It's 2021. Paint is junk, and inconsistently sized more so than ever. Overboring is still the way to go though. Especially when paint expands later in the day when it gets warmer. Played an event and I was using my .690 back and this is in a desert state. Local field, also had to use the bigger back. But when it's been sitting and cooled off it shrinks quite a bit.
It's 2023 and Planet Eclipse makes the most reliable and efficient markers. Paint quality still sucks and it's hard to find good paint that ia consistently sizes. If you live in a humid area, I highly doubt you will nees anything smaller than a 685. The other weekend paint was sizing over 688 and I wish I had a larger barrel to use. You can overbore by a lot with a modern Eclipse gun and still shoot great with good efficiency.
I'm currently using a smart parts epiphany with the freak jr back .693 insert 14 inch all American front. The smart parts has a spot in the feed neck where it drops and holds that ball till its struck. Should I worry about dropping bore size still or should I manage. I can pick up a kit at my local field for about 50 bucks used is it worth it or should I spend 100 or more for just a brand new freak kit.
I consistently shoot .685 here in NY. I shoot Valken (Echo, Graffiti) and it's always perfect although I use a .684. At EMR the DXS Bronze was a .685 as well
Great vid man, I just dropped my field paint through my stock proto 09 slg ul barrel and man, it just free fell right to the ground, I dont even think it touched the inside of the barrel! So without a "kit" how would you judge the bore of the paint your using?
i use a .687 insert for rps nightmare paint... its a bit overbored, does not stick, but its not too loose... its good size for the "just in case" of a slightly irregular or expanded paintball. its a good overboring size for the small paint
I miss the old Advantage shell that RPS had, it was the best ever IMO. Up here in northern VA our paint has been on average .687 for years and years now. And I personally bore to blow test, not roll through. But I also shoot a 'cocker typically. I've also found it tends to be more efficient and lends to better accuracy. I also only shoot Lapco barrels :)
Best thing to tell you guys is to pick up a bore sized, ans gear has them for like $15. Here in ny paint is just as small and I size at least 30 balls out of a case just to try and get an idea of the size, then depending on that I usually go one or two sizes up, I use a freak kit, and I'm much more consistant than when I use my stock .693 barrel. Yes this New info still applies for 2012.
what size is pain now days? im shoot premium paint from my dm8. im going to buy either .680 or a .684 UL back, which one do you think i should get. i live in tampa FL
So the first video he made he said to buy one size barrel and not to buy barrel kits. In this video he said the previous advice no longer stood and to buy smaller bore barrels. Instead of buying barrels as paintballs change in size (which looks like they will keep getting smaller) why not make a one time investment of a kit that goes all the way down to say .678? .678 should keep you good for a long time. A kit just seems like a much more cost effective route and would eliminate all those barrels you have just laying around collecting dust.
@Predator2169 i live in south texas, and down here draxxus paint is the standard paint at my field, I'm shooting draxxus bronze and by what I've seen, its boring out at between a .686 - .687, I'm using a dye ul .688 barrel and am getting very good results, hope this helps
well, bore size does matter but your boom stick or ultra-lite will work. it'll cause more aggravation trying to find a barrel for each type of paint. and the mini usually shoots rather well. so i think its not as big of a deal as you think
also i'd like to add that i'm getting practically no range at all out of my barrel atm... drops about a foot after 20 yards. should i expect this with every barrel?
what would be a good bore size for someone who only wants one barrel and lives in ohio, since we have a lot of mixed weather here? i would appreciate it if someone responded
i have a Ego 8 what would you or anyone recommend for a barrel. i have a stock .693 but that just doesn't cut it. i have a deadlywind but i want a solid sturdy barrel. (and since no more insert kits due to smart parts crisis) So help me out plz. thank you~ Also what bore size would u recommend in present paintball these days?
hey mike can you please do a review on the cci phantom pump. i want to get into pump and also want to talk about the co2 canisters. can you configure it so that i could use a hps tank
i use recpsort paint at my feild. does anyone know that exact boresize of recsport paint. im looking in to getting a new cp barrel i jsut dont know what to get. i have a cp .693 and a stock g4 .691
I was planning on buying a Dye Broomstick 3D or an Ultralite, but what if the paint at my field doesn't fit in ym barrel perfectly? I'll have to get another barrel JUST for this paint? *I have an Empire Mini 2012*
So to the people that live in California in the Bay Area or the East Bay what bore should I use a the weather in the summer is like 79-high 90's low hundreds in the winter is is cold like low 70's and high 60's, should I get a .689 bore since the companies are making their paintballs smaller?
