Paintball vs Airsoft Which Hurts More

Which Hurts More: Paintball Or Airsoft?

What Is Paintball?

Paintball is a recreational sport or game that involves shooting opponents with round well oiled and split pellets of paint. These paintballs are propelled from a compressed air or CO2 powered marker, and players must eliminate their opponents by responsibly hitting them with the paintballs. The sport can be played in backyard set ups or on professionally built fields, and it is a great activity for groups or friends looking for a competitive but safe activity.

Paintball dates back to the 1970s, and it quickly made its way to being one of the most popular recreational sports in the United States. The first official game of paintball was held in June 1981, and the first National Collegiate Paintball Association (NCPA) tournament was held in the following year.

What Is Airsoft?

Airsoft is a sport or game which almost perfectly mirrors the experience of paintball yet uses non-metallic pellets propelled by either compressed air or an electric motor. Unlike in paintball, airsoft pellets (or BBs) usually leave no visible trace that a person has been hit. While doctrines for airsoft vary by region, most participants use plastic replicas of firearms rather than the most expensive markers used for paintball.

The sport's roots can be traced to Japan, where it was introduced in the 1970s as a way to increase market value of the sport and as a result, airsoft quickly grew to being the popular weapon of choice when reenacting military topics. The sport began to reach more of an international audience in the late 1990s, when airsoft guns were being produced and imported in Europe and North America.

Physical Damage

When it comes to physical danger, both paintball and airsoft can cause bruises and cuts. Even if a person is wearing protective gear, the strongest markers can still cause cuts or impact bruises. No medical statement exists detailing which of the two will cause more impact damage and discomfort, but this statement holds true for both of them; the stronger the marker and the closer the person is to the pellet impact point, the more they might feel physical discomforts.

For most starters, paintball will be more painful as the pellets are slightly thicker and the velocity of most markers will be higher than those used in airsoft. Some of the most luxurious markers used in paintball use compressed air while some of the most luxurious markers used in airsoft use spring-based mechanisms such as Tokyo Marui VSR-10 or an M4A1 GBB, which tend to be less powerful when compared to the average paintball marker.

Safety Gear

In both paintball and airsoft, safety is paramount and it is highly encouraged for a person to wear the appropriate protective gear when playing either one of the two. Goggles, masks and protective padding are all standard safety equipment and wearing them will reduce the physical impact of a pellet to the body.

When choosing a safety gear for either sport, participants must understand that a lighter and more comfortable protective gear set will also be easier to break and susceptible to faulty important structural points. As such, most professional paintball and airsoft players choose heavily reinforced equipment such as the Dye X-Ceed goggles, Empire E-Flex masks, or matching armor and pads which blend ergonomics with performance.

Insights

In conclusion, both paintball and airsoft use similar technologies and doctrines. In terms of physical damage, both of them can leave bruises and cuts if a person is not wearing adequate protective gear. Depending on the form of games, markers can exert more or less force on participants and, as such, range and velocity should be controlled to prevent larger forms of physical damage. In terms of safety gear, it is highly recommended for participants to choose heavily reinforced pieces of gear for more comfortable play without sacrificing safety.