Slingshot Paintball

Skill is vital in this no-guns version of the game

Another version of paintball is slingshot paintball, where players use slingshots instead of guns to shoot their paintballs. A lot of commercial paintball parks don’t allow this game, because some slingshots can shoot the pellets faster than 300 feet per second. There are different variations of slingshot paintball. In the game called Cowboys and Indians, one team will use pump action guns, and the other team will use slingshots. This isn’t as bad as it sounds, as some people can shoot more accurately with a slingshot than a gun if they practice enough.

Slingshot paintball is becoming quite popular with many recreational paintball players, because it costs less to play and it involves a whole new world of strategies and tactics. It’s believed that the first slingshot paintball game was played in the late 1990s by a group of friends in Idaho. The game was then promoted by participants after discovering the benefits of using slingshots opposed to guns. Slingshot paintball quickly spread throughout Idaho, Utah, and other states, and by 2005 the game had its own website.

To play the game, you need a slingshot, a paintball mask, and paintballs. The clothing and any other padding you may want to wear is basically the same as paintball. Each player carries a specific amount paintballs – between 3 and 20 - depending on the game being played. In a game of slingshot paintball, each player averages about 10 paintballs per game to play, that is of course, as long as they’re designated that many pellets for the game.

The rate of fire of a slingshot is obviously less than a gun, so all players are basically playing on a level playing field. This means the skill of the player is the usually the determining factor in a game, not the quality of his/her weapon. Another advantage of shooting from a slingshot is that it can be done almost silently. This lets players eliminate their opposition without revealing their location. The strategy is a lot different than regular paintball, as you can only shoot one paintball at a time before reloading. This gives you time to move after your enemy has fired at you. This means players have to use skill, stealth, and teamwork to survive.