Ok the barrel that comes stock on my BT-4 Omega is a .693 i'm sure, because there's practically a millimeter of distance between the top of the barrel and the Valken field paint that my field sells. i think i need a smaller-bore barrel... i guess my best option is the Lapco Big Shot apex-ready barrel at .687 (yes i want an Apex on there). does anyone know if this fits the M-16 shroud on my BT? or does anyone know of a better barrel than the Lapco?
hey guys is the barrel front says 14 and the barrel back doesn't say anything how long is the barrel because i would think that it would be 16 because the back looks about 2 in so please help me out
hey mike which gun do you believe is the best of these 3? dangerous power fx fusion, proto rail, or the ego etek 3 lt? please respond and if you can you should do a little battle vid ; )
Is it bad to really overbore? Like using a .693 barrel on a .682 ball or maybe even a .50 ball? Is it better to be close? If the barrel is roughly the same bore as the ball, wouldn't it produce maximum propulsion like a pneumatic piston (assuming the force is greater than the friction between the barrel and ball)?
Well, I live in an area gets really humid during the summer and i took your advise from the first overboring video and bought a .693 stiffi barrel.... the last time i played paintball, i noticed that i couldn't get the fps that i had much earlier in the year.... what would you recommend?
i live in memphis tennessee and i am shooting evil paint (not evil pro or whatever its called, just evil) and i wanted a good barrel and mike always says well cp this and cp that so im getting a cp barrel, but what bore? does any 1 live near memphis? on my invert mini barrel they roll out unbeleivably easy.
@RAGEPAINTBALL2011 that should be fine. i live in nj... i have a 689 that works great with valken field paintb but wen i bought heat paintballs, they were significantly smaller.
i am about to buy a .680 for $45. you think it will be to small, from what others are telling me a .680 will be better. do you live in FL? do you use premium paint always? have you tried a .680 before you recommended that .684?
Actually, underboring creates a better seal and propels the balls faster. You have to turn down your regulator to use less air to accomplish the same task, which is reach the same field velocity. This leads to less air being used and the end result is higher efficiency.
@baconator490 i still like overboring, its much more consistant, alot more forgiving on paint, also if you chop or break a ball you have that extra space to get the other balls out without too much corkscrewing, and i would like to note since i started overboring i haent broken a single ball in my barrel, i started over boring more than a year ago
@baconator490 i dont see how, it would make more sense the other way around, overboring means theres less friction on the ball meaning its easier to get a higher velocity, so less air is needed, underboring means theres more friction on the ball meaning its harder to get a higher velocity, meaning it needs more air, also overboring gets much higher consistensy
its personal preference. Id rather underbore now because paint is getting smaller and smaller and overbored barrels now are like .690 they used to be .693+. You really shouldnt have to worry about barrel breaks if your using good paint though
I remember about 07-ish to December 08 the paint was HUGE, here in NC I was getting mostly DXS and even some Diablo that were about .689-.692. Now, my .691 is WAY overbored, even my .685 CP is a lil big, just plain crazy! Who needs .50 cal when you have smaller and smaller .68? jk
your gun uses the same amount of air shooting a paintball out of a .693 vs a .680 When overboring air goes past the ball because there is a horrible seal down the barrel. Underboring compresses so there is a seal and no air escapes until it reaches porting so the air can push against the ball all the way through the bore part
yea please do a new one Mike! people swear underbore is absolutely the way to go now.
I like ur outlooks usually, so a 2017 update would be great!
Mike, we need another video on this. Pls
It's 2021. Paint is junk, and inconsistently sized more so than ever. Overboring is still the way to go though. Especially when paint expands later in the day when it gets warmer. Played an event and I was using my .690 back and this is in a desert state. Local field, also had to use the bigger back. But when it's been sitting and cooled off it shrinks quite a bit.
