but the best bet would probably be taking it to a paintball shop and having the employees assess the reg/leak. If you plan on really getting back into the sport and playing a lot, a new HPA tank might be worth it. As far as the hopper, I HIGHLY recommend the Dye LT-R ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06VT4T4JW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_OLaMBbTGHG5HY). For $100, it performs outstandingly. It keeps up with my 15-20BPS (Empire Axe) with zero issues. Dye basically took their Rotor, removed some bells and whistles, and kept the core design for a very good price. Check out the reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/Dye-LT-R-Paintball-Loader-Black/dp/B06VT4T4JW/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1502065153&sr=1-1&keywords=rotor+ltr is much better than the halo.

i also recommend buying the used axe much better marker

in case you don't want to go threw the hassle of the used market:

Marker: https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Mini-GS-Paintball-Gun/dp/B00LBJUD4C/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1521136125&sr=8-4&keywords=empire+mini+gs

hopper/ tank:https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Halo-Paintball-Loader-Combo/dp/B003FVP506/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1521136199&sr=1-4&keywords=halo+too

mask: https://www.amazon.com/Dye-Paintball-Goggles-Thermal-Lens/dp/B016SACUTY/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1521136264&sr=1-4&keywords=dye%2Bi5&th=1

a very respectable first setup if you are looking for something that you can learn the basics on and even play decent speedball with. I would look into a carbon fiber tank and a new hopper as some solid upgrades (these will do the job for a long time, I still run my halo on my axe when I loan it out) if you choose to keep up with it and want to put some more money into quality of life. Empire sells solid markers and personally what I suggest for beginners looking to go the speedball rout. they have really good customer support. The dye I series are simply my favorite masks, easily replaced with another mask that better suits your face or is more aesthetically pleasing to you.

Not that one. This one!

Allen Paintball Products Sight Feeder Hopper - Black - 50 Round https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BM8FMHU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_BZXyybBPNF4PY

Personally I would go for this hopper in the link below. It’s pretty much the go to pump hopper. A 45/4500 tank is usually the tank of choice. You can get away with a tiny little 13ci if you want but I prefer the 45 so I don’t have to fill up between every game and if I’m at a big scenario game I know I won’t run out of air. The 45ci also fits my shoulder much better.

https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Paintball-Products-Feeder-Hopper/dp/B00BM8FMHU/ref=sr_1_92?keywords=Gravity+hopper&qid=1568597998&s=gateway&sr=8-92

You'd be much happier with the APP Sight Feeder. The Tac50 is more form over function whereas the Sight Feeder is a more tried & true design.

94.75 for the Z2 in white used or just buy a new one from amazon for 99.95 for camo (idk how much you want a white hopper tho). I would just buy new imo.

just a broke man trying to pick up a hobby. I recently bought a used matte red invert mini. Now that i have your attention, what do you think about this buy?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FVP506/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3MOEA5B1IA06N

I assume the 2017 Halo Too is the current version? (https://www.amazon.com/2017-Empire-Halo-Paintball-Loader/dp/B071J59F4K/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1502062447&sr=8-5&keywords=Halo+Too+hopper)

As for the tank, what do you mean one with clear coating? Would you mind tossing me a link?

I'm using this combo with my new eNVy. Will be upgrading the tank though after I get a new mask and a barrel. It feels a bit heavier than I'd like it to be.

I went ahead and purchased the stuff below. I think this will be good for casual play.

Gun https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C2NH25O/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Red Dot
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HPWATOC/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hopper
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036FHJLE/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

oooh I'm a fan of the salvo, my favorite non magfed marker, so I'm going to assume you aren't running the tippmann magfed adapter or the deadcell tippman magfed adapter, which, if you want a magfed salvo, go with the deadcell version, but, assuming you are hopper fed, definitely grab a Proto Primo, they're easily the best gravity fed hopper on the market. Also, everyone is going to tell you this but for good reason, if you don't already, get an anti-fog mask.

Also, if you were looking for some sort of scope, I'll tell you what I tell everyone, a red dot wont do anymore good than iron sights unless you're using first strikes. NCStar makes a cheap red dot that I had on my 98 if you want to dabble in them.

Take good care of that marker, it's essentially a 98c in an arguably tougher, milsim body, take good care of it and it will last forever, I still have my 98 from 8 years ago and it's still shooting like the day it came out of the box.

Any marker is the best marker in the world if you enjoy playing with it, keep on shooting!