It's 2023 and Planet Eclipse makes the most reliable and efficient markers. Paint quality still sucks and it's hard to find good paint that ia consistently sizes. If you live in a humid area, I highly doubt you will nees anything smaller than a 685. The other weekend paint was sizing over 688 and I wish I had a larger barrel to use. You can overbore by a lot with a modern Eclipse gun and still shoot great with good efficiency.
Always overbore
GREAT info for someone getting back into the sport after a long break.
I have a J&J Performance 2-piece kit. Very smooth with the ceramic coating.
This guy is the most usefull person in reference to paintball ever
great I just bought a 693 barrel I'm in South Florida now I'm wondering if i made the right choice
I'm currently using a smart parts epiphany with the freak jr back .693 insert 14 inch all American front. The smart parts has a spot in the feed neck where it drops and holds that ball till its struck. Should I worry about dropping bore size still or should I manage. I can pick up a kit at my local field for about 50 bucks used is it worth it or should I spend 100 or more for just a brand new freak kit.
I consistently shoot .685 here in NY. I shoot Valken (Echo, Graffiti) and it's always perfect although I use a .684. At EMR the DXS Bronze was a .685 as well
LOL I just ordered a CP .689 and watched the old video. I got so mad, now I watched this one and it's all good :D
Great vid man, I just dropped my field paint through my stock proto 09 slg ul barrel and man, it just free fell right to the ground, I dont even think it touched the inside of the barrel! So without a "kit" how would you judge the bore of the paint your using?
What do you think about the tape inside the barrel
i use a .687 insert for rps nightmare paint... its a bit overbored, does not stick, but its not too loose... its good size for the "just in case" of a slightly irregular or expanded paintball. its a good overboring size for the small paint
what kind of paint do you have to use for a stock barrel on the mini
I miss the old Advantage shell that RPS had, it was the best ever IMO. Up here in northern VA our paint has been on average .687 for years and years now. And I personally bore to blow test, not roll through. But I also shoot a 'cocker typically. I've also found it tends to be more efficient and lends to better accuracy. I also only shoot Lapco barrels :)
What would be a good barrel or barrel kit to get?
Get the Freak Barrel System, it comes with a back with multiple inserts so you can match your insert to YOUR paint. Hope this helps.
Best thing to tell you guys is to pick up a bore sized, ans gear has them for like $15. Here in ny paint is just as small and I size at least 30 balls out of a case just to try and get an idea of the size, then depending on that I usually go one or two sizes up, I use a freak kit, and I'm much more consistant than when I use my stock .693 barrel. Yes this New info still applies for 2012.
i use spectrum and all star (spectrum more) , and im buying a.689 size back for a sly pro merc barrel is this a good size??
what size is pain now days? im shoot premium paint from my dm8. im going to buy either .680 or a .684 UL back, which one do you think i should get. i live in tampa FL
what's good paint (brand name) for an etek 3 Am? thanks
So the first video he made he said to buy one size barrel and not to buy barrel kits. In this video he said the previous advice no longer stood and to buy smaller bore barrels. Instead of buying barrels as paintballs change in size (which looks like they will keep getting smaller) why not make a one time investment of a kit that goes all the way down to say .678? .678 should keep you good for a long time. A kit just seems like a much more cost effective route and would eliminate all those barrels you have just laying around collecting dust.
Buy an underbore and .689 barrel and you'll be good, matching sizers to paint are just bad consistency and "accuracy"
5 years later.. I wonder what it is.. I got a .683 back and im freaking out that its gonna be small
ThTgUyInUrBaSmEnT 683 is good for paint now days. underbore is absolutely the way to go now, all big teams underbore
im on a budget and im going to buy a cp one piece 14 inc barrel but i don't know what boring should i get now. please reply !
If the paint bores out at a .689 what size cp barrel should I get for pump I am in Central New York
I still shoot a 689 and on my pump a 92. never have any problems at all, I tried shooting 85 and it works but I don't shoot it anymore
@Predator2169 i live in south texas, and down here draxxus paint is the standard paint at my field, I'm shooting draxxus bronze and by what I've seen, its boring out at between a .686 - .687, I'm using a dye ul .688 barrel and am getting very good results, hope this helps
waht are your thoughts about getting a shaft4 barrel bored for freak kits?
well, bore size does matter but your boom stick or ultra-lite will work. it'll cause more aggravation trying to find a barrel for each type of paint. and the mini usually shoots rather well. so i think its not as big of a deal as you think
also i'd like to add that i'm getting practically no range at all out of my barrel atm... drops about a foot after 20 yards. should i expect this with every barrel?
What bore size should i use for 250 cal?
thanks. i never thought of it that way. im not sure if the resof the barrel helps or not. im no expert on painball
what would be a good bore size for someone who only wants one barrel and lives in ohio, since we have a lot of mixed weather here? i would appreciate it if someone responded
Where do you buy your paint at ?
Hi im going to buy a freak 14 inch barrel what insert should i get???
i have a Ego 8 what would you or anyone recommend for a barrel. i have a stock .693 but that just doesn't cut it. i have a deadlywind but i want a solid sturdy barrel. (and since no more insert kits due to smart parts crisis) So help me out plz. thank you~ Also what bore size would u recommend in present paintball these days?
What should I get a cp 14" .689 or a .685?
hey mike can you please do a review on the cci phantom pump. i want to get into pump and also want to talk about the co2 canisters. can you configure it so that i could use a hps tank
i use recpsort paint at my feild. does anyone know that exact boresize of recsport paint. im looking in to getting a new cp barrel i jsut dont know what to get. i have a cp .693 and a stock g4 .691
My field uses .683 paint and I'm using a .689 barrel. Is that a significant difference and should I buy an insert?
I was planning on buying a Dye Broomstick 3D or an Ultralite, but what if the paint at my field doesn't fit in ym barrel perfectly? I'll have to get another barrel JUST for this paint? *I have an Empire Mini 2012*
So to the people that live in California in the Bay Area or the East Bay what bore should I use a the weather in the summer is like 79-high 90's low hundreds in the winter is is cold like low 70's and high 60's, should I get a .689 bore since the companies are making their paintballs smaller?
What's the bore size on a stock empire trracer barrel?
Ok the barrel that comes stock on my BT-4 Omega is a .693 i'm sure, because there's practically a millimeter of distance between the top of the barrel and the Valken field paint that my field sells. i think i need a smaller-bore barrel...
i guess my best option is the Lapco Big Shot apex-ready barrel at .687 (yes i want an Apex on there). does anyone know if this fits the M-16 shroud on my BT? or does anyone know of a better barrel than the Lapco?
hey guys is the barrel front says 14 and the barrel back doesn't say anything how long is the barrel because i would think that it would be 16 because the back looks about 2 in so please help me out
what bore is good for north-east
Do you know what the bore for draxxus is?
what size barrel does a g3 iq have
my paintballs dont grip my barrel am i suppost to worry or something? i have a spyder pilot acs 05 100%stock
hey mike which gun do you believe is the best of these 3? dangerous power fx fusion, proto rail, or the ego etek 3 lt? please respond and if you can you should do a little battle vid ; )
Is it bad to really overbore? Like using a .693 barrel on a .682 ball or maybe even a .50 ball?
Is it better to be close? If the barrel is roughly the same bore as the ball, wouldn't it produce maximum propulsion like a pneumatic piston (assuming the force is greater than the friction between the barrel and ball)?
.679 grips perfect on most of the fieldpaint - very low humidity here.
I knew i would need my Freakset someday >_<
First time i used my 682 insert :D
Well, I live in an area gets really humid during the summer and i took your advise from the first overboring video and bought a .693 stiffi barrel.... the last time i played paintball, i noticed that i couldn't get the fps that i had much earlier in the year.... what would you recommend?
i live in memphis tennessee and i am shooting evil paint (not evil pro or whatever its called, just evil) and i wanted a good barrel and mike always says well cp this and cp that so im getting a cp barrel, but what bore? does any 1 live near memphis? on my invert mini barrel they roll out unbeleivably easy.
hey mike why dont you do a review on the CCM Pumps. CCM-S6, T2
Does this include Valken paint?
i agree with patmesekhani!!!!!! i need an upgrade from a 09 slg =[ and i am lookin at those guns. i think it would be a great vid.