EDIT: also, since the salvo has the quad rail, idk how you grip the marker, but I'm a big fan of angled foregrips, only reason I don't have one is because I'm a bigger fan of gripping the magwell, also, should you want to get another marker at some point, anything with picatinny rails will accept a grip.

A Empire Halo Too is only $65 on amazon!

https://smile.amazon.com/Empire-Paintball-Loader-Matte-Black/dp/B002CLNE1M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504280205&sr=8-3&keywords=empire+halo+toopf_rd_p=1cf9d009-399c-49e1-901a-7b8786e59436&pf_rd_i=desktop

not really. the gun is okay, i guess. You can easily do better though. most of the stuff that kit includes are just old/dated items that retailers are trying to unload on people who don't know better.

if youre trying to stay on the cheap side, something like these would be a better option. The most important thing is going to be a good, comfortable mask. i'd prefer a JT proflex over a flex 8, but i couldnt find one on amazon. you could easily find one for the same price on other paintball specific sites. other than that, you have a high quality air tank, a high quality budget marker, and a high quality budget hopper that will actually feed paint. The only thing this doesn't include is a pack and remote which i think you should do without for now. if you need a pack, those can be had for as low as $25.

Ninja 45/3000:
https://www.amazon.com/Ninja-Aluminum-Paintball-Tank-BLACK/dp/B001RQRXJW/ref=pd_sim_200_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001RQRXJW&pd_rd_r=P9CKMRW1QYRYHE1WP5VZ&pd_rd_w=J20BE&pd_rd_wg=IXBxt&psc=1&refRID=P9CKMRW1QYRYHE1WP5VZ

Azodin Kaos:
https://www.amazon.com/Azodin-Kaos-Paintball-Gun-Red/dp/B01M04HQ4C/ref=sr_1_11?s=sports-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1483152637&sr=1-11&th=1

Empire Reloader:
https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Paintball-Loader-Matte-Black/dp/B002CLNE1M/ref=sr_1_4?s=paintball&ie=UTF8&qid=1483152761&sr=1-4

JT Flex 8(or proflex from another site):
https://www.amazon.com/JT-Flex-Goggle-Black-Grey/dp/B000VWJL5C/ref=sr_1_10?srs=15604175011&ie=UTF8&qid=1483152884&sr=8-10&keywords=paintball+mask

azodin blitz 3 http://www.amazon.com/Azodin-Blitz-Paintball-Purple-Silver/dp/B0184MLAVS/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1456864428&sr=1-2&keywords=azodin+blitz+3

empire halo 2 loader http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002CLNE1M?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

guerrilla tank http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BOD3F4A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

valken pod harness http://www.amazon.com/Valken-1951-Harness--Harness-Fate/dp/B003LMCBLU/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1456864464&sr=1-1&keywords=pod+pack

what i started with in 2011 (i had the blitz 2 though)

This thing? http://www.amazon.com/Viewloader-Revolution-FORCE-Paintball-Loader/dp/B001STOQWK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394751619&sr=8-1&keywords=Viewloader+Revolution

FoamCon/EndWar was the best place to see all the different kinds of Nemeses (pronounced: nem-e-see's), greek root word with proper greek ending, loading systems.

The 140rd Paintball pods seemed to be the most popular way of storing the HIRs. There was one person who actually attached a paintball hopper onto the loading gate of his Nemesis (there is a youtube video somewhere, I just couldn't find it). Others had different variations of the funnel system or containers in order to increase capacity.

My personal idea is to go with the paintball hopper attached to the loading gate. But mine will have a few variations based on my experience with paintball. First, I will use a top loading hopper instead of the classic 45 degree tilt one. You will notice that with the classic hopper you will have to angle blaster downwards in order to make the pod dump easier. With a top loading hopper, you can easily reload while continuously firing the blaster. Second variation I will do is switch out the pop-top lid with an Exalt speedfeed gate. I have already done the testing between this gate versus other paintball speedfeed gates, and this one seems to be the best option with HIRs (keeping in mind paintballs are smaller and closer to 3g in weight, compared to HIRs which have a max weight of 2g and much larger).

I believe this combination to be the quickest reloading, while maintaining continuous fire, as well as minimizing ball spillage during reload.

The funnel systems are nice, I just personally prefer a hopper system.

Do you think the tank in the link is good? I was thinking of getting it but I don't know if it's good or not?
http://www.amazon.com/Invert-Halo-Loader-48ci-Combo/dp/B003FVP506/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1373733330&sr=8-2&keywords=halo+too+hopper