@LegionsPaintball why thank you sir, what about zing, graffiti or marbalizers (my home firld's paint)?
@ChinchillaSniper lol GOOD, because thats a perfect match for my current barrel
phantom stock barrel with a .682-.685 python back. (it can get a little chilly and there isnt as much moisture in MN)
This video is now 2 years old. Still reliable???
Thanks :D
My field paint is huge! .693 and it catches in the barrel haha
hey does anyone jmow where i can find a oring chart??
I am too! I've heard .685 to .689 is the way to go
This video is 3 years old. What size is the average paint now?
yes exactly just change inserts
Sooo... The recommendation would be a barrel kit??
Sceptors rock. Oh how I regret selling mine.
I shot .690 paint through my .679 freak last weekend. shot great. :)
mike i mostly play indoor pb in ny what do you recomend
Mike I play at Extreme Rage, and shoot their DXS Custom paint that they sell there. What bore size is it I cant find it anywhere?
@RAGEPAINTBALL2011 that should be fine. i live in nj... i have a 689 that works great with valken field paintb but wen i bought heat paintballs, they were significantly smaller.
Ok, whats the probelms with over and or under boreing ? I always thought you just lost some efficency.
Interesting.
i am about to buy a .680 for $45. you think it will be to small, from what others are telling me a .680 will be better. do you live in FL? do you use premium paint always? have you tried a .680 before you recommended that .684?
Actually, underboring creates a better seal and propels the balls faster. You have to turn down your regulator to use less air to accomplish the same task, which is reach the same field velocity. This leads to less air being used and the end result is higher efficiency.
right on
wow just bought 692. cf boomstick and live in mn. DAMN
whats the difference between the CP 1-piece classic and the 1-piece combat classic?
@donitos34
wrong. testing done by Punkworks (actually quite a long time ago) shows that under-boring will not break more paint than over-boring.
@Jester0813 Yeah paint is still rather smaller
i tested 5 balls throw my barrels just rolling them down till i get a nice fit.
is draxxus the same as dxs
i am like your biggest fan
@baconator490 i still like overboring, its much more consistant, alot more forgiving on paint, also if you chop or break a ball you have that extra space to get the other balls out without too much corkscrewing, and i would like to note since i started overboring i haent broken a single ball in my barrel, i started over boring more than a year ago
@baconator490 i dont see how, it would make more sense the other way around, overboring means theres less friction on the ball meaning its easier to get a higher velocity, so less air is needed, underboring means theres more friction on the ball meaning its harder to get a higher velocity, meaning it needs more air, also overboring gets much higher consistensy
@TacticalPositivism unless of course you shoot an autococker / pump in which case you'll want to underbore to prevent roll-outs
@LegionsPaintball tanks uve been helpfull
this is late but I'd go with the Critical barrels cheaper than the Freaks but still pretty good.
its personal preference. Id rather underbore now because paint is getting smaller and smaller and overbored barrels now are like .690 they used to be .693+. You really shouldnt have to worry about barrel breaks if your using good paint though
hey mike what team do you play on is it apart of the nppl
it varies
I remember about 07-ish to December 08 the paint was HUGE, here in NC I was getting mostly DXS and even some Diablo that were about .689-.692. Now, my .691 is WAY overbored, even my .685 CP is a lil big, just plain crazy! Who needs .50 cal when you have smaller and smaller .68? jk
i should just get a freak barrel kit n just save the trouble haha
mike i have watched a shit load of your vids, is it your job doing them or do you just do them for fun?
@ xXKawasakiKrazyXx hahaha ikr! time to dust off the smaller bores
your gun uses the same amount of air shooting a paintball out of a .693 vs a .680
When overboring air goes past the ball because there is a horrible seal down the barrel. Underboring compresses so there is a seal and no air escapes until it reaches porting so the air can push against the ball all the way through the bore part